The Power and Promise of Herbal Medicine

Douglas fir, juniper, elderberry, chokecherry, red alder, yerba santa, stinging nettle, blue camas, violet, coyote mint, wild thyme, yarrow, sagebrush, rose hips.

These are some of the natural medicines found in the Sierra Nevada.

But how do we use them? One local woman is on a journey to open our eyes to the world of native medicinal herbs growing all around us. 

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“The most common misconception is that herbs don’t work,” says Truckee-based clinical herbalist Mary McCallum. “The truth is that herbs absolutely work. It’s mostly about finding the right herbs for your body and needs. There is always some fear of the unknown — then people try it.”

McCallum lives off the grid on a solar-powered homestead in Russell Valley with her husband, stepson, four dogs, three cats, two dairy goats, and a flock of ducks, chickens, and geese. They purchased the 5 acres of raw land in 2020 and lived in a tiny home for 4 years as they worked the property and built a house.

Originally from Quincy, McCallum took an early interest in animals and plants as a member of 4-H and Future Farmers of America.

“I was a pretty determined youngster,” she said. “This was always kind of the dream. And this part of the world feels like home to me.”

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After high school, McCallum studied cosmetology at Paul Mitchell in Reno and worked as a hairdresser for a few years. Following that, she began to pursue her journey as a healer. She earned an undergraduate degree in integrative health from National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon, along with additional certifications in clinical herbalism from ACORN School of Herbalism in Nevada City and Wild Current Herbalism in Nova Scotia.

“It’s East meets West,” she says. “We studied anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, botany, acupuncture, medicine making, mind-body healing, all those pieces,” she said. “I have in-depth training in working on people with everything from acute illness to chronic diseases.”

While Western medicine is certainly essential, herbalism tends to take a more holistic approach, said McCallum.

“A clinical herbalist is really looking at the whole picture of your health,” she said. “Whereas Western medicine often aims to treat the symptoms very quickly, herbs are an incredible form of preventative medicine that you can also use to treat ailments in the moment. ”

During patient consultations, McCallum considers everything from health history to current symptoms. Her recommendations can include a host of options such as herbal remedies, dietary supplements, lifestyle changes, acupuncture, body movement, and time in nature. 

“A combination of things lends to an approach that can be really positive for your body and not just focused on treating one thing,” she said.

Another benefit of herbs is that they are readily accessible and generally cheap. From daily meals to teatime to more targeted tinctures, tonics, and topicals, it’s generally easy and inexpensive to obtain natural medicines.

“I put herbs in all my meals,” says McCallum. “It doesn’t seem that foreign. Finding a commonality like that helps people think about the benefits they are already receiving and perhaps try something new.”

Think of conventional things like garlic to boost your immunity or chamomile tea to help calm your nerves.

“Herbs work on different tissue states to help warm, cool, dry, or tonify certain parts of the body,” said McCallum. “These are the oldest forms of medicine. All of our ancestors were picking herbs at some point. Only in the last few hundred years have we gotten away from that. But there is a notion that the body remembers.”

In fact, many popular over-the-counter and prescription drugs trace their origins back to plants and herbs. A well-known example would be aspirin, which is derived from the salicin found in willow bark.

“In many ways, we’ve lost our connection to the natural rhythms of the earth,” says McCallum. “People have forgotten that everything moves in cycles. I know we can get bananas year round in the U.S., but there are seasons for a reason. We’ve lost touch with what that means and how it impacts our bodies. An easy way to start is to think about the seasonality of wherever you live and how you can connect with local farmers to access the natural medicines currently growing in your area.”

Just as heavy soups and stews nourish us through the winter, bitter greens and vegetables like nettles, dandelions, asparagus, and artichoke can help our bodies adjust to warmer spring weather.

At her homestead, McCallum has an apothecary where she makes her medicine. This year, she plans to install a greenhouse on the property to grow more herbs and eventually welcome clients for on-site classes with the hands-on experience of cultivating native remedies in the Sierra Nevada.

Previously known as Sierra Roots Wellness, McCallum recently rebranded her company as Mountain Song. She offers virtual and in-person consultations one week per month and a wide range of products such as tinctures, tallows, teas, sunscreens, and oils that are available from her online store, as well as at local shops like New Moon Natural Foods, The Peace Offering, and Tahoe Food Hub in Truckee,  and Great Basin Community Food Co-op, Truckee Meadow Herbs, and The Waste Less Shop in Reno.

“This allows me to focus on making hyper-seasonal, bioregional medicine and offer them specifically at that time,” she said.

McCallum also provides local in-person herbalism classes and an 8-month, self-paced online course called Building Your Home Apothecary.

“It’s about empowering people to be confident in the making and taking of their own medicine,” she says. “I want it to be a community project. That’s the real inspiration. This is my life passion.”

To learn more about Mountain Song, visit mountainsong.love.

Common Sierra Nevada Medicinal Herbs and Their Uses

Note: This is not a comprehensive list. Consult your doctor and/or herbalist before using natural medicine.