The Wanderer's Herbs

[Pandabean]

I have been reading over the hedgrow Medicine book that I got a few weeks ago and I have been pretty engrossed within it. I am hoping that I can increase my plant and tree ID more this year but it got me thinking.

If you were out wandering the wilds what would be your top five plants that you would be on the lookout for their medicinal purposes?

From what I have read so far (limited knowledge and easily ID'able plants/trees) I would probably go for....

Oak
Leaves can be chewed for a bit and then placed in an open wound
Break off a young twig and chew the end of it and use as a toothbrush.

Willow
Chew the bark to relive pain/headaches due to the salicylic acid present.
Toothbrushes as well (so I have heard)

Elder
Berries - can be turned into a cough syrup
tea infusion of leaves for fevers and colds (hot) or night sweats, hot flushes (cold tea)

Cleavers (Sticky Willies)
Cleaver juice can be used for swollen glands, tonsilitis
Cleaver Poultice, using the freshly bruised plant as a poultice to treat sunburn, burns, open sores, blisters and nettle rash

Birch (wonderful tree this as we all know)
Cleansing the body with either sap or leaf tea.
Leaf tea can be used for various things from feavers, fluid retention, arthritis, gout


Based on what I know these would be my 5 that I can easily identify in the field.

What do you think? Anything else that I could use these for or what would you pick?

 

[Toddy]

Interesting to read someone else's list

In Scotland ?

Meadowsweet.
Sphagnum moss.
Plantain.
Bramble.
Bog Myrtle.

cheers,
M

 

[Pandabean]

Thanks Mary as I said I am still learning these plants.
Would you be able to list their uses?

I take it bog myrtle is for the midges ?

 

[Toddy]

Thing is, there's never only 'one' plant that will do what you need. If it's not growing where you are, you need to find something else. One of the reasons I like seeing other folks recommendations
Oftimes too plants are better used in synergy, taken together sort of thing.

Those five that I mentioned are those that I find easily almost anywhere in lowland and Trossach's Scotland.
They might not be found where you live, though from what I mind from holidays up your way, Aberdeen is lowland too and the flora's pretty familiar.

Meadowsweet is a very gentle on the gut aspirin. The flourish is genuinely worth drying for out of season use.
The roots are also excellent; toothache, rheumatics, arthritis, etc.,

Sphagnum moss is not only anti bacterial (it was collected and used for field dressings at least up to WW1, my Father collected sack loads of it as a wee boy with his Grandfather to be processed and used for these, in 1916/17) but it's very absorbant.

Plantain is just such a goodie.
I'm going to quote a herbal site for this one since I don't use it for all these, but......
"antibacterial, antidote, astringent, antiinflammatory, antiseptic, antitussive, cardiac, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic, laxative, ophthalmic, poultice, refrigerant, and vermifuge. Medical evidence exists to confirm uses as an alternative medicine for asthma, emphysema, bladder problems, bronchitis, fever, hypertension, rheumatism and blood sugar control. A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of a wide range of complaints including diarrhoea, dysentery, gastritis, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhage, haemorrhoids, cystitis, bronchitis, catarrh, sinusitis, coughs, asthma and hay fever.....a safe and effective treatment for bleeding, it quickly stops blood flow and encourages the repair of damaged tissue. The heated leaves are used as a wet dressing for wounds, skin inflammations, malignant ulcers, cuts, stings and swellings and said to promote healing without scars. Poultice of hot leaves is bound onto cuts and wounds to draw out thorns, splinters and inflammation.."

Brambles are common, the leaves and roots are both useful, and the fruits alone make it a valuable herb. It's a soother. It cleans the mouth and throat, it eases the digestive and urinary systems. It's a pleasantness when feeling the fruits make an excellent syrup to add to other herbs. Bramble is often the base of other remedial mixtures.

Bog Myrtle is such a wonderful scent. Resinous and spicy and sweet and not only effective agin insects (well as much as anything is agin the midge ) but it's a healer plant too. Sores, boils, infected cuts, inflamed insect bites, ulcers. It's also a very good tea, eases mucousy things, like stuffed up sinuses. It's also one of the native ingredients of ale and beer before the bitterness of hops were considered a good thing.

cheers,
M

 

[yomperalex]

I never knew that about plantain, I must read up and get better at recognizing and locating it.

Thanks

Alex

 

[Pandabean]

Yeh Plantain seems to have a lot going for it so I have heard.

Would there be any good mixtures of these herbs to provide one herbal remedy?
Time to digest what I have read.

 

[wattsy]

plantain
meadowsweet
yarrow
bramble
willow

plantain is brilliant stuff soothes stings and bites, haemostatic, and you can make a sun cream with it with olive oil and beeswax

 

[craeg]

Dandellion: Flowers - anti-oxidant, Leaves - diuretic, Roots - all things liver (Great coffee substitue from roasted roots too!)
Feverfew (Latin - fever reducer) : headaches, fevers
Camomile: helps with sleep
Stinging Nettle: muscle pain, uniary tract probs infections like thrush, joint pain relief
Elder: Flower - flu symptom relief, Berry - loads of vitamin C

Advice only, I arn't an herbalist just a bit of stuff I know

 

[Pandabean]

How do you identify Plantain, I have seen some pictures in the books and drawings but can't put it to something thats outside. From the books I get the impression it was large but then I watched The Victorian Pharmacy on Yesterday a few weeks back and they were picking it straight from a grassy area.

craeg, neither am I a herbalist but my idea was that if someone that spent alot of time outdoors but needed to know a few plants that you could easily get but knew they were not deadly and could help with a cut. Think of Aragorn in LOTR when he asks Sam to fetch that plant for healing Frodo. I am sure he wasn't a herbalist either but its along that lines that I am thinking.

One plant I want to try and find is Mugwort just to see if it does do what people suggest it does with dreams/sleep.

The other plant that is good for helping with sleep is Lavender. Not tried it yet as I rarely have trouble sleeping, if I do its because I have fell asleep at 8 on the sofa and then wide awake at 4am and can't get back to sleep.

 

[Toddy]

I can give you mugwort, it's a weed around here. I keep one plant growing in my garden so I know that it's not polluted with car exhaust and it grows over 2m high.

It's an old hearth herb. Smoke in the past wasn't always seen as a bad thing. It could clear out disease, insect infestations, prevent rot, preserve food and leather and it could ease some illnesses too. Tobacco, as a herb, not the horrendously adulterated stuff that's sold, is actually a good herb.

Mugwort burns with a fine white scented smoke (look up Holyrood in the search, I told the tale there) but it makes a good addition to tea as well. I dry it in bunches each Summer.

Ribwort and broadleaved plantain are again common around here too. I usually have a plant or two growing in the garden, but I had a clear out. I'll have a looksee and if there's a smallish well rooted one, do you want it? It grows quite happily in a pot or a quiet border

cheers,
M