Jody's Journal
Autumn Hedgerow Harvest: Gathering the Last Medicines of the Year
September · Late September
Autumn has arrived, and the hedgerows are beginning to offer up some of their final medicines before everything settles down for winter. This is the time of year when those beautiful flashes of red start appearing amongst the changing leaves. Rose hips and hawthorn haws are two of our wonderful autumn harvests, and both are well worth gathering.
Rose Hips
Rose hips are one of my favourite autumn finds. These bright red fruits are naturally rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, making them particularly lovely to have available as we move into the colder months. I use rose hips in teas, tinctures, syrups and fruit leathers. A warming rose hip tea is a simple way to enjoy them, while tincturing allows you to preserve the plant for use throughout the year. Rose hips have traditionally been valued for supporting the immune system, as well as providing valuable plant compounds and nutrients. They also make wonderful fruit leathers, giving us a way of turning something gathered from the hedgerow into a simple autumn treat that can be kept and enjoyed later. When preparing rose hips, remember that the fine hairs surrounding the seeds inside can be irritating, so they need to be removed or the preparation strained very thoroughly.
Hawthorn
Then there is hawthorn, with its clusters of deep red haws filling the hedgerows at this time of year. Hawthorn has a particularly long relationship with the heart in traditional herbal practice. I use hawthorn in tinctures and teas, where it is traditionally taken to gently support the cardiovascular system and circulation. It is one of those plants that reminds me how much useful medicine can be growing quietly around us without us really noticing it. The berries can also be used in syrups and fruit leathers, either on their own or combined with other autumn fruits.
What Else Is Still Out There?
There are still a few other autumn treasures around too. Depending on where you live and what the season has been like, you may find the last blackberries and elderberries, along with sloes, crab apples and autumn nuts. For me, though, this part of the year is particularly about gathering those medicinal plants that can be prepared and stored for the months ahead. Autumn foraging feels very different from spring and summer. Earlier in the year we gather fresh leaves and flowers. Now the hedgerows are filled with berries, fruits and seeds, as the plants turn their energy towards completing another cycle. It is a beautiful time to gather a little of what nature is offering and turn it into tinctures, teas, syrups, salves and other preparations for the colder months ahead.
Gather Carefully
As always, only gather plants you can identify with certainty, take only what you need, and leave plenty behind for the birds and wildlife who depend on these autumn fruits too. Sometimes medicine really is growing just outside the door.
From the autumn apothecary
Want to learn more?
Every plant mentioned here is covered in much greater detail in my book, Healing with Nature: Plant Wisdom, where I share how I identify, harvest and work with these wonderful herbs throughout the seasons.
You'll also find many of these herbs available as handcrafted tinctures, infused oils and salves in the Heart of Wales Remedies shop, alongside our detoxes and bundles.