Urban Herbalism: Red Clover Infusions

Isn't she beautiful?

This warm spring in the Northeast has meant early harvests on some of my favorite herbs. One of my personal favorite is red clover. She is a queenly flower, recognized by her pinkish purple blossoms and two sets of three leaves on either side. She grows taller than white clover- the kind you made crowns of as a child- and has a larger blossom.

Red clover has a rich history as a powerful healer. We don't know why, but we know that it was revered by the Celts and planted wherever they settled. It has a history of use in menopause and fertility, but also in bronchial complaints and as a general anti-inflammatory. Today it is used in agriculture for soil remediation.

Red clover is likely to be found all over your neighborhood.  Native healers note that harvesting a safe distance from the road ensures the helpfulness of your herbal medicine, so consider this as you harvest. For tincturing, the flowering tops (meaning the bud and the leaves on either side) are used. For tea, which is what I am making today, just the bud is employed. A full size bud with no brown will make the best tonic, as the bud is at the peak of its nutrients at this stage. However, I've never shied away from a healthy bud on either side of perfect.  These buds are such a gift, I make sure to send gratitude to the plants that shared them and never harvest every single bud.

To make a nourishing health infusion of red clover, which will help to balance hormones, offers minerals, and guards against cancer and inflammation, plop happy buds into a quart jar. An ounce of dried is used during the winter, I pack the jar with as many as I can find.

Pour just-boiling water over the top of your buds and allow to steep for four hours. This assures maximum   amount of herbal magic enters you with every sip. As you sip the pure energy of spring as women and men have for centuries, envision yourself coming into the wholeness you are seeking and take time to pause.