Episode 220: Before You Pull Pennywort, Listen to This - with April Punsalan

---

---

Would you prefer watching or reading this episode? If so, click here for the Pennywort Benefits video and transcript.

Episode Summary

Everyone’s trying to get rid of it—but around the world, it’s treasured as medicine. What if pennywort could change the way you see your backyard?

Pennywort (Hydrocotyle spp.) is one of those plants that many people overlook (or actively try to remove!). Yet across the globe, it’s commonly harvested and enjoyed as both a nourishing food and a traditional remedy. In this conversation, herbalist and botanist April Punsalan shares how this unassuming, persistent plant became one of her most meaningful allies.

Drawing from her background with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and years of hands-on experience with wild plants, April brings a unique perspective that blends ecology, science, and intuition. She explores pennywort’s rich chlorophyll content, its role as a fresh, nutrient-rich herb, and why she prefers working with it in simple preparations that feel more like daily nourishment than “taking medicine.” Along the way, she invites us to rethink our relationship with the plants growing all around us—and to consider what we might discover if we slow down enough to truly notice them.

April shares a simple, vibrant way to bring fresh plant nourishment into your daily routine with her Hydrocotyle Chlorophyll Refresher. You can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card for this delightful, energizing drink from the section below.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why pennywort is so widely used around the world (even though it’s often seen as a weed in the US!)

► What makes fresh pennywort preparations uniquely potent—and why drying may reduce its benefits

► How the botany and habitat of pennywort can help clue you in to its health benefits

► Several ways pennywort can support your health—providing benefits for the skin, the urinary system, the brain, overall vitality, and more!

► Why herbalism is as much about connecting with plants as it is about their medicinal uses

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, April Punsalan is a botanist, herbalist, author, and founder of Wild Herb Academy, an online school devoted to ecological remembrance and plant-based healing. A former botanist for the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, she spent years protecting endangered plants before answering a deeper call to teach.

April’s lifelong relationship with plants led to degrees in botany and more than twenty-eight years of studying medicinal and edible species. Today, she weaves together botany, ethnobotany, Ayurveda, and intuitive plant wisdom, helping people reconnect with the Earth as stewards, healers, and conscious participants in the living ecosystem worldwide today. 

Whether you’ve been pulling pennywort out of your garden or walking past it without a second glance, I hope this episode inspires you to pause, look closer, and maybe even begin a new relationship with this humble plant.

What You'll Learn from This Episode

• [1:09] Intro to April Punsalan + her plant path
• [13:29] Challenges facing plant and ecosystem preservation
• [20:18] Why April chose to speak about pennywort (Hydrocotyle spp.)
• [22:50] Medicinal benefits of pennywort
• [25:50] Hydrocotyle Chlorophyll Refresher recipe
• [34:00] The value of patience, attention, and intuition in herbalism
• [38:58] April’s current herbal projects
• [45:16] Something herbs taught April that she wasn’t expecting
• [49:02] Student spotlight
• [50:05] Herbal tidbit

Get Your Free Recipe!

Connect with April:

• Website | WildHerbAcademy.com
• Instagram | @wildherbacademy
• Facebook | Wild Herb Academy

Connect with Rosalee

• On Instagram | @rosaleedelaforet

• On Facebook | Herbs With Rosalee
• On YouTube | Herbs With Rosalee

• Website | herbswithrosalee.com


Are You Ready for More Herbal Inspiration?

The best way to get started is by joining my herbal community and weekly newsletter where I share my best herbal tips and insights.

When you join you’ll also get access to The Herbal Jumpstart Course which helps you figure out the best herbs for you.

Sign up below!

Yes!

Sign me up for weekly herbal tips, recipes, and insights. 

Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy