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Flora Amora Herbals

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Shawnigan Lake, BC
Flora Amora Herbals

Flora Amora wildcrafts small batch medicinal plant products

01/07/2026

Old Man's Beard is a fairly easy lichen to identify with its elastic central cord. It is abundant in our local forests and a superb anti-bacterial and antifungal acting herb! Easy to collect after wind storms which release Usnea from the upper canopy.

Usnic acid (most plentiful compound in Usnea) is very poorly soluble in water. Oil extractions give the richest efficacy but alcohol and honey extraction is also effective.

Usnea's actions are most effective with direct contact so using this herb topically (salves, creams, tincture, honey) is best! Most effective against gram positive bacteria.

On Vancouver Island the people of Nitinaht Nation have traditionally used this herb in diapers and sanitary pads as well as to dress wounds.

This is a wonderful local herb for your home apothecary!

01/02/2026

Queen of Hungary's Water
This brew is hailed as the first herbal product to ever be produced and marketed.
Legend has it that a handsome gypsy man healed the queen of Hungary from a mysterious disease with his concoction. Centuries later you can still find Queen of Hungary's water packaged and sold for a hefty price.

Ingredients ⏩ lemon balm, chamomile, rose, calendula, comfrey, lemon, rosemary, sage, acv, rose water, lavender essential oil.

The finished product can be used as a facial toner, as a hair conditioning rinse or as a deodorizer/after shower spray.

12/21/2025

The solstice brought me my most prized find of the year today ↪️ REISHI!!!

It is super glossy, smooth, burgundy colour and kidney shaped. In Chinese culture this mushroom is revered and has a long history, representing luck, healing and wellness. The mushroom of immortality

Ganoderma oregonense is a hugely valuable mushroom for our health. Immunity and stress support are two of the big ones, but it is also useful in supporting our liver, our cardiovascular system and as an anti-inflammatory. There is also a ton of research of reishi's powers against cancer.

I will be drying and powdering this beauty for personal use 💃

12/05/2025

Rosehips

-Michael Goodfellow (Canadian naturalist)

Caught in a tangle

of browns and greys

we move from branch

to branch to pick those

not softened by frost

each one ended

with dead blossom

It looks like ceremony

this patch of ground

an altar to the coming season

though it’s nothing

more special than tea

rye toast and rosehip jelly

on a Saturday morning

in winter, nothing more

deadly than sugar,

or was it. A thorn once gave

a fatal prick. Just a touch

turned someone to gold.

An apple ended-what?

A way of life

Gardening season

The knowledge gained

no more harm

than the L.L. Bean fall

catalogue set on

the table. Staple bound,

the careful fold

Yet below us the ground

was hardening to stone

12/01/2025

The two most used/important roots in my winter apothecary.

Inula helenium, Elecampane to move and support healing of respiratory infections. I personally like to make a cough syrup mixed with usnea with this root.

Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea to support immunity. I like to mix this in a tincture with Reishi mushroom.

What are you go to winter herbal healing aids?

11/21/2025

🍄 Amanita muscaria is often regarded as toxic, however that is only partly true. This mushroom contains two psychoactive alkaloids, ibotenic acid and muscimol, in addition to many other alkaloids.

Ibotenic acid is converted into muscimol by exposure to heat, which also removes the toxicity.

I dehydrated various harvests of this mushroom and am brewing a tincture to use topically for pain. I could also use the tincture for its psychoactive properties, however I don't have much interest in going on a trip with this mushroom at this point.

I am however very interested to see how effective this is for pain. Do you have any experience using Amanita muscaria? 🍄

11/11/2025

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has become an everyday alliance in my world as of late. Perimenopause is wreaking havoc on my body, my joints specifically. And so I am pounding all the turmeric (and ginger) to try and reduce the inflammation in my body during this transition phase of life. I am using turmeric 3 ways...cold elixir, turmeric capsules and golden mylk. The smell of these potent roots freshly grated is intoxicating!

This herb will also support my liver, which will support hormone balance in this period of rollercoaster hormones.

Have you had any success using turmeric for inflammatory body complaints?

10/06/2025

My newest afternoon obsession....Turmeric switchel! This is an iced drink that is both anti-viral and anti-inflammatory. It tastes earthy and bright!
And the sunny colour in a wine glass brings a lil delight to my soul as we enter the dark months.

Recipe from
Author Emily Han
1 tbsp honey (I used nettle infused honey)
1 tbsp ACV (again I used herbal infused)
1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp grated fresh turmeric or 1/2 tsp dried
1 tsp grated fresh grated ginger
Pinch of black pepper (to aid in curcumin bioavailability)
1 cup water
Ice

Let infused for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!

09/29/2025

There's so much to love about hawthorn! Hawthorn berries are invaluable in providing strength and support to the structure of the heart muscle.

I collect these annually for infusing in honey and alcohol however this year I think I might try some hawthorn mead or wine. Have you tried?

09/12/2025

Collecting Okanagan Valley dried wildflowers to add to my collection. Such different plants to engage with and meet in the desert compared to the rainforest. The plants and lil ecosystems of environments unlike my own totally fascinate me.

Today's finds...wooly plantain, chocolate lily, yarrow, Cali Poppy and some type of asteracea family flower for which I am not sure.

I find dried flowers and seed heads pretty cool.

08/14/2025

It's seed saving time!
As the days shorten, the herbs are putting the last of the seasons aerial energy into these beautiful seeds. I've begun to collect and feel gratitude for the sustainability in the lil garden ecosystem I have created. I can't wait to plant them and give their contained life force energy, some life!

I find seeds just as fascinating as flowers. I admire all the unique seed delivery mechanisms as well the variation in the seeds themselves. Mother nature never stops delighting my senses ✨💚

Today's collection:
Angelica archangelica
Nigella
Calendula officinalis

What are you collecting right now?

08/05/2025

Let's talk about an underused part of our stinging nettle plant. The lil seeds are powerhouses. They are crunchy, poppy, taste 'green', and are full of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.

The seeds are useful in assisting and supporting our body when stressed. They do have an affinity for the urinary system in regards to stress caused conditions.

I love to collect them and add them to salads and they make a really nice trail snack for a boost of energy.

Nettle is such a gem, locally abundant and definitely in my top 10 medicinal herbs!

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