Herb of the Week - Castor Bean

The bold look is back in garden design, so not surprisingly, castor beans have reappeared as backdrops for gardeners wanting to make a prominent statement in their plantings. Everything about castor bean is bold and a bit audacious, so gardeners with a bit of maverick in them seem to be drawn to this big plant. It was a very popular plant in 1890s gardening and cam be a great focal point in your garden.  Because the bean make a useful oil, one can loosely consider them and herb, so this week’s

Herb of the Week is Castor (Ricinus communis).

Castor bean (Ricinus communis) is a member of the spurge family and is native to tropical Africa where it grows as a tree to 40 feet tall. When grown as an annual it is usually a more modest 10 feet tall, which I what it will be when grown in Illinois where I live. Its leaves are star shaped with five to nine lobes and can be as large as a garbage can lid. The selections grown as ornamentals usually have a maroon tinge to the foliage.

The flowers of castor bean are borne near the top of the plant in panicles. But lacking petals they are not especially noteworthy. As the seed mature, the three-celled, spiny capsules turn bright red on foot long panicles and make an interesting distraction to the bold foliage.

It is from the extracts of this seed that castor bean gains its real significance. The oil is used commercially for everything from lubrication to cosmetics and is one of the most important industrial crop oils.

Children of my parent’s generation, probably know castor oil as a not-so-gentle laxative. The purgative powers of castor bean have long been known. The ancient Egyptians believed that food was the source of disease, so they drank beer laced with castor bean three times a month for a hearty flush of the digestive track.

As a teen-ager my encounter with castor bean expanded when I tried Castrol motor oil in hopes it would make my old Ford run like a race car. It didn’t help. The oil is used commercially in cosmetics, medicine and waterproofing treatments.

But castor bean seeds have one other characteristic that merits attention - they are poisonous. The poison is ricin, a proteinaceous molecule similar in structure and mode of action to the bacterial toxin found in anthrax. It’s said to be 1,000 times more toxic than cobra venom.

Castor bean is sometimes called mole plant from the practice of placing castor bean seeds in mole runs where the rodents will hopefully eat the seeds and perish. When you spot a castor bean growing in the middle of someone’s lawn, you can bet that the moles missed one.

Because of poor absorption of the phytotoxin from seed, fatalities from accidentally ingested seeds are uncommon. In fact, I can find no direct reports of fatalities from the seeds unless some nefarious plot was at work. But prudence dictates that castor bean plants should not be planted if small children are around.

Castor oil has been used medicinally in the United States since the days of the pioneers. As Americans moved west after the Civil War, settlers were very attracted to Indian medicines and popular "cure-all" remedies. The stronger smelling and the more vile tasting the concoction, the better, and some medical historians have described the latter part of the 1800's as the "age of heroic cures." Traveling medicine men peddled their elixirs throughout towns of the west, and often their products contained up to 40 percent (80 proof) alcohol. Castor oil was one of the old-fashioned remedies for everything from constipation to heartburn. It is indeed a very effective cathartic or purgative (laxative) and is still used to this day; however, there are milder, less drastic methods of inducing regularity. Castor oil is also used as personal lubricant: It is sometimes applied externally as a soothing emollient for dry skin, dermatitis, other skin diseases, sunburn, open sores, and it is the primary ingredient of several brand name medications. Several additional little-known uses for castor oil include hair tonics, ointments, cosmetics, and contraception creams and jellies. One remarkable old remedy mentions administering castor oil to induce labor during pregnancy.

One of the reasons castor plants have become so successful is their extremely viable seed that germinates readily in a variety of soils. In fact, desperate vegetable gardeners have been known to place the poisonous seeds in the burrows of gophers and moles, thus propagating and dispersing the plant. Because of its ability to grow wild and reseed itself, castor plants are recognized by botanists as naturalized weeds throughout the southwestern United States.

Castor beans, despite their colorful history, are still good garden plants. They are best used at the back of the flower border where they form a fast growing, bold screen. Seeds should be planted where the plant is to stand in mid spring after the last chance of frost is past. They do best in full sun in any good garden soil. They are intolerant of wet locations.

RECIPES

Lavender Water Voile

The word voile in French means veil and is used to describe something that is very light and delicate.  When used to describe fragrance a voile is gentle and soft, just a whisper of fragrance on your skin.  You can also use a different favorite floral scent in this recipe, such as jasmine or rose.

¼ cup filtered or distilled water

12 drops castor oil

6 to 8 drops lavender essential oil

Mix together all ingredients and stir well.  Pour into a clean container with a tight-fitting lid.

Directions for use: Splash on after bath or shower.

Peppermint Lip Balm

3 tsp. jojoba Oil

1 tsp. castor oil

1 tsp. full-scented Cocoa butter

1 tsp. beeswax

10 drops peppermint essential oil

Directions:

1. Melt the cocoa butter together with beeswax.
2. Add the jojoba and castor oil. 
3. Stir and allow to cool slightly before adding the essential oils and blend thoroughly. 
4. Pour into lip balm container.

