Infusion-Decoctions
When making tea, leaves and flowers are prepared differently form roots and bark, in much the same way that spinach is cooked differently from potatoes. Leaves and flowers are generally steeped in hot water so as not to overcook and destroy the enzymes,vitamins, and precious essential oils. Roots and bark are generally simmered to draw forth the more tenacious plant constituents. If you make a mistake and simmer a root that should have been steamed, don't panic. Your remedy will work.
The process of steeping a plant in boiling water is called infusion, while the process of simmering the plant in lightly boiling water is called decoction. When in doubt, steep. Steeping is much less destructive to many of the important medicinal components of plants. The longer you steep the herb, the stronger the tea. That's not always desirable, as long steeping times can bring out some of the less desirable parts of the plant.
