Our 3 Favorite Herbs to Support Us Through the Winter

Okay, loves — it is getting dark. We still have a long while before the light turns around again, so now is the perfect time to gather support and nourishment for the winter season.

We could mention SO many amazing plants for the winter such as Ginger or Elder, but want to share specifically those herbs that support us and gently boost our energy through the darker months.

Normally we mainly talk about local plants but today we have chosen to include 2 plants that are not native to the north. uhhh ;) why? Because these are the ones that we use and that really has helped us through exhaustion and dark winter times…

Here they are
Our 3 favorite herbs to support us through the winter:

• St. John’s Wort
• Ashwagandha
• Schisandra

Note: We never take all three at the same time.

This is simply our experience — personally and through our work with clients. This is not medical advice. Herbs can interact with medications or specific health conditions, so please be mindful and listen to your body.

These are potent plants, not quick fixes; most herbal allies work best when taken consistently over 2–4 months (sometimes a lot longer to see you through the shift).

All three plants have a special affinity for the nervous system and for rebuilding energy reserves. They each do a hundred other interesting things too, but here we focus only on what feels most important for winter: steadiness, nourishment, and inner warmth.

Deeper into the 3 herbs

🌞 St. John’s Wort — “Liquid Sunshine”

(Using the flowers. Grows wild in the North.)

For us, St. John’s Wort feels like drinking sunlight. Bright, steadying, warming — it invites the sun back into the heart.

Traditionally it has been used for supporting nerve-related pains, tending to wounds, and nurturing the liver. Many people associate it with the stagnation that can come with winter darkness.

You might have heard about this plant as the "depression herb", and while herbalists discuss endless questions about this plant — warming or cooling, is it really the best for depression or better to use for it’s other properties? - our experience is this:

St. John's Wort is like liquid sunshine. It shines bright into the darkness. That can both be darkness of pain or darkness of winter depression. The spirit of this plant is illuminating and bringing light. We work with it mainly during the winter months and feel the benefits ourselves.

Some people feel more light-sensitive when taking it. We personally prefer working with it earlier in the day (same for all three herbs).

🔥 Ashwagandha — Restoring Vital Energy

(Primarily the root. Long traditions in India and parts of Africa.)

A beautiful ally for strengthening depleted energy and cultivating a sense of wellbeing. Ashwagandha is a traditional nervous-system tonic — it tends to uplift those who feel worn down, and soothe those who feel stressed or over-activated. A wonderful companion for recovery from burnout or long periods of exhaustion.

It’s also warming, which makes it feel extra supportive during the cold months. Personally, I find it a bit too warming in summer. And yes… it has a long history of being used to support vitality, desire, and fertility 😉

So bring on the power!!

🍒 Schisandra — Restorative & Sensual

(Using berries and sometimes stem. Native to China.)

Schisandra is fairly new in our home apothecary, but we are falling in love with its strength and softness - a feminine powerhouse that guides, restores, and softly boosts (and sometimes not so softly haha). It is's spirit is so loving and kind! Like Ashwagandha, it is often used to rebuild strength in those who feel burned out or chronically depleted.

It is incredibly versatile. In some traditions it’s considered an adaptogen; in others it’s used for general vitality, immune support, or organ system nourishment. One of my favorite ways of seeing this (inspired by Rosalee De La Forêt), is through the lens of traditional chinese medicine where how a plant tastes is part of showing its medicinal properties. There are 5 tastes; sweet, pungent, salty, sour and bitter. Herbs have predominantly one taste, but Schisandra has all 5! 

I do find this herb to be sensual and awakening desire (which tends to come when a person gets revitalized and simultaneously calming of the nervous system) - but I haven’t heard any “official” scientific talk about this from herbalists.

Currently I (Eva Maria) are taking drops of St. John’s Wort. Last year I was aaallllll in Ashwagandha-land, but this year Schisandra has taken over where I take capsuls every morning and have for a few months now.

Hope this gives you some inspiration for herbal support!

With love

eva Maria

Ps. Thanks to learningherbs for being an amazing source of traditional and scientific plant knowledge — we love using it as our herbal encyclopedia when we have to be more scientific ;)

pps. photo from unsplash of Ashwagandha by Bankim Desai. Thank you!