Join the E-mail List Herb Chart for Harvesting and Prepartion of Tinctures Why use this guideline? This chart offers the lowest solvency that an herb will tincture at, so that a person does not have to ingest more alcohol than necessary. It also conserves the amount of herbs required. For instance, Astragalus root can be tinctured in 4 times as much alcohol, meaning you only need 1/4 cup herb to 1 cup of alcohol to make an effective astragalus root tincture. Saves on the herb! Many thanks to Sharol Tilgner for her research in efforts to conserve herbs and make the best use of ingredients. Also please keep in mind these are *best* practices, not the only practices. Common Name Latin Name Parts Used Harvesting Period Best Form Best Strength (How much Herb: How much Liquid) Best Solvency Range +/- 10% (alcohol volume) Agrimony Agrimonia spp. Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh 1:1 40% Alfalfa Medicago sativa Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 30% American Ginseng Panax quinquefolius Roots Fall Fresh 1:2 50% Anise Pimpinella anisum Ripe Seeds Fall Dry 1:3 65% Arnica Arnica montana Aerial Herb In Flower Spring Fresh 1:1 55% Ashwaganda Withania somnifera Roots Fall Fresh 1:1 50% Astragalus Astragalus membranaceous Roots Fall Dry 1:4 60% Bilberry Vaccinium spp. Leaves, Flowers & Berries Spring - Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 50% Black Cohosh Cimicifuga racemosa Roots & Rhizomes Fall Dry 1:3 70% Black Walnut Juglans nigra Green Hulls Fall Fresh 1:1 40% Bladderwrack Fucus vesiculosus Mature Thallus Spring - Fall Dry 1:5 27% Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis Roots Spring or Fall Fresh 1:1 50% Blue Cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides Roots & Rhizomes Fall Dry 1:5 43% Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 45% Borage Borago officinalis Aerial Herb in Flower Spring - Summer Fresh 1:1 25% Buchu Barosma betulina Leaves Summer Dry 1:3.5 65% Bugleweed Lycopus spp. Aerial Herb in Flower Summer fresh 1:1.5 60% Burdock Arctium lappa root Roots Fall, 1st year Fresh 1:1 45% Burdock Arctium lappa seed Seeds Fall, 2nd year Dry 1:3 45% Butcher's Broom Ruscus aculeatus Roots & Rhizomes Fall Dry 1:5 45% Calamus Acorus calamus Roots Spring or Fall Dry 1:5 50% Calendula Calendula officinalis Flowers Spring - Fall Dry 1:5 70% Calendula Calendula officinalis Flowers Spring - Fall Fresh 1:0.65 20% California Poppy Eschscholzia californica Flowering Whole Plant Spring - Fall Fresh 1:1 50% Cascara Rhamnus purshiana Bark Fall Dry & Aged 1:5 25% Catnip Nepeta cataria Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:.08 50% Cayenne Capsicum spp. Pods with Seeds Lat Summer Fresh 1:1 55% Celandine Chelidonium majus Whole Plant Fall Fresh 1:1.3 60% Celery Apium graveolens Seeds Summer Dry 1:3 60% Chamomile Matricaria recutita Flowers Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1.6 65% Chapparal Larrea tridentata Leaves Summer Dry 1:5 60% Chaste Tree Vitex agnus-castus Berries Fall Dry 1:3 75% Chickweed Stellaria media Aerial Herb Spring - Fall Fresh & Dry 1:1 33% Cleavers Galium aparine Aerial Herb in Flower Spring Fresh & Dry 1:1 45% Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara Aerial Herb Spring Dry 1:5 35% Comfrey Symphytum officinalis Roots Fall Fresh 1:2 27% Corn Silk Zea mays Silk Summer Fresh 1:0.8 35% Crampbark