October in Sussex: What’s Ripening, What’s Sprouting, and What to Gather for Your Winter Medicine Chest

Written By Sarah Turton

October in Sussex is a month of contrasts. The mornings are crisp — sometimes just 4°C — while the days can still be filled with bright sunshine. It’s the season when hedgerows, meadows, and woodlands are brimming with both the last fruits of summer and the first signs of winter’s resilience. This is the perfect moment to notice what nature offers, and to gather a few allies for your own winter medicine chest.

What’s Ripening

  • Rosehips (Rosa canina): Bright red jewels packed with vitamin C, perfect for syrups, teas, or honey infusions to support immunity through the colder months.

  • Hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna): Small, deep-red fruits that tone the heart and circulation, helping us adjust to cooler days.

  • Sloes (Prunus spinosa): Astringent little fruits best used for warming sloe gin or tonics that strengthen digestion and circulation.

What’s Sprouting

  • Chickweed (Stellaria media): Tender green shoots start to appear again, offering gentle nourishment for digestion and skin.

  • Cleavers (Galium aparine): Sometimes popping up in autumn, this sticky herb is a trusted friend for the lymphatic system, keeping things moving as the body prepares for winter.

What to Gather for Your Medicine Chest

  • Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) if you still find some lingering clusters — a powerful antiviral and winter tonic.

  • Nettles (Urtica dioica), especially young tops, which can be dried for tea to provide minerals and steady energy.

  • Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), used in small amounts to support digestion and dreamwork as nights grow longer.

Seasonal Reflections

Walking the Sussex Downs, the coastal paths, or the quiet woods at this time of year is about more than just gathering plants. It’s also an invitation to slow down and notice the rhythm of nature. The berries ripen as the leaves fall, the greens return just as the light fades, and we are reminded that the cycle of renewal is always present.

Building Your Own Medicine Chest

Start simple. A jar of rosehip syrup, a pot of dried nettle tea, or a small bottle of elderberry tincture can make all the difference when the first colds arrive. Nature never overwhelms us with abundance without also offering what we need to stay resilient.

An Invitation

At Sussex Herbal, I guide people to reconnect with these seasonal rhythms through foraging walks, herbal workshops, and one-to-one consultations. If you’d like to learn how to build your own winter medicine chest — whether with rosehips, hawthorn, or more tailored herbal allies — I’d love to share the journey with you.

👉 Book a consultation or seasonal walk here:

Find out more
Sarah Turton

I’m Sarah, a medicinal herbalist and founder of Oxford Herbal. I work with people who want to understand the deeper story behind their symptoms — not just to mask them, but to heal from the root.

Using traditional herbal medicine, iridology, and a deep respect for nature’s rhythms, I create personalised plans to support the whole person — body, mind and spirit. My practice is rooted in compassion, connection, and the belief that real wellness comes from working with the body, not against it.

https://www.oxfordherbal.co.uk
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Warming Herbs for Chilly Mornings