Every day is a wonderful day to celebrate Nature. I’m preparing for a day out hiking and beaching it, as it’s been a long week and some Earth connective time is in store for relaxing and balancing.

Last evening I hosted a Reiki share vegan potluck at my house and it was such a beautifully connective time for tuning in. Great food, friends, and some awesome energetic breakthroughs. It was also really wonderful to support my friend’s niece to understand that she could channel her own natural healing energy, even though she wasn’t Reiki attuned. So I guided her with that and she was a natural, just as suspected. Those hands of hers heated right up. 😉

I also got to share our sanctuary garden and my beloved Lamb’s Ear plant with everyone.

That’s what I wanted to share about today, is this sweet plant that I had no idea about when I first brought her home. My sweet friend Yvonne (who came to the Reiki share) and I had visited Catalina Island last year. As we were walking through town and stopped for lunch we came across a little spa establishment and out front was this amazing plant neither of us had seen. It was so soft and velvety to the touch and just sweet in every way. We couldn’t help but sit there and gentle rub the leaves between our fingers. 

The spa owner was there and saw us. She said she wasn’t sure what the plant was either, but that we were welcome to cut a root and take it home with us. So we did cut one tiny little root and placed it in a baggy with moistened paper towel around it – all we had on hand. It stayed in my purse all day while visiting the island and back across the water on the boat, until I got home. I then placed it in a glass with water and that weekend it was planted in a pot. Wasn’t sure what would happen, but as you can see from my photos, a lot did!

I had promised Yvonne that if it grew that she could have a root and then grow her own plant. So last evening she was able to take hers home. We all marveled at this sweet plant that surprised myself, and even my parents who used to have a couple of Lamb’s Ear plants too, with pinky/purple blossoms that just bloomed a few weeks ago.

I had no idea there’d be flowers in store! What a treat!

I posted a photo of my beautiful Lamb’s Ear on Facebook a few days ago and it was then, through other’s comments, that I learned that this little plant had other surprises in store as well.

I had no idea of anything about it, but learned that it is also a medicinal plant that has many uses. Not only is it so amazing to touch with its woolly foliage, and is such a sweet, beautiful plant, but it provides a lot of benefits as well. Quite the giving little plant.

The people’s comments had me researching it online and this is what I learned about it:

• They have many folk names due to their being a curious blend between plant and animal that bear a resemblance to a long-eared creature: Lamb’s-ears, Rabbit’s-ears, and Donkey’s-ears. Hmmm, no wonder I love it, since I’m a bunny person and animal lover. Herbalists refer to it as Woundwort or Woolly Betony. It is sometimes sold as S. lanata.
• Its beautiful silver-foliage that is also blueish green, is one of the most widely grown in gardens to create aesthetic beauty because of their impact on other colors in the garden. They are very prolific – funny because I don’t remember seeing any, although perhaps I just never was meant to take note until now.
• They originated in Turkey and western Asia, where they still found grow on rocky sites.
• It’s medicinal AND edible.
• The leaves can be harvested just before the flowers appear, dried, then steeped in boiling water to make a refreshing tea good to help with fevers, diarrhea, sore mouth/throat, internal bleeding, and weaknesses of heart and liver.
• You can heat bruised leaves in simmering water and use the cooled infusion as an eyewash to treat pinkeye and sties.
• They can also be eaten raw in salads or steamed as greens.
• A natural antibacterial bandage: The name Woundwort refers to the traditional use of the leaves as a dressing to stop bleeding. They are a great soft bandage for children and adults alike, adding a real comfort to cuts and scrapes. It’s been used for centuries as a wound dressing on battlefields. The soft, fuzzy leaves absorb blood and help it to clot more quickly, while containing antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties – a great alternative to store-bought bandages.
• If you bruise the leaves and release their juice, you can put these on bee stings and insect bites to help reduce swelling. Apparently this also works the same effects for treating hemorrhoids or postpartum recovery.
• And their super soft absorbency also makes them great toilet paper if in need and out in Nature, as well as can be used as menstrual pads and cotton balls.

Who knew?!

I’m no plant or herb specialist. I’m just a lover of Nature. This information was all new to me and prompted from my friends on Facebook to look into more.

Please consult a professional or doctor if you’re experiencing issues and when in doubt. I offer no medical advice. But I will offer my personal experiences when I do explore my little plant’s gifts some more.

All I know is that I love my sweet Lamb’s Ear plant and can’t wait to see Yvonne’s sister plant when it gets growing.

I love touching it every time I see it. Perhaps all of the love has helped it to grow.