Herbal Medicine Chest in
Your Backyard
What could be easier than
growing an herb garden with no effort? Of course, you'll
have to harvest your weeds, but you would do that anyhow:
it's called weeding.
Spring is an especially
fertile time for harvesting your weeds - roots and all -
and turning them into medicines. Here then are some tips on
how to find, harvest, prepare, and use a baker's dozen (13)
of common weeds that probably already grow around
you.
To make your medicines
you'll need glass jars of various sizes with tight-fitting
lids. And at least a pint each of apple cider vinegar
(pasteurized), vodka (100 proof is best, but 80 proof will
do), and pure olive oil (not extra 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 general, you will fill
a jar (of any size) with coarsely-chopped fresh, but dry,
plant material. (Do not wash any part of the plant except
roots, if you are using them, and be sure to dry those well
with a towel 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 well and allow to stand at room temperature,
out of the sunlight for at least six weeks before decanting
and using. (See my book Healing Wise for more specific
information on making preparations.)
A field guide is helpful
for positively identifying your weeds. The one I like best
is: A Guide to the Identification of New
Zealand Common Weeds in Colour, complied by E. A. Upritchard.
(Available 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.
Ready? OK! Let's go
outside and see what we can find.
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 well. A dose is
1 dropperful (1ml); which may be repeated up to four
times 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 plant while 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 (.5 - 1 ml); repeated as needed.
Chickweed (Stellaria
media) has
many uses, including delicious salad greens. I cut
the entire 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 three times a day.
Daisy (Bellis
perennis) is
a common perennial weed of lawns and open areas.
Quite different from the native daisy
(Lagenifera
petiolata),
the little English daisy is related to feverfew and
has similar abilities. I use the leaves and flowers
to make a tincture (with alcohol) or a medicinal
vinegar which relieves headaches, muscle
pain,
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 one of the
best known medicinal herbs in the world. (The native
dandelion of New Zealand - Taraxacum
magellanicum - is medicinal too.) Those who love
a pure green lawn curse the sunny yellow flowers of common
dandelion. But those who are willing to see beauty anywhere
(such as children and herbalists) treasure this weed. You
can use any part 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 well as promoting healthy
bowel movements. A tablespoon of the vinegar works well,
too. More importantly, taken before meals, dandelion
increases the production of hydrochloric acid in the
stomach, thus increasing bio-availability of many
nutrients, especially calcium. The fresh or cooked green
leaves are loaded with carotenes, those anti-cancer,
anti-heart disease helpers. And the oil of the flowers is
an important massage balm for
maintaining
healthy
breasts. (There's
lots more information on dandelions
in
Healing Wise.)
Dock, also called yellow dock, curly dock,
and broad dock is a perennial plant, which my Native
American grandmothers use for "all women's problems." The
Maori call it paewhenua or runa. It is another plant that disagrees with
sheep, especially 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 system or the liver needs help. A dose is 15-25
drops (.5-1 ml). I also harvest the leaves and/or seeds
throughout the growing season and make a medicinal vinegar,
taken a tablespoon at a time, which is used to increase
blood-levels of iron, reduce 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 healthy.
Groundsel (Senecio
vulgaris)
and Ragwort (Senecio
jacobea) are
hardy perennials that have a reputation for poisoning
livestock, like their cousin tansy. Although not good
for sheep, these two Senecios are some of the world's
most ancient healing plants, having been found 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 stop severe menstrual pain. A dose is
5-10 drops (.2-.5 ml) per day, used only once a day,
but for at least 3 months. (A larger dose is used to
speed up labor.)
Mallows (Malva neglecta, M. parviflora, M.
sylvestres) grow
well in neglected gardens and are surprisingly deep-rooted.
The flowers, leaves, stalks, seeds, and roots are rich in
sticky mucilage which is best extracted by soaking the
fresh plant in cold water overnight or longer or by making
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 (especially) of
the native Hohere (Hoheria
populnea)
are used in exactly the same way by Maori
herbalists.
Plantain, also called ribwort, pig's ear, and the
bandaid plant is a common weed of lawns, driveways, parks,
and playgrounds. Identify it by the five parallel veins
running the length of each leaf. You may find broad leaf
plantain (Plantago
major) with wide
leaves, or narrow leaf plantain
(Plantago
lanceolata)
with lance-thin leaves. Either can be used to make a
healing poultice or a soothing oil widely regarded as
one of the best wound healers around. Not only does
plantain increase the speed of healing, it also
relieves pain, stops bleeding, draws out foreign
matter, stops itching, prevents and stops allergic
reactions from bee stings, kills bacteria, and
reduces swelling.
Try a poultice or a
generous application of plantain oil or ointment (made 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, fast! (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 large 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
until the jar is completely full of oil and all air bubbles
are released. Cap well. Place jar in a small bowl to
collect any overflow. Wait six weeks. Then strain oil out
of the plant material, squeezing well. Measure the oil.
Heat it gently, adding one tablespoon of grated beeswax for
every liquid ounce of oil. Pour into jars and allow to
cool.
St. Joan's/John's
wort (Hypericum
perforatum) This
beautiful perennial wildflower may 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 prepared 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
one 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 needed. In extreme pain
from a muscle spasm in my thigh, I used a dropperful every
twenty minutes for two hours, or until the pain totally
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 popular 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 one of the great
unsung healers of the world. The leaves and flowers
contain more antioxidants - which prevent cancer and
heart disease, among other healthy traits - than any
other plant tested. And as part of the mint family,
self heal is imbued with lots of minerals, especially
calcium, making it an especially important ally for
pregnant, nursing, menopausal, and post-menopausal
women. I put self heal leaves in salads in the spring
and fall, make a medicinal vinegar with the flowers
during the summer, and cook the flowering tops (fresh
or dried) in winter soups.
Usnea (Usnea
barbata) is
that many-stranded grey lichen hanging out of the
branches of your apple trees or the Monterey pines
planted in the plantation over there or in almost any
native tree in areas of the South Island Alps, where
it is known 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, being careful not to
take too much. Usnea grows slowly. Put your harvest
in a cooking pan and just cover it with cold water.
Boil for about 15-25 minutes, or until the water is
orange and reduced by at least half. Pour usnea and
water into a jar, filling it to the top with plant
material. (Water should be no more than half of the
jar.) Add the highest proof alcohol you can buy.
After 6 weeks this tincture is ready to work for you
as a superb antibacterial, countering infection
anywhere in the body. A dose is a dropperful (1 ml)
as frequently as every two hours in acute
situations.
Yarrow (Achellia
millefolium) This
lovely perennial weed is grown in many herb gardens for it
has a multitude of uses. 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 little spray bottle of yarrow tincture
with me when I'm outside and wet my skin every hour or so.
A United States Army study showed yarrow tincture to be
more effective 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, pain-relieving, and incredibly helpful in
healing all types of wounds.
For more information on
making preparations and on the uses of specific herbs,
consult Susun's books: Healing Wise, Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing
Year, Menopausal Years the Wise Woman
Way,
and Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise
Woman Way.