Harvesting Tulsi on the Farm

Get to Know Your Herbs: Flavor Profiles & Healing Traditions of our Farm-Grown Herbs

Herbalism can feel overwhelming when you're just beginning. There are so many herbs, so many terms, and so much passion surrounding it all that the excitement can quickly turn into overload. At La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer, we understand how easy it is to get lost in the abundance.

That's why we’ve created this beginner-friendly guide to help you connect with herbs through their taste, function, and action. We’ve also added a complementary Ayurvedic perspective to deepen your understanding.

Whether you're sipping a cup of tea or building your apothecary, this blog post aims to bring clarity and ease.

 

 

Understanding Herbal Actions & Taste

Herbs work in the body through specific actions. You’ll often hear terms like nervine, carminative, or alterative. (Want a reference for the most common herbal actions, see our blog post on all things herbal actions defined here). These describe how an herb influences body systems. Likewise, an herb’s taste can tell you a lot about its energetics and effect.

To help you get a handle on this, we created a comprehensive chart using the herbs grown right here on our farm.  Don’t try to memorize everything here at once.  Focus on an herb of interest and spend some time with it.  Think through what it pairs well with, its actions and benefits and how it’s taste can give a hint to those benefits and actions.

 

 

🌿 Farm-Grown Herbs at a Glance

Herb Name

Taste

Pairs Well With

Benefit

Herbal Actions

Angelica

Warm, aromatic, slightly sweet, with a touch of bitterness and muskiness

Fennel, angelica, ginger

Digestive stimulant, immune support

Carminative, emmenagogue, expectorant

Anise Hyssop

Sweet and gently minty, with hints of licorice and floral undertones

Lemon balm, chamomile, tulsi

Calms nerves, supports digestion

Carminative, nervine, expectorant

Artemisia pontica

Very bitter and slightly tannic, with an herbal sharpness and dryness

Wormwood, tarragon, mint

Digestive aid, antimicrobial

Bitter tonic, carminative, antimicrobial

Calendula

Mildly bitter and resinous, with a slightly earthy and astringent finish

Chamomile, yarrow, rose

Skin health, lymph support, wound healing

Vulnerary, anti-inflammatory, lymphagogue

Chamomile

Softly sweet and apple-like, with a light bitterness and hay-like aroma

Lemon balm, anise hyssop, tulsi

Soothes digestion, eases tension

Carminative, sedative, anti-inflammatory

Dandelion

Strongly bitter and earthy, especially when roasted or steeped deeply

Burdock, yellow dock, milk thistle

Liver support, detoxifying

Cholagogue, diuretic, alterative

Echinacea angustifolia

Mildly pungent, earthy, and slightly metallic with a tingling sensation

Echinacea purpurea, elderberry, ginger

Immune stimulant, anti-inflammatory

Immune stimulant, alterative, lymphatic

Echinacea purpurea

Mildly bitter and earthy, with a slightly grassy and floral tone

Echinacea angustifolia, yarrow, lemon balm

Boosts immune system, reduces inflammation

Immunostimulant, alterative, lymphagogue

Japanese Mint

Bold, intensely minty and cooling, with a sharp and aromatic edge

Tulsi, lemongrass, rosemary

Relieves headaches, eases digestion

Carminative, stimulant, analgesic

Lemon Balm

Bright, citrusy lemon flavor with sweet, minty undertones

Chamomile, tulsi, catnip

Stress relief, mood lifting, digestion

Nervine, mild sedative, carminative

Lovage

Pungent and savory, reminiscent of celery with an herbal depth

Parsley, celery seed, tulsi

Digestive aid, urinary tonic

Carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue

Marshmallow

Mild, slightly sweet, smooth and mucilaginous with a soft finish

Licorice, calendula, plantain

Soothes mucous membranes, urinary tract health

Demulcent, emollient, anti-inflammatory

