Food Foraging: Enjoy Wild Edible Plants

[Old Herb Lady]

We owe a lasting debt of gratitude to the desperate soul who “discovered” the oyster or stewed that first possum. In the early, hit-or-miss days of foraging, our ancestors learned the hard way about the laxative properties of the senna plant, and to eat only the stems of rhubarb and not the poisonous leaves. Through trial and the occasional fatal error, we sorted the edible from the inedible, the useful from the harmful.


After World War II, when American agriculture was fully conquered by industry and supermarkets full of frozen foods popped up across the land — yes, like weeds — foraging came to be regarded as uncouth, probably unhealthy and certainly out of step with modern times.

Why then, a half-century later, do we find purslane — a vigorous, succulent “weed” once routinely cursed by gardeners — on the menu of nearly every fine dining restaurant in the country? Why, in our big cities, are we seeing groups of people excitedly prying clumps of chickweed from cracks in the sidewalks and prowling like herons through overgrown vacant lots?

Kerri Conan blogs for The New York Times, and keeps a sharp eye on food trends. “When you see ramps (Allium tricoccum; also known as wild leeks) featured in Bon Appetit, and miner’s lettuce on the menu at Chez Panisse, you know wild foods are moving into the mainstream,” Conan says. She thinks the renewed interest in the humble act of foraging is due (ironically) to the increasing sophistication of the American palate.

“Ultimately, people want what tastes best,” she says. “Food that’s fresh, picked at peak flavor and grown without toxins. And wild foods are unusual and interesting. That’s what turns the foodies on nowadays, and that’s why wild foods are becoming popular again.”

Learning the Art of Food Foraging

Whether an aspect of sophistication or a gut reaction to grim economics, foraging has indeed captured the public’s attention. On television, the Survivorman teaches armchair survivalists how to make a meal of plantain leaves and incautious lizards, while in alleyways across the country, groups of radical urban foragers known as “freegans” protest our wasteful, consumerist culture by dumpster-diving for their dinners. Foraging is the new green — and in these tough times, knowing how to find a salad in a parking lot could be a useful trick.

“Foraging is really no different than grazing,” says Kelly Kindscher, associate scientist with the Kansas Biological Survey. “You need to leave enough leaf material so the plant can produce more. Take too much, and the population dies off.”

Ramps, for example, require several years to recover from a single harvesting. The rising demand from chefs and savvy foodies over the past decade has pushed native stands of ramps into decline. Given our economic zeitgeist, it isn’t hard to imagine hordes of people trampling the countryside, harvesting wild plants like strip miners — decimating species, destroying habitat and frantically hastening our own demise. Could we go so far as to eradicate even the dandelion?


“It depends on if you’re taking the leaf or the root,” Kindscher says. “But you want to eat the weeds. You want to eat the most prolific species. And you also want to ensure that abundance in years to come.”

Kindscher is the author of Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide and Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide (both published by the University Press of Kansas). Here are Kindscher’s five pointers for successful and responsible foraging.

Finding Wild Edible Foods: A Checklist

1. Do your plant homework. Know your Queen Anne’s Lace from your poison hemlock. Positive identification and proper preparation are the forager’s primary concerns — especially when hunting mushrooms. Many poisonous mushrooms look very much like the edible kinds. While mushroom poisoning generally results in mild to serious gastric discomfort, it can also cause organ failure and death. Don’t take any chances! (Learn more about mushrooms in Hunt for Wild Mushrooms, Why We Need Mushrooms and Grow Your Own Mushrooms.)

2. Know where to collect wild foods. Obviously, you don’t want to eat plants collected from a nuclear landfill, or watercress from a polluted stream. Plants along roadsides, or those that may have been exposed to pesticides — on the margins of conventional farms, for example — must be thoroughly washed, preferably several times, before consumption. And get off the beaten path — areas closest to town usually have the most foraging activity. Venture further afield to less-trafficked areas and reap greater rewards.

3. Know when to gather wild foods. Practiced foragers keep a close eye on the calendar and the weather. Spring is the time for greens, when new leaves and shoots are tender and sweet. Mushrooms, ramps, nettles and other spring ephemerals generally have a short harvest window, usually three weeks or so. Wild fruits harvested in autumn, such as persimmons and pawpaws, must be fully ripened (soft to touch), before they are palatable.

4. Leave healthy plants. When harvesting, “Take half, leave half,” is Kindscher’s rule. Learn about and avoid plants that are threatened or endangered.

5. Learn how to prepare wild foods properly. Pokeweed (Phytolacca) can cause intestinal disaster if not cooked in several changes of water, and acorns must be leached several times to remove bitter tannins. Heed your senses — learn to taste the difference between awful and unusual.

“Our population is far too big for foraging to make a significant impact on overall diet,” Kindscher says. For the modern forager, wild plants figure primarily as seasonal highlights in the annual diet — in April, morels with cream, and elderberry pie in August. Apart from the hyper-dose of nutrition that wild plants provide, and the physical benefits of outdoor exercise, foraging also feeds the soul, establishing a connection to place and keeping time with the seasons. “The golden rule,” Kindscher says, “is to tread lightly.”

The Outdoor Pantry

Here is a list (by no means comprehensive) of commonly known, edible wild plants in North America. Some of these plants are found nearly everywhere in the United States; others are regional.

