The Tincture Formulary

Société Team

A tincture is the plant, made keepable. We take a fresh or dried botanical, steep it in a measured blend of alcohol and water until the plant gives up its chemistry to the liquid, press it, and bottle the result. What you hold afterward is the whole plant in a few dropperfuls — its bitters, its aromatics, its quiet medicine — stable on a shelf for years. Behind every bottle on our shelves is a formula: a ratio and a strength, chosen for that particular plant. Those numbers are not decoration. They are the difference between a tincture that actually carries the plant’s virtue and one that is mostly flavored alcohol. This is our complete working formulary — the whole repertoire, listed by Latin name, with the ratio, the alcohol percentage, and the plant form we use for each. It is the same reference we keep in the workshop, shared here in full. Latin names sit first on purpose. “Coneflower,” “sage,” and “cohosh” each point to several different plants, and in herbal medicine the wrong one is a real mistake. The botanical name — Echinacea purpurea , Salvia officinalis , Cimicifuga racemosa — names exactly one plant, everywhere in the world. When you know the Latin, you know precisely what is in the bottle. How to read a formula Each entry carries two numbers and a note. Once you can read them, the whole table opens up. The ratio — herb to menstruum 1:5 means one part herb to five parts liquid, by weight to volume. A lower ratio like 1:2 is the classic fresh-plant spec — less added liquid, because the living plant brings its own water. Narrow ratios like 1:10 are reserved for potent, low-dose botanicals where a little goes a long way. The percentage — alcohol strength The percent is the alcohol strength of the finished menstruum, not the bottle of spirit you started with. 1:5 45% means a 45%-alcohol solvent. Resins and aromatic seeds want it high (60–90%) to dissolve their oils; mucilage-rich, soothing plants like marshmallow and licorice sit low (25%) to protect their water-loving constituents. Fresh or dry Some plants we only tincture fresh (milky oat tops, cleavers, red root), some only dried (alfalfa, catnip, slippery elm), and most either way. Fresh-plant tinctures run low-ratio and high-proof (around 1:2, 85–95%); dried-plant tinctures run higher-ratio and lower-proof (around 1:5, 25–60%). The form column tells you which we use. The ⚠ mark — caution A handful of plants are low-dose, practitioner-only, or carry real interaction risk. They are marked in the table, and gathered again at the end. These are not beginner tinctures. A note on how these came to be. These formulas are our own working record — built over years of batches, and cross-read against the standard medicine-making sources (James Green, Michael Moore, Richo Cech). Where our bench notes and a book disagreed, the bench won. Ratios and strengths are starting points, not gospel: moisture, harvest timing, and the particular plant all shift the result. We adjust by smell, color, and taste after maceration, and so should you. The formulary Latin name Common name Ratio & strength Form Achillea millefolium Yarrow 1:2 90% Dry or fresh Acorus calamus Calamus Root 1:5 60% Fresh only Agathosma betulina Buchu 1:5 60% Fresh only Aloysia citriodora Lemon Verbena — Dry only Althea officinalis Marshmallow 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Anemopsis californica Yerba Mansa Root 1:2 90% Fresh only Angelica archangelica Angelica 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Angelica sinensis Dong Quai 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Apium graveolens Celery Seed — Dry only Arctium lappa Burdock 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Uva-Ursi — Dry only Artemesia annua Sweet Annie 1:5 45% Fresh only Asparagus racemosus Shatavari Root 1:5 30% Dry or fresh Astragalus membranaceus Astragalus (Huang Chi) 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Avena sativa Milky Oat Tops (Fresh) 1:2 90% Fresh only Avena sativa Oatstraw (Dry) 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Bacopa monnieri Brahmi 1:5 60% Fresh only Borago officinalis Borage 1:2 95% Fresh only Bupleurum chenensis Bupleurum — Dry Bupleurum falcatum Bupleurum 1:5 45% Fresh Calendula officinalis Calendula 1:5 70% Dry or fresh Capsella bursa-pastoris Shepard's Purse 1:2 90% Fresh only Capsicum annum Cayenne 1:2 60% Dry or fresh Caulophyllum thalictroides Blue Cohosh 1:3 60% Dry or fresh Ceanothus americanus Red Root 1:2 