Sunday, July 6, 2008

WEEDS

Weeds: Plants Treasured by Our Ancestors
By the Handmaiden

Many of the wild edible and medicinal plants gathered by today’s foragers were brought to the Americas by the Pilgrims and other early immigrants. These were plants known to be valuable as food and medicine, and naturally enough early colonists wanted these plants around them in the new world.

In other words, plants that are today disdained as weeds, were highly-desirable plants treasured by our forefathers, who knew of their beneficial uses. Think of the “weeds” that herbicides are created to kill--dandelions, lambs quarters, chickweed, plantain--these plants traveled here with people who brought them as seeds or rootlings. They were planted in herb gardens, but being hardy and prolific, they began to multiply and spread quickly. Today, they are all over the country, having traveled with, and in spite of, people’s efforts.

I have a book called Just Weeds: History, Myths and Uses by Pamela Jones. I bought it used through Amazon for about $10. And it is worth every penny for all the entertaining stories about weeds, which are generally the plants we harvest when foraging. Jones gives historical information, herbal recipes, food recipes, discusses what various herbalists and medical men have written about the plants and their properties; she even mentions magical uses, keeping away bad spirits and the like. This is the kind of book you sit down to read rather than a field guide; it informs you as well as entertains.

Jones writes that most if not all of the widely-foraged weeds were brought by colonists to America, that is, if the plant wasn’t already here in various related species. (Poison ivy was already here, it’s a native.)

Here is a list of a few excellent culinary and medicinal weeds with some background information about them (taken from Just Weeds):

Yarrow--an herb used for wound-healing, is an ancient Eurasian plant. It has been carbon-dated back 60,000 years and was probably known to Egyptian, Indian and Chinese healers. Brought over by the colonists.

Burdock--was known in ancient and medieval times in Europe and was brought over by early immigrants. It has both medicinal and culinary uses--excellent as a blood purifier in the spring (the root), crushed leaves can be applied to mosquito bites; and the stalk can be eaten in the spring or the root eaten in spring and fall.

Black mustard, which grows all over the place--you see its yellow flowers in the spring in fields, was mentioned in the Bible as well as in the Code of Hammurabi in Babylon. Everyone knows of the bright yellow mustard condiment, or honey pepper mustard or spicy dijon. Used for food (the Roman army took the plant with them and ate it as a cooked vegetable) and for medicine (heard of mustard plasters?) Grows worldwide.

Shepherd’s Purse was unknown in the Americas before the Pilgrims. These days, it is a weed of ancient lineage, used for food and medicine. High in Vitamin K, it helps to clot the blood.

Lambs quarters: Originated in the Mediterranean region (as do quite of few of these plants). Also known as pigweed, this family of plants has 60 species. Lambs quarters is an incredibly hardy plant--it can grow in poor soil, and seeds found in an archeology site where they were buried 1700 years ago actually germinated! It was grown as fodder for livestock and poultry, and raised for human food by Indian farmers.

Plantain, which became known as white man’s foot to Native Americans, is a plant so common you probably have never noticed it. It also traveled with the Roman army as it tramped around the world. It is very useful for insect bites, rashes, light burns, sores and wounds and antidote to poison. Crush the leaves and apply them as a poultice to the area affected. The seeds, known as psyllium, are widely used as a laxative. The entire plant is rich in potassium salts, and is a very useful herb to know.

Chicory--you know, that spindly plant with the lovely blue flowers you see at the side of the road--has been cultivated for 5,000 years. Thomas Jefferson sent to Italy for chicory seeds, which he harvested for his table and for cattle fodder. The roots can provide a coffee substitute (or be added to coffee when brewed as the French do). You will also find it in grocery stores as endive, a bitter lettucy green. There’s also a forced form, pale and crisp, that you pay top dollar for. It’s been used medicinally for thousands of years.

Queen Anne’s lace or wild carrot--brought over by colonists. Member of the parsley family, which includes parsnips, celery, parsley, dill and caraway. It also contains poisonous plants such as water hemlock, the deadliest plant in North America. The root of Queen Anne’s lace is carrot-like, and edible. The herb portion (the leaves) of the plant can be decocted and used to wash wounds and boils.

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/y/yarrow02.html
http://foragingpictures.com/plants/Burdock/
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=BRNI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris
http://www.prodigalgardens.info/june%20weblog.htm#Lambsquarters
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_plantain.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickory
http://foragingpictures.com/plants/Queen_Anne

6 comments:

riverwalker said...

WOW! Great post Handmaiden! Will take me a while to check out all the sites. Thanks. Free food an herbs....this is a good thing.

RW

Sunfighter said...

I found this article to be excellent. I always encourage people to learn their plants. I consider plant knowledge to be an essential aspect of being a survivalist. If you don’t know what wild plants to eat, why bother calling yourself a survivalist ? Nature provides a wide assortment of plants to eat and to heal. It’s not that hard to learn about plants. When game or fish are scarce, plants are plentiful. Not knowing which plants are edible is not a good enough excuse for any true survivalist to use. Learn your plants. I went to the local lake this weekend and saw a bounty of good eats all around me. I know most of the people there were clueless about what plants that could be eaten. Being armed with such knowledge is a must if you want to survive what’s coming. You can find every edible plant in your area just by researching it on the internet. It’s just that simple.

Down in the hills Survivalist Blog
http://blog.linnabary.net

Phil said...

Thank you so much!
I never knew Endive was actually Chicory!
I do believe I have Burdock around here and I know I have seen Chick weed, I just don't remember where. I am in the Pacific Northwest, so a lot of things are edible, it is just real difficult to find an area specific guide with decent pictures. Most of these guides are not regionally specific and cover plants I will never see here.

Excellent post!

Patricia said...

Thanks, folks. Busted, it can be difficult to find a good field guide. There is a Peterson field guide to Western trees, but I didn't see one for edible plants. You might try various online booksellers using search terms for your area, or see if you an locate a local biologist or herb person who could recommend a good field guide for you. Still, many of these plants have made it all the way west, and so some of them you can find in the Pacific Northwest. If you look around your local bookstores, you might find a guide suited to where you are. Sorry I can't help more on this...
HM

Staying Alive said...

BUSTED KNUCKLES,

Get in touch with Penny Scout if you can. She lives in the PNW the same as you. She gives her email addy as Contact me: ligusticum_porteri (at) hotmail (dot) com You can make of this what you will. But she is a plant fanatic and a re-wilder so she might be of great benefit to you out there on the coast. Good luck.

Michael

Phil said...

Thanks Patricia.
Michael, You just gave me the old palm to the forehead moment, I had forgotten about Penny Scout!

DOH!

Thank you.