Because it doesn't matter? *facepalm
Watching climate, democracy, epidemiology, and medicinal plants. Medical Botanist; SWSBM 1995. Born at 313.2 ppm CO2
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Because it doesn't matter? *facepalm
👇👇👇
The History of Chinese Medicinal Herb Production in the US - Jean Giblette highfallsgardens.net/the-history-...
"Ligusticum is described as a dustbin genus, as it contains several species that cannot be classified correctly." bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. How many wars were lost because of disease?
Here 👇 www.researchgate.net/profile/Shai...
Cartoon by @billbramhall.bsky.social.
Let's rebuild. news.mongabay.com/2025/08/ecos...
More of this, please. "But here's what stopped me cold: Benjamin made it open source. No patents. No exclusive licenses. Just posted the blueprints online. Download, print, assemble. Think to move." www.linkedin.com/feed/?highli...
The hummingbirds like Indigofera sp.
Here's where it grows. powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
Dotted gayfeather (Liatris punctata) is one of the last flowering native plants here. Winter is coming.
It started with seeds in soil. Nature is generous. Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) & Alexander rhubarb (Rheum alexandrae)
"Disasters are hell. But the way people respond, the experiences they have, the way they show up for each other can create a sort of paradise of generosity, solidarity, courage, immediacy, purposefulness." A very good read this morning. www.meditationsinanemergency.com/we-were-made...
Thou shalt not end vaccines. God will not save you from plague. The Middle Ages should’ve made that very clear.
Read more here: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) flowers in an umbel. In the parsley family (Apiaceae). The seed took 4 months to germinate in the greenhouse. What a crazy flower. There's two mericarps that are flattened laterally.
Someday science teachers will be treated like shamans who know the secrets of life.
This interview, which is also available to listen to as a podcast, provides a useful overview of some of the dangerous trends we’ve been seeing in recent months regarding federalization and militarization of state and local police functions.
Raised bed #3: (L to R) Groundcherry (Physalis heterophylla), huang qi (Astragalus mongholicus), heal-all (Prunella vulgaris), and violet (Viola odorata). If you look really closely to the lower left, you'll spot Rheum alexandrae, a rhubarb species from East Asia.
For 98% of days in the year in Britain, it’s either windy or sunny. Well-balanced for clean power — plotting this on a calendar shows how #wind and #solar power complement each other across days and seasons.
'Solar energy is booming. It’s now both the cheapest and the fastest-growing energy source in history'. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
You will be seeing more about groundcherry fruit juice, concentrated powders, etc. The Emerging Superfruit: Physalis peruviana's Role in Revolutionizing the Nutraceutical and Food Industries. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Even the Eclectic physicians knew about ground cherry. Though the nomenclature is a bit messy. But then, it was 1898, after all. King’s American Dispensatory www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/kin...
Even winter cherry was a medicinal fruit back in the time of Hildegard of Bingen. www.healthyhildegard.com/health-benef...
Alkekengi officinarum which was in the Physalis genus, is not only a garden favorite, it's also a medicinal fruit (including the inflated calyx) in East Asia. www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/...
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is another genus in the Solanaceae that has an inflated calyx around its fruit. Fun fact: tomatillos contain withanolides, similar to Withania. Withanolides have been found to inhibit many kinds of tumorous cell growth.
Focused lately on the origin of Physalis (tomatillo, groudcherry). Turns out that the flower we call Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi, now Alkekengi officinarum) has been in East Asia a very long time. Probably since Gondwana. Origin from Central America.
Four million dollars. They’re cutting a program to test treatments for children with brain cancer to save four million dollars a year.
Oh "The first wave of grocery-price increases will likely hit this winter. Roberson predicted produce prices could rise 50% to 100% by early next year" fortune.com/2025/08/28/t...
"Immigrants aren't the problem, the rich are" #TaxTheRich
Everything is all connected. lemonochrome.medium.com/how-the-pana...
Interested in growing East Asian herbs? Join us! liliuminitiative.org/events-colle...
So sorry. Take care of the helper, too.
