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Herbal medicine, sometimes referred to as botanical medicine or herbalism, involves the use of plants, or parts of plants, to treat injuries or illnesses.

This field also covers the use of herbs or botanicals to improve health and wellness.

Master herbalist Austin Verret sells herbal remedies and tea brews with his wife, Jorrie, at Broken Leaf & Apothecary, which is managed online and from their home in Orange County.

“As an herbalist, the goal is to help people live healthier and more comfortable lives,” he said. “We have many clients who have positive results from using herbal preparations. This success is something that can help many people within our community and is our main goal with the herbal side of our business. We also pride ourselves on our customer service and have local customers message us at all hours with questions that we happily reply to.”

The business free consultations are designed to educate others on the benefits of herbs.

“Knowledge is power,” he said. “There are many benefits you can get from herbs and their applications. During the meeting, the customer tells us their concerns and goals, and then we follow up with education of herbs, how to use them and herbal side effects. In the herbal world, there is a lot of misinformation, and our consultations are free because we strive to put good and correct information out to the community.”

Verret received his certificate in Herbalism from The Center of Excellence and The Herbal Academy located in the United Kingdom.

“We practice a style of western herbalism that focuses on the scientific compounds of herbs and how they work with your body,” he said. “We rely on research and traditional uses rather than just traditional uses. The schools I studied at compiled their information from hundreds of herbalists and studies rather than just one source.”

The names of the teas reflect the apothecary’s theme of dark and daring.

Blood of My Enemies is a blood orange iced tea, a blend of orange peel, hibiscus, rose hips and blood orange flavor. It is perfect for the summer.

Starry Night is a Mexican vanilla infused Earl Grey, a blend of Earl grey, orange peel, corn flowers and real Mexican vanilla. It is one of their oldest blends.

The names of the herbal brews reflect the healing nature of the apothecary.

Euphoria is an herbal brew for stress and anxiety. It is a blend of Rooibos, rose hips, rose, lavender, calendula, milky oat tops and lemon balm. Although a medicinal tea, they have turned non-tea drinkers with this blend’s flavor.

Goodnight Moon, is an herbal brew for sleep. It is a blend of chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm, passionflower and catnip. It acts as a natural tranquilizer. This blend helps relax the body to aid in the sleep process.

The apothecary also sells Matcha, which is a strong powdered green tea with a long history.

“Our hot chocolates are a blended gourmet hot chocolate during the winter months,” Verret said. “The ‘Tired Bones Warming Elixir’ is an espresso hot chocolate. The ‘Warming Elixir’ is a traditional” hot chocolate and the ‘Nutty Bones Warming Elixir’ is a peanut butter hot chocolate.”

The apothecary markets towards those with an adventurous spirit, as well as the tea connoisseur from Farmer’s Markets and vendor events.

“However, we firmly believe everyone likes tea,” he said. “It is our goal to help educate the customer and push them in the right direction. Our schedule for the following months can be found on our Facebook page. We take pride in offering unique tea flavors to our Southeast Texas community!”

Visit Broken Leaf Tea & Apothecary online here.

— Written by Sierra Kondos