Herb Basics: Catnip and Kerosene Grass

Gina Mohammed focuses her book, Catnip and Kerosene Grass: What Plants Teach Us About Life (Candlenut, 2002), on the simple herb catnip.

May/June 2004
By The Herb Companion 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

In her delightful book Catnip and Kerosene Grass: What Plants Teach Us About Life (Candlenut, 2002), Herbs for Health contributor Gina Mohammed, Ph.D., invites a closer look at chicory (Cichorium intybus). This eye-catching wildflower grows by North American roadsides, blooming with blue daisy-like flowers in midsummer.

Chicory’s roots have been roasted and used since Napoleon’s time as a coffee substitute, and ground chicory is an ingredient in some coffee blends today. Chicory lacks caffeine and, when infused, gives coffee a bitter taste and dark color. The herb can be a satisfying alternative for those who can’t drink coffee.

“Life’s pleasures don’t have to be complicated, costly or restricted to cultivated tastes,” Mohammed writes. “They can often be found by the wayside. But how easy to overlook them as we hurry along the road to someplace else.”

Source: Mohammed, Gina. Catnip and Kerosene Grass: What Plants Teach Us About Life. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada: Candlenut Books, 2002.

RELATED CONTENT

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Herb Companion readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Herb Companion?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save 50% off the Cover Price
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Subscribe to The Herb Companion

Your guide to the many uses and even more pleasures of nature's most helpful plants!

The Herb Companion is the smart and easy complement to your own healthy, vibrant lifestyle! In every issue you'll find information on using herbs to:

  • Transform simple dishes into spectacular meals
  • Make gardens as useful as they are beautiful
  • Replace harsh chemicals with natural alternatives
  • Help find fulfillment, balance and good health
  • And much more!

Yes, send me a one-year subscription (6 issues) to The Herb Companion. I'll pay just $19.95.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $5.00 and get 6 issues of The Herb Companion for only $14.95 (USA only).