Wild Medicinal Plants

Ive thought about it, but then looked at my valued time and said.................Ill just buy it instead. Unless scavenging the roadside, this means going into weeds...with ticks.

In the US............Ginsing grows all over supposedly. Dandelion is in almost all yards beyond the desert.

Lots of mushrooms.....and some can be deadly.

I possibly found some Chaga once while purposely scouting some wild birch areas for it. But didnt want to come back through the snow with a latter, and didnt want to harm an already environmentally stressed birch tree. Maybe the birch in my yard will grow some ha ha...

You sound much more versed on this than I.

I love to forage, so many wonderful things growing free for all. I enjoy nettle, purple clover, strawberry, they are the most abundant near our place but have also harvested ginger, Oregon grape, pineapple weed, and pine needles.
It takes a little research to make sure you know what your picking,and how to use it, but I love having so much good around me

We forage many different wild mushrooms. There is a handful of relatively safe to pick mushrooms such as morels, chicken mushrooms, chanterelles, black trumpets, oysters, and sheepnheads. We also forage ginseng and yellow root. We eat other non medicinal wild greens. Cat tails are an easy way to get started.

Astronomer, there is a guy in western pa by the name of Adam Harrington who has an online and in person course on foraging and making your own tinctures. His you tube is called learn your land. Lots of very informative videos.

I forgot a few other easy mushrooms, lions mane and shaggy manes. Also Japanese knotweed grows everywhere around here.

Oh good point about Japanese knotweed. It's a beast of a weed! And everywhere.

Astronomer, I definitely believe that humans have lost a great deal of wisdom that we used to have. I would not be surprised if you are correct.

I used to do all my own herbal preparations.

Plants are the greatest givers... I don't know how all the others fair with wildcrafting but I have stopped for the most part due to the ticks. I have been spiritually closed off because I lost my connection and trust in what used to be my church. Not completely but it's been devistating to loose what was once so much a piece of me.

I also don't have much free time. But today I was on an island with knotweed and blue vervain, and lobelia cardinalis, teasel and boneset...

Best advice is to get to know one at a time. Sit and observe identify taste smell etc .

There are some simple herbalists who may only be versed in ten herbs or so but its amazing the amount of constituents and actions only ten herbs can hold.

Using petersons to key out plant while in flower is great. Well I used Newcombs but I imagine it's similar.

Astronomer said...
Thanks for all the responses. I've always wanted to talk to folks about wild plants and it looks like I finally found a place to do so. I've heard this before and wonder what you folks think about it.......A wild animal has instincts that tell it to eat a certain plant if it is sick despite the fact that the animal wouldn't eat it when healthy. I've heard that ancient humans used to have instincts like those too but have lost them. Anybody ever hear that?

Stephen Buhner quotes this in his books - I spent its part of the Gaia belief system. he writes about that in some of his other books.
still, he says chimpanzees do this in the wild and many other animals too - and I'm inclined to believe it.

I have dandelions and lamb's quarters plants that grew in my garden naturally. The lambs quarters are taking over a little bit, but they are very easy to pull. I also have some violets (wild) that are sort of tasty, but the leaves get furry.

It's ok to pick.ot to use just don't plant it or throw pieces of it in the yard. Any leftovers need to be sealed on an old jar or plastic bottle and thrown away or better yet burned inside a container like a burn barrel. The root is what you want. We have known for decades in my area how invasive knotweed is. If you mow it or till it up.you just spread it around as the little pieces will sprout. There was a big push at one time to eradicate it with programs teaching people how to kill the roots but had little effect. Of you keep your ground mowed it won't be a problem it anywhere you don't mow it will take over. Just don't let it start near your home. Look along creeks and rivers. I have a love hate relationship with it. Horribly invasive but provides the best nectar flow of the year for my bees and they make a large crop of delicious honey from it. It's my most requested/top selling honey. I've often wondered if the honey has resveratrol in it but I don't know where I would send a sample to find out. I also feel it may be cost prohibitive to test. Would be nice to know. It will be blooming soon. We just got some rain so I'm hoping for a good flow.

Post Edited (WV Mike) : 8/4/2020 4:44:20 AM (GMT-6)