Cleavers - Herb of the Week

)updated May 2017)

March 28 is National Weed Day (it might be weeding day, but it is March so I am not weeding anything yet!), so I decided to make the herb of the week a plant you would not grow but may harvest and use as it grows wild and is considered by many to be a weed.

I remember having a lot of fun with cleavers or “velcro weed” as a child.  This wonderful sticky, annual plant often grows wild and prolifically against fences, in hedgerows, crop fields and beneath trees.  we used to play in the farm field next door grabbing it and throwing it at each other.  My sister would make messages on my back.  Usually "Bite me!"  Back then I was not into the medical properties of anything, let along a playful weed, but recently I came across information on Urban Herbology  that details its use as a as a cleansing herb.

Cleavers (Galium aparine) - Herb of the Week

Cleavers (Galium aprine)

The pinnate-shape leaves of Galium aparine grow in whorls of 4 to 8 around its stem, which can get up to 6 feet long.  The plant’s sticky nature comes from tiny hooked hairs growing out from the leaves and ridges of the stems.  The clever cleaver uses the  sticky hairs to grow upward as it can cling to other plants, as well as fences and trees.  The seeds set in small sticky hairy burrs that will also cling to your clothing, aiding in seed dispersal. These seeds can lay dormant for up to 7 years, meaning the plant is generally unaffected by drought or other unsavory conditions.

Cleavers must spread seed as it is an annual, dying out entirely during winter, to spring anew each Spring  Native to the grassy savanna along river banks in Canada, the eastern half of the U.S., and along the Pacific Coast. It does produce a taproot, so can be hard to eradicate during the growing season.  The stem is slender, weak and square. Small, white or greenish-white flowers appear from May to September. The plant exudes a strong, honey-like odor, but actually has a bitter flavor.  

The herb is said to promotes lymphatic flow, to be cooling, soothing and cleansing. It is best harvested when young and prolific.  Depending on your weather this can be as easy as March, but it becomes most abundant after the first week of summer.  It can be added to salads, though the hairs give an interesting effect, or cooked in a little water as a leaf vegetable. If gathering it for making a medicinal tincture, you should strive to collect the plant in July, for a spring tonic gather as easily in the year as you can when shoots are still young.

Because it grows wild, Native Americans of the Eastern U.S and Midwest used it as a medicine for the treatment of gonorrhea.

Sweet Woodruff

PLEASE NOTE: As ever, when harvesting from the wild you should use a good field guide, be aware of look-a-like plants.  I think the most likely plant to be confused with Cleavers (Galium aparine)  is Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum).  In the same family they have a similar whorl of leaves and small white flowers that appear in May, but Sweet Woodruff has smooth slightly darker leaves that are a bit more pointed.  They also prefer a more shady area to grow in.  Sweet Woodruff is a helpful herb for insect and moth repellents, but unlike Cleavers it contains substances which can be poisonous in very large doses. Sweet Woodruff is also a perennial that will stay close to the same area year after year, while annual Cleavers get spread around because of the sticky stems and seeds.

Uses

Cleavers is often used by herbalists for cystitis, swollen glands, swollen breasts, PMS, mild lymphedema, prostatitis and as a diuretic for a general spring clean.  Susun Weed reports that it can also be helpful in reducing allergic reactions.  Due to it’s gentle diuretic cleansing action, Galium aparine often also helps to ease some skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema and gout.

Historically cleavers are seen as a wonderful cleansing remedy, clearing toxins from the system and reducing heat and inflammation. Cleavers has a diuretic action, aiding elimination of wastes, and also acts to enhance the lymphatic system, promoting lymphatic drainage of toxins and wastes so that they can be excreted via the urinary system. These actions combine to make cleavers  excellent for fluid retention, skin problems,. Including eczema, psoriasis, acne, boils, abscesses, urinary infections. urinary stones and gravel, arthritis and gout. Cleavers can be used for lymphatic problems, such as lymphatic congestion and swollen lymph glands, congestion of the breasts, and is said to have anti-tumor activity, particularly when in the skin or breasts, and the lymphatic system.

Cleavers makes an excellent facial wash as it tightens the skin. For those with the customary wrinkles and sags that come with age, making a wash with this herb might be something to consider (see below.)

Cleavers cools heat and inflammation in the body, seen in conditions such as cystitis, arthritis, inflammatory skin problems and digestive problems. Its bitter properties stimulate liver function and enhance digestion and absorption. A cooling drink made of cleavers was traditionally given every spring to "clear the blood".

The fresh leaves can be applied to cuts or wounds to check bleeding and speed healing. The juice or an infusion can be used to bathe varicose ulcers, or the fresh leaves can be made into a poultice. You can also blanch the fresh leaves and add to soups or as a substitute for spinach in quiche or similar recipes.

I thought about picking some to put on the sunburn I got out bike riding in Wisconsin this past weekend, where I took this picture.  But I decided to gather it at home instead.

Recipes

Cleavers tea (version 1)3 heaped tablespoons of dried or fresh herb

2 cups boiling water

Allow to stand for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.  When cool take mouthful doses throughout the day.

