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Herbal Medicine Chest In Your Backyard
What could be less complicated than growing an herb garden with no effort? Of course, you will have to harvest your weeds, but you would do that anyhow: it's called weeding.
Spring is an particularly fertile time for harvesting your weeds - roots and all - and turning them into medicines. Here then are some hints on how to locate, harvest, prepare, and use a baker's dozen (13) of frequent weeds that most likely already grow about you.
To make your medicines you will will need glass jars of many different sizes with tight-fitting lids. And at least a pint each and every of apple cider vinegar (pasteurized), vodka (100 proof is finest, but 80 proof will do), and pure olive oil (not added virgin) or good quality animal fat such as lanolin, lard, or belly fat from a lamb or kid. You will also want a knife, a cutting board, and some rags to mop up spills.
In common, you will fill a jar (of any size) with coarsely-chopped fresh, but dry, plant material. (Do not wash any aspect of the plant except roots, if you are utilizing them, and be sure to dry those properly with a towel just before putting them in your jar.) Then you will fill the jar with your menstruum, that is the vinegar, the oil, or the alcohol. Label properly and enable to stand at room temperature, out of the sunlight for at least six weeks before decanting and making use of. (See my book Healing Wise for even more precise details on making preparations.)
A field guide is valuable for positively identifying your weeds. The 1 I like most effective is: A Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Popular Weeds in Colour, complied by E. A. Upritchard. (Offered from the New Zealand Weed And Pest Control Society, P.O. Box 1654, Palmerston North) This book even shows you how the weeds look when they are emerging.
Prepared? OK! Let's go outside with a plant id guide or experienced herbalist and see what we can locate.
Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa pastoris) is an annual in the mustard family. Cut the top half of the plant when it has formed its little heart-shaped "purses" (seed pods) and make a tincture (with alcohol), which you can use to stop bleeding. Midwives and women who bleed heavily during their period praise its prompt effectiveness. Gypsies claim it works on the stomach and lungs as nicely. A dose is 1 dropperful (1ml); which may perhaps be repeated up to four occasions a day.
Cleavers (Gallium aparine) is a persistent, sticky plant which grows profusely in abandoned lots and the edges of cultivated land. The entire plant is used to strengthen lymphatic activity. I cut the top two-thirds of each and every plant when it is in flower (or setting seeds) and use alcohol to make a tincture which relieves tender, swollen breasts, PMS symptoms, and allergic reactions. A dose is 15-25 drops (.five - 1 ml); repeated as needed.
Chickweed (Stellaria media) has lots of utilizes, which includes delicious salad greens. I cut the total top of the plant and eat it or use alcohol to make a tincture, which dissolves cysts, tonifies the thyroid, and aids in weight loss. A dose is a dropperful (1 ml), up to 3 occasions a day.
Daisy (Bellis perennis) is a well-known perennial weed of lawns and open areas. Very various from the native daisy (Lagenifera petiolata), the small English daisy is related to feverfew and has similar skills. I use the leaves and flowers to make a tincture (with alcohol) or a medicinal vinegar which relieves headaches, muscle discomfort, and allergy symptoms. A dose is a dropperful of the tincture (1 ml), up to twice a day; or a tablespoon of the vinegar in the morning.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) is a persistent perennial of lawns and gardens and 1 of the best identified medicinal herbs in the globe. (The native dandelion of New Zealand - Taraxacum magellanicum - is medicinal too.) Those who enjoy a pure green lawn curse the sunny yellow flowers of frequent dandelion. But those who are prepared to see beauty anywhere (such as youngsters and herbalists) treasure this weed. You can use any component of the dandelion - the root, the leaves, the flowers, even the flower stalk - to make a tincture or medicinal vinegar which strengthens the liver. A dose of 10-20 drops of the tincture (.5-1 ml) relieves gas, heartburn, and indigestion, as properly as promoting healthy bowel movements. A tablespoon of the vinegar functions well, too. Even more importantly, taken before meals, dandelion increases the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, thus increasing bio-availability of many nutrients, in particular calcium. The fresh or cooked green leaves are loaded with carotenes, those anti-cancer, anti-heart illness helpers. And the oil of the flowers is an crucial massage balm for sustaining healthy breasts. (There's lots far more information on dandelions in Healing Wise.)
Dock, also referred to as yellow dock, curly dock, and broad dock is a perennial plant, which my Native American grandmothers use for "all women's issues." The Maori call it paewhenua or runa. It is yet another plant that disagrees with sheep, specially when the land is overgrazed. I dig the yellow roots of Rumex crispus or R. obtusifolius and tincture them in alcohol to use as an ally when the immune program or the liver desires help. A dose is 15-25 drops (.five-1 ml). I also harvest the leaves and/or seeds all through the growing season and make a medicinal vinegar, taken a tablespoon at a time, which is put to use to increase blood-levels of iron, lessen menstrual flooding and cramping, and balance hormone levels. If the chopped roots are soaked in oil for six weeks, the resulting ointment is beneficial for keeping the breasts wholesome.
Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) and Ragwort (Senecio jacobea) are hardy perennials that have a reputation for poisoning livestock, like their cousin tansy. Though not good for sheep, these two Senecios are some of the world's most ancient healing plants, having been discovered in a grave 60,000 years old. You can use the flowering tops and leaves with your alcohol to make a tincture which acts slowly to tonify the reproductive organs, ease PMS, and quit severe menstrual pain. A dose is 5-10 drops (.2-.five ml) per day, used only once a day, but for at least 3 months. (A bigger dose is used to speed up labor.)
