Medicine plant of the Day

[Peanut]

this is the flower of the one I know as iron weed, medicinal. I had some growing back in the east.
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Yep, I know it by iron weed also, several by that name. The latin name is Vernonia gigantea. I've read it has medicinal properties but I've not read of anyone using it since the early 1800s. It blooms here in late summer, septemberish. It really stands out on the road sides, about 6ft tall.

 

[Peanut]

Finished up the Sida tinctures this morning. I should have enough for several years. When I first started making tinctures I made pints, sometimes less... why? I have the vodka and plants, now I make enough for years at a time. I can wait for another good year to make tinctures.

The other advantage... I don't have to make tinctures for all the plants I use each year. I only have to make a few tinctures each year, when I'm running low on something.

 

[Peanut]

Wish everyone could smell my house right now. I have 4 trays of Mtn Mint blooms in the dehydrator. I dry the blooms then seal them up in little cheese cloth bags. Just toss one in the dryer with my laundry.

I would never harvest medicine under a power line, they use nasty herbicides underneath. These blooms are for my clothes dryer, fine for that purpose.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/mountain-mint.6983/

 

[Peanut]

I tinctured yarrow today. I have plants on my porch. They had put on new fronds the last couple of weeks, a big growth spurt. Time to harvest...

Yarrow is an amazing plant, every home should grow it.

Today's pic was bad... this one is from last year.

 

[Pearl]

I tinctured yarrow today. I have plants on my porch. They had put on new fronds the last couple of weeks, a big growth spurt. Time to harvest...

Yarrow is an amazing plant, every home should grow it.

Today's pic was bad... this one is from last year.

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I've heard you can chew fresh leaves for stomach upset?! Also heard it's an antibacterial?! Please share what you know Peanut!!

 

[Peanut]

I've heard you can chew fresh leaves for stomach upset?! Also heard it's an antibacterial?!

No, not for chewing, tastes nasty for starters. Mint family plants are good for digestive issues.

For details... after checking the thread I realized I haven't tinctured yarrow since 2019. No wonder I was running low. It should put back up in a month, hopefully there will be enough for a second harvest.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/yarrow.1922/

 

[Patchouli]

I had a huge yarrow when I left the east. They smell a little strong. My kids played with the plant. LOL
I should move back east or somewhere I can grow my herbs again without worrying about heat, wind, and water usage.

 

[Peanut]

Score! A big pan of Usnea! I was harvesting during a thunderstorm, got soaked. I have to let it dry out some before processing. I'll make another hot percolation, let it sit in the crock pot.

 

[Magus]

I got one:
The common potato, it draws venom out of bee stings, soothes burns and bruises and infection out of boils/zits.

 

[Pearl]

I got one:
The common potato, it draws venom out of bee stings, soothes burns and bruises and infection out of boils/zits.

That's why I never had acne after them mashed tater pie eatin' contests!! KIDDING!! Sounds good right now though!!

 

[Peanut]

My first welding job... Old welders trick, flashed burned eyes are fairly common in that trade. A slice of spud is held against a burned eye. It's said it draws out the "burn".

Many times I've driven home with a slice of potato over an eye when I welded train cars. 70 miles home and I'd be feeling better when I got there. Might be 15/20 guys, all welding within 50ft of each other so usually one eye or the other got burned. I got flash burn so often I kept a bag of potatoes in the car.

I have no idea how it works for flash burned eyes but it works. A potato is a drawing agent, several other plants are drawing agents used in herbal medicine, exp Plantain.

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Chlorophyll... it has a neat little property. It neutralizes many insect venoms, ants and bees, some wasps but not the nasty ones. So, technically, a broken leaf from any green plant will neutralize and sooth an insect sting or bite. Unless the green plant you pick kills you. I'd stick with thick grasses from under a dripping garden hose. A good source for chlorophyll say... when a little kid gets a bee sting in the yard, simple stuff.

 

[Magus]

That's why I never had acne after them mashed tater pie eatin' contests!! KIDDING!! Sounds good right now though!!

You should try a Zamora potato burrito. your monthly requirement of starch and pork in one meal!

