Best Herbs for Fall: What to Take This Season
As the light softens and the air cools, the plants around us begin their quiet retreat into the earth. Fall is the season of roots and berries—when nature draws her energy inward, concentrating vitality deep below the soil and within fruit. It’s also the time our bodies crave the same grounding, nourishment, and renewal.
In herbal traditions around the world, fall is seen as a time to strengthen immunity and restore the body’s foundation before winter’s arrival. Herbs like Echinacea and Elderberry are the season’s trusted defenders, helping to fortify the immune system and protect against seasonal challenges. They form the first line of support—keeping your body resilient as temperatures drop and routines change.
Once your defenses are strong, the focus naturally turns inward—to nourishment, circulation, and balance. In traditional foodways, eating with the seasons is a way to stay in rhythm with nature’s cycles. As fresh greens give way to roots, seeds, and fruits, the foods of autumn naturally support warmth, digestion, and renewal.
Burdock, for instance, is a beloved fall root in Japan—known as gobo—often simmered in soups and stir-fries as a grounding food that gently cleanses and fortifies the body for winter. For those who don’t have access to the fresh root, taking burdock as a supplement offers the same nourishing benefits that make it a seasonal staple.
Hawthorn berries, too, have long been enjoyed as food. In Europe, they’re cooked into jams and syrups for heart health, while in parts of Asia, they’re made into tart candies traditionally eaten in cooler months. Their bright red fruit embodies the essence of fall—warming, balancing, and protective to both heart and spirit.
Whether you’re harvesting your own herbs, cooking with fall’s roots and berries, or reaching for your favorite Eclectic freeze-dried formulas, these seasonal allies help you move through the autumn months with strength, balance, and a deep connection to nature’s rhythm.
Herbs to Take for Fall Wellness
Echinacea
As the chill of autumn settles in and the first coughs and sniffles appear, few herbs are as trusted as echinacea. This North American native, once revered by Indigenous healers and later embraced by Eclectic physicians, has stood the test of time as one of nature’s most powerful immune allies.
When taken at the first sign of seasonal change, echinacea helps activate and modulate the body’s natural defenses. Its key constituents— alkylamides, polysaccharides, and caffeic acid derivatives—work in harmony to support immune cell activity and enhance resilience against everyday challenges.
Key Benefits:
• Supports a strong and responsive immune system
• Helps the body adapt to seasonal stressors
• Promotes recovery and overall vitality
• Rich in immune-active compounds for year-round wellness
At Eclectic Herb, we use freshly harvested Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea, grown organically in Oregon’s nutrient-rich soil. The plants are freeze-dried to preserve their full spectrum of bioactive compounds—the same living energy you’d find in a freshly dug root.
Elderberry
As autumn deepens and the air turns crisp, clusters of glossy purple elderberries hang heavy on their branches, signaling the season of strength and immunity. For centuries, elderberries have been cherished in both folk and clinical herbalism for their ability to fortify the body during times of seasonal change.
Rich in anthocyanins, flavonoids, and antioxidants, elderberry helps protect the body from environmental stressors while supporting a healthy immune response. Herbalists often describe elderberry as both protective and restorative—an herb that shields while it nourishes.
Key Benefits:
• Promotes healthy immune function
• Rich in antioxidants that protect against oxidative stress
• Helps maintain upper respiratory and throat comfort
• Traditionally used to support recovery during cold season
At Eclectic Herb, we use wildcrafted Oregon elderberries, picked at peak ripeness and immediately frozen to lock in their natural color, flavor, and vitality. Our freeze-drying process preserves their full spectrum of beneficial compounds, so each capsule or spray delivers the same vibrant potency as fresh berries on the branch.
Burdock
Hidden beneath the soil, burdock’s long taproot draws up minerals and nutrients from deep within the earth—making it one of the most grounding and purifying herbs to harvest in fall. Traditionally celebrated in both Western and Eastern herbalism, burdock has long been used to support the liver, skin, and lymphatic system, helping the body release what it no longer needs as the seasons change.
Burdock is rich in inulin, polyacetylenes, and antioxidants, which help support detoxification pathways while nourishing the gut and promoting clear, healthy skin. Herbalists often turn to burdock as a slow, steady cleanser—gentle enough for daily use yet powerful in its ability to restore internal balance.
