Medicine plant of the Day

[Peanut]

Sweet leaf is tiny right now, difficult to spot unless you know where it's at. Look for it when its blooming, around memorial day. I scattered a lot of seed last fall, wild plants are weird. They might come up this spring or wait years.

There's a buttercup that is almost identical to goldenrod when it's this small. It's growing now also. I'd wait on looking for grod unless you know both plants well. Much easier id when it's larger. It grows in patches, same place every year. Once you know were a couple patches are... It's very common here, acres of it.

 

[Peanut]

Today I found yellow root growing millimeters from an elderberry sprout. The yellowroot is taller and it's leaves are a lighter shade of green.

 

[Peanut]

Solomon's Seal growing on my porch today. I have got to get these set out this fall. Been telling myself that for 3yrs. Sooner or later I'll listen.

 

[Patchouli]

@Peanut does Soloman's Seal prefer a moist soil? I hope you can get it in the ground soon.

 

[Peanut]

@Peanut does Soloman's Seal prefer a moist soil? I hope you can get it in the ground soon.

I find it in well drained woodland soils. Most often on hillsides.

Today I saw that yellowroot has leafed out, looks like a couple recent nights around 32 burned a few leaves. I harvested here last spring. Nice to see it has bounced back nicely.

 

[Peanut]

Also today, my favorite patch of self heal is up... I harvested plenty last year from a different location so won't need any from here. Maybe it'll be a good year so I can harvest seed from this spot in late summer.

 

[Bacpacker]

I need to search around my place and see if any is up yet. We usually have a few patches

 

[Peanut]

Yarrow and Sseal on my porch. Got too many Sseal plants in one pot, looks like they are fighting for nutrients. Should have dug up half the roots and put them in another pot last fall.

 

[Peanut]

The woods are full of early spring medicinals, May apples, Trillium, false solomon’s seal and solomon’s seal. Even saw some wild ginger.

I found false Solomon’s Seal and Solomon’s Seal growing together. I’ve never seen that happen before. I sort of expected to find false seal at this location but did not expect to find true seal growing here too. Guess I need to rethink where I look for true seal.

 

[Peanut]

Where was I hunting plants today? There is some wild country back in here, much of it vertical with a few old coal mines. In summer I can walk across this river, not today. Looked like someone’s been doing some logging, maybe last summer.

When I was a teenager we had a large swing for dropping into a deep pool here. We used a skidder cable about 70ft long, bolted up to the top of a big white oak. A big swing and a load of fun.

The rocky bluffs in this area are loaded with rattlesnakes. The biggest timber rattlers I’ve seen all came out of this place.

 

[Peanut]

Plantain is up. It took 10yrs to get it started growing in my yard. Now it's everywhere. I harvested a big pan full this morning. Rinsed it good, letting it dry a bit now. Then I'm going to make tincture. It's an amazing plant, does wonderful things.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/plantain.4393/

 

[LadyLocust]

Plantain is up. It took 10yrs to get it started growing in my yard. Now it's everywhere. I harvested a big pan full this morning. Rinsed it good, letting it dry a bit now. Then I'm going to make tincture. It's an amazing plant, does wonderful things.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/plantain.4393/
View attachment 106448View attachment 106449

That's a nice harvest!

 

[Peanut]

When it's finished in a couple of months I'll have about 10oz of tincture.

 

[Peanut]

Back in the woods today for my weekly plant fix...
Elder

Self Heal

Corn Salad, a great early spring edible. Rich in vitamins but not a medicine.

Clematis, headache vine

Wild lettuce

 

[Peanut]

This used to be my favorite patch of sweet leaf, before all the logging this winter. Yet sweet leaf is still here. I found 2 tiny plants trying to grow out of the destruction.

 

[Bacpacker]

This used to be my favorite patch of sweet leaf, before all the logging this winter. Yet sweet leaf is still here. I found 2 tiny plants trying to grow out of the destruction.

View attachment 107005View attachment 107006View attachment 107007

WHats the ragged looking plant?

 

[Peanut]

WHats the ragged looking plant?

If this is what you are referring to... it's either ragweed or Bidens bipinnata. Too early to tell when they are this small.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/bidens.10734/

 

[lonewolf]

saw a pilewort plant this morning, work out your own uses !!!LOL.

 

[Bacpacker]

If this is what you are referring to... it's either ragweed or Bidens bipinnata. Too early to tell when they are this small.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/bidens.10734/
View attachment 107052

Yes thats the one I was asking about

 

[joel]

I would have said rag weed, but we pulled them out of the garden, long before they matured enough to know for sure.

 

[Peanut]

This is the only place I’ve found wild yarrow growing within 30 miles. A few years ago I heard a rumor the county was going to spray herbicide on the right-of-way which would have killed it. So I transplanted it into pots and have it growing on my porch now.

Last summer I noticed the county replaced a culvert at that spot. Destroyed everything growing, dug out and reshaped the drainage ditch. I was sure they had killed the yarrow.

Today I stopped to check this spot. Well, well, well… the county didn’t kill it after all. And… instead of one group of plants… now there are 3 clumps growing. Wild plants amaze me sometimes, they almost never do what I expect.

Yarrow used to grow under this big pile of dirt.

 

[Peanut]

Sweet Leaf blooming in my yard today. I don't need to harvest any this year. Told a friend they could have it, maybe get it tomorrow.

 

[Peanut]

Went for a little drive, scouted some plant locations.

Found sensitive briar everywhere, seems a good year for it.

A good year for black berries too.

Found a new patch of Oak leaf hydrangea aka 7 bark aka 9 bark.

Seems a good year for Queen Ann's Lace ( queen ann has hairy legs)

Last year I harvested a lot of yellowroot from this spot. More than I was comfortable harvesting but it was needed by a lady. It came back like gangbusters this spring. In about 4 yrs I can harvest here again.

 

[joel]

"I saw Queen Ann's Lace on the way to the lake."
Seems a good year for Queen Ann's Lace ( queen ann has hairy legs)

 

[joel]

Stinging nettle and its bad reputation! It stings, it burns, it’s dangerous, it’s invasive… And yet, it’s also an absolutely incredible plant for your health and cooking. It’s undoubtedly one of the most interesting edible plants, and because it’s fairly invasive, it’s also virtually inexhaustible in nature! The Plant​ Native to Eurasia, the stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, has made its home all over the world (except perhaps at the poles, because there’s not much growing there). It likes nitrogen-rich soil and part shade. That’s about all there is to know about this plant if you want to grow it. To get rid of it, I’ve heard that planting a few potatoes at its feet it will be enough to starve it of nitrogen, but well, I read that on an unsourced website, so I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the information. Personally, I’d rather eat it to control it. In Mother Nature’s Garden: Stinging Nettle​

 

[joel]

https://laidbackgardener.blog/2023/06/07/in-mother-natures-garden-stinging-nettle/

 

[Peanut]

Saw these one day last week, forgot to post them. First up... Self Heal aka Prunella vulgaris.

And there was some yellowroot close by...

 

[Patchouli]

I drink nettle tea, is that stinging nettle?

 

[Peanut]

@Patchouli More than likely... what does it say on the box? Herbal teas have plants listed by the latin name on the pkg or label. Look for the name Urtica dioica.

 

[Patchouli]

@Patchouli More than likely... what does it say on the box? Herbal teas have plants listed by the latin name on the pkg or label. Look for the name Urtica dioica.

Yup, if I’d have read the info on the box I’d have known.
Good for joint health it reads. I need to drink more of it, my hands have been hurting a lot.