August 7, 2021, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. By late summer, the forest canopy has filled out. While saplings like sassafras compete for light and nutrients, and the understory community of wild ginger, partridgeberry, black and blue cohosh, and wild cucumber continues to thrive. At this time of year, sunny open fields might be speckled with bright orange butterfly weed, Joe-Pye-Weed and sumac stand tall along roadsides, and sometimes you can find native bitter herbs like turtlehead growing along the…

This weekend retreat led by Patricia Kyritsi Howell with Cara-Lee Langston is a three day immersion into the herbs of the Southern Appalachians; a region sometimes referred to as the “Apothecary of North America.” Together, we’ll explore the incredible diversity of native, introduced, and cultivated herbs that thrive here. Registration: Payment in full is required to hold your place. Be sure to read our cancelation and refund policy before submitting your payment. Lodging: Lodging is not included in the price…

Early Fall Herbs & Wild Foods September 18, 2021, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Goldenrods, thoroughworts, and bonesets begin to bloom as the leaves begin to change color. Among the first to display their electrifying colors are sumac, sourwood, and sassafras – parts of which are edible and medicinal. Rabbit tobacco appears in fields, and along embankments, spicebush berries dot the forest canopy, and non-native chestnuts start to drop their nuts. Early fall is a wonderful time in the North…