Five plants herbalists turn to during pollen season

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Runny nose, blocked airways, watering eyes, itchy skin, a cough that will not settle: pollen season, or pollinosis, makes spring a season some people dread rather than enjoy. Some of us reach the point where going out stops feeling like an option at all. Here are five very ordinary kitchen and garden plants that herbalists reach for at that time of year, and how each one is actually prepared.

What they are credited with

• Tarragon has a long-standing reputation in herbalism as the most reliable of this group for people sensitive to pollen; tradition credits its coumarins and flavones with stretching out the gap between one bout of irritation and the next.
• Tarragon is also traditionally used to ease the stuffy, blocked sinuses that come with pollen season, and to calm skin rashes and itching.
• Tarragon essential oil is described by aromatherapists as strongly antihistaminic, an activity they attribute to its concentrated methyl chavicol.
• Nettle is known in herbalism as a diuretic and a cleansing spring plant, and is also credited with an antihistaminic action: it is traditionally taken at the very first signs of irritation, with a reputation for slowing a streaming nose.
• Naturopathy values nettle’s vitamin C for helping the body absorb quercetin, which is why nettle tea is such a fixture of spring herbal routines.
• Thyme is a classic expectorant of European folk medicine, traditionally used to loosen and clear congested airways.
• Rosemary is credited by herbalists, on account of its rosmarinic acid, with easing the nose, throat and ear discomfort of pollen season, and with settling the puffy, irritated feeling around the eyes.
• Blackcurrant is one of the great traditional anti-inflammatory plants, with a reputation for damping down the release of histamine, the molecule behind allergic reactions.
• Blackcurrant is rich in manganese, a trace element naturopathy links to sturdy mucous membranes in the airways; sturdier membranes are held to mean less reactivity to airborne pollen.
• In gemmotherapy, macerated blackcurrant buds are the preferred form for people who find themselves sensitive year after year.

How to use it

Tarragon

• Fresh leaves: chop a generous handful into salads, omelettes, chicken or a vinaigrette through the whole pollen season. This is the simplest way in.
• Infusion: a teaspoon of chopped fresh leaves per mug of just-boiled water, covered, for about ten minutes.
• Essential oil: potent and taken internally only on the advice of a qualified aromatherapist or pharmacist, over a short course of a few days, never longer. Never swallow it undiluted.
• Taste note: sweet and aniseed-like. It pairs with lemon and honey if you find it too insistent on its own.

Stinging nettle

• Infusion: a teaspoon of dried, crumbled nettle leaves in a mug of boiled water. Cover and steep about ten minutes, then strain.
• How much: up to three mugs a day, spread across the day rather than all at once.
• When: tradition starts it as the first tickle appears, not once the season is in full swing.
• Taste note: deeply green and mineral. A squeeze of lemon lifts it considerably.
• In the kitchen: young spring tops cook like spinach in soup; the sting vanishes with heat.

Thyme

• Infusion: a teaspoon of thyme with a teaspoon of echinacea per large pot of boiling water (about a quart or litre). Cover, steep ten minutes, strain.
• How much: up to three mugs a day, ideally sweetened with a spoonful of thyme honey.
• For how long: do not continue this course beyond three weeks.
• Steam inhalation: a bowl of hot water scented with the very smallest trace of thyme essential oil. Towel over the head, eyes closed, a few minutes only.
• Taste note: warm and peppery, which is why the honey belongs there.

Rosemary

• Infusion: drop a few sprigs of rosemary into a mug of boiling water and let them steep ten minutes, covered.
• How much: up to three mugs a day.
• When: morning and midday suit most people, as rosemary is felt to be enlivening rather than settling.
• Taste note: resinous and faintly bitter. Honey or a slice of orange rounds it off.

Blackcurrant

• Bud macerate (gemmotherapy): stirred into a small glass of water and drunk each morning, about a quarter of an hour before breakfast, without skipping the breakfast itself.
• For how long: a three-week course is the traditional rhythm, ideally begun before the pollen season gets going.
• The amount depends on age and body weight and is printed on the bottle. Follow the label, or ask a pharmacist or herbalist rather than guessing.
• Leaf infusion: a teaspoon of dried blackcurrant leaves per mug, steeped ten minutes.
• Taste note: the buds are musky and pungent, the leaves greener and softer.

Related topic:

• Allergy-prone persons: plants to avoid
• Tarragon: health benefits and therapeutic value
• Nettle: health benefits and therapeutic value
• Thyme: health benefits
• Rosemary: health benefits and therapeutic value
• Black currant: health benefits and therapeutic value

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: start the nettle or thyme infusion early in the season, at the first tickle, rather than waiting for a full-blown miserable week.

Which of the five is the easiest to start with tonight?

Nettle infusion, without question. A teaspoon of dried leaves in a mug of boiled water, covered for ten minutes, up to three mugs across the day. It is cheap, widely sold, and needs no special equipment.

Can I drink these infusions every day all spring?

Nettle and rosemary infusions are traditionally taken daily through the season, up to three mugs a day. Thyme is different: the traditional course stops at three weeks. Blackcurrant bud macerate is also taken as a three-week course rather than continuously.

Are the essential oils safe for children?

No. Tarragon essential oil is not for babies or children under three, and thyme essential oil is not suitable for young children at all. Both are also ruled out during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Stick to culinary herbs and mild infusions for the household, and check the age limits listed in the cautions above.

When should I pick and dry these plants myself?

Nettle tops in early to late spring, with a second flush in early autumn. Thyme as it flowers, from late spring to midsummer. Blackcurrant buds in late winter to early spring, before they open. Dry everything in the shade and store it in airtight jars.

Can these replace my usual allergy medication?

No. These are traditional plant preparations, used alongside ordinary life rather than instead of a prescription. If you are already on medication, several of these plants carry interaction warnings, particularly with anticoagulants, so talk to your doctor or pharmacist first.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.