Herbs with Rosalee

Hibiscus is tart, cooling, beautiful—and so much more than just a refreshing summer drink.
Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) may be best known as the star ingredient in the tart, ruby-red beverage called jamaica or sorrel, but there is so much more to this beautiful plant! In this episode, Rebecca Fils-Aimé takes us beyond the familiar drink to explore hibiscus as food, medicine, and cultural tradition. Drawing on her Haitian heritage as well as her own herbal studies, Rebecca shares why she loves hibiscus for its cooling, soothing, mucilaginous qualities, how she works with it for cardiovascular and respiratory support, and so many ways to work with the flowers (well, the calyxes to be exact!) and leaves in both the kitchen and the apothecary.
Rebecca also shares her recipe for Sorrel Cough Syrup, a simple combination of hibiscus and warming Caribbean spices designed to soothe that irritating, dry cough. (Or if you don’t have a cough, just add it to sparkling water for a tasty, refreshing treat!) You can download your beautifully illustrated copy here.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know:
► Why hibiscus is particularly beneficial for dry, irritated respiratory tissues
► Several ways to weave hibiscus into your diet—both sweet and savory!
► What makes hibiscus so supportive for the heart and cardiovascular system
► How this gorgeous flower became such an integral part of Caribbean culture
► Surprising ways to include hibiscus in your beauty routine
► …and so many more ways to work with hibiscus beyond just a pretty pink drink!
For those of you who don’t know her, Rebecca Fils-Aimè is a community herbalist, public health practitioner, and health and wellness coach whose practice lies at the intersection of food, kitchen remedies for health, and Black culinary herbalism history. Through her herbalism practice and research, she shares traditions from Black and Indigenous Caribbean people to highlight their contributions to herbalism and food history. Her practice is also guided by the seasons, her Haitian culture, and her Southeastern upbringing. She has a passion for educating communities about herbs as preventative medicine, herbs as self-care, and herbs in food as an accessible way to engage in herbalism.
Hibiscus is one of those plants that reminds us that food and medicine don’t have to be separate. Sometimes the most nourishing herbal allies are the ones we already know and love—and sometimes, they’re hiding in a tall glass of ruby-red refreshment, so perfect on a hot summer day.
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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com
Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.
You can find Rebecca at TheHerbalDiaries.com.
For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!
Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.
If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!
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 Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

Some herbal blends become such a regular part of my life that I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them. Take Heart Tea is one of those blends.
Here, I share a beautiful tea that nourishes both the heart and the nervous system, especially during rough or stressful times.
► Why tulsi is the backbone of this blend and how I think about its ability to bring both clarity and steadiness
► How hawthorn leaf and flower support not only the physical heart, but the emotional heart too
► Why I reach for linden when stress shows up as tightness, restlessness, or shallow breathing
► How lemon verbena and cornflower bring flavor, beauty, and their own supportive qualities to the blend
I’ll also share how I prepare Take Heart Tea so you can easily make it part of your own daily herbal practice.
This isn’t a tea meant to fix anything. It’s about support, helping the body and the heart find a little more balance and ease.
Get the Take Heart Tea recipe here.