Olive oil prices are going to be skyrocketing. All around the Mediterranean there are extreme wildfires where many olive trees grow. The worse these fires get the more likely it is that the olive trees are permanently destroyed. And it takes decades for large productive olive trees to grow.
Here is a reminder that already last year 44 experts directed a powerful warning to policy makers about the risk of #AMOC shutdown. What more can we do to get heard? It’s like the saying that every disaster movie starts with scientists warning and being ignored.
huang qi, Astragalus mongholicus syn. A. membranaceus. Flowers are pretty in the rain.
Lemon balm for the bees, for tea, and for the heart.
Courage.
Botanical descriptions require a vocabulary like a language.
Here's one of my raised beds. I tend to mix vegetables with herbs. Hey, why not? In the middle is Withania somnifera (ashwagandha).
🧵 I know it's ridiculous, but when he's talking mitochondrial challenges & inflammation, he's again referring to his idea of vaccine-induced autism. Let me explain.
I absolutely love the FEARLESS Dr. Peter Hotez!!!!!
This the bravery and solidarity we need right now.
Paper here: Identifying the ideal habitats for authentic herbs to cope with climate warming. link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
Continuing my study of Dolomiaeae costus syn. Saussurea costus (mu xiang, kuth). After pulling out the seeds, this is a good example of a bristly receptacle. Bristles in-between the disc flowers, described as "subulate" which is like an awl shape.
She refused to capitulate. Resist the dictator.
Oo! Zone 8 has got to be tough! But really, some plants are very adaptable. Keep trying is my motto!
Salvia miltiorrhiza (dan shen) is quite tender for Zone 4. Though, I finally did get it to survive in the garden beds. I'm sure it won't winter over (we'll see). Maybe not the best species for Montana agriculture. Salvia przewalskii (another dan shen) grows very well here.
Finally flowering! Codonopsis pilosula (dang shen). I think this is year 3 or so. Patience, right? I'll try to move it next Spring. It really needs a trellis.
Montana agriculture could grow this for the Chinese herbalist community. Ask your local acupuncturists if they'd like some root from you. Sell it fresh at garden markets. www.meandqi.com/herb-databas...
Blackberry lily (not really a lily!). Iris domestica syn. Belamcanda chinensis. Fingers crossed that I finally get some mature seed before the snow flies. This is year 3 I think...or maybe 4.
Probably Isabella moth (wooly bear caterpillar) on the Astragalus mongholicus (huang qi). Who says caterpillars don't feed on non-native plants. wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-puyallup/...
With edible roots, shoots, leaves, flowers, and seeds, it's wild to me that this once popular native vegetable is labeled overly aggressive by native plant folks. I think it's because they are disconnected with the wild world, and want low/no-maintenance, instead of a crop that feeds wildlife too.
“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” ~Ray Bradbury Keep reading, friends. 📚
Looks like a thistle but it's a honeysuckle! Whorlflower, Morina longifolia. Here's a blog post about it: www.jeremybartlett.co.uk/2014/11/09/w...
Gabriel Mojay (Aug 27, 2025, 6:13 PM) Herbcast: Bitter Herbs for a Sweeter Life: Insights from Guido Mase www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoI-...
Potential of Bitter Medicinal Plants: A Review of Flavor Physiology Bitter receptors are all over the body! What?!!! www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/17...
Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica) is an annual that provides nectar for bees and hummingbirds. Easy to grow! Plus, a delicious dried tea. Kid approved! strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product/balm...
Codonopsis pilosula (dang shen) in bud. It had better hurry up!
The aronia berries are ready! Favorite recipes or storage ideas?
IDSA calls on insurers to cover COVID vaccines consistent with medical recommendations and evidence, and urges Congress to conduct strong oversight of the Administration’s decision restricting Americans’ freedom to choose vaccination. Our statement: https://bit.ly/3JBFPb6
These polar bear cubs are 8 months old. They will stay with their mother (watching out of frame) for another year and a half before they are ready to venture out on their own. They were so curious of us humans watching from a giant, silent, tundra buggy. 🌿🦊🐻❄️
Well, mostly good news. www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/fda...
