I remember as a child, probably ten years old or so, picking many honeysuckle flowers and sucking the nectar from the stems. It was such a delight, a secret food! I was thrilled to see thriving honeysuckle here when we moved in, beautifully tucked and intertwined in with climbing petite pale pink roses (also a wonderful medicinal food!).
Honeysuckle is a cooling and antimicrobial herb, perfect for those summer colds, infections, and fevers. I like to combine them with other herbs depending on the symptoms, but honeysuckle flower also makes for a nice addition in a conserve or as a tasty syrup as well. The buds have been used for lymphatic and respiratory issues especially, but Culpepper (a herbalist in the 1600’s) made use of them for its antispasmodic characteristics, relieving such symptoms such as menstrual cramps and asthma. The berries are considered toxic, however, so don’t use those!
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses honeysuckle for its cleansing properties, draining heat. I do like the traditional blend of using it with Chinese chrysanthemum; it is tasty and cooling, and I find it an effective help for summer crud.
I use the dried flowers as an infusion.
I picked my flowers and put them into a dehydrator at the lowest setting, about 105 degrees (fahrenheit). It didn’t take long until they were nicely dried. I then put them into a jar and added it to my apothecary, a sweet reminder of a flower that comes and goes too fast!
I encourage you to look around your land and garden and get to know the plants there. If they are not sprayed with pesticides, I bet you will find many treasures that will be a welcome addition to your medicine cabinet and pantry, blooming perfectly at the right time for which to use it for your best good.
Benevolent Healer endeavors to encourage, empower, and equip others who desire to educate, feed, and heal themselves, their families, and their communities using food and plants as medicine.