Chicory – Cichorium Intybus: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Coffeeweed of Wild Plants

Chicory - Cichorium Intybus

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a popular edible and medicinal plant with a knack as a coffee substitute. And yet another naturalized plant from Europe. Its bright blue blooms are eye catching, scattered along the roadside throughout summer. But keep reading – they aren’t just flair! I thought about calling it the time teller of edible …

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Goldenrod – Solidago SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the AllerBgone of Wild Plants

Goldenrod – Solidago Spp.

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is a sunny medicinal and edible wild plant. In the past, it was falsely blamed for hayfever allergies, which are actually caused by ragweed. As a medicinal plant, goldenrod can actually be used to treat allergies! Latin solidare means to join or make whole, and when you come upon the medicinal tags …

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Black Cherry – Prunus Serotina: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Cherry Cough Drop of Wild Plants

Black Cherry – Prunus Serotina

Black cherry (Prunus serotina) while perhaps the least palatable of our cherries is still a bouncin’ edible and medicinal tree. I absolutely love making stuff with it too! The scent of the sawdust – yum! Black cherry is also called rum cherry because settlers blended the fruit with rum or brandy and called the drink …

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Yarrow – Achillea Millefolium: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Woundwort of Wild Plants

Yarrow - Achillea Millefolium

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a “wounderful” edible and medicinal herb. A yarrow salve for healing cuts and scrapes was my first ever herbal medicine maker’s recipe! Yarrow is another European import. It’s most descriptive folk name is woundwort. It’s not the only “woundwort”, so cheers for Latin names. On the same note, it’s been called …

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Common Milkweed – Asclepias Syriaca: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Monarch of Wild Plants

Common Milkweed - Asclepias Syriaca

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 …

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