GREENS & HERBS
Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Chicory (Cichorium)
Curly dock (Rumex crispus)
Dandelion (Taraxacum)
Fiddleheads (various fern species)
Lamb’s quarters, goosefoot (Chenopdium)
Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
Nettle (Urtica)
Peppercress (Cardamine)
Pigweed (Amaranthus)
Plantain (Plantago)
Pokeweed (Phytolacca)
Purslane (Portulaca)
Seaweeds — dulse, kelp, laver, wrack
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Watercress (Nasturtium)
“Wild” asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ssp. prostratus)
Wild mustard (Brassica)
Wild horsemint, bee balm (Monarda punctata)

ROOTS, BULBS & TUBERS
Arrowhead, wapatoo (Sagittaria variabilis)
American lotus, water chinquapin (Nelumbo lutea)
Jerusalem artichoke, sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus)
Ramps, ramson, wild leek (Allium tricoccum)
Burdock (Arctium)
Grassnut, California hyacinth (Brodiaea capitata)
Groundnut (Apios tuberosa)
Prairie turnip, Prairie potato (Psoralea esculenta)
Cattail (Typha latifolia)
Camas, quamash (Camassia esculenta)
Chufa, nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)
Sego lily (Calochortus Nuttallii)
Coontie, Florida arrowroot (Zamia pumila)

FRUIT
Wild strawberry (Fragaria)
Red and black raspberry, wineberry (Rubus)
Blackberry (Rubus)
Blueberry (Vaccinium)
Wild grapes (Vitis)
Mulberry (Morus)
Juneberry, serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Chokeberry (Aronia)
Elderberry (Sambucus)
Wild cherry (Prunus)
Wild plum (Prunus)
Gooseberry (Ribes)
Buffalo currant (Ribes)
Persimmon (Diospyros)
Rose hips (Rosa)
Prickly pear, tuna (Opuntia)
Pawpaw (Asimina)



NUTS & SEEDS
Acorn (Quercus)
Beechnut (Fagus grandifolia)
Black walnut (Juglans nigra)
Butternut (Fuglans cinerea)
Chia (Salvia species)
Hickory (Carya)
Pecan (Carya illinoensis)
Pine nut, pinyon (Pinus species)
Sunflower (Helianthus species)
Wild rice (Zizania)

MUSHROOMS
Morel (Morchella)
Chanterelle (Cantharellus)
Black trumpet, black chanterelle (Craterellus)
Oyster (Pleurotus)
Hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa)

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Foraging-Wild-Edible-Plants.aspx?page=4#ixzz1rNRAz9Qh

[Old Herb Lady]

Books: (any of the Peterson's Field Guides for your area of the country)

A Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Peterson-Field-Guide-to-Western-Medicinal-Plants-and-Herbs/164549/product.html

Also, we are programmed into liking modern tastes of sweet or sugary but in nature the predominant taste is bitter.
Once you get used to trying the things that you pick outside & knowing what you like & don't like you'll be able to get more comfortable with your weeds/plants/friends.

Not everything has a bitter taste, there are ones that will knock your socks off, tho.
I dunno, I always say The bitter The better ! I love it !






Bitters: the Revival of a Forgotten Flavor
Written by Danielle Charles-Davies


Of all the flavors to grace our palate, there is perhaps none as fascinating as that of bitterness. It is a flavor that is universally despised—used linguistically to characterize pain, harshness and things that are extremely difficult to bear. Yet, it is also a flavor used in cultures the world over to strengthen digestion, cleanse the body and build vitality—in short, considered an ingredient essential to good health. In fact, so many of the plants humans have traditionally used to tonify and heal the body are bitter tasting that we still today often rate the strength and usefulness of our medicine by how terribly bitter it tastes.

It is unfortunate, then, that our modern diet seems to be completely lacking in the wild bitter tasting plants our ancestors considered so fundamental to their health.4 Many of the diseases riddling our modern culture—from indigestion and gastric reflux to metabolic disorders ranging from elevated cholesterol to type 2 diabetes—seem to all point back to the deficiency of bitterness in our diets, and the lack of the protection and tone it imparts to our digestion and metabolic functions.

NOT A MEDICINE BUT A NECESSITY

According to many, bitter herbs and foods play a helpful role in alleviating many of these conditions not so much because they act as specific remedies but because they provide components necessary to overall good health. It is very possible that the current national health crisis could be radically turned around simply by rebalancing our palate with the medicinal virtues of bitterness.

Why do so many cultures around the world revere bitter foods and herbs, not just as supplements, but as a necessary component of health? To answer this question, let’s first consider the class of plant compounds collectively known as “bitters.” These compounds—including iridoids, sesquiterpene, lactones and alkaloids—occur widely throughout the plant kingdom. They are considered secondary plant metabolites— meaning that they serve no nutritional purpose to the plant, or for that matter, to us. Rather, these compounds are used by the plant to protect itself against microbes and oxidative damage, and to deter feeding by predators (such as us).

AN EVOLVED TASTE

Researchers speculate that our bodies evolved to identify the bitter taste as an indication of toxicity, based on the natural aversion most mammals demonstrate towards bitter-tasting substances and the highly poisonous nature of some of these bitter compounds. However, this evolutionary aversion would be disadvantageous when humans were faced with bitter-tasting nutritional plant foods in times of famine, during which time periods, according to researchers, humans developed a selective tolerance for these bitter compounds.

When eaten in small amounts, especially in combination with carbohydrates, the body is able to tolerate their presence; interestingly, many herbivores consume bitter-tasting plants selectively, deliberately choosing plants that are only mildly bitter, thus building up an immunity that helps protect the animal from the toxicity of highly bitter plants. This adaptation allowed us to profit from some of the beneficial roles these compounds perform in the plant, such as inhibiting the growth of microbes, protecting against oxidation, and reducing inflammation. But most important, the protective mechanism designed to expel these potentially poisonous compounds from the body became muted and changed into a highly beneficial reflex that stimulates and tonifies our entire digestive tract. Humans eventually recognized the digestion-stimulating effects of bitters, and began to apply them in the diet for this purpose, as well as to promote appetite.

THE BITTER REFLEX AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

When a bitter substance is recognized by bitter receptors on the tongue, a chain of neural and endocrine events begins, labeled as the “bitter reflex.” Mediated by the release of the gastric hormone gastrin, this reflex results in an overall stimulation of digestive function, which over time strengthens the structure and function of all digestive organs (liver, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, etc.). Let’s take a more in-depth look at this reflex.

