Although the previous chapters covered just a fraction of potentially useful plants—perhaps setting you on a path to expand your garden even more—I’d also like to make a plea to consider the non-cultivated options that might be growing in and around your carefully planted beds.
What many people consider weeds could be the start of a beautiful herbal relationship. Once you start recognizing these once-reviled weeds, you’ll begin to see your yard in a whole new way. For me, it took just an hour-long class on local herbs for me to get hooked on finding wild medicinal plants. The speaker mentioned that plantain (which is covered here later, but trust me, it’s very cool) could be used for insect bites and wounds, and that it was so abundant in the city that we’d all probably see some on our walk back to the parking lot. Sure, I thought, dubiously.
I saw plantain about five steps out the door, and now I see it wherever I go. It was like learning there’s a new color.
Now, I walk through the meadows around our farm and spot an array of medicinal options, knowing that there are probably dozens more that I’ve failed to identify (yet!). But you don’t need to have large field spaces to take advantage of wild choices—I’ve seen just as many useful “weeds” when I walk around my former neighborhood in South Minneapolis.
Here are ten wild plants that are often saved from my lawnmower’s wrath, with many making their way into our medicine chest.
BurdockKnown for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, burdock also contains some powerful antioxidants. The plant is a diuretic and the roots can act as a laxative. Some people make nettle, dandelion, and burdock beer as a midsummer tonic.
Identify: Once you spot burdock, you’ll see it everywhere. The stout, common weed has enormous leaves and stems when mature, and can sport purple flowers that bloom between June and October. The heart-shaped leaves are green on top and whitish on the bottom, making identification easier. The stalks closely resemble rhubarb.
Harvest: Leave the especially large burdock alone and concentrate instead on the smaller, younger plants that are less bitter. You’ll be using the stalk, so discard the leaves.
Use: Its roots can be eaten, but it’s usually the stalks that are a better choice, once they’re peeled and boiled for about twenty minutes. If you’re a fan of bitter foods, try eating the leaves by steaming them and then serving with other wild greens.
ChickweedChickweed gets it name because chickens gravitate toward it. Humans use this herb mainly for skin issues, with a poultice of chickweed seen as helpful for cuts and bruises, but herbalists have also used the plant for arthritis, menstrual pain, and bronchitis.
Identify: Usually fairly small, chickweed is only a few inches tall and has tiny, oval leaves that grow in pairs. A fine line of hair extends on one side of a thin stem. When blooming, the plant has white, five-part flowers.
Harvest: Clip the majority of the plant, being sure to leave the bottom of the plant so it can regrow.
Use: For external preparations, chop up chickweed stems and leaves and grind them into a paste. Apply on affected areas, covered with a clean bandage. You can also make a tea by pouring boiling water over fresh leaves and steeping for fifteen minutes. Chickweed makes a nice spring green, and tastes like spinach when it’s steamed.
CleaversIn terms of alternate names, cleavers might win the prize in any “also known as” competition, with other designations like goosegrass, barweed, grip grass, scratweed, and even the charming robin-run-in-the-grass. The herb has diuretic properties, and is also used to detoxify the digestive system and stimulate the lymphatic system.
Identify: Cleavers are covered in small hooks that cling to whatever they touch. The leaves are small and thin, and appear in a whorled pattern around the stem.
Harvest: Most likely, the cleavers will grab onto you, so all you have to do is gently remove them from your clothes and collect them. Put them into a clean muslin or plastic bag, as opposed to anything containing other herbs, or you’ll have a sticky mess.
Use: Cleavers are best when eaten as young plants in the spring, because they become woody and tough later in the season. Throw into salads or smoothies to eat raw, or steam for ten minutes with other spring greens.
DandelionIf there’s one weed that seems to be the most combatted, and yet the most resilient, it’s the humble dandelion. Although the scourge of lawn-loving homeowners everywhere, the dandelion is rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and numerous minerals. It boasts more protein than spinach, and has been used for thousands of years to treat anemia, depression, skin issues, and scurvy.
Identify: You’re kidding, right? But just in case you’ve never seen one, dandelions have long, spiked leaves and cheerful, bright yellow flowers on a single stalk. When they bolt, the flowers turn into white globes of fluffy seeds that float toward whatever neighbor resents you the most.
Harvest: Every part of the plant is edible, so you can pick leaves, blooms, stems, and even roots. They tend to have a bitter flavor in midsummer, so minimize that taste by harvesting in spring or fall.
Use: Dandelion greens are delicious when lightly braised with butter, or included raw in a salads. The leaves can be dried and made into tea, and the flowers make a nice edible flower in a dish like risotto.
Ground ivyAlong with dandelion, ground ivy is the scourge of picky homeowners everywhere. Although the plant is small, it’s remarkably invasive and can take over an entire lawn if left unchecked. Traditionally, ground ivy has been used to treat constipation, coughs, kidney issues, and sciatica. Some practitioners roll up fresh leaves and insert into the nose to alleviate headaches.
