It is a busy time for herbal harvesting. The roses are in full bloom and as much as I love looking at the petals on the bushes I am compelled to strip them off to make herbal medicine. I use the petals but have read recently that the leaves are also effective so this year I will add a few leaves and see how it works.
The gifts of the rose are many and I would like to share a few:
- Rose is high in anti-oxidants so start drinking rose tea.
- The petals also will gift you with B vitamins and bioflavanoids.
- Rose enhances immune function which means you can use it for colds and flu.
- If you are trying to add beneficial bacteria to your digestive system rose is your woman.
- Rose is good for moving stuck energy in the liver and gallbladder. It relaxes and cools the tired overworked liver.
- The entire plant is anti-inflammatory and can be used internally as a tincture or externally as a liniment for this purpose.
The gifts are many from this lovely plant and this list is only but a few. You can use the petals and leaves from either domestic or wild roses. Herbalist Kiva Rose says roses are beauty with attitude and I would absolutely agree!
I hope you are lucky enough to have roses growing in your yard but if not make sure you stop and smell some because they are good for your stressed out nervous system too!