Imagine you’ve tasted a bitter-tasting substance. Within fifteen to thirty minutes, your appetite is noticeably increased, your digestive juices are flowing, and your intestines begin to contract in anticipation of food.

Starting in your mouth, you’ll notice that your salivary glands have increased their output of enzyme-rich saliva, helping to break down complex starches into smaller and more easily digested oligosaccharides.

In the stomach, the hormone gastrin has stimulated the secretion of hydrochloric acid. The acidity helps break down protein, enhances the bioavailability of many minerals (especially calcium) and destroys any harmful microbes present in your food. It’s interesting to note that more people have levels of gastric acid that are too low rather than the opposite, due to stress or simply aging. Low levels of gastric acid contribute to poor nutrition and increased susceptibility to gastrointestinal infections.

Considered cooling by nature, bitters can reduce hot inflammatory conditions.

Interestingly, low stomach acidity is associated with a variety of allergic and immune-mediated disorders, including asthma; skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea; gallbladder disease and arthritis.

Gastrin also stimulates secretion of pepsin—an enzyme necessary for breaking large protein molecules into smaller parts—and intrinsic factor, necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12.

The smooth muscle of the stomach is also stimulated by the bitter reflex, which increases the rate of gastric emptying, and contracts the esophageal sphincter to prevent the movement of acidic stomach contents upwards into the esophagus. Self-repair mechanisms in the intestinal wall are stimulated, enhancing cell division and growth. While many people with GERD are hesitant to partake of bitters due to the potential increase in stomach acidity, the combined effect of these actions actually can help this condition by ensuring that the stomach contents are moved downward rather than allowed to reflux back up and out of the stomach. Bitters also act to heal any damage done to the gastric mucosa.

Down in the small intestine, the stimulation caused by the bitter taste prompts your liver to increase its production of bile, and your gallbladder to increase bile excretion. Bile is necessary for fat digestion and the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D and E.12 Healthy bile flow helps rid the liver of waste products such as oxidized cholesterol and hormonal metabolites, prevents gall stone formation, and provides lubrication of the intestines, easing the passage of stool. It should not be surprising that by enhancing movement of waste products out of the liver, bitter herbs have been found to exert a protective effect in liver conditions such as hepatitis and cirrhosis.






COMMON BITTER HERBS

As noted above, some bitter herbs may surprise you. Yet, their classification is based on taste and as with the other primary tastes — salty, sour, and sweet — there are degrees of bitterness. As an introduction, here are 10 to ponder:

Angelica : Angelica archangelica. Dating back centuries, it’s been used to remedy colds and ailments such as rheumatism. Its properties make it a stimulant, stomachic, and tonic. For liquors, it’s been used to flavor gin.

Chamomile : Matricaria chamomilla. A mild bitter herb used as a sedative and antispasmodic. Its curative properties include relief of both fever and restlessness.

Dandelion : Taraxacum. A mild bitter herb used as a blood cleanser and diuretic. Also said to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Still used in traditional cooking in the Mediterranean and parts of Asia.

Goldenseal : Hydrastis canadensis. A strong bitter herb used to stimulate appetite and eliminate infections. In Collections for an Essay Toward a Materia Medica of the United States (1804), Professor Benjamin Smith Barton declared goldenseal a tonic, observing, “The root of the plant is a very powerful bitter.”

Horehound : Marrubium vulgare. Dating back to Ancient Egypt, horehound is believed to be one of the original bitter herbs of the Bible. It has been used for colds and respiratory ailments (such as in cough syrup and throat lozenges).

Milk Thistle : Silybum marianum. Also known as “sow-thistle,” this herb was likely one of the original bitter herbs. In healing, it’s known as a powerful liver detoxifier, as well as an antidote for Amanita-mushroom poisoning.

Peppermint : Mentha piperita. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder wrote of peppermint, “The very smell of it alone recovers and refreshes the spirit.” The ancient herb is used as a flavor, a fragrance, and medicine. Peppermint oil is used to allay nausea and stomach aches.

Rue : Ruta. A strong bitter herb used as an antispasmodic, a sedative, and a mild stomachic. Mentioned in the Bible as “peganon” and in William Shakespeare’s Richard III — “Here is this place/I’ll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace.”

Wormwood : Artemisia absinthium. A perennial plant used as an antiseptic, tonic, diuretic, and stomachic. The herb’s strong bitter taste is still used in wines and spirits, such as vermouth.

Yarrow : Achilles millefolium. A flowering plant that produces a mild bitter herb used as an astringent and cold remedy. The entire herb can be used.

Source: http://herbs.lovetoknow.com/List_of_Bitter_Herbs


The effect of bitters also extends to the pancreas. With bitters, digestive enzyme secretions are increased, helping to promote the complete breakdown of nutrients into their absorbable units, preventing gas formation when large molecules are acted upon by bacteria further down the small intestine. The complete breakdown of proteins is particularly important, as the cross reactivity of immune cells between undigested protein molecules and intestinal cells plays an important role in the etiology of conditions such as celiac disease. Insulin and glucagon secretions are stimulated, helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. Many bitters formulations have been traditionally used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and it is interesting to point out that many naturally sweet substances are often paired with some bitterness in nature. Herbalist Jim McDonald hypothesizes that our cravings for sweetness may mask cravings for bitterness for this reason.

Thus, the taste of bitter can be used to strengthen the most fundamental aspect of our health—the ability to extract the nutrients from our foods and nourish our bodies. Taken over time, they will lessen symptoms of poor digestive function such as gas and bloating, constipation, loose stools and food allergies; enhance vitamin and mineral absorption; promote balanced blood sugar levels; protect the liver and strengthen eliminatory function; heal inflammatory damage to the gut wall; and reduce the incidence of allergic disorders. In short, the daily use of bitters can address some of the most rampant and heavily medicated health conditions of our time.

