Tag: herbal medicine

  • The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Stinging Nettles

    Okay, I’m sure most of you aren’t sitting there thinking, “Gee, I think I’ll go take a walk and try to find some stinging nettles.” Searching for plants that cause skin irritation usually isn’t high on the list of fun things to do.

    But you may want to reconsider in this case – while they can leave the unsuspecting passerby with a painful greeting, if you know what you’re looking for, stinging nettles are definitely a plant to seek out. Like many beneficial botanicals, they can be used for a variety of ailments, and in addition, nettles are one of the most nutritious vegetables out there.

    The Backyard Medicine Cabinet - Stinging Nettles

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  • The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Self-Heal

    The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Self-Heal

    In the common vernacular, prunella vulgaris sounds like it must be some sort of panacea. Widely known as self-heal or heal-all, among other things, this plant won’t quite cure everything for you, but it may come close. I enjoy learning the common names of plants: it really gives insight into what past generations may have used it for, and as the name suggests, self-heal was used for a variety of ailments, from sore throats to scrapes.

    Although it’s mostly fallen out of use in modern times, it’s worthwhile to bring it back into use, and as long as you don’t live in the desert, there’s a good chance that it’s already growing nearby.

    The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Self-Heal

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  • The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Valerian

    The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Valerian

    The Backyard Medicine Cabinet - Valerian

    If you’ve ever had trouble sleeping, as I have, then there’s a good chance you’ve heard of valerian.

    Valerian is a well-known herbal sleep aid that has, in recent years, popped up more and more in the vitamin and supplement section of drug stores. It’s become more popular because it can be just as effective as many pharmaceutical products, but has none of the side effects.

    The plant is a native of temperate Europe, and while it has naturalized in North America, it’s probably not something that you’ll find amongst the dandelions in your yard. I’ve never seen wild valerian around here, but I’ve planted some and it has adapted just fine.

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  • The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Dandelion

    The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Dandelion

    The Backyard Medicine Cabinet: Dandelion

    Our next stop on the backyard medicinal tour brings us face to face with a plant that’s been cursed by suburban homeowners for generations: the simple dandelion.

    I’ll admit: I’m not excited about having a yard full of yellow blooms. A few here and there are okay, but I do try to limit them. I don’t chemically treat anything, but if I notice a clump becoming too prolific, I’ll manually remove them, and I definitely try not to let them go to seed! While it’s fun for the kids to blow and watch the seeds drift away (who am I kidding – I still like to do it just as much as they do), each one of those seeds has the potential to take over another part of the yard.

    But if you can get past the idea of having a perfectly manicured lawn (which, in my opinion, is a waste of time and money, and a battle you’re never going to win anyway, but to each his own) and accept a few dandelions scattered about, you can reap some benefits that may surprise you.

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