 

[Magus]

https://www.luriegarden.org/plants/...a strong minty aroma when crushed or bruised.I use this on my COPD and stomach, mixed with another herb. LOL but no kidding, it helps when the legal stuff fails! I think we already covered mint, so moving right along to another favorite:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/bugleweed-benefits-side-effects-and-preparations-4688633
https://www.anniesremedy.com/lycopu...and ellagic acids); pimaric acid methyl ester
Makes me sleep when nothing else will and its a legal buzz if you catch it at the right time, the flowers have trace opioids.

Speaking of the monkey-wrench in the toolbox:
https://healthyfocus.org/benefits-of-sweet-fennel-essential-oil/
Feeling witchy?
https://wiccanow.com/magickal-prope...elps,A which is great for eyesight More items
https://www.organicfacts.net/white-sage.html
Lots of good properties, one not covered is smoking a bit for asthma and lung congestion, you'll yack up stuff that's been in there decades festering away!

And a personal favorite:
https://healthbenefitsof.org/6-shoc....- Benefits,... 6 6.- Better vision and skin
Mixed properly with other herbs, it can cure lung based sicknesses like cold and flu, other times, just ward them off. Anyone for a cup of red pepper tea and lemon with honey?

https://myservice4all.com/health-benefits-of-garlicA tincture of Garlic, red pepper, onion and lemon peel with dill and fennal
will kick a bad cold's @$$ right out of you, downside is your breath smells like old road kill all day!

 

[Peanut]

4 pints of Usnea, heated for 2days with water only. After cooled I added pga, 190proof. In a few weeks they'll be ready.

Now I'm sure I have enough for at least a year

 

[joel]

https://www.luriegarden.org/plants/...a strong minty aroma when crushed or bruised.I use this on my COPD and stomach, mixed with another herb. LOL but no kidding, it helps when the legal stuff fails! I think we already covered mint, so moving right along to another favorite:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/bugleweed-benefits-side-effects-and-preparations-4688633
https://www.anniesremedy.com/lycopu...and ellagic acids); pimaric acid methyl ester
Makes me sleep when nothing else will and its a legal buzz if you catch it at the right time, the flowers have trace opioids.

Speaking of the monkey-wrench in the toolbox:
https://healthyfocus.org/benefits-of-sweet-fennel-essential-oil/
Feeling witchy?
https://wiccanow.com/magickal-prope...elps,A which is great for eyesight More items
https://www.organicfacts.net/white-sage.html
Lots of good properties, one not covered is smoking a bit for asthma and lung congestion, you'll yack up stuff that's been in there decades festering away!

And a personal favorite:
https://healthbenefitsof.org/6-shoc....- Benefits,... 6 6.- Better vision and skin
Mixed properly with other herbs, it can cure lung based sicknesses like cold and flu, other times, just ward them off. Anyone for a cup of red pepper tea and lemon with honey?

https://myservice4all.com/health-benefits-of-garlicA tincture of Garlic, red pepper, onion and lemon peel with dill and fennal
will kick a bad cold's @$$ right out of you, downside is your breath smells like old road kill all day!

Sounds like Fire Cider.

 

[Magus]

Pretty close actually.

 

[Peanut]

Rain and circumstance has kept me out of the creeks for a month. Water is up every where. It rained over an inch yesterday.

I badly need to harvest yellowroot but the weather isn't cooperating. I'm looking for a big patch where I can get what I need at one location. I finally got a sunny day so I went about a 1/2mile down my favorite creek. No-go, it was 4ft deep in spots. I didn't even find a good place to cross the creek.

Looks like I'll have to do this the hard way. Break out my hip waders and hit 15 or 20 locations. Harvest a few plants at each place.

There is yellowroot in this pic, on both creek banks.

 

[Magus]

Do you dry and store or dehydrate and powder?

 

[Peanut]

Depends on the species... the majority I harvest are tinctured. A few plants that are best taken as a tea I dry. But even vacuum sealed they have to be replaced the next year, a tincture is good for at least a decade. No to freeze drying.

 

[Peanut]

I drove a little road I haven’t been down in ages. By a creek I found Red Cardinal flower. Its a member of the Lobelia family tho’ weaker medicinally speaking. I wouldn’t use it as it’s more potent cousins are common.