What if a plant we spend so much time pulling off our trees and walls is actually a forgotten medicinal ally?
Common ivy (Hedera helix) has a complicated reputation. It’s abundant, beautiful, and deeply woven into the European landscape, yet many people think of it as an invasive to eradicate rather than something to learn from. In this episode, herbalist Luke Ó hErodáin reveals the forgotten medicinal traditions surrounding common ivy and why he believes this plant deserves a second look. He shares how ivy became one of his most trusted lung herbs, the traditional preparations that caught his attention, and the fascinating history behind its use in European medicine.
Luke also shares the story behind the research project that has become one of his major passions: uncovering and translating the work of the French eclectic herbalists. These forgotten practitioners were exploring whole-plant medicine, sophisticated preparations, and local substitutes for exotic herbs at a time when the medical world was rapidly changing. Their work raises some fascinating questions about what we’ve lost—and what we might rediscover by looking backward.
Ready to explore ivy beyond the garden wall? Luke has shared not one, but four recipes for working with this remarkable plant! You can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know:
► What makes ivy such a powerful herbal ally for people with deep congestion in the lungs
► How Luke works with ivy for burns, scars, cellulite, and other skin concerns
► Important cautions to consider before using ivy internally
► Surprising ways French herbalists used phytochemistry to inform their herbal practice in the early 1900’s
► How the rise of modern industrial medicine changed the herbalism landscape practically overnight
► and so much more…
For those of you who don’t know him, Luke Ó hErodáin (Luke Heron), Dip Herb Med, is a medical herbalist based in Ireland and operating his clinic in Cork. He is the current lead of the Herbal Alliance and is actively engaging with professional herbalists in the UK and Ireland to navigate through this digital age through the Herbal Alliance.
Before becoming a herbalist, Luke spent a decade in the media and technology industry working in film production, digital marketing and tech deployment, a background that informs his critical perspective on AI and digital ethics. He is an independent researcher focusing on the French Eclectic Doctors, led by Dr. Henri Leclerc (who likely coined the term ‘phytotherapy’) and is actively preserving and translating their works. Luke is a foraging instructor dedicated to bridging traditional local and indigenous Irish plant wisdom with modern insights.
I hope this conversation leaves you looking a little differently at the plants you pass every day—and perhaps a little more curious about the herbal wisdom hiding in old books, forgotten traditions, and even the plants we’ve learned to overlook.
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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com
Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.
You can find Luke at CelticFoxHerbal.com.
For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!
Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.
If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!
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 Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

When wildfire smoke fills the air, supporting the lungs is only part of the picture.
Here, I share the three-part strategy I use when formulating an herbal tea for smoky days.
► Support the lungs. Learn why I turn to plantain, a soothing demulcent herb, to help calm irritated respiratory tissues and why recent clinical research supports its traditional use.
► Support the heart. Wildfire smoke has been linked to increased risks of cardiovascular problems through inflammation and oxidative stress. I explain why herbs like hawthorn and linden are part of my approach.
► Support the nervous system. The smoke isn't the only challenge. The worry and fear that accompany wildfire season deserve care too, which is why calming herbs are an important part of the blend.
I also share the herbal tea I formulated with hawthorn, hibiscus, plantain, linden, and holy basil to support all three systems together. You can get the recipe here.
Important note: No herbal tea is protective against hazardous air quality. During severe smoke events, reducing your exposure and using clean indoor air remain the most effective ways to protect your health.

Kava has been praised, feared, celebrated, and misunderstood. So what's the real story behind this remarkable plant?
Kava (Piper methysticum) has a reputation that's hard to ignore. Some people swear by it for easing tension and helping them unwind, while others know it only through headlines about safety concerns and controversy. In this episode, herbalist and author Rachelle Robinett joins me to separate fact from fiction and explore why this traditional Pacific Island herb has remained such a beloved ally for thousands of years.
Together, we dive into kava's remarkable ability to relax the body while keeping the mind surprisingly clear, unpack where the concerns about liver toxicity actually came from, and explore thoughtful questions about responsible herbalism, sustainability, and what it really means to work with sacred plants. Along the way, Rachelle reveals how herbalism can become so much more than "an herb for a symptom"—it can fundamentally change how we relate to the natural world.
Rachelle also shares her recipe for Kava “Old-Fashioned” Mocktail, a sophisticated herbal drink that’s perfect for winding down at the end of the day. You can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know:
► Why kava has earned a permanent place in Rachelle's travel bag, evening routine, and herbal toolkit
► The controversy behind kava use—and the real story behind claims of toxicity and rarity
► Why traditional preparation methods for kava matter more than most people realize
► What makes kava such a great herbal ally for people reducing or avoiding alcohol
► One remarkable botanical fact that has shaped kava’s relationship with humans for thousands of years
► and so much more…
For those of you who don’t know her, Rachelle Robinett, RH (AHG), is a writer, herbalist, and lifelong naturalist devoted to the art and science of real health. Founder of multidisciplinary wellness companies, she combines traditional medicine, modern insight, and behavior change to help people live more naturally. Her work encourages a return—to self, to nature, and to independent thinking—often challenging the life we’ve been taught to want. Called “a philosophical voice at the vanguard of natural living,” she is based in New York and Costa Rica and is the author of Naturally: the Herbalist’s Guide to Health and Transformation.
This conversation with Rachelle is an invitation to look beyond headlines and assumptions, and instead meet kava—and herbalism itself—with greater curiosity, discernment, and wonder.
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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com
Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.
You can find Rachelle at RachelleRobinett.com.
For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!
Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.
If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!
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 Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.