The small seeds of orchids are easily carried by the wind. The seeds lack endosperm entirely (& depend on a fungal symbiont for germination). This is a capsule of Myrmecophila humboldtii. The seeds are the white powder on my hand. #Orchidaceae #dispersal #Botany 🌾🧪🌱
Why can't I find a nursery that will ship me some Xanthoriza in pots? (psst: it's high in berberine) Most won't ship out of state. Most only ship to companies. Suggestions? gnps.org/plant/yellow...
Angelica dahurica (bai zhi). There's actually 3 plants there. Tough to germinate. I gave up and tossed the seed in an open bed. More about it here: asante-academy.com/encyclopedia...
Ginkgo biloba still growing (slowly) in Zone 4.
The horsechestnut is turning. Aesculus x arnoldiana Autumn Splendor. Winter is coming.
Agastache rugosa (left) and Agastache foeniculum (right). Even photos on iNaturalist have me stumped. Except for the ones from Korea. Those look like it's growing in shade and darker. Seeds purchased from different sources.
Well, I never knew. Thanks!
I'm really struggling with it! Which makes me wonder about the identity of BOTH of these species. Now looking at the ORIGIN of the A. rugosa seed I bought years ago. Hmm. 🤔
Unreserved Unreserved describes its curriculum as "One unique project making students the subject in school & strengthening social structures. www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/good-me...
and memory in both #birds and bees. In Peruvian folklore, the YRCA is believed to be a good omen, and is associated with a tale that a mischievous boy who wore black pants and a yellow jacket angered a fairy in disguise. She turned him into a noisy, wandering bird. Caciques are highly social.
Summer is waning. Time to go to Yellowstone when many folks have to get back to school!
The native Agastache urticifolia flowers are a lighter pink and is not sweet-tasting at all. It flowers in July.
I've been growing Agastache foeniculum this summer. I also have Agastache rugosa (from East Asia) and our local native Agastache urticifolia. I cannot tell the botanical or taste difference between A. foeniculum and A. rugosa. Both are very sweet and both flower in late summer.
Food forest podcast coming. #permaculture #agroecology www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
An awesome nonprofit project on a mission to end food insecurity in Blackfeet country! www.fastblackfeet.org
Shells: The Art Born of Ocean Motion. Historical Science Art from 1904. Prosobranch Gastropods. Ernst Haeckel, Art Forms in Nature. #sciart #scicomm #bioart
BREAKING: Workers at Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks just won their union elections. They are the first national parks to unionize in several years.
oh phew! Hope you're doing well. See you maybe in Zoola in a few weeks? Herb Fest. :)
apologies. I'm sure I did not mean that in a negative way. Not even sure which post this is, since it's blocked. Sorry!
The Trump regime is systematically crippling & blinding US science wherever science can provide independent information to the US public which the fossil fuel lobby doesn’t like. A kind of self-harm for which the US will pay dearly for decades to come. Destruction is fast, recovery slow & costly.
Climate change is making this more likely.
I'm cringing, watching this person turn pages without gloves.
This 👇 hechingerreport.org/a-great-defe...
We can do it! Just takes the will. Love frogs 🐸💚
This is how I want to start every day of my life. 🪶
Find current and old names (synonyms) here: powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
Morning botany prep. Old names (botanical synonyms) for Echinacea purpurea.
The Republicans want to go back to canned commodities rather than healthy food. Don't ever forget.
To my fellow Americans who are confused: Alta. is Alberta. Brooks is about 300 miles north of Montana’s Canadian border.
There's also white-colored ones, too. Same name. Another tidbit: the flowers are green. It's the stamens that are colored.
Kittentails - a story about naming sbs.wsu.edu/ownbeyherbar...
Just kinda watching this one.
The McAllister Fire caused the loss of half of a herd for one rancher. I'm so sorry for that family. And, it's really windy right now. The fires are blowing up!
Rheum alexandrae (a rhubarb species from East Asia). August from May... Okay then! I'll be transplanting these babies into gardens for the winter. I think they'll be okay, seeing as how they are native to East Tibet to China. 😘 powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:ls...
Is anyone else in #Montana severely cutting back their tomatoes? #It'sFall