Oregon grape
Mahonia aquilfolium Fruit edible raw and cooked.
Corn poppy
Papaver rheos flower petals simmered gently promote sleep*. Seeds edible, really nice lighty roasted.
Broom
Cytisis scoparius Edible flowers a bit diuretic. Makes a sweeping brush very easily.
Comfrey
Symphytum officinale whole plant has been eaten the past now veiwed as carcongenic. Has brillant healing properties when used externally. I have used the frozen root on my daughters eczema with results that where far faster than hydrocortazone and more perminant. Have also used it a setting plaster on broken finger. Good to know for field dressings. For 101 list of plant I would have this in the top 10.
Rowan
sorbus aucuparia Fruit edible better cooked seem to have high pectin content so next sept I will need to try that techneque that RM showed with the hawthorn and make chewy bars. Can be sharp if picked too early
Cherry
Prunus spp Edible gum mixed with dried powered fruit to make 'indian chewing gum'. Gum carries a fungus so needs careful processing. fruit edible on some spieces.
Sloe
prunus spinosa Fruit can also be made into meat sauce like cranberry. The sauce I made was better when I added hawthorn (sweeter and set better).
Meadowsweet
Filiendula ulmaria Whole plant contains salicylics but used to treat stomach ulcers in modern herballism. Flowers make the most divine tea, which helps with flu and fevers. Freezing preserves them better than drying.
Kapok poplar
populus (?) grows kapok, thats copious amounts of fluffy down to anyone who has never done needle work. Has alots of uses.
Horsetail
Equisetum arvense I have used this to clean rust off things I didn't wish to be use abrasives on. The metal does need to be oiled after as though it cleans the rust off the acid(?) in the plant will also incourage it.
Sea buckthorn
hippophae rhamniodes It tastes revolting (unripe rowan) but it might mix will hawthorn
.
Silverweed
potentilla spp has small knobby roots taste like potatoe.
Sweet woodruff
Asperula odorata Flowers made into tea.
Pineapple mayweed used like chamomile but tastes better IMHO.
Cleavers
Galium aperine Easy to ID edilble plant. Nice lightly boiled with nob of butter. Seeds can used in peashooter to shoot family and freinds in a freindly game, where you count the amount a hits you have had by how covered the oppsition is in burrs
Burdock With use of low powered sling shot in a game simerlar to one played with cleavers can played.
Sweet chestnut
Castanea sativa Flowers edible, the MALE flowers/catkins have smell that is off putting
. Fruit yummy and has plenty of uses, not normally worth while in britain but last year was they were ace.
Beech
fagus silvatica Oil can processed out the mast seeds very time consuming though.
houseleek
sempervivum tectorum Use like aloe vera better than dock with nettle stings. good on sunburn.
Euphorbias Charm them warts and vercucas off by dripping the sap on effected skin and then letting it dry. Do not use on skin that is regarlery exposed to sunlight as this treatment will predipose to skin to cancer.
Hops
Humulus lupulus cordage plant related to hemp. I have used a tisane flowers for stress condition, overdosed and got numb lips and fingers. Contains substances that help treat multiple scurosis.*
Holly
Ilex aquilfolium Makes lovely withies really smooth and consistant. dried leaves burn like firelighters.
Speedwell
Veronica officinals traditionally used on feet blisters, I have tried and can't say it has worked in any noticiable way.
Guelder rose
viburnum opulus used by vikings to preserve other fruit, don't know how, dose any body else?
Orache
Atriplex hortensis all arial parts eaten tastes like kale.
Good king henry
Chenopoduim Good easy to ID green vegatable whole genus edible. dont live off it though can make skin hypersensitive.
Chickweed
stellaria media Cook lightly and add nob of butter.
Feverfew
Chrysanthemum parthenium. Good and effective migraine treatment, must be taken between slices of bread as can cause mouth ulcers.
Tansy Cooked up with apples will get rid of intestial parasites. not good enough to be used instead of good hygene but effective and can used on children.
Wild chamomile
Matricaria chamomile this chamomile is one most likely to be found growing wild in scrubby places in britian, can be eaten raw, can make you a bit drowsy if eaten in large quantaties.
Mints
Mentha spp can used as a strewing herb in tent to make the place smell clean. plus host of culinary uses. Anti-nausant avoid wild mints when pregant unless good at ID.
Samphire
salicornia europaea one the best wild plants I have ever eaten. costal salt marshes only.
Witch-hazel
hammaelis virginiana boil leaves in vodka in saucepan with tight fitting lid to make a mother tincture that is far better than what you buy in a phamacy. Must dilute before use.
* These plants can produce a positive result during narcotic screening, I thought I should add that as there is a lot members in armed services and other professions where you screened.
The really useful plants have already been mentioned, but I hope this will take make the list closer to the 101 useful plants. I am sure I can come up with more :aargh4:
I have just moved house and all my books are still packed so I have more or less kept to plants I have used in the past and can remember (the Hops might of effected me memory abit
) and I HAVE NOT DOUBLE CHECKED THE TOXICOLOGY.
