Common elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is possibly the epitome of edible and especially of medicinal wild plants. If I had to pick a favorite medicinal plant, elder is the one. Its been called “a medicine chest of its own” and “a pharmacy of its own”. I’m excited to finally cover elderberry! I use the syrup and …
In Chippewa, ini’niwunj meaning “man like”, common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a monarch of the edible and medicinal wild plant kingdom. Let’s cultivate this king of herbs for the butterflies more than we eat it, please! Milkweeds folk names are somewhat all over the place, as there are tons of varieties, and many probably don’t …
Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is a snappy edible and medicinal herb, known for its exploding seedpods. It’s handy to have around if you like clumsily rooting through wild plants like me, and end up grazing yourself with stinging nettle or worse – poison ivy. Jewelweed is so named because of the way the dew beads on …