When you see ‘gogue’ at the end of a word, think Go! Go! Go! It’s like a cheering squad for whatever body system it’s associated with.

If infusion is the good cop of medicine making, decoction is the hard hitting bad cop. It’s used mostly for tougher plant materials, such as roots, seeds, barks, and hard berries.

Alien space pod. Harbinger of spring. Stinky. Miraculous.

All across the Eastern US, people are feeling the stirrings of spring.  Sun on our faces. Birds singing merrily. And the pungent skunk cabbage, giving us a sense of hope for the new season, and eliciting the common, “Is that a skunk?” argument.

Most folk’s idea of an herbalist falls into one of several categories. Witch. Snake oil salesman. Hippie grandmother. Mad scientist. Or some combination of these. And while some of these labels might apply (and indeed, are self applied by some folks), the truth is always more complex.

An infusion is made by pouring water over plant material then allowing it to steep. That’s it. When you make a cup of Red Zinger or English Breakfast, you are technically making an infusion.

Confusing. Unpronounceable. Impossible to spell.

Whether you are an herbalist or gardener, at a certain point Latin names become part of your language, whether you want them to or not.  However, there is a useful, illuminating, and yes, even enjoyable side to Latin names.

Along with being an herbalist, I’m also a word-geek, which in the case of dandelion is quite useful...

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