Mallows (Malva neglecta, M. parviflora, M. sylvestres) grow nicely in neglected gardens and are surprisingly deep-rooted. The flowers, leaves, stalks, seeds, and roots are rich in sticky mucilage which is very best extracted by soaking the fresh plant in cold water overnight or longer or by creating a medicinal vinegar. The starch is extraordinarily soothing internally (easing sore throats, upset tummies, heart burn, irritable bowel, colic, constipation, and food poisoning) and externally (relieving bug bites, burns, sprains, and sore eyes). The leaves, flowers, and bark (specifically) of the native Hohere (Hoheria populnea) are employed in precisely the exact same way by Maori herbalists.
Plantain, also called ribwort, pig's ear, and the bandaid plant is a widespread weed of lawns, driveways, parks, and playgrounds. Identify it by the 5 parallel veins running the length of each leaf. You could acquire broad leaf plantain (Plantago key) with wide leaves, or narrow leaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata) with lance-thin leaves. Either can be put to use to make a healing poultice or a soothing oil widely regarded as 1 of the very best wound healers around. Not only does plantain enhance the speed of healing, it also relieves discomfort, stops bleeding, draws out foreign matter, stops itching, prevents and stops allergic reactions from bee stings, kills bacteria, and reduces swelling.
Attempt a poultice or a generous application of plantain oil or ointment (produced by thickening the oil with beeswax) on sprains, cuts, insect bites, rashes, chafed skin, boils, bruises, chapped and cracked lips, rough or sore hands, baby's diaper area, and burns.
To make a fresh plantain poultice: Pick a leaf, chew it well and put it on the boo-boo. "Like magic" the pain, itching, and swelling disappear, quickly! (Yes, you can dry plantain leaves and carry them in your first aid kit. Chew like you would fresh leaves.)
To make plantain ointment: Pick big fresh plantain leaves. Chop coarsely. Fill a clean, dry, glass jar with the chopped leaves. Pour pure olive oil into the leaves, poking about with a chopstick till the jar is totally full of oil and all air bubbles are released. Cap properly. Spot jar in a modest bowl to collect any overflow. Wait six weeks. Then strain oil out of the plant material, squeezing nicely. Measure the oil. Heat it gently, adding 1 tablespoon of grated beeswax for each and every liquid ounce of oil. Pour into jars and permit to cool.
St. Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) This lovely perennial wildflower could possibly be hated by sheep farmers but herbalists adore it. The flowering tops are harvested after they begin to bloom (traditionally on Solstice, June 21) and ready with alcohol, and with oil, to make two of the most useful remedies in my first aid kit. Tincture of St. Joan's wort not only lends 1 a sunny disposition, it reliably relieves muscle aches, is a powerful anti-viral, and is my first-choice treatment for those with shingles, sciatica, backpain, neuralgia, and headaches including migraines. The usual dose is 1 dropperful (1 ml) as frequently as necessary. In extreme pain from a muscle spasm in my thigh, I employed a dropperful each twenty minutes for two hours, or till the pain completely subsided. St. Joan's wort oil stops cold sores in their tracks and can even relieve genital herpes symptoms. I use it as a sunscreen. Contrary to well known belief, St. Joan's wort does not cause sun sensitivity; it prevents it. It even prevents burns from radiation therapy. Eases sore muscles, too.
Self heal (Prunella vulgaris) This scentless perennial mint is 1 of the good unsung healers of the world. The leaves and flowers contain much more antioxidants - which avoid cancer and heart disease, among other wholesome traits - than any other plant tested. And as component of the mint family, self heal is imbued with lots of minerals, especially calcium, producing it an specifically vital ally for pregnant, nursing, menopausal, and post-menopausal girls. I put self heal leaves in salads in the spring and fall, make a medicinal vinegar with the flowers throughout the summer, and cook the flowering tops (fresh or dried) in winter soups.
Usnea (Usnea barbata) is that a number of-stranded grey lichen hanging out of the branches of your apple trees or the Monterey pines planted in the plantation over there or in just about any native tree in areas of the South Island Alps, exactly where it is recognized as angiangi to the Maori. If in doubt of your identification: Pull a strand gently apart with your hands, looking for a white fiber inside the fuzzy grey-green outer coat. To prepare usnea, harvest at any time of the year, becoming cautious not to take too much. Usnea grows slowly. Place your harvest in a cooking pan and just cover it with cold water. Boil for about 15-25 minutes, or till the water is orange and lowered by at least half. Pour usnea and water into a jar, filling it to the top with plant material. (Water will need to be no additional than half of the jar.) Add the highest proof alcohol you can invest in. Following 6 weeks this tincture is prepared to work for you as a excellent antibacterial, countering infection anyplace in the physique. A dose is a dropperful (1 ml) as frequently as each and every two hours in acute scenarios.
Yarrow (Achellia millefolium) This beautiful perennial weed is grown in a lot of herb gardens for it has a multitude of makes use of. Cut the flowering tops (use only white-flowering yarrow) and use your alcohol to make a strongly-scented tincture that you can take internally to prevent colds and the flu. (A dose is 10-20 drops, or up to 1 ml). I carry a small spray bottle of yarrow tincture with me when I'm outside and wet my skin every single hour or so. A United States Army study showed yarrow tincture to be much more useful than DEET at repelling ticks, mosquitoes, and sand flies. You can also make a healing ointment with yarrow flower tops and your oil or fat. Yarrow oil is antibacterial, discomfort-relieving, and extremely beneficial in healing all varieties of wounds.
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