ADDING BITTERS TO YOUR DIET

Historically, the use of bitters has been more of a culinary tradition than a medicinal one. Perhaps our ancestors understood better than we do today the concept of prevention, of keeping well through strengthening our system rather than fighting an already established disease process. Most bitters were taken in the form of bitter wild greens eaten before a meal, or alcoholic beverages, known as apéritifs, brewed with bitter and aromatic herbs.These traditions still exist today—serving a salad or cocktail before a meal—but unfortunately the bitter taste is now often lacking.

The best way to bring bitterness into your life is to incorporate the bitter taste of nutrient dense greens into your salads. Chicory, dandelion, arugula, radicchio or endive are all wonderfully complex-tasting greens that can be found in your garden or local farmers’ market. Slowly increase their proportion to the sweeter tasting lettuces to build up your tolerance. Bitter tasting roots, such as dandelion or burdock, can also be included in stir-fries or soups.

You might also try partaking of a bitter apéritif or cocktail before meals. There are many traditional apéritifs available on most bar menus, including such traditional blends as Angostura bitters, Campari, Cynar, or Peychaud’s bitters. Not surprisingly, many of these liqueurs were initially marketed as health tonics. Urban Moonshine, an herbalist-owned botanical company located in Vermont, has reinfused this old world tradition with a healthful and contemporary twist by blending all organic and locally sourced herbs into a delicious bitters tonic full of gentle, tonifying bitter herbs and spices. Their line of original, maple or orange bitters make for particularly delicious apéritifs. Visit urbanmoonshine.com for recipes.

In the busy-ness of everyday life, the most convenient method of using bitters may be to take a small amount of bitters tincture (alcoholic extract) in a little water before you eat—as you might lose your day job if you fix yourself a bitter cocktail at work! Swedish bitters is a formula easily found on healthfood store shelves, and is based on a traditional blend of herbs created by the physician Paracelsus in the sixteenth century. Do exercise caution with this product if you are prone to constipation, as several of the ingredients have a strongly stimulating action on the colon wall, creating a potential for dependency. Most herb companies offer various “bitters formulas” created from somewhat gentler herbs, and they are becoming increasingly available in natural foods stores. Herb Pharm, Wise Woman Herbals, Avena Botanicals and Urban Moonshine all offer organically certified bitters blends in convenient, transportable sizes. Most local herbalists and small scale herbal companies will also offer a bitters blend.

http://www.westonaprice.org/basics/bitters-the-revival-of-a-forgotten-flavor

[muffin]

i have the herb book by john lust. (http://www.amazon.com/The-Herb-Book-Complete-Authoritative/dp/0879040556/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333830367&sr=8-1) i'd love to have one with better (color) photos in it.

thanks for the info, ohl. hope you're feelin better....

[palani]

Jerusalem artichoke

In the 70's farmers experimented with growing these. Later it was said that it took quite a salesman to convince farmers to grow weeds.

In the local healthfood store these go to $5 a lb. When they flower in the fall they grow everywhere in the ditches around here. You could probably dig 100 lbs of them in an hour. They taste a little like water chestnuts and have a low glycemic index.

[Old Herb Lady]

In the 70's farmers experimented with growing these. Later it was said that it took quite a salesman to convince farmers to grow weeds.

In the local healthfood store these go to $5 a lb. When they flower in the fall they grow everywhere in the ditches around here. You could probably dig 100 lbs of them in an hour. They taste a little like water chestnuts and have a low glycemic index.

Awesome palani ! Everyone has SOMETHING growing in ABUNDANCE very close to them.
The key is to find out what it is/what they are. Once identified, you have something you never knew could be so priceless.

One of my all time favorites is RED CLOVER.
I pick 5 gallon buckets of them and you might as well think I just hit the jackpot with it because that's about how I feel when I'm done picking !

[Old Herb Lady]

Red Clover ( I eat them like people eat M&M's)
Trifolium pratense
Other Names: Meadow Honeysuckle, Meadow Trefoil, Purple Clover, Trefoil, Wild Clover, Cleaver Grass, Marl Grass, Cow Grass

Habitat
Red Clover is a perennial herb, origin believed to be Britain where it is abundant, now a world wide escape, naturalized in nearly every country, even the Arctic Circle and high up into mountains. Cultivation: Red Clover is an easily grown plant, from seed or root cuttings, requires little attention. The long root is rhizome, and sends out runners, producing several stems 1 to 2 feet high, slightly hairy; leaves ternate, leaflets ovate, slightly toothed, ending in long point often lighter colored V shape in center, flowers red to purple, fragrant, in dense terminal ovoid or round heads. Blooming from April thought out the summer months. Harvest flowers and dry for later herb use as it comes into bloom. Harvest edible leaves for salad before flowers fully bloom.

Properties
Red Clover is edible and medicinal, the young leaves and new flowers are harvested, and are used in salads, soups, or as a pot herb. The sprouted seeds are edible in salads and have a crisp texture and robust flavor. A delicate sweet and medicinal tea is made from the fresh or dried flowers, it is alterative, antiscrofulous, antispasmodic, aperient, detergent, diuretic, expectorant, sedative and tonic. Red Clover has also shown anticancer activity, poultices of the herb have been used as local applications to cancerous growths. Internally, the Red Clover plant is used as an alternative medicine for skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis, cancers of the breast, ovaries and lymphatic system, chronic degenerative diseases, gout, whooping cough and dry coughs.

