Harvest & process

Peppermint

Mentha × piperita

When

Just as flower buds form, after dew dries. Two or three cuts a season.

Part

Aerial parts · Leaf

In the field

Cut stems a hand above the ground so it comes again.

Cure

Hang small bunches. Strip when the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole leaf in a tin. Crumble at the cup.

Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

When

Flowering tops in bloom; root in autumn of year 3–4 from a plant you grew.

Part

Root · Flowering tops

In the field

Do not dig wild stands. Garden root only.

Cure

Slice root. Dry until snap. Tops can hang.

Store

Root tin or a folk jar. Short courses are the old use.

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

When

Spikes with the first flowers open, dry morning.

Part

Flower spikes

In the field

Cut long stems. Keep a few for the bees.

Cure

Hang in the dark. Rub buds off the spike when dry.

Store

Buds in a tin. The oil is not a tea.

Culinary bud is the cup. Essential oil is not a beverage.

Lemon balm

Melissa officinalis

When

Just as it flowers, morning, several cuts.

Part

Aerial parts

In the field

Cut generously; it wants to be a hedge.

Cure

Hang fast — balm browns if it sits in a pile.

Store

Whole leaf. A quiet evening cup.

Aloe

Aloe vera

When

Cut outer mature leaves at the base as needed.

Part

Inner leaf gel · Latex (not recommended for self-care)

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

St. John's wort

Hypericum perforatum

When

Tops as flowers open, around St. John's Day (late June) in the north.

Part

Flowering tops

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Holy basil

Ocimum tenuiflorum

When

Tops as they flower, repeated cuts.

Part

Leaf and flowering tops

In the field

Pinch like sweet basil. Krishna types run hotter.

Cure

Hang covered from sun. The clove scent should survive.

Store

Whole tops. Afternoon cup, not a midnight pot if it brightens you.

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

When

Tops in full flower. Leaves any time.

Part

Aerial parts · Leaf

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Nettle

Urtica dioica

When

Young tops in spring, before it flowers. Gloves.

Part

Young leaf · Root

In the field

Pinch the top four inches. A second flush after a cut.

Cure

Hang or freeze. The sting dies with heat or dry.

Store

Dried leaf a year. This is a food tea.

Skip roadside and dog-walk patches.

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

When

Young leaf in spring; root in autumn of a known unsprayed plant.

Part

Leaf · Root

In the field

A long taproot. Wash well. Leaf for bitter greens; root for a dark roast.

Cure

Slice root thin. Dry until snap. Leaf as a green or a dry tin.

Store

Root a year; leaf less.

Lawns that were sprayed are not a harvest.

Feverfew

Tanacetum parthenium

When

Leaves before full bloom, all summer.

Part

Leaf

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

When

Leafy flowering stems in summer. Dry in shade.

Part

Aerial parts

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Hawthorn

Crataegus monogyna

When

Blossoms just open; berries when fully red/dark after first frost.

Part

Flowering tops · Berry

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Rosemary

Salvia rosmarinus

When

Year-round in frost-free yards; a morning snip before a long cook.

Part

Leaf · Flowering tips

In the field

Take tips, not the old wood. A shrub is a pantry.

Cure

Hang short sprigs, or freeze whole.

Store

Dried needles a year; fresh in a glass of water for a week.

Garden sage

Salvia officinalis

When

Before bloom for the sweetest leaf; a second cut after.

Part

Leaf

In the field

Cut stems, leave the woody frame.

Cure

Hang. Sage dries fast and keeps its camphor.

Store

Whole leaf. A gargle is a small cup, not a quart.

Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

When

As flowers open — flavor peaks then.

Part

Aerial parts

In the field

Shear the mound like a hedge. Leave green wood.

Cure

Hang or screen. Strip tiny leaves from dry stems.

Store

Tin. Honey after a thyme cup is food, not a drug.

Plantain

Plantago major

When

Young leaves anytime; seed when spikes brown.

Part

Leaf · Seed

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Mullein

Verbascum thapsus

When

Second-year flower, dry; leaf before the stalk, also dry.

Part

Leaf · Flower

In the field

Wear gloves if the hairs bother you. Cloth-strain any tea twice.

Cure

Hang leaf. Screen the flowers.

Store

Leaf tin. Unstrained hairs scratch a throat.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba

When

Green leaves in late summer before they gold.

Part

Leaf (standardized or dried)

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Witch hazel

Hamamelis virginiana

When

Leaf in summer; bark from prunings in autumn — never girdle.

Part

Bark · Leaf · Twig

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Skullcap

Scutellaria lateriflora

When

Tops in full flower.

Part

Aerial parts

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Sweet basil

Ocimum basilicum

When

Pinch tips before flower for the sweetest leaf, all summer.

Part

Leaf · Flowering tops

In the field

Never strip a stem to bare wood. Keep two leaf pairs.

Cure

Freeze in oil. Hang-dry is a paler, hayier basil.

Store

Frozen cubes through winter. Pesto is the put-up.

Oregano

Origanum vulgare

When

Cut as flowers open; flavor peaks then.

Part

Aerial parts

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Burdock

Arctium lappa

When

Root in autumn of year 1, before the frost heaves it.

Part

First-year root · Young leaf (food, bitter) · Seed (traditional, stronger)

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Wash, slice thin, dry until the center snaps.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Meadowsweet

Filipendula ulmaria

When

Open plumes in midsummer, dry fast.

Part

Flowering tops · Leaf

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Catnip

Nepeta cataria

When

Tops as flowers open.

Part

Aerial parts

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Lemon verbena

Aloysia citrodora

When

Leaf through the warm season. Dry fast to keep the lemon.

Part

Leaf

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Spearmint

Mentha spicata

When

Before full bloom, repeatedly.

Part

Leaf · Flowering tops

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Gotu kola

Centella asiatica

When

Young leaves anytime the plant is growing.

Part

Leaf · Whole herb

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Motherwort

Leonurus cardiaca

When

Tops as the first whorls open.

Part

Aerial parts

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Raspberry leaf

Rubus idaeus

When

Young leaf in spring; fruit in summer.

Part

Leaf · Fruit as food

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus

When

Stalks when the clump is thick; cut at soil.

Part

Stalk · Leaf

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Self-heal

Prunella vulgaris

When

Spikes as they purple.

Part

Flowering tops

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Chickweed

Stellaria media

When

Tips before it mats and yellows in heat.

Part

Aerial parts

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Hyssop

Hyssopus officinalis

When

Spikes as they blue.

Part

Flowering tops

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Bay laurel

Laurus nobilis

When

Mature leaves year-round. Dry a week in the dark.

Part

Leaf

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Dill

Anethum graveolens

When

Leaf before bloom; seed when umbels brown.

Part

Leaf · Ripe seed

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

When

Cut 2 inches above the crown. Never scalp the clump.

Part

Leaf · Flower

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

French tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa

When

Cut young tips through summer. Freeze or vinegar the glut.

Part

Leaf

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Hang small bunches out of sun until the leaf shatters.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.

Sweet marjoram

Origanum majorana

When

Cut as the knots of flower form — flavor peaks then.

Part

Leaf · Flowering tops

In the field

Cut on a dry morning after dew lifts, from a plant you grew or a site you have a right to pick.

Cure

Single layer on a screen, dark, until crisp.

Store

Whole, dark, labeled with the year. Crumble at use.