| What could be easier than growing an herb | | | | leaves, flowers, and bark (especially) of the |
| garden with no effort? Of course, you'll have | | | | native Hohere (Hoheria populnea) are used in |
| to harvest your weeds, but you would do that | | | | exactly the same way by Maori |
| anyhow: it's called weeding.Spring is an | | | | herbalists.Plantain, also called ribwort, |
| especially fertile time for harvesting your | | | | pig's ear, and the bandaid plant is a common |
| weeds - roots and all - and turning them into | | | | weed of lawns, driveways, parks, and |
| medicines. Here then are some tips on how to | | | | playgrounds. Identify it by the five parallel |
| find, harvest, prepare, and use a baker's | | | | veins running the length of each leaf. You |
| dozen (13) of common weeds that probably | | | | may find broad leaf plantain (Plantago major) |
| already grow around you.To make your | | | | with wide leaves, or narrow leaf plantain |
| medicines you'll need glass jars of various | | | | (Plantago lanceolata) with lance-thin leaves. |
| sizes with tight-fitting lids. And at least a | | | | Either can be used to make a healing poultice |
| pint each of apple cider vinegar | | | | or a soothing oil widely regarded as one of |
| (pasteurized), vodka (100 proof is best, but | | | | the best wound healers around. Not only does |
| 80 proof will do), and pure olive oil (not | | | | plantain increase the speed of healing, it |
| extra virgin) or good quality animal fat such | | | | also relieves pain, stops bleeding, draws out |
| as lanolin, lard, or belly fat from a lamb or | | | | foreign matter, stops itching, prevents and |
| kid. You will also want a knife, a cutting | | | | stops allergic reactions from bee stings, |
| board, and some rags to mop up spills.In | | | | kills bacteria, and reduces swelling.Try a |
| general, you will fill a jar (of any size) | | | | poultice or a generous application of |
| with coarsely-chopped fresh, but dry, plant | | | | plantain oil or ointment (made by thickening |
| material. (Do not wash any part of the plant | | | | the oil with beeswax) on sprains, cuts, |
| except roots, if you are using them, and be | | | | insect bites, rashes, chafed skin, boils, |
| sure to dry those well with a towel before | | | | bruises, chapped and cracked lips, rough or |
| putting them in your jar.) Then you will fill | | | | sore hands, baby's diaper area, and burns.To |
| the jar with your menstruum, that is the | | | | make a fresh plantain poultice: Pick a leaf, |
| vinegar, the oil, or the alcohol. Label well | | | | chew it well and put it on the boo-boo. "Like |
| and allow to stand at room temperature, out | | | | magic" the pain, itching, and swelling |
| of the sunlight for at least six weeks before | | | | disappear, fast! (Yes, you can dry plantain |
| decanting and using. (See my book Healing | | | | leaves and carry them in your first aid kit. |
| Wise for more specific information on making | | | | Chew like you would fresh leaves.)To make |
| preparations.)A field guide is helpful for | | | | plantain ointment: Pick large fresh plantain |
| positively identifying your weeds. The one I | | | | leaves. Chop coarsely. Fill a clean, dry, |
| like best is: A Guide to the Identification | | | | glass jar with the chopped leaves. Pour pure |
| of New Zealand Common Weeds in Colour, | | | | olive oil into the leaves, poking about with |
| complied by E. A. Upritchard. (Available from | | | | a chopstick until the jar is completely full |
| the New Zealand Weed And Pest Control | | | | of oil and all air bubbles are released. Cap |
| Society, P.O. Box 1654, Palmerston North) | | | | well. Place jar in a small bowl to collect |
| This book even shows you how the weeds look | | | | any overflow. Wait six weeks. Then strain oil |
| when they are emerging.Ready? OK! Let's go | | | | out of the plant material, squeezing well. |
| outside and see what we can find.Shepherd's | | | | Measure the oil. Heat it gently, adding one |
| purse (Capsella bursa pastoris) is an annual | | | | tablespoon of grated beeswax for every liquid |
| in the mustard family. Cut the top half of | | | | ounce of oil. Pour into jars and allow to |
| the plant when it has formed its little | | | | cool.St. Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum |
| heart-shaped "purses" (seed pods) and make a | | | | perforatum) This beautiful perennial |
| tincture (with alcohol), which you can use to | | | | wildflower may be hated by sheep farmers but |
| stop bleeding. Midwives and women who bleed | | | | herbalists adore it. The flowering tops are |
| heavily during their period praise its prompt | | | | harvested after they begin to bloom |
| effectiveness. Gypsies claim it works on the | | | | (traditionally on Solstice, June 21) and |
| stomach and lungs as well. A dose is 1 | | | | prepared with alcohol, and with oil, to make |