Recipe
"Medicinal" tea: To 1 tbls. dry flowers or herb add 1 cup boiling distilled water, steep 10 min., sweeten to taste, drink warm for cough and upset stomach.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/youluckydogg/red-clover-25036.jpg

[zap]

Thanks OHL

This grows wild around here and great-gramma used to make tea outta it when he was little, we have made tea and cough drops from it.


Horehound : Marrubium vulgare. Dating back to Ancient Egypt, horehound is believed to be one of the original bitter herbs of the Bible. It has been used for colds and respiratory ailments (such as in cough syrup and throat lozenges).

[milehi]

Everyone has SOMETHING growing in ABUNDANCE very close to them.
The key is to find out what it is/what they are. Once identified, you have something you never knew could be so priceless.

I regularly use California bay leaves and chia that are right out in the yard.

[Old Herb Lady]

( If you get a mosquito/insect bite or a bee sting pick a couple leaves of plantain, chew it up & put the chewed up leaves on the sting/bite (called a poultice) and it will start to draw out the stinger.....let dry . It also cleans it and provides relief to the burning and itchiness which can follow a bee sting. Plantain poultices can also draw out venom before it has a chance to do damage, can reduce swelling, prevent anaphalactic shock, or delay a severe reaction until medical care can be reached. )




Plantain:
Herbal Medicine Right Beneath Your Feet


Summer is the season for great excursions: hiking, bicycling and anything that can be done outdoors.
It’s also a season during which a variety of skin conditions, bug bites, cuts and bruises run rampant. That is where plantain excels.

Don’t confuse the herb being discussed here with the starchy banana-like fruit that grows prolifically in tropical countries. Plantain, or Plantago major, is a weed that is unfortunately often killed off to give lawns a more uniform look. They are like dandelions in that they grow almost everywhere and have a myriad of medicinal uses.

There are three major types of plantain that can be found almost everywhere: Plantago major, Plantago lanceolata and Plantago media. Plantain has been used traditionally as medicine for centuries, as far back as the time of the Romans and Greeks. It did not exist in the Western hemisphere until Europeans arrived. The American Indians actually called plantain “the footstep of the white,” because it seemed to appear everywhere Europeans had been. Shakespeare even made reference to the herb in Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene II:



Plantain leaves have a variety of beneficial properties: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, astringent, detoxifying, expectorant, soothing, vulnerary and cleansing. With such a range of actions, it would be advantageous to learn what this plant looks like in case you ever need its benefits. Step into your back yard, park or you may even find it between the cracks in sidewalks.

The Common Plantain (Plantago major) has oval leaves that have a pointed tip and veins that run from the base of the leaf to the opposite end. The leaves grow radially and each blade is about 4 to 10 inches long and is about two-thirds of the width broad. If the plant flowers, the flowers are purplish-green in color. Once you identify one plant, you’ll start to notice it almost everywhere you go.

Now that you know what plantain looks like, if you happen to be out hiking, camping or enjoying some other outdoor activity and wound yourself in any way, look for the common plantain. Grab a handful of the fresh leaves, crush them in your hand then apply them to your wound. It will help reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and staunch the bleeding. You can apply the leaves in the same manner for insect bites, burns, allergic rashes or eczema.

Plantain leaves can also be used internally. In fact, traditionally, plantain leaves were primarily used internally. It helps to quell coughs and soothe inflamed mucosa that may have resulted from bronchitis, upper respiratory infection, allergies and sore and irritated mouth and throat. The dried leaves are steeped in boiled water for about 15 minutes to make a tea, which is then allowed to cool before drinking.

Whether you choose to use plantain leaves topically or internally, make sure to harvest them from a location where the land has not been sprayed with chemicals. Applying pesticide laden plantain leaves to an open wound will just lead to infection. You can also purchase plantain leaves from a reliable herbal source such as Frontier.

The next time you venture outside, pay attention to the weeds that seem to pop up everywhere. They may actually be herbs that were traditionally used as medicine, and are now making a comeback through the recommendation of herbal practitioners. Herbal medicine right beneath your feet. Imagine that!


Broad-Leaf Plantain:
http://i469.photobucket.com/albums/rr51/wildatheartfarm/herbs/Plantain.jpg

Narrow-Leaf Plantain:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/Lilyau/Plantain%20soap/IMG_3789.jpg


Plantain

Other Names: Common Plantain, Broadleaf Plantain, Great Plantain, Greater Plantain, Ripple Grass, Plantago Asiatica, Waybread, Waybroad, Snakeweed, Cuckoo's Bread, Englishman's Foot, White Man's Foot, Che Qian Zi (China), Breitwegerich (German), Tanchagem-maior (Portuguese), Llantén común (Spanish), Llantén major (Spanish)


Plantain Habitat
Plantain is a perennial herb, thought to be of Eurasian origin and now naturalized throughout the world. Plantain is considered a common and noxious weed by some and a miracle plant by others.

Plantain Cultivation:
Plantain is very easy to cultivate, it succeeds in any soil and prefers a sunny position, some forms have been selected for their ornamental value. It is an important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies. Plantain grows from a short, tough rootstock or rhizome, which has a large number of long, straight, yellowish roots, is a basal, rosette of large, broadly oval, dark green, leaves. The 4 to 10 inch long smooth, thick, strong and fibrous leaves have 3 to 7 or more ribbed veins, abruptly contracting into a long, petiole (leaf stalk) which is reddish at the base. The leaf margin is of Plantain is entire, or unevenly toothed. The flower stalks, are erect, long, slender, densely-flowered spikes. Each tiny flower is brownish and bell-shaped with four stamens and purple anthers. Flowers bloom most of the summer. The fruit is a two-celled capsule and containing four to sixteen seeds. Harvest fresh young edible leaves in spring. Gather Plantain after flower spike forms, dry for later herb use.

