Monarda fistulosa aka lavender beebalm aka sweet leaf. Among native herbalist Monarda fistulosa is known as “Sweet Leaf”. I like that name, it describes it far better than the latin or english common name.
It was used by all Native American tribes in N. America but for one. According to the writings of Matthew Wood it is, and was, one of the 6 most important medicinal plants among all tribes for millennia. It has a very special place in the story of medicine in native tribes. It plays an important part and is still used today in the “Sun Dance” ceremonies by the Sioux and Cheyenne every summer at Pine Ridge.
Native peoples actually divide sweet leaf into 4 different species instead of the one species named by botanists. They describe subtle differences in the plants from say... one location to a random different location, the scent of the leaves and how they feel, how they taste.
I, and many others in the past, have used it for pit viper bites. Sweet Leaf has the amazing ability to move internal fever (snake bite, gun shot wounds, horrible injury) to the surface (skin) and dispel it. This speeds healing. A really high fever can kill many of our bodies chemical responses to injury, impead healing. Sweet leaf can lower that fever.
Personally, I use it often for a particular kind of exhaustion/stress headache, at the back of my skull and neck, I get a lot of those. Funny thing… the one tribe who didn’t use this plant were the Cherokee. They used Monarda didyma, Scarlet beebalm, a cousin of lavender beebalm… They are very similar but different. Example: sweet leaf is great for headaches at the back of the head. Scarlet beebalm is great for headaches at the front of the head like sinus headaches.
All mint family plants are “Nervines”. All the monarda’s are mints. They have a powerful effect on our nervous system which I can confirm. Sweet Leaf is the only known cure for “Meniere's Disease”. It’s the degeneration of inner ear nerves. A person has ringing in the ears, loss of balance, can’t walk for days at a time. My dad has it. Sweet Leaf can actually regenerate nerve growth in the inner ear. It’s done wonders for my dad. Its also great for regular tinnitus.
I’ve used this plant for medicine for about a decade now. I still feel like a beginner, still learning from it.
The best description I’ve read on this plant’s medicinal qualities is in “The Book of Herbal Wisdom” by M. Wood. It’s 18 pages of very small print… amazing, this plant is simply amazing. I put a description and photo of the book here... Herbal Medicine Books - Peanut recommends
Sometime in the last 10 days I tinctured some sweet leaf, don’t ask me which day, lol. I’ve been tincturing plants everyday for a couple of weeks now.
Edit to add... I thought I should clarify one property of sweet leaf in my post. I wrote that I use it for stress/exhaustion headaches. It’s excellent for that. However, its effect is much different than an aspirin or some pharmaceutical medication.
It’s very difficult to describe, its does more than relieve the pain. What ever was causing my stress seems less important, it’s calming and relaxing… but not like alcohol or anything like that. In some ways it's similar to adaptogens in it's effects.
It’s used the same way for the sun dance ceremonies. It’s calming, more conducive to a relaxed and peaceful experience. At least that was the way it was described to me as I’ve never been to a sun dance ceremony.
@Weedygarden @Amish Heart @Patchouli
It was used by all Native American tribes in N. America but for one. According to the writings of Matthew Wood it is, and was, one of the 6 most important medicinal plants among all tribes for millennia. It has a very special place in the story of medicine in native tribes. It plays an important part and is still used today in the “Sun Dance” ceremonies by the Sioux and Cheyenne every summer at Pine Ridge.
Native peoples actually divide sweet leaf into 4 different species instead of the one species named by botanists. They describe subtle differences in the plants from say... one location to a random different location, the scent of the leaves and how they feel, how they taste.
I, and many others in the past, have used it for pit viper bites. Sweet Leaf has the amazing ability to move internal fever (snake bite, gun shot wounds, horrible injury) to the surface (skin) and dispel it. This speeds healing. A really high fever can kill many of our bodies chemical responses to injury, impead healing. Sweet leaf can lower that fever.
Personally, I use it often for a particular kind of exhaustion/stress headache, at the back of my skull and neck, I get a lot of those. Funny thing… the one tribe who didn’t use this plant were the Cherokee. They used Monarda didyma, Scarlet beebalm, a cousin of lavender beebalm… They are very similar but different. Example: sweet leaf is great for headaches at the back of the head. Scarlet beebalm is great for headaches at the front of the head like sinus headaches.
All mint family plants are “Nervines”. All the monarda’s are mints. They have a powerful effect on our nervous system which I can confirm. Sweet Leaf is the only known cure for “Meniere's Disease”. It’s the degeneration of inner ear nerves. A person has ringing in the ears, loss of balance, can’t walk for days at a time. My dad has it. Sweet Leaf can actually regenerate nerve growth in the inner ear. It’s done wonders for my dad. Its also great for regular tinnitus.
I’ve used this plant for medicine for about a decade now. I still feel like a beginner, still learning from it.
The best description I’ve read on this plant’s medicinal qualities is in “The Book of Herbal Wisdom” by M. Wood. It’s 18 pages of very small print… amazing, this plant is simply amazing. I put a description and photo of the book here... Herbal Medicine Books - Peanut recommends
Sometime in the last 10 days I tinctured some sweet leaf, don’t ask me which day, lol. I’ve been tincturing plants everyday for a couple of weeks now.
Edit to add... I thought I should clarify one property of sweet leaf in my post. I wrote that I use it for stress/exhaustion headaches. It’s excellent for that. However, its effect is much different than an aspirin or some pharmaceutical medication.
It’s very difficult to describe, its does more than relieve the pain. What ever was causing my stress seems less important, it’s calming and relaxing… but not like alcohol or anything like that. In some ways it's similar to adaptogens in it's effects.
It’s used the same way for the sun dance ceremonies. It’s calming, more conducive to a relaxed and peaceful experience. At least that was the way it was described to me as I’ve never been to a sun dance ceremony.
@Weedygarden @Amish Heart @Patchouli
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