Vibumum opulus Bark Spring or Fall Dry 1:5 55% Cranesbill Geranium maculatum Roots Spring Dry 1:4 40% Damiana Tumera diffusa Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:4 43% Dandelion Taraxacum officinalis Leaves & Roots Spring - Fall Fresh & Dry 1:1 45% Dang Shen Codonopsis pilosula Roots Fall Dry 1:5 50% Devil's Club Oplopanax horridus Root Bark Fall Fresh 1:2 55% Dong Quai Angelica sinensis Roots Fall Dry 1:3 70% Echinacea Echinacea angustifolia Roots Fall Fresh & Dry 1:1 48% Elder Sambucus canadensis Flowers Summer Fresh & Dry 1:0.7 65% Elecampane Inula helenium Roots Fall Fresh 1:1 45% Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis Aerial Herb in Flower Summer - Fall Dry or Fresh 1:4/1:1 65% Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Ripe Seeds Fall Dry 1:4 65% Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum Seeds Fall Dry 1:3 45% Feverfew Tanacetum parthenium Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 45% Fo Ti Polygonum multiflorum Roots Fall Dry 1:5 50% Fringe Tree Chionanthus virginicus Root or Tree Bark Spring or Fall Dry 1:5 65% Garlic Allium sativum Bulbs Fall Fresh 1:1 30% Gentian Gentiana lutea Roots Fall Dry 1:4 25% Ginger Zingiber officinale Roots Winter Fresh & Dry 1:1.1 57% Ginkgo Ginkgo Biloba Leaves Fall Fresh & Dry 1:1 50% Ginseng Panax ginseng Roots Fall Dry 1:4 30% Goldenrod Solidago canadensis Budding Tops Fall Fresh & Dry 1:0.9 45% Goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis Roots Fall Dry 1:5 45% Gotu Kola Centella asiatica Whole Plant Spring - Fall Fresh 1:1 45% Gumweed Grindelia spp. Buds & Flowers Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1.4 68% Gymnema Gymnema sylvestre Leaves Summer Dry 1:3.5 45% Hawthorne Crateaegus spp. Flowers, Leaves & Berries Spring & Late Fall Dry 1:5 45% Heal All Prunella vulgaris Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh 1:01 45% Hops Humulus lupulus Strobii Early Fall Fresh & Dry 1:1.5 45% Horehound Marrubium vulgare Aerial Herb in flower Summer - Fall Fresh & Dry 1:1 60% Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum Ripe Fruit Fall Dry 1:5 50% Horseradish Armoracia rusticana Roots Spring or Fall Fresh 1:1 35% Horsetail Equiseturn arvense Sterile Stems Early Spring Fresh & Dry 1:1 25% Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 45% Indian Tobacco Lobelia inflata Aerial Herb with Seeds Summer Dry 1:4 45% Jamaican Dogwood Piscidia piscipula Bark Fall Dry 1:5 75% Juniper Juniperus communis Berries Summer - Fall Dry 1:4 70% Kava Kava Piper methysticum Roots Summer - Fall Fresh & Dry 1:1 70% Lady's Mantle Alchemilla vulgaris Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Dry 1:5 45% Lavender Lavandula spp. Flowering Tops Summer Dry 1:5 60% Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:.08 45% Licorice Glycyrrhiza glabra Roots Fall Dry 1:3 40% Linden Tilia spp. Flowers & Leaves Summer Dry 1:5 45% Lomatium Lomatium dissectum Roots Spring or Fall Fresh 1:1.8 70% Ma Huang Ephedra sinica Stems & Twigs Summer Dry 1:4 35% Marshmallow Althea officinalis Roots Fall Fresh 1:2 30% Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Dry 1:5 50% Milk Thistle Silyburn marianum Seeds Fall Dry 1:2.5 80% Milky Oats Avena sativa Seeds Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 40% Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 45% Mullein Verbascum