Plantain Medicinal Properties and Herbal Use
Plantain is edible and medicinal, the young leaves are edible raw in salad or cooked as a pot herb, they are very rich in vitamin B1 and riboflavin. The herb has a long history of use as an alternative medicine dating back to ancient times. Being used as a panacea (medicinal for everything) in some cultures, one American Indian name for the plant translates to "life medicine." And recent research indicates that this name may not be far from true! The chemical analysis of Plantgo Major reveals the remarkable glycoside Aucubin. Acubin has been reported in the Journal Of Toxicology as a powerful anti-toxin. There are many more highly effective constituents in this plant including Ascorbic-acid, Apigenin, Baicalein, Benzoic-acid, Chlorogenic-acid, Citric-acid, Ferulic-acid, Oleanolic-acid, Salicylic-acid, and Ursolic-acid. The leaves and the seed are medicinal used as an antibacterial, antidote, astringent, antiinflammatory, antiseptic, antitussive, cardiac, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic, laxative, ophthalmic, poultice, refrigerant, and vermifuge. Medical evidence exists to confirm uses as an alternative medicine for asthma, emphysema, bladder problems, bronchitis, fever, hypertension, rheumatism and blood sugar control. A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of a wide range of complaints including diarrhoea, dysentery, gastritis, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhage, haemorrhoids, cystitis, bronchitis, catarrh, sinusitis, coughs, asthma and hay fever. It also causes a natural aversion to tobacco and is currently being used in stop smoking preparations. Extracts of the plant have antibacterial activity, it is a safe and effective treatment for bleeding, it quickly stops blood flow and encourages the repair of damaged tissue. The heated leaves are used as a wet dressing for wounds, skin inflammations, malignant ulcers, cuts, stings and swellings and said to promote healing without scars. Poultice of hot leaves is bound onto cuts and wounds to draw out thorns, splinters and inflammation. The root is said to be used as an anti-venom for rattlesnakes bites. Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes. The seeds are used in the treatment of parasitic worms. A distilled water made from the plant makes an excellent eye lotion.

Plantain Herbal Folklore and History
Native Americans carried powdered roots of Plantain as protection against snakebites or to ward off snakes. Plantain was called Englishman's Foot or White Man's Foot as it was said to grow where ever their feet touched the ground - this is referred to in Longfellow’s 'Hiawatha.'. Some old European lore states that Plantain is effective for the bites of mad dogs, epilepsy, and leprosy. In the United States the plant was called 'Snake Weed,' from a belief in its efficacy in cases of bites from venomous creatures.

Plantain Recipes
"Medicinal" herb tea: For colds and flu use 1 tbls. dry or fresh whole Plantain (seed, root, and leaves) to 1 cup boiling water, steep 10 min. strain, sweeten. Drink through the day.

Healing salve: In large non-metallic pan place 1lb. of entire Plantain plant chopped, and 1 cup lard, cover, cook down on low heat till all is mushy and green. Strain while hot, cool and use for burns, insect bites, rashes, and all sores. Note: used as night cream for wrinkles.





And Oh....yes !! you can eat plantain leaves....... sandwiches, smoothies, salads & juicing, etc ! Enjoy !

[Old Herb Lady]

Yarrow: The Wound Healer
by Sue Sierralupe

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium


Yarrow is nature's bandage. Since yarrow grows in every vacant lot, abandoned field and rocky wayside, it is clear that Nature must think that herbalists need a lot of bandages. This scruffy little herb contains its own antiseptic and a soft calming scent that helps soothe gravity's sniffly victims.

Medicinal Properties and Actions of Yarrow

Yarrow has a vast array of medicinal properties. The volatile oils work as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and diuretic agents. The tannins are aggressive astringents. The alkaloids are both hypotensive and hypoglycemic. Yarrow even has coumarin in its cells which works as an anti-thrombotic to reduce high blood pressure. The bitter compounds that the tongue detects are due to flavonoids such as saponins and unpleasant tasting but powerful alkaloids like achilleine, trigonelline and betonicine. These are the secrets to yarrow's actions in the digestive system, tissues and the blood stream.
Conditions Best Helped by Yarrow

Yarrow isn't just for scrapes and bruises, it does wonders to reduce fever and clear the sinuses. This plant is the first in line for treating nasty colds and flus. It reduces sweating and treats diarrhea that can accompany illness. The same anti-inflammatory properties in this plant's volatile oils that reduce swelling in angry wounds, also fight bacterial infections. Yarrow has both tannins and salicyclic acid which accounts for its noticeable astringency. This is one of the compounds that reduce both internal and external bleeding.

Yarrow compresses to the eyes of patients (without yarrow allergies) sharpen blurred vision due to swollen tissue. Do not get yarrow in the eye itself as it will cause further irritation. Just a warm yarrow tea bag or in cheesecloth will do.

Since yarrow is so widespread, it makes the perfect medicine for hikers and hunters. Chewing a few of the bitter leaves will help alleviate a toothache until you can get to a dentist. Rubbing the leaves onto your temples will do wonders to subside a headache. Insect bites and nettle burns also relax under yarrow's charms.

The use of yarrow for treating bruises and pain due to inflammation is legendary. Yarrow has many common names that reveal it's history on the battlefield: soldier's woundwort, bloodwort, and nosebleed plant are just a few. People have used yarrow's anti-inflammatory actions for hemmoroids and varicose veins for quick relief. The strengthening effect on the blood vessels make yarrow a wonderful plant to add to administer as a daily tonic for patient that easily bruise.

Yarrow makes an excellent first-aid poultice for deep cuts and wounds, too. It's been known to help deep cuts heal with little to no scarring and can help the flesh even and connect after puncture wounds.

Yarrow flower essence, especially pink yarrow flower essence, is quite good at helping empathic people (and others) to release emotional energies they've picked up from their environment, family and friends, and from work situations. I've found it a useful tool for recovering after attending large functions ranging from parties to conventions, too. Yarrow flower essence is a powerful ally for people in care-providing situations and professions, highly empathic people, and for young children. The list of treatments with yarrow seems to be limited only by the herbalist's imagination.


