Herbal Medicine through the Senses

If you’ve soothed a sunburn with aloe or applied a black tea bag to a stye, you’ve used basic herbal medicine to support your body. In this beginner-friendly talk, we’ll meet common medicinal constituents found in a range of plants. Through taste, smell, and touch, you’ll learn to recognize astringent tannins, moistening mucilage, aromatic oils, bitters, and more. We’ll discuss how these constituents interact with the body, and you’ll learn simple ways to use them in everyday life. Samples of fresh plants and herbal preparations will be shared.  

From July 31 through August, Botanical Gardens members and friends receive a 10% discount in the Sweet Flag online shop (and at Sarah’s table at the talk). Visit sweetflagherbs.com/shop  and use code GARDENS10 at checkout.

Meet your instructor, Sarah Sorci!

Sarah Sorci (she/her) is an herbal educator, writer, and therapeutic gardening facilitator based in Jamestown, NY. She offers classes and educational resources for folks seeking empowerment, environmental sustainability, and ancestral connection through the plant world. 

Since founding Sweet Flag Herbs in 2015, Sarah has offered hundreds of classes and plant walks throughout WNY and beyond. She is a 2014 graduate of the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, and she earned a certificate in Horticultural Therapy from the Horticultural Therapy Institute/Colorado State. She manages the Beautiful Blooms Garden Program at Aspire of WNY (Lakewood).

Sarah’s collaborative book Living Ancestry: Connecting with Cultural Heritage through Plants, Nature, and Our Senses is available in the Sweet Flag Herbs webshop and local stores. Her first online gardening course, Native Culinary Herbs, is now available for pre-order (coming late 2024 or 2025).