Blue Vervain (Verbena spp.) Verbena, “Vervain,” or “Blue Vervain,” is one of our wildflower medicines of Texas springtime. We have at least three species of medicinal usefulness (see hyperlinks below for photos): Verbena halei and V. hastata, which are tall (2-3 feet) with small blue or purple flowers on the tall spikes, and V. bipinnatifida, a species we see often in cultivation (they seem to be every at the Wildflower Center, for example), with small but showy pink, magenta, or purple flowers in a circle at the terminus of the stems. I have used both V. halei and V. bipinnatifida with success for nerve-soothing (nervine) and sedative properties. As a tea, verbena is bitter, and is best tempered with other, tastier herbs. Because of this bitterness, I generally use the herb either as a tincture or a glycerite. At the onset of a cold, when your body aches and you have trouble sleeping, verbena is lovely for soothing the nerves and promoting general relaxation, often allowing you to sleep if you need to. I give verbena glycerite to my daughter, sometimes alone, as a “simple”, or in combination with valerian and chamomile, when she is wound-up and its 11 PM and mama and papa need their beauty rest. Works like a charm. Check out these photos on line and see if you can’t find some verbena growing nearby! Remember, never gather by the side of the road, and only gather if you are certain you have the correct plant (!!) and the plant is found in abundance.
http://www.swsbm.com/Images/New12-97/Verbena_bipinnatifida-2.jpg
http://www.swsbm.com/Images/New2-2001/Verbena_halei.jpg
http://www.swsbm.com/Images/T-Z/Verbena_hastata.jpg
Sunday, May 2, 2004
Friday, February 6, 2004
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)