Key Benefits:
• Supports liver function and natural detoxification
• Promotes clear, healthy-looking skin from within
• Aids digestion and nurtures the gut microbiome
• Helps the body adapt to seasonal transitions
At Eclectic Herb, our organic burdock roots are harvested fresh from local Oregon soil and freeze-dried to preserve their full nutrient profile and natural oils. This ensures every capsule retains the same earthy potency and life force found in the freshly dug root—pure, whole, and true to nature.
Hawthorn
As autumn paints the landscape in shades of crimson and gold, hawthorn trees glow with clusters of red berries that mirror the color of a strong, beating heart. Revered in European and American herbal traditions alike, hawthorn has long been known as a tonic for both the physical and emotional heart—supporting circulation, resilience, and balance through the changing seasons.
Rich in flavonoids, procyanidins, and antioxidants, hawthorn works gently yet deeply, strengthening the heart muscle, supporting healthy blood flow, and helping the body adapt to stress. Many herbalists also speak of hawthorn as a comfort herb—a reminder to stay open-hearted and steady even as nature and life transition around us.
Key Benefits:
• Supports cardiovascular health and healthy circulation
• Nourishes and strengthens the heart muscle
• Promotes calm and emotional balance
• Provides antioxidant support for overall wellness
At Eclectic Herb, our hawthorn berries are ethically harvested at peak ripeness when their color is deepest and their flavonoid content highest. They’re freeze-dried to capture their full vitality—preserving both their rich color and the heart-nourishing compounds that make hawthorn such a wonderful herb for fall and beyond.
Want to Harvest Your Own? Here’s What to Forage This Fall
If you love getting your hands in the soil, fall is the perfect time to connect with the earth’s deeper gifts. As plants draw their energy down, their roots, berries, and seeds reach peak potency—rich with nutrients, minerals, and vitality stored for the winter ahead.
Here are nine herbs to look for this season, each offering its own expression of fall’s strength and wisdom:
Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia or purpurea) Dig mature roots once the flowers fade and the energy moves underground. Immune-supportive and grounding, echinacea roots are at their strongest after three or more growing seasons.
Burdock (Arctium lappa) Look for first-year plants with lush basal leaves and no flowering stalk. Their deep, earthy taproots are rich in minerals and inulin—a gentle cleanser for liver, skin, and digestion.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) After the first frost, the roots become sweeter and more potent. Traditionally used for liver and digestive support, dandelion roots make a perfect addition to autumn tonics and teas.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) Harvest bright red berries when fully ripe and soft. They can be dried for teas or simmered into syrups to nourish the heart and circulation through the cooler months.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Gather the last clusters of dark purple berries before the first frost. Rich in antioxidants, they make excellent syrups and tinctures for immune support.
Rose Hips (Rosa canina) Pick after the first frost when hips turn bright red and soften slightly. High in vitamin C, they add brightness to teas and jams for winter wellness.
Nettle Root (Urtica dioica) While spring brings tender nettle leaves, fall is the time for the roots. They’re valued for urinary and prostate health and for grounding the body after the active summer months.
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) Gather green-hulled nuts as they fall. The hulls contain cleansing tannins and juglone, traditionally used for gut and digestive balance.
Oregon Grape Root (Mahonia aquifolium) A golden Pacific Northwest native. The vibrant yellow roots contain berberine, offering strong liver and antimicrobial support—perfect for seasonal transitions.
For those who prefer the benefits without the digging and drying, our freeze-dried herbs deliver the same vitality you’d find in a freshly harvested plant. Grown organically or sustainably wildcrafted in the U.S., each herb is picked at peak potency and freeze-dried the same day to preserve its full spectrum of nutrients and aroma—just as nature intended.
Bringing It All Together
Fall reminds us to slow down, fortify our bodies, and reconnect with nature’s cycles. The same plants that draw their energy deep into the earth—roots and berries rich with life—offer us strength, balance, and renewal. From Echinacea and Elderberry that protect and shield, to Burdock and Hawthorn that nourish and restore, each herb mirrors the season’s call to prepare for rest while nurturing resilience.
If you’re simmering seasonal foods, digging roots from your garden, or turning to our freeze-dried capsules and extracts, these herbs invite you to live in tune with the rhythm of the earth. At Eclectic Herb, we capture that vitality at its peak—harvesting fresh, freeze-drying to preserve the whole plant’s essence, and delivering it to you just as nature intended.
