One really fantastic thing you can do right now is learn about the plants we all like to call "weeds" that grow in our gardens and yards. You may be asking yourself, "Why would I care about weeds?
So the systems we've all adored and have grown comfortable with just aren't panning out. I won't talk about why, when we all know why and we're all tired of hearing about it.
Instead, let's focus on the most important things right now...
FOOD AND MEDICINE!
Both of which are growing all around you.
Notice & Warning: I am not a licensed anything at all! If you consume something or take any of this advice, you do so at your own risk. Be sure to perform your own tests to make sure you aren't allergic to something before you ingest it! I am not responsible for what you do with the information I give you. You alone are responsible for doing your own research on anything I present to you here. I am giving you general information for plants that may become useful to you, and it's up to you to research them and find out where you can get them.
It is spring time and many of these plants can be found, dried, and stored for medicinal uses. But keep in mind that the flowers especially are needed by pollinators to continue existing... So make sure you leave some for the bees and other important pollinators!
With that said, it may be more difficult for those living in large cities or concrete jungles to find these common plants, but not impossible if the need arises. The point here is to be informed about what you can take action to do in the event that you should need to.
Many of these plants can be found all over the United States, and so these are the ones I've chosen to present in this post. I will likely do a similar post for Louisiana specifically because that is where I live. I ecourage you to search for groups on facebook that focus on local foraging, what is edible, medicinal, and toxic, etc. Research your area and it's wildflowers and other plants that may be of use to you.
The first one I want to mention is one we all know. The Dandelion!
Taraxacum officinale, or Dandelion, has wonderful medicinal properties! The entire plant from root to flower is edible. The dried or fresh roots are often used to make tea, coffee, tinctures, decoctions, and salves. The flower can be used to make healing salves as well. It has been used to make treatments for stomach and liver issues, acne, high colesterol, diabetes, cancer, heartburn/indigestion, premenstrual bloat, and other bothersome problems. Photo from Pixabay.
Dead Nettle
Lamium purpureum is in the mint family and is sometimes confused with Stinging Nettle, which it certainly is not. Henbit can also be confused with Dead Nettle, but I'll talk about Henbit soon enough. Dead Nettle is completely edible, and can be use pretty much any way we would use any other greens as far as meal prep. What makes Dead Nettle so important right now is the fact that it is antibacterial, anti fungal, and anti-inflammatory. It can be used in poultices and salves for scrapes and cuts. It is also a great astringent and diuretic. So... Fantastic! I've read up on this plant and it seems that bees prefer this flower over others, so be sure not to take them all. Photo from Pixabay
Henbit
Common Yellow Wood Sorrel
I tried to get a decent photo of sorrel. They are best identified at this time by their 3 green leaves in patches, but if you often confuse these with clover leaves, notice the long stem with yellow flowers that are still trying to bloom. Oxalis stricta, also called Lemon Clover or Sourgrass is edible! Ediblewildfood.com says "Wood sorrel is an incredible thirst quencher and is refreshing to eat. The leaves, flowers, and immature green seed pods are all edible having a mild sour flavour that some say resemble lemons. Wood sorrel can be added to salads, used in soups, sauces and it can also be used as a seasoning." Wood Sorrel is commonly used to treat Scurvy which is Vitamin C deficiency, as well as liver and digestive problems, and swollen gums. consuming Wood Sorrel is something of a debated subject and I have found warnings that it contains oxalic acid which could potentially damage organs, so do please do your own research on this plant before consuming, and come to your own conclusions. I add it to my salads on occasion and it tastes very good, and I've not personally had (or known anyone who's had) any serious complications because of it.
Beaked Corn Salad
Again, I tried to get a good photo that would show the forking stem, but I also found a great public domain image that illustrates Corn Salad for a clear look at how these stems fork upward. Valerianella olitoria of the Velarian family is edible and rich in Vitamins A, B, & C. I found a warning here: https://www.foragingtexas.com/2006/02/corn-salad.html about a very similar plant called Cudweed that one should NOT eat and be cautious of so study this plant before consuming.
Chickweed
I encourage you to google this plant to get a better look at it. I couldn't find any in my yard just yet but I'm sure it's on it's way, or maybe I just couldn't see it because it's typical for our yard. Stem, leaves, flowers, and seeds of the Stellaria media plant are edible. I've read that people who are allergic to daisies should not eat chickweed. The leaves are used to make herbal medicine for treating stomach problems such as constipation and bowel complications, asthma and lung disease, muscle and joint pain, skin irritations, and Vitamin C deficiency such as Scurvy. Please do research before ingesting any plant.
Cleavers
Galium aparine, also called Bedstraw, Sticky Weed, Catchweed, Goosegrass, and many other names, is commonly used for it's diuretic properties. It is edible, highly nutritious, and thought to be great for the lymphatic system.
Cleavers are said to disolve small kidney stones. It's also reported to be good for skin irritations such as psoriasis, and has been used for snake bites, spider bites, and other wounds. It was even used to heal cancer apparently.
There are so many fantastic uses for this herb! I found a wonderful site with much more information that you'll want to check out if you are interested in using this fairly common plant usually thought of as a nuisance.
You can find more info here:
I've also read that it's a good idea to blanch Cleavers for eating, as it will get rid of the "Sticky hairs".
Common Plantain
(Photo by Jesse Taylor found HERE.)
Plantain is one of those plants I seriously wish was growing in my yard! But my bestie Amiti mailed me some seeds and this year we'll have plenty of it! Plantago major is one of those "weeds" you are going to want to pay attention to! It is anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and an anti-inflammatory. It is an expectorant that soothes bug bites and stings as well. Not only that, but it's full of important Vitamins and Minerals such as Iron. All parts of this plant is edible.
Lyre-Leaf Sage
Hopefully you can see them good enough. Be sure to look them up if you're not certain! It's leaves toward the ground tend to have "purple veins", and the plant has a square stem. Salvia lyrata (also called Cancerweed) is a great source of Vitamin C. Dried leaves and flowers of the Lyre-Leaf Sage are used to make tea for treating coughs, colds, and digestive problems. The root is used to make poultices for wounds. It has a good amount of fiber, is used as a gentle laxative and natural "Gas-X", and antiacid. The entire plant is edible.
There is much more food and medicine to be discovered in your own yard, parks, woods (where you have permission to look). These are only a few, and I may add a new post with more plants later as well.
On the list of plants you should check out are also:
Perslane
Dewberries
Spiderwort
Mugwort
Pennywort
Ground Ivy
Cattails
Red Clover
White Clover
Wild Onions
Garlic Mustard
Miner's Lettuce
Stinging Nettle
Yarrow
Willow
Daisy Fleabane
Many of these plants and "Weeds" grow throughout the United States, and have many medicinal uses. And they are all edible!
If you're interested in learning more about foraging, I suggest joining a local foraging group. I've found one for Louisiana that is absolutely fantastic and I learned much just by scrolling and reading posts and comments. Join a group that will help you identify edible and non-edible plants. Learn about the healing properties of plants and trees, as this can be quite invaluable information in any situation.
Take care, stay Blessed, and Bring Light and Knowledge to those around you.
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