Identify: Unlike some forms of ivy—the type that crawl up houses and prestigious universities—ground ivy has scalloped leaves and small purple flowers. When crushed or mowed, the plant gives off a minty aroma.
Harvest: Pick off leaves, or cut some shoots so you get several leaves. Older ground ivy is usually bitter, so if you’re looking to include it in an edible mix, choose smaller leaves. The older leaves still have plenty of medicinal clout, so if you want to use it for tea, select those leaves and dry them.
Use: Make tea once the herbs are dried, or add to soups or other cooked dishes. Cooking will take out most of the bitter taste. If you’re a home brewer, try adding some to beer, which is said to increase a beer’s shelf life.
Lambs quartersWith their jagged leaves and slender stalks, lambs quarters tend to get passed by because they’re so abundant, and have a “weedy” look to them. But this relative to spinach and beets is packed with vitamins and minerals and has been used to address digestion issues and stomach aches.
Identify: With a slightly white coating on the leaves, lambs quarters often looks dusty at first glance. When mature, the plant has tiny green flowers that cluster on top.
Harvest: Pick off leaves, as you would with spinach or leaf lettuce. Its seeds and flowers are also edible. Make sure the area where you’re harvesting is known to be uncontaminated; lambs quarters often appear on toxic soil, as nature’s way of attempting to restore nutrients.
Use: For most of the early summer, we throw lambs quarters into salads, or lightly sauté the leaves in coconut oil to put on top of tacos. The plant has an earthy taste, similar to collards, but with a slightly lemony undertone. Because lambs quarters are so good for digestion, it makes sense to eat them to get the most medicinal clout.
NettlesOutstanding when used to fight allergies, nettles (sometimes called stinging nettles) are usually abundant in both urban and rural settings. Just when I was planning on going out to forage them in the woods, I realized I had some growing under my flowering cherry tree.
Identify: Nettles can grow fairly tall—up to 7 feet—and have sawtooth-type leaves that look a bit like lemon balm when they’re small. The plant flowers annually with small greenish or brownish blooms.
Harvest: Take the leaves for drying, and keep the name in mind when harvesting. Once, I tried picking leaves without wearing gloves and the few stings I received made my hand throb for hours. Harvest in May or June, before the flowers appear.
Use: Dry the leaves and make into a tea. I drink this every spring to combat pollen allergies, and it works like a charm. The tea also boasts antioxidants, and can be made with fresh nettles. If you’re adding it to culinary dishes, steam the leaves briefly and include with other spring greens.
PlantainPronounced the same way as the large, banana-like fruit that’s a staple in tropical countries, plantain is a humble herb with significant power for medicinal use. Applied to a wound, the chewed leaves can slow or stop bleeding, heal burns, and take the itch out of insect bites.
Identify: With rounded leaves and a small central spire that looks like a little brush, plantain is easy to spot, especially because it tends to be abundant.
Harvest: Because plantain is so common on lawns, in sidewalk cracks, and alongside walkways, it’s important to make sure the area hasn’t been chemically treated before harvesting. If you’re sure that it’s clean, pick the leaves.
Use: As a topical application, plantain provides immediate relief for burning and itching caused by insect bites or allergic reactions to poison ivy. Simply pick a leaf, chew it to release the plant’s anti-inflammatory properties, and apply the wet, lumpy result to any irritation.
Red cloverAlthough red clover is sometimes classified as a weed, it’s actually the national flower of Denmark, and has been used for a wide range of maladies, including coughs, cancer, respiratory issues, and lymphatic system disorders.
Identify: Red clover has a distinctive, small flower that can vary from dark pink to light purple. The leaves are clustered in threes and have a pale crescent line in the middle.
Harvest: For medicinal use, pick the flower tops and place on a clean cloth or in a paper bag poked with air holes for drying. Or preserve them fresh by placing them in an airtight container in a refrigerator.
Use: Red clover’s flowers are edible, and make a nice pop of color to summer salads, as well as giving the dish some medicinal power. I’ve also thrown one on top of lemonade for guests, and added them as garnish alongside cooked dishes. To make a tea, dry the flowers and crumble into a tea bag.
Yellow dockMuch like cleavers, yellow dock has an array of other names, including sheep sorrel, chukkah, narrow dock, curly dock, and romaza. The herb has been used for dermatitis, scurvy, and bacterial infections. Mainly, though, it’s helpful for digestive issues and is stellar at treating constipation.
Identify: The plant features a tall flower stalk with yellow, sometimes clustered, blooms. Leaves are long and pointed at the top, and also appear in clusters.
Harvest: For medicinal use, dig up part of yellow dock’s roots (which, true to its name, are yellow) while making sure to leave enough rootstock to keep the plant healthy. Also harvest the leaf stalks for fresh dishes. Harvest in late summer or autumn, after the plants have fully seeded, as an added measure of sustainable harvesting.
Use: Yellow dock’s leaf stalks make a nice addition to salads, or you can also grind them up and combine them with toothpaste as a way to address gingivitis. To use the roots, dry them in a well-ventilated area and then create a tincture that can be taken for a few days to treat constipation.
