May 12, 2012: One person's weed
is another person's herb.

Over 20 years ago, I walked the San Francisco
Peaks with Theresa Boone-Schuler (daughter
of the late, renowned Navajo herbalist Sam
Boone) while she pointed out various native
plants and their medicinal/sacred uses.

Pretty much everything we stepped on was
beneficial in some magical way.

One of the most prolific wildflowers in Northern
Arizona is Fleabane, most commonly revered
for its ability to repel fleas and other bugs/
mites, as well as for its astringent, diuretic and
many other medicinal properties.

There are numerous species of Fleabane...this
is the one that flourishes on our property,
providing nectar for butterflies and birds (and
later, seeds for birds) in addition to being
simply beautiful.