Donald Rice

When strolling through the fantastic valleys, there may still be a “non-owned” cherry tree that gives the walker and the birds their small but tasteful fruit without chemical insecticides or …

If you’re wondering whether sarsaparilla root can clear your skin, ease sore joints, or “purify” your blood, here’s the plain answer up front: people have leaned on this root for …

If you have a bag of dried yellow flowers in front of you and you want to know what they actually do, here is the short version. European goldenrod is …

Corn silk — the soft, pale threads tucked under the husk of an ear of corn — has been brewed into teas and tinctures for hundreds of years, mostly for …

The cacao plant (Theobroma cacao) is the tropical tree behind cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter — and behind a long list of health claims, some solid and most not. The …

The giant reed (Arundo donax) is a tall Mediterranean grass that has been used in folk medicine for over two thousand years, most often as a mild diuretic and to …

White birch earns most of its health reputation from one modest, well-documented job: it makes you urinate more. The leaves of the white birch tree (Betula pendula) are brewed into …

Agave is sold as a natural, better-for-you sweetener, but the honest picture is mixed. Most claims about agave plant health benefits come down to three very different things: the syrup …

The arbutus plant stands with the bear in Madrid’s shield, the capital of Spain: this is the city’s symbol. Dioscorides already knew about the plant in the 1st century A.D. …

Nature lovers would appreciate knowing that the radii that form the umbels of the bishop’s weed, once dry, make excellent toothpicks. Moreover, they have the advantage of a pleasant aroma. …