What are adaptogens? A guide to adapting to our ever-changing environment

What have the Southwestern desert plants taught me?

Amongst many things, desert plants have taught me about resilience. The definition of resilience from the Oxford dictionary is, “the capacity to recover quickly or adapt to difficulties; toughness.” 

Plants have always had a way of adapting to changing and extreme conditions and plants can also support us humans (and animals) in adapting to a rapidly-changing and sometimes harsh environment (more on that soon).

The Adaptogens of the Southwestern United States

A little backstory…

We landed in Southwest Colorado in 2015. Having moved from the Pacific Northwest, the dry arid conditions left me to ponder where I would be able to find local plants to make my potions. I soon became acquainted with the locals and came to quickly realize their abundance and strength. They grow even in the most harsh conditions.

Here, the yarrow thrives in overgrazed meadows, desert primrose blossoms in the dry cracked soil and the juniper and pinon go for long periods of time without any rainfall.

While it was revealed there was no lack of medicinal plants here, it also made me ponder, how do you survive? This area of the United States has been in extreme drought for years.

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Climate Change, the southwestern US has had the driest 22 year period on a record stretching back 1,200 years. Despite this, I am amazed when I hike around on the Cedar Ridge Farm to see so many wonderful and resilient plants.

As a human living in this environment, I have found myself needing to adapt to the ever changing weather patterns, wild winds, intense heat and lack of moisture. 

Here is where the plants can come in…

What are adaptogens?

I love the term adaptogen. Maybe it is because some of my favorite plants are known to be adaptogens.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, an adaptogen is a plant that helps the body respond to stress. There are three qualities that plants must have to be an adaptogen:

  • It must be non-toxic when taken in normal doses

  • It helps your body cope with stress

  • It supports your body in returning to balance (homeostasis)

The magical thing about adaptogens is that they work in the body in a way that provides what the body most needs to come back into balance.

Adaptogens work by regulating a stable balance in the hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal glands, which are all involved in the stress response.

Adaptogen List at Cedar Ridge Farm, Colorado

Some examples of adaptogen plants grown here on the Cedar Ridge Farm include:

  • Ashwaghanda (more on this plant in a later post)

  • Tulsi

  • Skullcap

  • Nettle (yes, NETTLE!!)

These are all organically cultivated, lovingly cared for, and harvested at the peak of their season in a way that is respectful to the plants. Extracts of these plants are available in limited qualities each year. To find out what we have available, get in touch.


“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but rather the one most adaptable to change”

—Charles Darwin

Wendy Griffin