I’ve known Thomas Elpel for several years, and was really excited to have the chance to talk with him again. Tom sat down with me to discuss how a basic understanding of botany can be helpful for herbalists, but our conversation went way beyond that. While not strictly an herbalist, Tom is definitely a plant person through and through, and his curiosity about the natural world is infectious!

Tom has written many books about a variety of subjects. His book Botany in a Day, which can help you learn to recognize and identify plants through their botanical families, was transformative for me when I was first learning to identify plants! Tom has shared a sample page from Botany in a Day about the oleaster plant family with us; you can download your copy here: https://bit.ly/40PkFNr

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How learning to recognize plants by the patterns of their botanical families can be useful to herbalists and other people who work with plants

► Why it’s so important to actually go out and experience the natural world – the way the deer do!

► Why “invasive plants” is a complicated term, and how working to eradicate plants with this label can sometimes do more harm than good

► Four ways that plants in the oleaster family can benefit the environment around them

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know him, Thomas J. Elpel is the director of Green University in southwest Montana, and is the author of nine books ranging in topics from wilderness survival to consciousness. He is best known for his book Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification. With his background in wilderness survival skills, Tom applied a self-sufficiency ethic to all aspects of his life, from living in a tent and building his own stone and log home to later launching his own publishing company. Tom has produced two card games that teach plant family patterns and one that teaches wildlife ecology. He is presently writing a book about the ecology of the American West.

I can’t wait to share our conversation with you today!

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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book...