I only knew of one place Red C. grew but that county started spraying roadsides with roundup. Took a few years but they finally killed it.

This creek is in the same county but not on the right of way. I stopped and spoke to a young lady who lived yards away. It was her horses and creek. She gave me permission to go into her pasture for photos.

Afterwards I brought my camera to her so she could see the photos. It’s a striking plant, plain to see why people some grow it in their yards.

Funny, she wanted to know how her horses knew me because they followed me around while I was in the pasture. She'd watched from her house. Said they were very shy of strangers. Critters always follow me… don’t think she bought my explanation but it was true. I’d never seen those horses before but they clearly weren't shy around me. The big black was a regular pocket pest.

 

[Bacpacker]

We see cardinal flower up in the mountains quite often this time of year. It is a beautiful plant

 

[Peanut]

We see cardinal flower up in the mountains quite often this time of year. It is a beautiful plant

Next time you see one tear a leaf and touch the edge of the leaf to your tongue. You'll see why lobelia's are also known as Puke Weed.

A leaf edge isn't enough to make you blow chunks but the taste will explain the name. It's an error proof way to identify them. There is no mistaking that flavor.

 

[Bacpacker]

Ill run right out and try that.

 

[Peanut]

Just make sure you have plenty of water or beverage to wash the flavor out of your mouth. I drank a 1/2g of gatorade. I can't describe the flavor. It triggers a gag reflex in most people.

 

[Peanut]

Finally! a week without rain so I could get in the creeks again.

So, more pictures of yellowroot. Except this time I'm harvesting. I went to a new location I found this summer. It's about a month past its prime but still good. It has a lower moisture content now which is fine. Just have to take it into account when mixing the menstrum.

I think I got enough for the winter. But to be sure I need one more bucket full. Maybe tomorrow.

I'll get this made into tincture this evening.

90% of the foliage on the creek bank is yellowroot, Xanthorhiza simplicissima

 

[Magus]

The doctoring weed of the day is "Lamb's ears"
http://medicinalherbinfo.org/000Herbs2016/1herbs/lambs-ear/

 

[Peanut]

Spent a couple hours scouting plants this afternoon, nothing but bad news. My new area is on the west side of a swamp that runs north to south. The next big terrain feature is a ridge that runs north to south. All summer I scouted streams that flow east from that ridge into the swamp. I found 3 nice “honey holes” with lots of great medicinals.

Today I scouted further west on the other side of that ridge. Just an estimate… 4-5 thousand acres of clear cut timber down that valley… a big mess. Sure, pines have been set out, some looked 8-10yrs old. And I’m sure there are small pockets in there with good medicinals but none of them would be worth the trouble of getting in there and back out again. Much less getting permission from land owners. It’s a wash... that valley is not worth my time.

I guess I’ll go look on the other side of that valley. Hope it’s not more of the same.

 

[LadyLocust]

@Bacpacker yet other herbal crafters can assist. You could check mountain rose herbs website, but might be able to find closer to you in your state, just type it in on a search.
It was declared illegal within the last years, not sure if that has been changed.
I think someone here was growing it, was it @Tank-Girl ? It actually is very beneficial for most people but a few may have a bad reaction, really bad. I’ve used it with other herbs in a few different preparations for skin ailments and injuries with no problems.

Illegal? Really? That one befuddles me. Folks have it in their garden. Thank you- I will have to see if that’s a state thing.

 

[joel]

Here's why oral comfrey products were banned.
The pyrrolizidine alkaloids in comfrey can cause severe liver damage, liver cancer, mutagenicity, and even death. [8,9] For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of oral comfrey products in the United States.May 17, 2021

Yes, but comfrey is a great plant for wounds & cut & drop green compost.

 

[Patchouli]

Illegal? Really? That one befuddles me. Folks have it in their garden. Thank you- I will have to see if that’s a state thing.

I didn't make it up. It came from FDA.

Yes, but comfrey is a great plant for wounds & cut & drop green compost.

I believe in the power of comfrey. David Christopher, MH, pointed out that because a few people used comfrey then became very sick, the FDA went on the warpath. You know how they are.
https://www.herballegacy.com/Comfrey.html