90% Fresh only Centella asiatica Gotu Cola 1:5 50% Dry only Chimaphila umbellata Pipsissewa 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Chrysanthemum parthenum Feverfew (Dry) 1:5 50% Dry only Chrysanthemum parthenum Feverfew (Fresh) 1:2 90% Fresh only Cimicifuga racemosa Black Cohosh ⚠ 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Cinnamomum burmanii Cinnamon — Dry Cinnamomum zeylanicum Cinnamon 1:3 25% Dry or fresh Citrus Sinensis Orange Peel — Dry only Cnicus benedictus Blessed Thistle 1:5 60% Fresh only Commiphora molmol Myrrh 1:3 90% Dry or fresh Convallaria majalis Lily of the Valley ⚠ 1:8 60% Not produced (reference only) Crataegus oxycantha Hawthorn Berries 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Crataegus oxycantha Hawthorn Leaves — Dry only Curcuma longa Turmeric Root 1:5 50% Dry or fresh Cymbopogon citratus Lemongrass — Dry only Dioscorea villosa Wild Yam 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Echinacea agustifolia Coneflower (Dry) 1:5 45% Dry only Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower (Dry) 1:2 90% Dry or fresh Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower Fresh 1:2 90% Fresh only Elettaria cardamomun Cardamom Seed 1:3 90% Dry or fresh Eleutherococcus senticosus Eleuthero Root 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Equisetum arvense Horsetail 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Eriodictyon californicum Yerba Santa 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Eriodictyon californicum Yerba Santa (Fresh) 1:2 70% Fresh only Euphrasia Eyebright 1:5 50% Dry or fresh Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Foeniculum vulgare Fennel Seeds (Dry) 1:5 60% Dry only Foeniculum vulgare Fennel Seeds (Fresh) 1:2 60% Fresh only Fucus vesiculosus Bladderwrack 1:5 50% Fresh only Galium aparine Cleavers (Fresh) 1:2 90% Fresh only Ganoderma lucidum Reishi 1:7 22% Fresh only Ginkgo Biloba Ginkgo Biloba — Dry only Glycyrrhiza glabra Licorice 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Grindelia squarrosa Grindelia 1:5 45% Fresh only Harpagophytum procumbens Devil's Claw 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Hemidesmus indicus Sarsaparilla, Indian — Dry only Hibiscus salbadifra Hibiscus 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Humulus lupulus Hops 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Hydrangea arborenscens Seven Barks 1:5 45% Fresh only Hydrastis canadensis Goldenseal 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Hypericum perforatum St. John's Wort 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Inula helenium Elecampane 1:4 30% Dry or fresh Juglans nigra Black Walnut 1:5 25% Fresh only Lactuca virosa Wild lettuce 1:2 95% Fresh only Larrea tridentata Chaparral 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Lavandula officinalis Lavender — Glycerite Lavandula officinalis Lavender 1:5 60% Dry only Leonurus cardiaca Motherwort 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Ligusticum porteri Osha 1:5 70% Dry or fresh Ligusticum porteri Osha (Fresh) 1:2 90% Fresh only Lobelia inflata Lobelia ⚠ — Vinegar tincture (low-dose) Lycopus virginicus Bugleweed 1:5 45% Fresh only Mahonia aquifolium Oregon Mountain Grape 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Matricaria recutita German Chamomile 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Medicago sativa Alfalfa — Dry only Melissa officinalis Lemon Balm (Fresh) 1:2 85% Dry or fresh Mentha piperita Peppermint 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Mentha Spicata Spearmint 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Menyanthes trifoliata Bogbean/Buckbean 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Mitchella repens Partridge Berry 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Momordica charantia Cucumber Vine 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Nepeta cataria Catnip — Dry only Ocimum basilicum Basil 1:5 60% Fresh only Ocimum santum Holy Basil 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Olea europaea Olive Leaf 1:5 85% Dry or fresh Oplopanax horridus Devil's Club 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Paeonia lactiflora Peony Root 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Passiflora incarnata Passionflower 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Phyllanthus emblica Amla — Dry only Phytolacca decandra Poke Root ⚠ 1:10 90% Fresh only Pimpinella anisum Anise Seed 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Piper