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With the help of Philadelphia's growing number of plant-centric businesses and herbalists, you can actually learn about the plants growing around you (and all their benefits).
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Terra Luna Herbs fresh from the garden.Photo: Inna Spivakova
It's Tuesday morning, and I'm drinking coffee and looking out at the wild tangle of my small backyard in my rowhouse. I stared at the small clusters of green leaves growing in a clump of vines along the fence. I recognize it as chickweed. Chickweed is a plant rich in vitamins that has medicinal properties that cool the body. Last year I pulled it out and threw it in a garden trash bag. This year I’m going with pesto.
I'm not the only one doing weird things with weed. People are very interested in plants these days. (Last year, a friend named a tree in her backyard.) In fact, herbalism, the traditional discipline of using wild plants to treat ailments such as minor pain and stress, is a term used in many cultures. It is a practice that spans regions. It has grown in popularity over the past decade and even more so since the pandemic. That's natural. As people feel more anxious and isolated than ever, we're looking for ways to ground ourselves, connect with nature, and pay attention to something other than our screens.
This is especially easy to do in Philadelphia. Enjoy easy access to green spaces such as Wissahickon and Fairmount Park, as well as many public gardens, arboretums, and historic landscapes in and around the city. (There are 30 public gardens within a 30-mile radius of the city, the highest concentration in the country.) And with the support of Philadelphia's growing number of plant-focused businesses, it's easy to learn about what you're actually looking at. can. . There are classes by Terra Luna Herbals that tour the urban gardens off Frankford Avenue in Fishtown, and Nyambi Naturals' herbal workshops on everything from facial scrubs to greens for gut health at Bartram's Garden. Near Phoenixville is also Broad Wing Farm, where you can stroll through the plants and hear about the medicinal properties of nettles, mint, and dandelions. There's also Philly Herb Hub, a new community pharmacy that provides free herbal medicine to Philadelphia's Black community.
Elise Hanks, owner of Terra Luna, says she has seen an increase in interest in herbalism over the past few years. “Plants remind us to slow down, look at the world around us, and check in with our own health,” she says. She has created her line of plant-based skin care, which can be purchased at boutiques such as Moon + Arrow and her Vagabond. You can find items like Rittenhouse's Ritual her shop and Society Her Hill's Marsh + Mane, as well as her rose-infused facials and her oil. You can also find Jersey's Salty She Lemon at Toile in Fishtown, botanical soaps at She Apothecary, and a huge selection of tinctures at Weaver's Her Way.
After a few walks through the plants, it seemed like the lush world of Philadelphia had opened up before me. The more I paid attention to plants, the more I realized that they were everywhere. One day at Martha's I drank linden and oat tea from Fishtown's garden. Afterwards, I moisturized my hands with Terra Luna's soft calendula and lavender beeswax balm. But mostly, I've finally come to appreciate what's growing in my backyard.
Now, excuse me while I get lost in the weeds. Ah, plants.
Published as “Seeing Green” in the July 2021 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