thapsus Flowers & Leaves Summer Dry 1:5 33% Myrrh Commiphora myrrha Resin Summer Semi-Dry 1:3 95% Nettles Urtica dioica Tops Spring Fresh & Dry 1:1 50% Old Man's Beard Usnea spp. Lichen Spring - Fall Dry 1:5 80% Oregon Grape Mahonia spp. Root Bark Spring or Fall Dry 1:5 40% Osha Ligusticum porters Roots Fall Fresh 1:1.8 70% Partridge Berry Mitchella repens Aerial Herb Summer Dry 1:4 43% Passionflower Passiflora incarnata Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 40% Pau d'Arco Tabebuia impetiginosa Bark Fall Dry 1:3.5 30% Peppermint Mentha piperita Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1.4 65% Plantain Plantago spp. Leaves Spring - Summer Fresh 1:1 24% Pleurisy Root Asclepias tuberosa Roots Spring or Fall Fresh 1:1 45% Poke Root Phytolacca americana Roots Spring or Fall Fresh 1:1 45% Poplar Populus trichocarpa Buds Early Spring Fresh 1:3 88% Prickly Ash Zanthoxylum clava-herculus Roots Spring or Fall Dry 1:3.5 65% Propolis Propolis Bee Resin Summer Dry 1:04 95% Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea Flowers, Roots & Seeds Summer - Fall Fresh & Dry 1:0.8 48% Red Cedar (W) Thuja plicata Scales Spring Fresh 1:0.9 60% Red Clover Trifolium pratense Flowers Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 45% Red Raspberry Rubus idaeus Leaves Summer Dry 1:4 35% Red Root Ceanothus americanus Roots Fall Fresh 1:2 35% Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis Flowering Tips & Berries Summer Dry 1:5 65% Sage Salvia oficinalis Flowering Tops Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1.4 65% Sarsaparilla Smilax ornata Roots & Rhizomes Spring or FAll Dry 1:4 45% Saw Palmetto Serenoa repens Berries Summer - Fall 1:2.5 1:2.5 60% Senna Senna alexandrina Leaves Summer Dry 1:5 30% Sheep Sorrel Rumex acetosella Aerial Herb Early Summer Dry 1:5 40% Shepherd's Purse Capsella bursa pastoris Aerial Herb with Seeds Summer Fresh 1:2 24% Skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:0.9 45% Slippery Elm Ulmus fulva/rubra Bark Spring or Fall Dry 1:5 25% St. John's Wort Hypericum perforatum Flowering Tips & Berries Early Summer Fresh 1:1 60% Stone Root Collinsonia Canadensis Roots Fall Dry 1:4 60% Thoroughwax Bupleurum chinense Roots Fall Dry 1:4 40% Thyme Thymus vulgaris Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1.5 65% Turkey Rhubarb Rheum palmatum Roots Fall Dry 1:04 25% Uva Ursi Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Flowering Tips & Berries Spring - Summer Dry 1:3.5 40% Valerian Valeriana officinalis Roots Fall Fresh & Dry 1:1 50% Vervain Verbena spp. Aerial Herb in Flower Summer Dry 1:5 40% White Oak Quercus alba Bark Spring or Fall Dry 1:5 40% White Willow Salix alba Bark Spring or Fall Dry 1:5 48% Wild Cherry Prunus spp. Bark Fall Dry 1:3.5 35% Wild Lettuce Lactuca spp. Budding Tops Summer Fresh & Dry 01:01.2 60% Wild Yam Dioscorea villosa Roots Fall Dry 1:3.5 50% Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana Bark Spring or Fall Dry 1:4 40% Wu Wei Zi Schisandra chinensis Berries Summer - Fall Fresh 1:4 50% Yarrow Achillea millefolium Flowering Tops Summer Fresh & Dry 1:1 60% Yellow Dock Rumex crispus/obtusifolius Roots Fall Dry 1:5 40% Yerba Santa Eriodictyon californicum Leaves Summer Dry 1:4 70% Yucca Yucca spp. Roots Spring or Fall Dry 1:3 55% EXPLORE THE SITE Go Shopping! 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