| dropperful (1ml); which may be repeated up to | | | | two of the most useful remedies in my first |
| four times a day.Cleavers (Gallium aparine) | | | | aid kit. Tincture of St. Joan's wort not |
| is a persistent, sticky plant which grows | | | | only lends one a sunny disposition, it |
| profusely in abandoned lots and the edges of | | | | reliably relieves muscle aches, is a powerful |
| cultivated land. The entire plant is used to | | | | anti-viral, and is my first-choice treatment |
| strengthen lymphatic activity. I cut the top | | | | for those with shingles, sciatica, backpain, |
| two-thirds of each plant while it is in | | | | neuralgia, and headaches including migraines. |
| flower (or setting seeds) and use alcohol to | | | | The usual dose is 1 dropperful (1 ml) as |
| make a tincture which relieves tender, | | | | frequently as needed. In extreme pain from a |
| swollen breasts, PMS symptoms, and allergic | | | | muscle spasm in my thigh, I used a dropperful |
| reactions. A dose is 15-25 drops (.5 - 1 ml); | | | | every twenty minutes for two hours, or until |
| repeated as needed.Chickweed (Stellaria | | | | the pain totally subsided. St. Joan's wort |
| media) has many uses, including delicious | | | | oil stops cold sores in their tracks and can |
| salad greens. I cut the entire top of the | | | | even relieve genital herpes symptoms. I use |
| plant and eat it or use alcohol to make a | | | | it as a sunscreen. Contrary to popular |
| tincture, which dissolves cysts, tonifies the | | | | belief, St. Joan's wort does not cause sun |
| thyroid, and aids in weight loss. A dose is a | | | | sensitivity; it prevents it. It even prevents |
| dropperful (1 ml), up to three times a | | | | burns from radiation therapy. Eases sore |
| day.Daisy (Bellis perennis) is a common | | | | muscles, too.Self heal (Prunella vulgaris) |
| perennial weed of lawns and open areas. Quite | | | | This scentless perennial mint is one of the |
| different from the native daisy (Lagenifera | | | | great unsung healers of the world. The leaves |
| petiolata), the little English daisy is | | | | and flowers contain more antioxidants - which |
| related to feverfew and has similar | | | | prevent cancer and heart disease, among other |
| abilities. I use the leaves and flowers to | | | | healthy traits - than any other plant tested. |
| make a tincture (with alcohol) or a medicinal | | | | And as part of the mint family, self heal is |
| vinegar which relieves headaches, muscle | | | | imbued with lots of minerals, especially |
| pain, and allergy symptoms. A dose is a | | | | calcium, making it an especially important |
| dropperful of the tincture (1 ml), up to | | | | ally for pregnant, nursing, menopausal, and |
| twice a day; or a tablespoon of the vinegar | | | | post-menopausal women. I put self heal leaves |
| in the morning.Dandelion (Taraxacum | | | | in salads in the spring and fall, make a |
| officinalis) is a persistent perennial of | | | | medicinal vinegar with the flowers during the |
| lawns and gardens and one of the best known | | | | summer, and cook the flowering tops (fresh or |
| medicinal herbs in the world. (The native | | | | dried) in winter soups.Usnea (Usnea barbata) |
| dandelion of New Zealand - Taraxacum | | | | is that many-stranded grey lichen hanging out |
| magellanicum - is medicinal too.) Those who | | | | of the branches of your apple trees or the |
| love a pure green lawn curse the sunny yellow | | | | Monterey pines planted in the plantation over |
| flowers of common dandelion. But those who | | | | there or in almost any native tree in areas |
| are willing to see beauty anywhere (such as | | | | of the South Island Alps, where it is known |
| children and herbalists) treasure this weed. | | | | as angiangi to the Maori. If in doubt of your |
| You can use any part of the dandelion - the | | | | identification: Pull a strand gently apart |
| root, the leaves, the flowers, even the | | | | with your hands, looking for a white fiber |
| flower stalk - to make a tincture or | | | | inside the fuzzy grey-green outer coat. To |
| medicinal vinegar which strengthens the | | | | prepare usnea, harvest at any time of the |
| liver. A dose of 10-20 drops of the tincture | | | | year, being careful not to take too much. |
| (.5-1 ml) relieves gas, heartburn, and | | | | Usnea grows slowly. Put your harvest in a |
| indigestion, as well as promoting healthy | | | | cooking pan and just cover it with cold |
| bowel movements. A tablespoon of the vinegar | | | | water. Boil for about 15-25 minutes, or until |
| works well, too. More importantly, taken | | | | the water is orange and reduced by at least |
| before meals, dandelion increases the | | | | half. Pour usnea and water into a jar, |
| production of hydrochloric acid in the | | | | filling it to the top with plant material. |
| stomach, thus increasing bio-availability of | | | | (Water should be no more than half of the |
