When Tim Scott’s book, Invasive Plant Medicine, came out in 2010, it was an instant favorite of mine. In fact, it still influences the way I view plants and the natural world!  I was so delighted to finally have the chance to interview Tim, and our conversation touched on many important threads from the book – from the question “what is native” to some of the actual benefits of invasive plants, and so much more.

Tim also discussed a plant that inspires anger in many of the places it has taken hold: Japanese knotweed.  Yet there is much to love about this much-maligned plant! Tim shared all about how he works with Japanese knotweed for both food and medicine – including his delicious recipe for Japanese Knotweed Pickles. You can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card from the resource section below.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why labeling plants as “native” or “invasive” can be problematic

► Three ways that so-called invasive plants can actually often help to revitalize the land

► A surprising way that Japanese knotweed can be worked with to process stored anger

► What makes Japanese knotweed such a helpful ally for people with Lyme disease

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know him, Timothy Lee Scott is an herbalist, business owner, and author of Invasive Plant Medicine, which was the first book to outline the healing benefits of invasive plants and their ecological functions in the environment. He is owner of Green Dragon Botanicals, which provides herbal remedies for Lyme disease and other infectious and chronic illnesses, and has specialized in treating Lyme disease for over 20 years, after first apprenticing with the late Stephen Buhner. Tim is a tireless advocate for the plant world and using herbs as medicine, and constantly questions the status quo of the technologically-based, corporate health care system. He currently lives in southern Vermont.

I’m so excited to share our conversation with you today!

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Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.