Oregon grape takes me back to the beginning of my path as herbalist. It was the first plant that I was able to identify and find in abundance. This delightful and abundant her called to me, and was a perfect beining of the natural healing path, as digestion is the root of all imbalances in the body. Oregon grape benefits are directly related to the root of all healing. Digestion and Liver health, most imbalances of the modern lifestyle can be traced back to these issues. Liver health is essential because our livers are completely over worked, there are so many toxins in the world, that we aren’t used to as nature made beings. And digestion plays right into the entire makeup of our being. You truly are what you eat, and what little nourishment is available in the modern SAD (standard American diet) is rather sad itself. Digestion from wholesome and nourishing ancestral based foods and digestive bitters (to optimize uptake of nutrients) is key to over coming MOST health issues.
As I started to know the plant kingdom, Oregon Grape was immediately a part of my repertoire. Oregon grape is easily identified to a budding herbalist, and is also simply differentiated between species. This making it an easy plant to pinpoint, know, and divulge in. Its holly like leaves are fascinating. When I pulled my first rhizome for harvest, my green heart swelled as the rich rain forest soil was tilled by it’s underground growth. The smells that came from its self-made tunnel were mind altering, and resonated deep with knowing of home, and love. Following the shallow growth pattern of the rhizome through the rich humus soil of the Pine, Spruce and Cedar rain forest, made me want to shrink down and dive in. After this, I never turned my back away from the herbalist path.
What does Oregon Grape Look like?
Oregon grape has a spiny evergreen leaf. Though when the plant grows on open slopes it turns a brilliant red in the fall after heavy frosts. It adds so beautifully to the changing forest-scape out here in the Rocky Mountains. Brilliant red and maroon along the ground with quaking aspens giving a golden thread to the skyline.
Our main species out here is Mahonia repens, and Mahonia nervosa these species being the ones that creep along the forest floor. Their rhizomes take them along not far below the surface of the soil. The taproot however, dives deep into the rocky ground. A larger cluster of foliage usually stems out and up a bit higher at the center of the plant This is also usually where I find the biggest clusters of purple berries in the late summer time.
The berries form from the classic Oregon grape form from little balls of brilliant yellow petals. This makes them easily spotted when walking through the summer time forest. Mahonia’s berries are quite bitter, but they can be made into lovely syrups, jams and sometimes tea with a little effort. I have munched on them on my forest walks as they are quite delicious. The bitter taste keeps me satiated from hunger, and reminds me how important this taste receptor, tuly is.
Blow the surface of the cedar colored bark, the rhizomes are an incredibly vibrant yellow . It matches the color of Bile, and thus hints to it’s main use; a tonic and stimulant to the Gallbladder. The yellow color of the rhizome comes from Oregon Grape uses stem from this primary alkaloid chemical – Berberine.
This alkaloid is a vibrant one in color, and action. Berberine is responsible for the bile like yellow-green color of the inside of the root and rhizome and is showing to be incredibly beneficial to the body for many conditions. Berberine is also an incredible anti-inflammatory compound. The powerful action of this alkaloid helps to calm spasms of smooth muscle, increasing bile secretions and is very anti-bacterial (PubMed has many sources of this information in Medical Studies).
Oregon grape root benefits – Bitter Responses in your Body
Oregon grape directly tonifies the Gallbladder and liver making it a classic bitter plant and a big piece of Oregon grape root benefits. Bile being a primary component of digesting fats and proteins properly, because of it’s ability to break down oils, for assimilation in the small intestine. Bile concentration is key to relieving heart burn and acid reflux.
Fat being a main food for our brains and bodies, bile a key component to well being and vital health.
Digestion is a focus for me as an herbalist, because health starts in the digestive tract, we are what we eat and if we aren’t breaking down what we eat… we aren’t going to be much!
But this is not the only reason that I love Oregon grape benefits so much. Oregon Grape uses are many! Oregon grape is full of active compounds that nourish the body beyond just digestion.
Many other helpful chemicals, and the antimicrobial components of Oregon grape create a well balanced medicinal plant. Oregon grape is an excellent topical remedy for skin complaints, especially Psoriasis. Oregon grape supports and encourages skin cell regeneration which adds to its benefit for Psoriasis.
Beyond Oregon grape benefits – Sustainability… what does that look like?
Late herbalist, and my first teacher, Michael Moore,, highlights this plant in all his Mountain and Coast line books. He goes over very thoroughly of the constituents and Oregon Grapes many uses. Moore was a very well-studied herbalist in our region.
Not only does his research contain massive amounts of individual plant constituents. He also goes over the stability of the population of Oregon Grape in the wild. It is a prolific grower, and with an exception of Mahonia aquafolium, this plant can be mindfully wild harvested throughout the regions of the west.
I do not dig taproots because this truly is the life force of the plant. I take the time and extra energy it takes to harvest rhizomes only, and of course stick to the healthy rule of 3’s which leaves 2/3rds of ANY wild population of plants! The wild stands of slower growing plants, like Oregon grape, it is absolutely vital to the health of the forest and the reciprocity of your kinship to watch them closely. I have a 5 year rotation on any given patch that I visit in the wild here. This not only gives the patch more than adequate time to rest and regenerate, it keeps me connecting with different spaces and nourishing more forest ground. When you are wild harvesting any plant material, keep these key pieces of sustainability in mind.
Oregon grape root benefits are many…
Oregon grape is a cooling bitter herb, so I love to apply it to acidic conditions and hot digestive complaints. I do not encourage the use if a person tends to run colder with cool extremities, and it is very much contraindicated for use during pregnancy.
Purchase your Mahonia Mountain Bitters HERE in my online store!
Thank you for reading, I am happy to be your herbalist,
Heather
