The Best Plants For Navigating Grief

Plants for the First Days of Grief:

Wood Betony + Skullcap

Brew a simple tea of ½ part wood betony and 1 part skullcap.

These two plants come from the mint family. Mints, in general, have a soothing effect on the nervous system. Since it’s hard to concentrate in the immediate aftermath of a loss, it’s common to feel frenzied and ungrounded.

This simple tea delivers feelings of safety. It can help us find groundedness and alleviate a traumatized mind’s tendency to overthink and forego rest. The combination is safe enough to drink every day, multiple times a day, for as long as these feelings persist.

Plants for Weeks Into Grieving:

Motherwort

Make a tea with ½ part motherwort, 2 parts violet leaf or nettle leaf, 1 part cinnamon, and 1 part cardamom.

A couple of weeks into grieving, it’s common to feel pulled to skip past discomfort, seeking distraction from the loud voice that says, “I can’t do this.” As reality settles in, motherwort can offer us strength. It can remedy the restlessness that persists as its nutritive properties work to strengthen our hearts and our stomachs, building up the systems that sustain us. 

Plants for Months Into Grieving:

Elderflower + Rose + Hawthorn

Simmer 1 tablespoon hawthorn berries in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Take your pot off the heat, add 2 teaspoons rose petals, and steep for 7 minutes. Strain off the plant material and stir in 1-2 tablespoons elderflower liqueur or syrup. 

Elder can be helpful as an ally when we are teetering on the brink of acceptance. Combined with the protection of rose and hawthorn, this tea can help us find the strength to surrender and offer protection while we make space for healing to begin.

Opt for dried rose petals from a local or online apothecary.

Plants to Help with Long-Standing Grief:

Linden + Lemon Balm

Prepare a tea by boiling a cup of water and pouring it over 1 teaspoon each of dried linden (flowers and leaves) and lemon balm. Steep for 7-10 minutes and breathe deeply to receive the soothing aromatic qualities.

The two happen to be excellent medicines for exhaustion. The cumulative effects of loss can leave us feeling fried, and an uplifting cup of linden and lemon balm can help shed the subtle remains of loss and restore vitality to our bodies. The moistening, cooling, and calming actions of linden and lemon balm can also quell the emotions ignited by an unexpected reminder of the loss.