mythisticum Kava Kava — Dry only Piscidia Piscipula Jamaican Dogwood 1:5 70% Fresh Plantago major Plantain 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Polygonatum multiflorum Solomon's Seal 1:5 70% Fresh only Polygonum multiflorum Fo-ti 1:5 45% Dry or fresh (+10% vinegar) Prunus serotina Wild Cherry Bark ⚠ 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Pueraria montana var. lobata Kudzu Root — Dry only Quercus alba White Oak Bark — Dry Rhamnus purshiana Cascara Sagrada 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Rosa canina Rosehips — Dry only Rosa centifolia Rosebuds — Dry only Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary 1:2 90% Dry or fresh Rubus armeniacus Blackberry Root — Dry Rubus idaeus Raspberry Leaf 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Rumex crispus Yellow Dock 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Salix alba White Willow Bark 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Salvia apiana White Sage (Fresh) 1:2 68% Fresh only Salvia officinalis Sage 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Sambucus nigra Elder Flower 1:5 25% Fresh only Sambucus nigra Elderberries — Dry Sambucus nigra Elderberries — Glycerite Sassafras albidum Sassafras 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Schisandra chinensis Schizandra Berries 1:5 40% Dry or fresh Scutellaria lateriflora Skullcap 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Serenoa serrulata Saw Palmetto 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Silybum marianum Milk Thistle 1:3 70% Dry or fresh Smilax ornate Sarsaparilla 1:5 25% Fresh only Solidago canadensis Golden Rod 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Stachys officinalis Wood Betony 1:2 74% Dry or fresh Stellaria media Chickweed — Dry only Stevia rebaudiana Sweet Leaf 1:10 45% Dry or fresh Symphytum officinale Comfrey Leaf — Dry only Syzygium aromaticum Cloves — Dry only Tabebuia impetiginosa Pau d'arco 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Taraxacum officinale Dandelion Leaf — Dry only Taraxacum officinale Dandelion Root 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Thymus vulgaris Thyme 1:5 45% Fresh Thymus vulgaris Thyme — Glycerite only Tilia europaea Linden 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Trifolium pratense Red Clover 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Trigonella foenum graecum Fenugreek Seeds — Dry only Turnera diffusa Damiana 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Tussilago farfara Coltsfoot 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Ulmus fulva Slippery Elm — Dry only Urtica dioica Stinging Nettle 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Vaccinium myrtillus Bilberry — Dry only Valeriana officinalis Valerian 1:5 70% Dry or fresh Verbascum thapsus Mullein 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Verbascum thapsus Mullein (Fresh) 1:2 90% Fresh only Verbena officinalis Blue Vervain 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Viburnum opulus Cramp Bark 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Viburnum prunifolium Black Haw 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Viola tricolor Blue Violet — Dry only Vitex agnus-castus Chasteberry 1:5 25% Dry or fresh Withania somnifera Ashwaganda 1:5 70% Dry or fresh Yucca spp. Yucca 1:5 60% Fresh only Zanthoxylum americanum Prickly Ash Bark 1:5 45% Dry or fresh Zingiber officinale Ginger 1:5 60% Dry or fresh Cautioned plants These are kept in the formulary for completeness, but they ask for extra care — low-dose botanicals, plants restricted to trained practitioners, or ones with meaningful interaction risk. We handle them with confirmation and conservative dosing, and some we keep only as reference and do not produce. Black Cohosh Lily of the Valley Lobelia Poke Root Wild Cherry Bark A gentle scope. This formulary is shared for education and for the love of the craft. It is a medicine-maker’s reference — ratios and strengths for extraction — not a guide to dosing or treating anything. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition, and none of it replaces the care of a qualified herbalist, midwife, or physician. Many of these plants interact with medications or are unsafe in pregnancy. If you are pregnant, nursing, managing a health condition, or taking any medication, please talk with a qualified practitioner before using herbal preparations. Start low, go slow, and when in doubt, leave it out.