Herbal Medicine Walk with Bushy Tail
7th August 2012
Many thanks to Matthew from Bushy Tail who came along and talked to us on August 5th about simple remedies for family health, taking us along the riverside to look at uses of common local plants. Here are some of the things we learnt (but please double check with a good book or website as I was making notes in the rain!). Matthew and the other consultant herbalists in the Mill Yard are very knowledgeable and if you have a specific or chronic health concern or want to know more you might consider booking a consultation with one of the herbalists on the Mill Yard.
Bushy Tail (opposite Wheelbase on the Mill Yard) sell herbal medicines, natural skincare and aromatherapy products.
Remember: only pick, use or touch plants which you are 100% certain you have identified correctly. Do not use the photos in this blog for ID purposes – use a good plant ID book. Some plants can be toxic, deadly or cause skin irritations and plants can easily be confused with similar looking species.
Only take as much as you need and leave enough for the plant population to survive.
Nettle
Tea made with the fresh young leaves is a good general tonic. Tea or tincture of the root is used for treating prostate problems and the seeds for menopause. Seeds are out now and can be rubbed off the stem while wearing gloves. Young leaves can be obtained by cutting the old growth down and encouraging the plant to re-sprout.
Meadowsweet
Tea or tincture made from the flowers and young leaves, collected ideally on a dry day is used for it’s mild pain killer properties as it contains salicylic acid which aspirin is derived from. It is good for joint pain, arthritis and balancing over or under production of acid in the stomach. The flowers are edible –Â try them in pancakes or prepared like elderflower fritters!
Yellow Dock
Don’t eat the leaves, but the root, taken as a tea or tincture is good for the liver.
Plantain – ribbed or round leaved
Better than dock for nettle stings! A good healer – chew up some leaves then apply the pulp to grazes! Internally the tea or tincture is good for inflammation and also for clearing blocked sinuses. You can add the leaves to salad.
Yarrow
Another wound healer, also useful for bringing down a fever.
Blackcurrant leaves
Very astringent so tea from the leaves can be used to treat mild diarrhoea.
Hawthorn
The young leaves, blossom and berries are edible and as tea or tincture can be used to treat high and low blood pressure and poor circulation. Matthew’s favourite!
Cleavers (sticky willy, goose grass)
Use the leaves, flowers etc for treating disorders of the urinary system. Edible – good steamed. Also used to treat excema, both as an ointment and as tea or tincture.
Using herbs
None of the herbs described above have known toxicity but be sure of ID and be aware of the effect of the herbs on you – everyone is different. Matthew doesn’t recommend drying medicinal herbs you have collected yourself for use due to problems with mould due to our damp climate. Quantities of plant material to make tea/tinctures is not too important and constituent compounds will vary plant to plant depending on soil, climate etc.
To make a tea use the fresh leaves, chopped root, flower heads (whatever is recommended) and allow to brew for 15 minutes. Take up to 3 cups per day.
To make a tincture fill a glass jar or demijohn ¾ full with the fresh leaves, chopped root or flowerheads (whatever is recommended), cover with spirit alcohol such as vodka and allow to steep for up to 2 or 3 months, shaking daily. Strain out the plant material using muslin and your tincture will keep for 2 or 3 years. Take a teaspoonful or proportionately less by bodyweight for a child.
fill a glass jar or demijohn ¾ full with the fresh leaves, chopped root or flowerheads (whatever is recommended), cover with spirit alcohol such as vodka and allow to steep for up to 2 or 3 months, shaking daily. Strain out the plant material using muslin and your tincture will keep for 2 or 3 years. Take a teaspoonful or proportionately less by bodyweight for a child.