I found a couple of awesome plants on my walk today I thought I would share. The first one is something of an argument I have had with a fellow weed eater and I promised I would post and show what it looks like. This is pineapple weed, AKA wild chamomile. This is what it looks like younger.
and this is what it looks like when it is blooming. the aroma is not as nice as the younger stuff.
If you crush it between your fingers, it has a very sweet smell, some say it smells like pineapple, but I think it smells like the commercial chamomile tea. I am drying it for later on. This makes for a flavorful tea, can be eaten raw in salads, but may be a bit bitter as it gets older and it helps to expel wind from the gastrointestinal tract. It also has calming sedative properties similar to commercial chamomile. Usually I don't like to pick close to roadways because of emissions. I will usually go about 100 yards from the road in order to avoid any undesireable poisons that might come from the roadways. Unfortunately, pineapple weed thrives in poor soil. The more compact, the better, meaning the shoulder right next to the asphalt. I suggest picking from a back road or dirt road where there is very little traffic, or if your lucky enough to live in a farming community, you might find some on service roads going through a field. It also grows in your yard nicely, but because of mowing, your not going to get very large weed.
Here it is all nice and dry. Isn't it pretty?
The next plant I found was some catnip, also good as a tea. Catnip is used for soothing an upset stomach, helps dispel a fever by causing you to sweat, and is an effective treatment for diarrhea. It calms and is an excellent seasoning for foods. It is also a great insect repellent and can be used on animals and furniture to repel fleas. I am drying this batch for tea.
Of course, I let Souie Climb-A-Tree have a sprig for herself because I knew she would enjoy some fresh after a long winter of nothing but commercial, store-bought, less-than-fragrant substandard goods all winter.
I got on my laptop to dwn load pics of the many varieties of wild catnip & found your blog. How interesting n informative. I will be back to find out how the teas tasted
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for stopping in! The catnip is meh. Not the best flavor, but all teas can be mixed with others to make them taste better. Catnip is kin to a mint, so mint works really well. If you have any kind of sour stomach, gassy, bloated, overfull, nauseated--this is the tea for you. I had gastric bypass surgery and so my stomach hurts often. This stops the pain and heartburn NOW Tis good. I now keep it in stock as a staple The pineapple weed tastes like it smells. Like chamomile. The thing is, I have found that it is a lot more potent in terms of relaxation and calming than the stuff you buy at the store. I use it for PMS symptoms and as a cool down before bed. Mix it with a little linden flower and mint for extra flavor and you have a really great "moon time" calming drink. ENJOY! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
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