Thistle hopefully change your perspective… :) The thistle family reminds us to have courage in the face of adversity. Thistle leaves produce a cholesterol-lowering tea and their milky juices are high in potassium. Its armored exterior guards a sweet and healing interior.

Did you know the dandelion, North America’s most famous weed is also an incredible healer to humankind and soil alike? Dandelions are not actually in competition with grasses or other shallow rooted plants. They prefer deep rich soil and their roots often attract beneficial earthworms. All parts of the plant are edible, and have been celebrated by indigenous peoples, contemporary plant enthusiasts and herbalists as a cure-all, tonic, stimulant and anti-oxidant.

According to legend, one should hold up a borage flower in both hands, silently recite the name of ones’ love, then let it fall into the water. If the borage moves with the water, then the love will fail- if the borage floats quietly in the middle of the water, the love will last forever. (lol on forever)…

Carrots have one of the longest and richest histories preserved in the journals of agriculture. The earliest carrots date back to the tenth century in Persia and Asia Minor and don’t look anything like the domesticated, orange-rooted carrots we see in cartoons and supermarkets today.

In the language of flowers, floriography, Rudbeckia symbolizes justice. Perhaps because it appears to bloom without prejudice in all types of terrains, or because its flowers, when cut, will last for weeks in water with dignity.

As indicated by its scientific name, Foeniculum vulgare, fennel is not a favorite to other plants and keeping it separate is recommended. Fennel will inhibit the growth of many of our favorite garden varieties. It is also inhibited in the presence of coriander and wormwood, and will not form seed.

Yarrow is utilized for spiritual protection and indicated especially to those who are easily influenced or affected by others. It is a strong ally when one needs to build or solidify boundaries, both physical and emotional.

The French call the sunflower tournesol, evoking the way the plant turns it’s head to bask in the sun. This behavior is called helioptropism; the young flower buds and blossoms will face east in the morning and follow the sun as the earth moves during the day. Because of this, the sunflower is thought to exemplify loyalty or adoration.

The name "pansy" is derived from the French word pensée, or “small thought." In floriography, the language of flowers, the pansy means, “think of me often and pleasantly” …

If you are prone to sunburns you have probably met “The Lily of the Desert,” aloe vera. An evergreen succulent plant species, aloe vera has antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. The Egyptians idealized aloe vera and called it “the plant of immortality” because it can live and even bloom without soil

Green biases projected on to plants normalizes hierarchical language we often standardize and use on humans.