About

ABOUT OCOTILLO BOTÁNICA

Our sweet little company started out with a plant.  We felt called to the beauty and power behind the Chaparral bush, and thus was born the salve that started it all.  Ocotillo Botánica began as "Marfa Plants," a business with a simple mission to provide plant magic to the people, and has grown into so much more.
In June of 2019 we rebranded to become Ocotillo Botánica - a company founded on the idea that we do not need to go far to find the magic we need.  We shifted our focus from general herbalism into a primary focus on local plant-life, starting with the Ocotillo. 
In January of 2020, we opened the doors of our Brick + Mortar shop located in downtown Marfa.  Just two months later, we were forced to close our doors again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  2020 was a hard year for all of us, and we weren't sure if we would be able to make it through...but we're still here.  We don't know what the future may hold, but for now, we are incredibly grateful that our dream has been able to weather the storm thus far.
Each of our products contains at least one plant found in the Chihuahuan Desert (though most have more than one), and the remainder of the ingredients are either grown in our home garden or sourced from sustainable herbal companies within the United States and Mexico.
Staying true to the desert around us is an integral part of who we are.  We are Ocotillo.  We are power.

 

 

 

ABOUT ALEXIS SMITH - OWNER/HERBALIST

Alexis found her love of plants as a child rummaging around the forests of her East Texas home for mosses and mushrooms and everything in-between.  That love continued to grow into what it is today, a steady herbal practice in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert in West Texas.  She came to Marfa in 2016 with a mission to build a better life, and now that mission has extended to those around her as well.  
In 2018 Alexis graduated from the Herbal Academy of New England and continues to grow and develop her studies.  Her love of learning is almost as big as her love of all things growing.  Ocotillo Botánica has allowed her to take more time to focus on the important things in her life, and for that she is beyond grateful.
In 2020, Alexis began to incorporate her practices in magick and witchcraft into her herbal practice - something that she had been dreaming about for a long time.  Combining her love for magick and plants, she pursued education through the Psychic Herbalism Institute to begin her practice of Plant Spirit Healing + clairvoyant plant communication, and now offering these healings alongside Tarot Readings and Herbal Wellness Plans.

 

 

 

THE PROCESS

Our process is simple.  Most of our preparations are born out of a need for something, like a salve for cracked skin or a tincture for easing anxiety.  Every preparation is something we would, and do use frequently.
We use a combination of traditional and modern methods for creating, and take time to get to know each herb on a personal level before we work with them.  The anticipation of straining out a new tincture that's been macerating for a month is one of our happiest moments.  Herbalism is a slow practice, and we take that to its core.

 

OUR ETHICS

We do our best to source our herb material as locally as possible so that we can be closer to the plant itself.  It is beyond important for us to really know the plants that we chose to work with.  Our focus on organic gardening helps in this mission so that we are able to grown much of what we use alongside our tomato vines and dahlias.
We also focus much of our efforts on low waste.  We love the earth, and we want her to still be around 50 years from now, so part of our mission is a reduce-reuse-recycle philosophy.  All of our packaging is made with as little waste material as possible.  Our containers are 100% safe to reuse again and again, and our labels are all easily removable to encourage re-use.  We tend to re-use boxes and shipping material we have received from supply deliveries (so don't be surprised if your package arrives in a re-used Mountain Rose Herbs box).  The desert isn't the easiest place to practice this philosophy, but boy howdy - do we try.