Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Winter is not quite over, yet herbalists around town are stumbling out of hibernation as our plant friends are making their first appearances. Chickweed (Stellaria media), a fragile little cute lookin’ plant with bitty little white flowers (see photo: http://www.swsbm.com/Images/New2-2001/Stellaria_media-2.jpg), is abundant enough for harvesting right now. It only grows in Central Texas when it is still chilly at night; once the warm weather moves in, chickweed dies back. A common garden “weed” in February, it’s nowhere to be seen in July. Get it while you can! Chickweed has a natural affinity for children. My 3-year-old daughter loves to find it and eat it straight from the garden. A salve made from the above-ground parts of the plant (i.e. the leaves, stems, and flowers), is particularly soothing to itchy bug bites and small, inflamed cuts, scrapes or “ouchies”.

Chickweed Salve Instructions: Collect about a quarter cup of chickweed; brush off excess dirt. Spread chickweed loosely across piece of cardboard (to absorb moisture) and allow chickweed to wilt for at least a day. Place the wilted plant (now about an eighth of a cup) in a clean Mason jar with 8 ounces (1 cup) olive oil, making sure all the chickweed is below the surface of the oil. Herbalist Niki Telkes taught me the trick to making good chickweed salve: cover the jar with cheesecloth and the screw lid, but leave off the top lid, so that the chickweed oil can “breathe.” This lessens the chances of the chickweed oil going bad. Let the chickweed oil steep in a warm but not hot place, like the top of the refrigerator or hot water heater. After two weeks, strain the oil (discarding the plant material) into a measuring cup (measure the amount of oil you have left). Pour oil into a pan (double boiler is best); add x amount of beeswax. Turn heat on low, and stir, allowing beeswax to melt. When beeswax is completely melted, remove from heat and pour mixture into small salve receptacles. Allow it to harden before using. Enjoy!