List of Yarrow's Medicinal Actions

Antiseptic, antibacterial, hypotensive, hypoglycemic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, emmenagogue, tonic and a bitter.

Medicinal Processing

Yarrow is an easy herb to preserve. It lends its medicinal properties freely to oils, tinctures, vinegars, teas and glycerites. Yarrow has a bitter taste that can be masked by cooking it into a cough syrup with honey or other sweets. Yarrow also makes a wonderful compress for wounds with just a little warm water or as hiking medicine by chewing the leaves and applying them to the wound or sting.

Drying yarrow is as easy as turning it upside down away from sunlight, moisture and dust for a few days. It revives in steams in seconds. Use equal weight of plant to liquid for making tincture. If the tincture isn't quite strong enough after a few months, add a handful of dry yarrow for more punch.

Yarrow is also available as an invigorating essential oil. Add a few drops of yarrow essential oil to yarrow glycerite as both a preservative and a fragrance. Yarrow glycerite is not a pleasant taste experience but adds vital components to any sinus formula. For best results, cook this formula with a 70% glycerine, 30% water to a 1:5 herb weight ratio for a few days before straining it. The color will be a deep yellow when it is finished.


Gardening, Growing, and Gathering Yarrow

I have never had to plant yarrow in my garden. It pops up in spots that I neglect with glee. It prefers the full sun with dry soil but it grows easily under my sycamore trees in the drought garden by the street. I have picked it in sand dunes, on top of mountains and along the edge of a neglected apple orchard. This rangy perennial grows in zones 3-10 and range wildly in height from 6-48 inches.

Growing Yarrow
Gardeners living in deer country can grow this herb without fear of unwelcome grazers. It's been propagated in a wide variety of heights and colors for its beauty in the garden as well as for how well it dries. From its native white to a soft pink often called Apple Blossom, to the dark golden yellows and reds, all varieties of yarrow are reputed to be excellent medicine. If you plan to use yarrow in dried arrangements, plant one of the varieties that boast large and sturdy flower heads on long, straight stems.

Yarrow can be propagated from clippings, root divisions, and seed. It is often used as a compost activator who speeds decomposition; you only need a small amount, although a lot of yarrow in the compost won't harm it. Yarrow is also good at drawing useful insects, most notably the Syrphid fly, who looks like a bee or wasp but doesn't harm humans and who's larvae eat a lot of harmful insects including aphids. As a companion plant, yarrow is noted for discouraging harmful insects, especially ants.

Yarrow can be susceptible to mildew and doesn't grow as well in humid climates. Watch for gray spots on yarrow's leaves and flower heads and apply a 1-Tablespoon-to-one-gallon baking soda and water solution to treat the mildew, or better yet, move your yarrow to a less damp environment.

Gathering Yarrow

Look for plant that have healthy green stems with alternate, feathery leaves and yellow centered, white to purplish flowers. The scent of yarrow in unmistakable. Healthy plants with dry soil have the heaviest scent which means that it is full of the essential oils that the herbalist is looking for.

Yarrow is simple to harvest. The flowers are best collected at the peak of summer. Simply break off or snip the aerial parts that look healthiest. Remember to leave some flowers behind for the bees and for next year's harvest.



Quick ID tips
Yarrow leaf and flower

Appearance: Yarrow has stiff green stems with feathery leaves running alternately up the stalk which is topped with an umbrillatum floral spray. The flower petals surrounding each yellow center range from white to slightly purple in color depending on soil conditions.

Taste: Bitter with a slight floral taste.

Odor Soft floral scent.


Using Yarrow to Care for Animals
My chickens will not eat any aromatic herbs such as yarrow but I like to hang yarrow branches in their coop to keep their delicate respiratory systems clear. Yarrow tea or a shot of yarrow glycerite may be added to one source of their drinking water to prevent and treat infections. The scent puts animals off, which is a great defense for the plant. I have to be sneaky and moderate with my use with any of my critters.

Topical treatment of any wound for any animal (horses, poultry, cats, dogs and lizards) is excellent. The scent keeps some critters from licking the medicine off. Since this plant is also good taken internally, I am happy to see some of it go into their mouths too. I have put yarrow oil on a fussy cat's paw so that he WOULD lick off the medicine and harvest the advantages of yarrow taken internally.

Yarrow flower essences, especially Pink Yarrow flower essence, are potent healers for helping our animal companions to release negative and excessive emotions. Yarrow flower essence works at the empathic level, helping animals of all kinds to release the emotional energies they have absorbed. Even pets who are not generally highly empathic can be helped by yarrow flower essence when their people are experiencing stress and challenging emotional periods. For animals, flower essences are best administered through the skin. For times a day, put a drop or two on the inside flap of your pet's ear, in the space between his or her toes, or in any area where you can easily and comfortably reach exposed skin.

Recipes, Household Formulas, and Non-medicinal Uses of Yarrow

Yarrow has a lovely scent that slowly escapes into the room when exposed to heat. Throw a bundle of yarrow on the dashboard of your car. The scent will gently fill the cab on hot days and when the heater is on. Or, include it in dried arrangements and potpourris for your home and office to help keep your environment healthy, especially through the winter months or highly emotional periods. Yarrow is used in aromatherapy to soothe hypertension. This property is handy during rush hour traffic.

Yarrow is good at drying oily skin and hair. Whether you choose to use yarrow as a facial steam, a wash, a bath, or a warm compress applied directly to blackheads or patches of acne, yarrow can help tighten pores and dry oily skin as well as hair.

