Avena Botanicals Black Cohosh encourages a balanced response to occasional menstrual and postpartum discomfort. Supports resilience with menopausal moods and encourages overall ease.*
This unique and beautiful woodland plant, native to the eastern woodlands of what is today known as North America, grows abundantly in our Biodynamic gardens. Long-used by Indigenous women, it is important that this plant be protected, cultivated, and given to Indigenous-led apothecaries and medicine trails.**
Black Cohosh root supports women and other individuals during times of hormonal transition such as postpartum and helps with resilience when experiencing occasional sleeplessness, mood swings, tension, stress, discomfort, and hot flashes during menopause.
Brings a cooling and drying quality to the perimenopausal and menopausal transition. Supports healthy nerves, muscles, and joints. Consider Black Cohosh to ease occasional discomfort around menses, alone or with other herbs such as Valerian Tincture and/or Menstrual Support.
A balancing and refreshing herb with a relaxing regenerative effect on the body and mind. Used over a period of time, Black Cohosh can have a tonifying effect on the nervous system and the musculature of the body, which includes smooth muscles like the uterus.
**Avena donates proceeds from the sale of Black Cohosh Tincture to the Wabanaki Community Herbal Apothecary.
Garden Notes: Thousands of native bees love exploring the tall, white, flowering spires of the Black Cohosh plants growing abundantly in our garden. This special woodland plant, native to the whole Appalachian Region, awakens curiosity and respect in gardeners. Once the seeds are collected for sowing and sharing every fall, we dig the roots from our Biodynamic garden and tincture them fresh. This is a plant herbalist Deb Soule has been tending for over 20 years; she continues to learn about propagating its seeds so she can pass on more plants to an Indigenous-led apothecary in Maine.
Taste / Energetics: cooling, slightly sweet, slightly bitter, slightly aromatic, balancing, grounding, refreshing.
Actions: nervine, antispasmodic, uterine tonic, emmenagogue, parturient, mildly calming.
When to reach for it: Postpartum. During perimenopause and menopause to support mood, temperature, and general stress. During menses. To support the musculoskeletal system.
About Black Cohosh: Hundreds of bees love exploring the tall, white, flowering spires of the Black Cohosh plants growing in Avena's garden. This elegant plant, native to the Appalachia Region, captures the curiosity of gardeners and visitors alike. It is quite a special woodland herb that grows abundantly on Avena’s biodynamic farm and has a long history of use amongst Native American women.
Botanical Name: Cimicifuga racemosa
Part Used: Fresh root
Ingredients: Certified Biodynamic and Sustainably Wildcrafted Black Cohosh root, Certified Organic Pure Grain Alcohol, Springwater
Suggested Use: Add 10-20 drops (.5-1ml) to 1 ounce of water 1-3 times/day or as directed by your healthcare provider.
Avena Botanicals values simplicity and the traditional ways of hand-crafting herbal products. They use simple tabletop tools instead of large, mechanized machines and they do not mass-manufacture.
This holistic and spiritually alive system of organic agriculture enlivens the soil, water, and plants along with the soul, spirit, and consciousness of humans. Biodynamic preparations and practices create herbal products that can benefit body, mind, and spirit and connect individuals to the source of their sustenance.
Since their inception in 1985, they have used no synthetic ingreidents, additives, or solvents of any kind in their herbal products or farming practices. Their on-site production facility only uses 100% biodegradable cleaning supplies.
Avena's products are produced on-site in their custom-built facility. You can take an herb walk through their gardens in the summer, while seeing smellIing baskets of herbs and flowers going into the facility, it doesn't get any more local than this.
Creating gentle, organic, high-quality herbal products that promote good health is their goal. They produce their products in small batches to ensure that their freshness and efficacy meet their high standards.
Avena's gardens are open to the public for a few select events each year. They are a peaceful sanctuary for people (and pollinators) to enjoy, learn in, and experience the gifts of nature. They host a handful of herb walks, classes, and retreats each summer, often accompanied by refreshing botanical sun tea.
These values remain constant in their thoughts, words, and actions. They care deeply about the health and well-being of the people and plants they serve and take extra care as they harvest the herbs and create products.
Despite the modern world's technological advances, many people around our planet remain unhappy and disconnected from nature. Avena's peaceful gardens, retreats, and hand-crafted herbal products assist people seeking to live in harmony with nature and with the spirit that connects all living beings.
They aim to create a working environment that embodies balance, health, and wellness. They ring a bell at noon for any staff who chooses to stop and meditate for 5-10 minutes. Their weekly staff meetings are held outdoors in summer and in a room overlooking the garden in winter. As a staff, they share yummy potlucks, birthday cakes, inspiring books, and garden walks.
Avena Botanicals is the first Demeter Certified Biodynamic farm in Maine. Biodynamic agriculture is a holistic and spiritually alive system of organic and ecological practices and philosophies based on the teachings of Dr. Rudolf Steiner. One of the core beliefs and practices of Biodynamic agriculture is to help heal the Earth.
Their hand-gathered herbs come into Avena's drying rooms and are immediately weighed and laid onto large screens. Most of these herbs are grown in Avena's three-acre gardens. They also collect a few herbs from nearby islands and meadows.
Over five hundred pounds of fresh, hand-gathered herbs come into Avena's apothecary annually and are thoughtfully prepared into herbal tinctures, elixirs, glycerites, and oils. Over 70% of these herbs come directly from Avena's Demeter Certified Biodynamic gardens. Their herbs are fresh, aromatic, sweet, bitter, pungent, and beautiful.
Avena's gardens have been purposefully planted with protective hedgerows and flowering plants that offer nectar and pollen to dozens of pollinators. Shimmering ruby-throated hummingbirds and various butterflies, honey bees and native bees fill our gardens with an array of colors, sounds, and personalities. The presence of pollinators fills hearts with joy and gratitude.
FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