| many nutrients, especially calcium. The fresh | | | | jar.) Add the highest proof alcohol you can |
| or cooked green leaves are loaded with | | | | buy. After 6 weeks this tincture is ready to |
| carotenes, those anti-cancer, anti-heart | | | | work for you as a superb antibacterial, |
| disease helpers. And the oil of the flowers | | | | countering infection anywhere in the body. A |
| is an important massage balm for maintaining | | | | dose is a dropperful (1 ml) as frequently as |
| healthy breasts. (There's lots more | | | | every two hours in acute situations.Yarrow |
| information on dandelions in Healing | | | | (Achellia millefolium) This lovely perennial |
| Wise.)Dock, also called yellow dock, curly | | | | weed is grown in many herb gardens for it has |
| dock, and broad dock is a perennial plant, | | | | a multitude of uses. Cut the flowering tops |
| which my Native American grandmothers use for | | | | (use only white-flowering yarrow) and use |
| "all women's problems." The Maori call it | | | | your alcohol to make a strongly-scented |
| paewhenua or runa. It is another plant that | | | | tincture that you can take internally to |
| disagrees with sheep, especially when the | | | | prevent colds and the flu. (A dose is 10-20 |
| land is overgrazed. I dig the yellow roots of | | | | drops, or up to 1 ml). I carry a little spray |
| Rumex crispus or R. obtusifolius and tincture | | | | bottle of yarrow tincture with me when I'm |
| them in alcohol to use as an ally when the | | | | outside and wet my skin every hour or so. A |
| immune system or the liver needs help. A dose | | | | United States Army study showed yarrow |
| is 15-25 drops (.5-1 ml). I also harvest the | | | | tincture to be more effective than DEET at |
| leaves and/or seeds throughout the growing | | | | repelling ticks, mosquitoes, and sand flies. |
| season and make a medicinal vinegar, taken a | | | | You can also make a healing ointment with |
| tablespoon at a time, which is used to | | | | yarrow flower tops and your oil or fat. |
| increase blood-levels of iron, reduce | | | | Yarrow oil is antibacterial, pain-relieving, |
| menstrual flooding and cramping, and balance | | | | and incredibly helpful in healing all types |
| hormone levels. If the chopped roots are | | | | of wounds.For more information on making |
| soaked in oil for six weeks, the resulting | | | | preparations and on the uses of specific |
| ointment is beneficial for keeping the | | | | herbs, consult Susun's books: Healing Wise, |
| breasts healthy.Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) | | | | Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, |
| and Ragwort (Senecio jacobea) are hardy | | | | Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, and |
| perennials that have a reputation for | | | | Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman |
| poisoning livestock, like their cousin tansy. | | | | Way.Susun Weed |
| Although not good for sheep, these two | | | | |
| Senecios are some of the world's most ancient | | | | PO Box 64 |
| healing plants, having been found in a grave | | | | |
| 60,000 years old. You can use the flowering | | | | Woodstock, NY 12498 |
| tops and leaves with your alcohol to make a | | | | |
| tincture which acts slowly to tonify the | | | | Fax: 1-845-246-8081Vibrant, passionate, and |
| reproductive organs, ease PMS, and stop | | | | involved, Susun Weed has garnered an |
| severe menstrual pain. A dose is 5-10 drops | | | | international reputation for her |
| (.2-.5 ml) per day, used only once a day, but | | | | groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and |
| for at least 3 months. (A larger dose is used | | | | writings on health and nutrition. She |
| to speed up labor.)Mallows (Malva neglecta, | | | | challenges conventional medical approaches |
| M. parviflora, M. sylvestres) grow well in | | | | with humor, insight, and her vast |
| neglected gardens and are surprisingly | | | | encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. |
| deep-rooted. The flowers, leaves, stalks, | | | | Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and |
| seeds, and roots are rich in sticky mucilage | | | | enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often |
| which is best extracted by soaking the fresh | | | | profoundly provocative.Susun is one of |
| plant in cold water overnight or longer or by | | | | America's best-known authorities on herbal |
| making a medicinal vinegar. The starch is | | | | medicine and natural approaches to women's |
| extraordinarily soothing internally (easing | | | | health. Her four best-selling books are |
| sore throats, upset tummies, heart burn, | | | | recommended by expert herbalists and |
| irritable bowel, colic, constipation, and | | | | well-known physicians and are used and |
| food poisoning) and externally (relieving bug | | | | cherished by millions of women around the |
| bites, burns, sprains, and sore eyes). The | | | | world. |