The Herbs & Spices That Still Surprise Us
Posted by Starwest Botanicals Content Team on 10-17-2025
There’s always that moment in the office when someone stops mid-sentence and says, “Wait, did you know that?” It happens at least once a week. Sometimes it’s Kai talking about how a plant grows, or Melissa dropping a fact that makes everyone look up from their screens.
No matter how long we’ve worked with herbs, something always manages to surprise us. One root. One leaf. One story that makes us fall in love with this work all over again.
And this time of year, when the air cools and everything smells faintly of cinnamon, we can’t help talking about the quiet ones. The herbs that don’t usually make it to center stage but always leave us in awe.
Take our Original Mulling Spices. Just opening the jar feels like stepping back in time. Cinnamon, clove, allspice, orange peel, nutmeg; all blending together into something that smells like fall itself. Centuries ago, families used these same spices to scent their homes and warm their spirits. We like to think they were doing exactly what we still do now: creating comfort in a cup.
Then there’s burdock root. Not flashy. Not delicate. Just honest and earthy. Dig it up and you’ll find a rough, gnarled root that hides the sweetest depth of flavor. It reminds us that some of the best things in nature aren’t meant to stand out, they’re meant to ground us.
And then comes ginkgo, the ancient one. This tree has seen it all, more than 200 million years of wind, weather, and wonder. Every fall, its fan-shaped leaves turn the purest shade of gold, drifting to the ground like a quiet celebration of endurance. It’s hard not to feel a little reverent looking at something that’s survived that long.
Oatstraw is the softest of them all. Pale green, gentle, and calm. It doesn’t demand attention; it simply invites it. When we work with oatstraw, the room always feels quieter, slower, more thoughtful. It’s the kind of herb that makes you stop and breathe for a moment before the day starts again.
We talk a lot about our star ingredients, the ones everyone knows by name. But these hidden gems? They’re the ones that keep us curious. The ones that remind us that even after 50 years of doing this, the earth still has a few secrets left to share.
And maybe that’s the real magic of it all. No matter how many herbs we blend or stories we tell, nature still finds a way to surprise us.