Milky Oats

Mild, bland, and grassy with a soft cereal-like mouthfeel

Skullcap, oatstraw, lemon balm

Nervous system tonic, adrenal support

Nutritive, nervine tonic

Nettle

Earthy and mineral-rich, slightly bitter when infused

Peppermint, tulsi, red clover

Allergy support, nutrient-rich, energizing

Nutritive, diuretic, alterative

Peppermint

Sharp, pungent, and intensely cooling with a lingering menthol finish

Nettle, chamomile, lemon balm

Digestive aid, headache relief

Carminative, antispasmodic, stimulant

Red Clover

Sweet and mildly grassy, with a hint of pea blossom and hay

Nettle, burdock, red raspberry leaf

Hormone balance, lymphatic support

Alterative, expectorant, phytoestrogenic

Skullcap

Bitter and earthy, with a somewhat acrid and grounding taste

Milky oats, lemon balm, valerian

Calms nervous system, supports sleep

Nervine, antispasmodic, sedative

Spearmint

Sweet, refreshing, and gently minty with a smooth, round flavor

Lemon balm, chamomile, tulsi

Digestive and respiratory support

Carminative, nervine, antispasmodic

Sweetflag

Spicy, pungent, and bitter with warming aromatic notes like cinnamon and clove

Tulsi, ginger, cinnamon

Enhances clarity, supports digestion

Stimulant, carminative, nervine

Tulsi Amrita

Spicy-sweet, aromatic, and slightly warming with hints of clove and mint

Peppermint, lemon balm, gotu kola

Adaptogen, respiratory & mental clarity

Adaptogen, expectorant, nervine

Tulsi Rama

Clove-like spice with warm sweetness and a hint of peppery freshness

Nettle, peppermint, lemon balm

Stress relief, immunity, clarity

Adaptogen, nervine, anti-inflammatory

Tulsi Vana

Spicy, pungent, and slightly bitter with notes of clove and pepper

Nettle, ginger, peppermint

Adaptogen, immune and respiratory support

Adaptogen, nervine, antimicrobial

Wormwood

Intensely bitter and astringent, with a penetrating herbal sharpness

Ginger, black walnut, clove

Stimulates digestion, antiparasitic

Bitter tonic, antimicrobial, anthelmintic

 

 

🌿 Ayurvedic Insights

Many of these herbs also hold places in Ayurvedic medicine, which classifies them based on qualities like warming or cooling, and how they balance the doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha).

Herb Name

Ayurvedic Energetics

Angelica

Warming, balances Vata and Kapha

Anise Hyssop

Slightly warming, calms Vata

Artemisia pontica

Cooling and bitter, balances Kapha and Pitta

Calendula

Cooling and slightly dry, balances Pitta

Chamomile

Cooling, reduces Pitta and Vata

Dandelion

Cooling, detoxifying, balances Pitta

Echinacea spp.

Cooling and stimulating, balances Kapha

Japanese Mint

Strongly cooling, pacifies Pitta

Lemon Balm

Cooling, calming to Vata and Pitta

Lovage

Warming, balances Kapha and Vata

Marshmallow

Cooling and moistening, pacifies Vata and Pitta

Milky Oats

Neutral to slightly cooling, strengthens Vata

Nettle

Warming and dry, balances Kapha

Peppermint

Cooling and aromatic, reduces Pitta and Vata

Red Clover

Cooling and cleansing, balances Pitta

Skullcap

Cooling and bitter, reduces Vata

Spearmint

Mildly cooling, balances Pitta

Sweetflag

Warming and pungent, reduces Kapha and Vata

Tulsi Amrita

Warming and aromatic, balances all three doshas

Tulsi Rama

Warming and stimulating, balances Vata and Kapha

Tulsi Vana

Warming and drying, balances Vata

Wormwood

Very warming and drying, balances Kapha

 

 

Final Thoughts

Starting your herbal journey doesn’t have to be intimidating. By understanding the flavor, function, and energy of herbs, you gain a language to connect more deeply with nature. Use these charts to guide your tea blends, tinctures, or simply to get to know the plants in your garden or apothecary shelf.

You don’t need to know everything. You just need to start.

 

 

🌱 Ready to explore more?

 

 

 

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