In the new episode on the Humans & Earth podcast, I tell four stories about my experiences with plant essences, how they are helpful, and how they often come into our lives serendipitously. I also offer suggestions about how you can benefit from plant essences and how to obtain them. Read below or listen on the podcast.

What are plant essences? They are liquid remedies that have been made to hold the energetic essence or frequency of a tree or flower. They are thus different from herbal remedies, which contain actual plant parts, and essential oils, which contain the fragrant oils of plants. Flower and tree essences are a form of energy medicine that can be ingested or used topically, and they are very safe, both for people and animals, as well as for plants, because they contain no actual plant parts. You can thus make essences from plants that are not edible for humans or animals, and often you can make them without even harvesting the plants and ending their lives. Unlike with essential oils (which I also use and love), plant essences can be produced with little to no plant material, leading some people to see them as a more ethical use of plants.

I’m going to focus here on spiritual and energetic experiences with plant essences, but I’ll note that if you want to delve into the science of energy medicine and frequency, Dr. Shamini Jain’s Consciousness and Healing Initiative publishes reports, and you also might look at the work of Dr. David Feinstein and Dr. Lissa Rankin. There are quite a few other researchers assembling discussions of energy medicine—what it is, why it works, and even the physics of it. But today I’m focusing on stories about some of my recent experiences to show you how you might want to receive support from plant essences.

I’ll offer you the shortest story first: recently I saw a body worker who is also a flower essence practitioner. She suggested for me a rather obvious essence I’ve never taken for an extended period of time, and I was so grateful for her insight. The essence, indeed, has soothed and upheld me as I’ve gone to another level this summer of moving beyond some past trauma. The essence is the Bach Rescue Remedy mixture, and while you can use it for acute stress, you also can take it over a longer time for nervous system support.

I had a more complex experience with a plant essence earlier this year. While I interviewed plant communication experts and Tree Whisperers Dr. Jim Conroy and Basia Alexander this past January, during a meditation they offered to the audience, a very large Sycamore tree in my neighborhood came visibly into my awareness. She later also appeared in Dr. Jim’s consciousness, asking him to confirm for me that I was really hearing from her and that she wanted to teach me. I spent parts of the winter, spring, and early summer sitting with her and listening to her, taking her essence, and recognizing that what she represents and is teaching me is perfectly matched for my current life stage. I’ve felt amazement that she reached out to me and offered me her teachings and energetic support. She is a grand being with whom I’m honored to be in relationship. I don’t feel ready to share much of what she has shown me, but part of it relates to the central channel of energy in the human body that has been discussed for millennia in the Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicine traditions. She has been showing me a next step in cultivating the central channel and recognizing it as the stream of energy that connects our bodies, minds, and souls both to Earth and to the heavenly realms. When I take her essence, I’m connected to these teachings and the tremendous strength and wisdom she has held for at least one or two centuries.

In the summer I experienced the luxurious medicine of the Pink Mimosa tree. I felt guided to buy this essence from my teacher Ameya Cohen’s line this spring. It offers energies of abundance and joy. Serendipitously a local friend texted me a photo of the flowers and said she wondered what they are. I recognized them immediately and told my friend she was delighting in Pink Mimosa, and I shared with her that I’d been taking the essence and could make her a bottle if she brought me some flowers. She did, and I did…and the essence is riotously potent. Then I started seeing Pink Mimosa trees everywhere, and marveling at the fact that, tree-aware as I am, I had never really noticed them in prior years, though they grow quite abundantly in my area and produce a cloud of highly visible bright pink blossoms every June and July. (It’s true, they are considered invasive in North America. From a scientific ecological standpoint they may be problematic. From the standpoint of the energy they have to share, I have to wonder if it’s a good and purposeful thing that they are spreading in places where they aren’t native. I feel the invasive plants question needs to be examined both scientifically and energetically, and that there are aspects of invasive plants that we don’t yet understand.) Pink Mimosa offers a frequency many of us are especially ready to benefit from now.

A fourth notable experience with plant essences unfolded for me about a year ago. Within one week of starting to take the essences of sunflowers and Echinacea in August 2021, I finally felt clarity about changing my name in my business, going from using a pseudonym to my real name. The experience of power and certainty in my solar plexus as I took the essences was astonishing. I also took 1 drop of Maui Orchid essence twice over three days. It’s an essence, also from Ameya Cohen’s line, that helps us see the truth we already know. It was abundantly clear that the flower essences were impacting my sense of self and vocation, and I appreciated their assistance as I worked through something that had felt confusing and challenging to me.

What should you do if you want to use flower and tree essences? Your best options are probably to get a book on plant essences or see a practitioner. I like Delta Gardens’ founder David Dalton’s book, Stars of the Meadow, and the Flower Essence Society’s Flower Essence Repertory. Many other books exist, too, so see what calls to you. A book will help you identify the essence(s) you need and how to handle dosing, though that is simple as you basically take 2-5 drops 2-4 times per day.

If you want to purchase one or more essences to try, two lines of essences I like are Delta Gardens and the Flower Essence Society; I also am very fond of Green Hope Farm’s and Ameya Cohen’s line of essences, though I’m not sure if Ameya’s are going to continue to be available. The Bach essences are very nice and are the most famous flower essence line, but I have more of an affinity with the other lines I mentioned. I also make my own essences, which you can easily learn to do—just learn the proper procedure with flowers that are not edible.

We’re designed to live here in collaboration with plants, animals, and all of nature, so to me it makes perfect sense that plants are eager to help us by offering us the food, herbal remedies, essential oils, and energetic essences they uniquely produce. As long as you respect and thank the plants and make sure you’re doing something in your life to support plants’ well-being, I feel it’s fine to receive what they offer for your sustenance, growth, and contribution.

If you would like my support in allowing plant essences to uphold your contributions to flourishing for people and planet, you can find my services here on the Coaching page. Plant essence practitioners specialize in everything from women’s or children’s health to physical healing or supporting animals. I love to focus my sessions on offering clients essences that support their clarity about how they want to contribute to renewal for Earth and the human-Earth relationship. It will be my pleasure to guide you in benefiting from plant essences.

Thanks for reading. Now go find a plant to connect with through being present to it, engaging in conversation (for tips on this, listen to previous episodes of the podcast), providing it with physical care, or taking its essence!