Before it becomes “herbal medicine” it is usually something much simpler: a plant in a garden, a pot of tea or a leaf crushed between fingers.

For Dr Caren Hauptfleisch, a registered phytotherapist, that simplicity is exactly the point. She believes healing has become overcomplicated with promises of quick fixes when much of it begins in the everyday relationship between people and plants.

“The best medicine is what is growing around you,” she says. “It is not rare or distant. It is often already part of your life in the food that you eat, the plants that grow in your garden and the herbs in your kitchen.”

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Often misunderstood

Working from her practice at Spier Wine Farm, where she also guides the Spier Spa’s use of farm-grown and wild-harvested botanicals, Hauptfleisch’s approach is rooted in regenerative herbalism.

“It is less about replacing conventional medicine and more about restoring a forgotten layer of care,” she says. “In chronic illness, people expect a quick result, but herbs don’t work like a pharmaceutical model. They support the body over time. It becomes a process of rebuilding.”

Hauptfleisch was closely involved in conceptualising the Spier Spa Cape Bath House experience.

Guests begin with a full-body exfoliation on a granite slab, followed by a bath infused with muslin bags she formulated – organic rooibos, rose pelargonium, gotu cola and cliffortia odorata.

The blend is toning, calming and safe throughout pregnancy. The ritual incorporates steam, herbal salt exfoliation and a massage, concluding with a cup of Farm Tonic herbal tea.

She cautions that herbal medicine is often misunderstood because it is oversimplified.

“We live in a world of self-diagnosis and online information,” she says. “People choose herbs without understanding how they work. The result is misuse – not because herbs are unsafe but because they are ineffective or possibly dangerous when used without context.

“In acute situations such as infections herbs can act quickly and effectively. But in chronic illness they help the body regain function rather than just override symptoms.”

For her wellness is not defined by a single symptom. “Being well means your body is comfortable. You are digesting, sleeping and interacting with your community. It is physical, emotional and environmental.”

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Herbs already in gardens

Hauptfleisch points out that many culinary herbs – rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley and mint – are also medicinal. “Our bodies are designed to work with nature. We are dependent on plants not only for nutrition but for long-term health maintenance.”

She is cautious about commercial dilution of herbal quality. “Mass production can reduce potency. The way a plant is grown, harvested and dried affects its medicinal properties. That is why cultivation and education are so important.”

Hauptfleisch is especially passionate about indigenous and regional plants. “Plants such as buchu, wild garlic and African wormwood have long histories of use for urinary health, respiratory support, immune function and infection management. There is an entire pharmacopeia here. We do not need to look far.”

She highlights everyday healing plants like rose-scented geranium for hormones and skin, Cape mint for digestion and stress, yarrow for wound healing, marshmallow root for gut health and calendula for skin support. “Many herbs are already growing in gardens or hedges, often unnoticed as medicine.”

Hauptfleisch’s guided fynbos tea tastings introduce guests to the healthy properties of single-herb Cape teas grown on the farm.

Seasonal awareness

A key principle, she explained, is that herbs are not single-compound interventions. “Whole plant preparations include tannins, flavonoids and many other compounds that work together. This synergy is one reason herbal medicine is system-supportive rather than symptom targeting.”

She emphasises the body’s interconnectedness: “The digestive system is central to health. If it is not functioning well it affects everything – immunity, skin, mood and even chronic-disease patterns.”

One of the simplest entry points, she says, is tea. “Three cups of herbal infusion a day can gently support the body. Start with what you know. Food herbs are often the safest and most effective entry point.”

She also encourages seasonal awareness – picking herbs on a sunny day when dew has evaporated, drying them loosely in a warm, dark place, and storing crumbled leaves in glass containers.

Herbal medicine extends into skin care too. “Aloe vera and Bulbine frutescens support the skin’s natural healing process. They are gentle but effective.”

Underlying her work is a broader philosophy: health is not separate from environment, diet or daily rhythm. “We are not only what we eat,” she says. “We are what we absorb, how we live and how we interact with our environment. Herbs are not an alternative to medicine; they are part of a continuum of care.”

“Used wisely, they reconnect people to a slower, more observant relationship with their bodies. And perhaps that is the real medicine – not just what the plant does, but what it teaches us about how our bodies heal.”

You can book a private consultation with Dr Hauptfleisch at her Practice of Herbal Medicine at Spier, try the farm’s healing teas from the Picknikery, enjoy a fynbos tea tasting or indulge in a Cape Bathhouse Ritual at the spa.

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