Rose Bay Willow Herb.

[rivermom]

Does anybody know of any uses for this plant. It keeps showing up in my garden. I usually just pull it up and compost it. But surely with such a pretentious name, it must be good for something.

 

[scottishwolf]

I think I remember Mr Mears using it to thicken stews etc. Could be wrong but sure someone will come along soon with a correct answer. Had a few wee glenmorangies this evening so the memory might not be 100% lol. I think he used it on the one where he was cooking trout and something else in the billy can and needed something to thicken it up a bit???

 

[Greg]

You can use the pith as a thickening agent for stews.
The dried leaves make a half good tea.
The ryzomes can be baked & eaten, similar to Catail.
The dead flowering part in the winter makes good tinder.

Look here:

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Epilobium+angustifolium

I hope this is useful!

 

[xylaria]

The pith can taste sweet, or it can taste alumium foil, i think their must be subspecies of it because the flavour is very variable. You can make cordage with the bits of stem that aren't used. The flower head fluff is nice, it twists up to really silky thread. The leaves can be eaten but they taste funny and stain the wee a funny colour.

 

[addo]

The fluffy seeds make an excellent fine nest material for the centre of a tinder bundle, of grasses, into which you can place an ember created by friction, fungi or charcloth.

 

[w00dsmoke]

When I was living rough I would eat the leaves in a variety of ways, raw if you're starving, cooked with rabbit and nettles in a stew or soup. The only problem I had with the leaves is it turns your urine green!!!! I kid you not!

 

[TeeDee]

Green wee!!

Excellent!!

Next time the Doctor asks for the obligatory sample i'll see if i can give him a shock.