sheppurse

13 03 2014

Springtime Roadside Medicine

Andrea Hughes Herbal Medicine archangel, chickweed, cleavers, lesser celandine, speedwell, wild violet, yarrow

Many great Plant Medicines quietly grow amongst the hustle and bustle of daily human life without being acknowledged or even observed.

There are many blog posts about Hedgerow medicine, but it struck me today as I walked in the sunshine on my way to collect my little boy from School, how many Herbal Medicines I walk past every day and thus am inspired to blog about ROADSIDE Medicine..

I may hasten to add that I would not dream of harvesting any plants from the Roadside due to contamination from Vehicle fumes, Dog Pee and goodness knows what else! But instead to honor and greet these noble medicines and share their gifts as healers to help change the perception from weed to herb…

Enjoy and keep a look out along your grass verges and roadsides… These are just a few but there are more…

I have put small images on the blog for speedy upload but if you double click on the picture it will enlarge and give you more detail.

speedwell — Veronica officinalis.
Not the best picture as I was wrapped up with a dog and school bags at the time, but hopefully you can see the delicate blue flowers of Speedwell.
Gather flowers and leaves, strengthens the liver, kidneys, digestion and lungs. Coughs and sore throats, wounds and bruises. An edible spring green for your salad too!

Wild Violet: a herald of springtime along with lesser celandine. I love this flower deeply and have a special patch that I visit to harvest the flowers and leaves to make an oil for healing skin, lumps bumps and cysts — Wild Violet: a herald of springtime along with lesser celandine. I love this flower deeply and have a special patch that I visit to harvest the flowers and leaves to make an oil for healing skin, lumps bumps and cysts

Chickweed: Stellaria media. Juice those fleshy leaves to get a bright green juice to add to creams for itchy skin — Chickweed: Stellaria media. Juice those fleshy leaves to get a bright green juice to add to creams for itchy skin

Lesser Celandine or Pilewort, the roots of this pretty flower do resemble piles... make a salve... — Lesser Celandine or Pilewort, the roots of this pretty flower do resemble piles… make a salve…

Purple Archangel or purple deadnettle. This mint familyy member is another edible spring green. Medicinally it's keynote is kidney, as a diuretic. It can also be used topically for cuts and wounds — Purple Archangel or purple deadnettle. This mint family member is another edible spring green. Medicinally it’s keynote is kidney, as a diuretic. It can also be used topically for cuts and wound

White Deadnettle - lamium album also known as white Archangel or Bee Nettle — White Deadnettle – lamium album also known as white Archangel or Bee Nettle .
Similar to Purple Deadnettle it acts on the kidneys, and can also be used as a sore throat gargle or for inflamed gums. It is mostly used by modern herbalists for abnormal vaginal discharge.

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Comfrey - knitbone. Symphytum officinalis. what a wonderful medicine! I could wax lyrical for hours about this plant but suffice to say here that the healing action on broken bones is surpassed by none. Here is the white flowering comfrey but you will also see it in blue/purple — Comfrey – knitbone. Symphytum officinalis.
what a wonderful medicine! I could wax lyrical for hours about this plant but suffice to say here that the healing action on broken bones is surpassed by none.
Here is the white flowering comfrey but you will also see it in blue/purple

Galium aparine. Goose Grass, sticky bud. Kidney/lymphatic action. This plant is best used fresh as it looses its medicinal action once dried. Tincture it, use it in a cold infusion or pop it through your juicer. Use it with Calendula and Echinacea for Tonsilitis. — Galium aparine. Goose Grass, sticky bud. Kidney/lymphatic action. This plant is best used fresh as it looses its medicinal action once dried. Tincture it, use it in a cold infusion or pop it through your juicer.
Use it with Calendula and Echinacea for Tonsilitis.

Yarrow! Usually I use the whole flowering herb but have just found out that the young leaves are full of healing juice too. An incredible plant with so many gifts. One of the best herbs to use to staunch the flow of blood, whether that be from a wound or menstrual bleeding. Latin name Achillea millifolium named after how the leaves were used to pack the wound of Achillies and millifolium meaning thousand leaved. See how the teeth of the leaf look like individual leaves. Use the leaves in spring and the flowers in summer. Even the root can be used for toothache... — Yarrow! Usually I use the whole flowering herb but have just found out that the young leaves are full of healing juice too.
An incredible plant with so many gifts. One of the best herbs to use to staunch the flow of blood, whether that be from a wound or menstrual bleeding.
Latin name Achillea millifolium named after how the leaves were used to pack the wound of Achillies and millifolium meaning thousand leaved. See how the teeth of the leaf look like individual leaves.
Use the leaves in spring and the flowers in summer. Even the root can be used for toothache…

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