Yarrow does well as a household cleanser. It's medicinal properties combined with it's delightful floral scent restores life to stuffy rooms while purging nasty germs. Yarrow flower is a primary ingredient in my favorite Three Flower Household Cleanser recipe. You could also add a few drops of Yarrow essential oil to your mop bucket to enhance spring cleaning.


Cautions for Yarrow

As yarrow is a member of the the Astoraceae family, allergies have been reported. The symptoms are (usually) a skin rash or a headache. Discontinue using yarrow if allergic reactions result. Yarrow is also an emmenagogue so it should not internally during pregnancy

http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj514/BobJonesNature/2012-03-28_22.jpg

http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/u399/reneewitcheschat/yarrow.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e284/SarahTxState_2008/Yarrow.jpg

http://www.thepracticalherbalist.com/component/content/article/40-herbal-encyclopedia/102-yarrow-the-wound-healer.html

[LastResort]

Thanks OHL!

Another week or so around here and I'm gonna pick myself some fiddleheads...mmm

[muffin]

Thanks OHL!

Another week or so around here and I'm gonna pick myself some fiddleheads...mmm

just read about this on another forum. never heard of them. where do they usually grow? is it something that's only in rainy climates?

[SLV^GLD]

Everyone has SOMETHING growing in ABUNDANCE very close to them.
The key is to find out what it is/what they are. Once identified, you have something you never knew could be so priceless.

Pleurotus ostreatus, not an herb or vegetable so I 'spose it doesn't count...

[milehi]

just read about this on another forum. never heard of them. where do they usually grow? is it something that's only in rainy climates?

Around here, they grow in pine forests above 4000 feet. Currently, fiddle ferns are not permitted to be used due to over harvesting by Asians.

I use this fieldbook.

Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West by Muriel Sweet

[Old Herb Lady]

Pleurotus ostreatus, not an herb or vegetable so I 'spose it doesn't count...

Is it food ? Can you eat it ? It's in the list on the OP, SLV^GLD. Anything edible in nature "counts".

[Santa]

Thanks OHL. You're awesome.

I'm gonna go out tomorrow and gather a bunch of Pokeweed greens. I love Pokeweed greens.
My brother heard me talking about it a couple years back and nibbled on a raw leaf to taste it one day. It made him sicker than a dog for several hours.
Fool... :) I told him to par boil it three times before eating it. But when you prepare it right, damn it's goooood.
Oh, and there's Lambs Quarter on the property right now as well. Chickweed all got eaten by the chickens.

[milehi]

Datura is blooming in the backyard too.

It's nice to look at.

[Old Herb Lady]

RED RASPBERRY LEAVES





http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb32/alicewuaw/House/IMG_0018.jpg





Red raspberry leaf tea is one of the most renowned herbal teas. It has a wide reputation as a female tonic for relieving excessive menstrual bleeding. For pregnant women, it is used to relieve nausea, prevent nausea, prevents spotting, to tone the uterus in preparation for childbirth and to reduce the pain of childbirth.
Because of its widespread availability in pleasantly flavored teas, the astringent leaves are administered to children to treat diarrhea, flu, and vomiting.
Contains astringent compounds that relieve pain and shrink inflamed tissues, especially in the female reproductive system. It also contains bitter compounds that relieve smooth muscle spasms. it is an excellent herb source of manganese. It has been used to treat morning sickness, nausea, dysmenorrhea, false labor, colds, flu and fevers.


Red Raspberry Leaf is high or very high on the following nutrients:

Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Manganese
Niacin
Selenium
Vitamin A
Vitamin C

Excerpts from Practical Herbalism (http://www.bulkherbstore.com/Practical-Herbalism?id=4mWPCunu)

The renowned Quaker herbalist, Henry Box, is quoted as saying, "A tea made from Red Raspberry leaves is the best gift God ever gave to women. Its utility in travail is surprising. As a drink before and after confinement, it is unequaled by any other agent. If the pains of childbirth are premature, it will make all quiet. When timely, it will occasion a safe and easy parturition. If the mother is weak, it will abundantly strengthen her, cleanse her and enrich her milk. It is perfect safe under all circumstances."
The tea has been taken freely during all phases of pregnancy, and particularly during the last trimester to tone the uterus, and prepare the body for delivery. Dr. Christopher summed it up thus:
"When taken regularly in pregnancy, the infusion will quiet inappropriate premature pains and produce a safe, speedy, and easy delivery. Raspberry leaves stimulate, tone, and regulate before and during childbearing, assisting contractions and checking hemorrhage during labor, relieving after-pains, then strengthening, cleansing, and enriching the milk of the mother in the post-deliver period."

Indicated Usages - Internal:
Amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea
Diabetes
Canker sores, mouth ulcers
Diarrhea
Hemorrhoids
Indigestion
Menorrhagia, Excessive bleeding
Leukorrhea
Morning sickness
Parturient
Nausea (children)
Pregnancy
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
Thrush
Miscarriage, labor pains (premature)
Menstrual cramps

Indicated Usages - External:
Bleeding gums
Eyewash
Hemorrhoids, piles
Sore throat
Wounds, burns

http://www.bulkherbstore.com/Red-Raspberry-Leaf-Organic-Cut



Men can enjoy having their blood cleansed while using this herb as well. It has also been used as an astringent and for dissolving tartar on the teeth.

Children who are suffering with stomachaches, bleeding gums, sore throats and diarrhea would do well to use red raspberry leaf. It can be used also as an astringent for the flu and vomiting.

People of any age or sex that are dealing with swollen or inflamed eyes could also be benefitted with using red raspberry leaf to wash the eyes. Those who need to rid their bodies of mucus could also rely upon this herb to do that for them as well.

Those looking for natural sources of manganese would only find half the amount in any other herb than in red raspberry leaf. This means its nature’s highest source of manganese and indeed an important part of your go-to herbs.

http://www.grandmagreens.com/Red-Raspberry-Leaf.html