Rose geranium
Pelargonium graveolens
Leaf · cooling · fragrant
A rose that grows as a leaf — green, lemon, and petal in one crush.
On the nose
How it smells
Rosy-floral with green, minty, citrus-lemon, and a slightly spicy herbal edge. Sharper and less purely sweet than true rose.
More petalIn the mouth
How it tastes
Rosy, citrus, floral, distinctly geranium. Complex and perfumed. Excellent in a blend.
Traditional use
The scented pelargonium of the window-sill. Folk kitchens laid a leaf in a cake tin or a jar of sugar, and used it in a light potpourri when true rose was spent. Sharper than rose, and honest about it.
In the cup
One fresh leaf in the bottom of a cake tin, or steeped 4–5 minutes with lemon balm. Dry a few leaves for a sachet. Do not confuse with the oil.
Blood
Sour blood · sour
Sour is cooling and astringent. It draws and binds, thickens thin blood, starts saliva, and hydrates even as it tightens. Sour plants carry the antioxidants of fruit. They move mucous and support the lungs — large doses irritate. Lemon-family plants show up again and again in sinus cups.
Read sour bloodReached for
The promise
A careful hand
Ordinary tea for a healthy adult.
Culinary amounts. The essential oil is more concentrated. Safe for most people as an aromatic tea leaf.
Read the whole promiseSits well with
Rosehip
Rosa canina
The autumn fruit of the rose — a sour pantry vitamin.
Chill & congestion · Hollow energy · Irritable skin
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
A lemon-leaf for a circling mind and a mild viral season.
Frayed nerves · Restless sleep · Feverish & flushed
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
A little goes a long way — the pillow herb in the teacup.
Restless sleep · Frayed nerves · Headache
Brighten, circulate, and clear
Traditional kitchen and folk use only. This is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are pregnant, nursing, on medicine, or unwell, ask a clinician before drinking anything as a remedy.