Cleavers tea (version 2)

1 tsp cleavers

1 tsp. uva ursi

1 cup boiling water

Place herbs in water and allow to steep for thirty minutes then drain. Add honey to sweeten if the tea is too bitter.

Tincture of Cleavers2 cups 100 proof vodka or Everclear4 to 5 feet of Cleaver plant material

Harvest the top two thirds of plant when in flower or setting seed (July is a great time.) Crush some of the plant in mortar and pestle with a bit of vodka, then place in a glass jar and cover with more alcohol.  Allow to steep for 5 to 6 weeks, remembering to shake daily.

UPDATE: For details on making a tincture, see my post from March 2017

To use: According to Urban Herbology you can take a dose of 0.5ml – 1ml in a glass of water a few times daily when called for.

Cleavers Facial Wash 

This wash will help to tighten up loose skin folds. Gradual results should become evident within 2 weeks. You should begin to see a brightening and smoothing of skin making it look less tired.

1 Quart water

3 1/2 Tbls. Dried cleavers

Bring quart of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add dried cleavers. Cover and steep for 40 min. 

To Use: Soak a wash cloth or small terrycloth hand in the chilled tea, then wash face and neck or apply as a compress over face for up to 10 minutes several times a day.

UPDATE: Sources sited in this article include:

https://urban-herbology.org/

https://www.gaiaherbs.com/blogs/herbs

https://www.eclecticschoolofherbalmedicine.com/cleavers-monograph/

  

Making Herbal Gifts - Lip Balms and Bath Bags

Don't forget to check out the Advent Calendar for more recipes and tips available each day until Dec. 25th!


Pampering Gifts

Herby pamper products to give as gifts are sweet, fun and much less expsnsive that the store alternatives.  At a recent workshop I made Herb Bath Bags, Bath Salts, Lip Balms and more.  Here are a few recipes we did not get to try that day.

Chocolate Lip Gloss
This one is simple & easy and you can make it with your kids.  It uses a few simple ingredients from the grocery and a microwave!

2 tsp. petroleum jelly

1/8 tsp. honey

10 mini Hershey's milk chocolate chips

1/8 tsp. shortening

Directions:

1. Carefully mix all ingredients into a microwave safe container.  Make sure they are all clumped together.  Do not put a lid on. 
2. Heat on high power for 30 seconds, stir then repeat until fully melted. 
3. Then pour into a small bottle and freeze for 15 minutes or until solid. 
4. Then you can apply on to your lips.

Store bought salt scrubs can cost a pretty penny these days, but the ingredients to make your very own salt scrub right at home cost next to nothing. This simple body scrub recipe provides a refreshing departure and the delicious scents will invigorate your senses while exfoliating and sloughing away dead skin. Here’s how to make a cinnamon ginger body scrub right at home. 

Cinnamon Ginger Body Scrub

·         1 cup sea salt

·         1/2 tsp ground ginger

·         1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

·         1 cup olive oil (almond oil works well too)

·         Fork

·         Large spoon

·         Small mixing bowl

·         Airtight glass or plastic jars

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the sea salt, ginger, cinnamon and oil. Mix vigorously with a fork until fully combined.
2. Let the mixture sit until the salt has settled to the bottom of the bowl (about an hour). There should be a thin layer of oil covering the mixture. If you need to add more oil, do it now.
3. Scoop the mixture into an airtight container. If you’re selling the scrub at a fair or giving it away as gifts, pick out some cute vintage bottles or wide-mouthed glass jars to store them in. Make sure that the containers you choose seal completely, so the mixture doesn’t dry up.
4. Use the scrub. While in the shower or at the sink, apply the scrub to damp skin and scrub gently. Rinse with warm water. Avoid using salt scrubs on delicate facial skin.

This Bath Truffle is something I want to develop into a product, some day, but for now I only make it for my freinds... Try it with your leftover champagne.

CHAMPAGNE BATH TRUFFLES

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups baking soda
7 Tbls. citric acid
3.5 Tbls. cocoa butter

a little left over champagne
1 tsp. your favorite essential/fragrance oil (optional)
a little gold mica and/or cosmetic grade glitter (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt the cocoa butter
2. Place baking powder and citric in a bowl and mix well
3. Add the champagne to the melted cocoa butter - how much champagne?  Well hopefully you won't have too much left in the bottle, but about a third of a champagne glass is enough.  Don’t add too much or the mixture will be too sloppy.
4. Pour the champagne/cocoa butter into the baking soda/citric acid mixture and mix well.
5. Add your fragrance/essential oil if you are using it and mix again. 
6. Add your gold mica and/or glitter if you are using them and mix again.
7. Place into molds - ice cube trays, little petit fours cases, small cup cake tins - they'll all do.  Leave to set. 

Directions for use:  Run a warm bath, pop a champagne bath truffle into the bath and enjoy.

If you like bath and spa items but do not have the time to craft them yourself, try those made by the Backyard Patch with organic herbs and natural ingredients -- Backyard Patch Bath Products!