Go Exploring. Find Medicine.
Black Elderberry (Sambucus Niagra)
For the first few years we lived at our old house on Delaney road, we had these stubborn bushes that grew wild, first flowers and then berries. We didn't know or care what they were. Every year, Josh cut them down, only to have them come back again in profusion the next year. When I first became serious about ID'ing plants for medicine, and growing them in my yard, we discovered to our dismay that those bushes we had tried so hard to eradicate were Sambucus Niagra, or black elderberry, one of the premiere flu fighting herbs that exist! So for the next few years we composted, mulched and tried to bring those stubborn things back to health again. By the time we sold our house the canes had grown tall, but we still had not harvested any berries. Every fall we go to the disturbed edges of meadows to harvest our elderberries. Sometimes we can find them, sometimes not. The berries make strong medicine, but you want to make sure you separate them from the stems, as the stems contain a mildly poisonous substance. Elderberry separating is tedious business. Make sure you have a good cup of tea and an audio book to listen to!
For the first few years we lived at our old house on Delaney road, we had these stubborn bushes that grew wild, first flowers and then berries. We didn't know or care what they were. Every year, Josh cut them down, only to have them come back again in profusion the next year. When I first became serious about ID'ing plants for medicine, and growing them in my yard, we discovered to our dismay that those bushes we had tried so hard to eradicate were Sambucus Niagra, or black elderberry, one of the premiere flu fighting herbs that exist! So for the next few years we composted, mulched and tried to bring those stubborn things back to health again. By the time we sold our house the canes had grown tall, but we still had not harvested any berries. Every fall we go to the disturbed edges of meadows to harvest our elderberries. Sometimes we can find them, sometimes not. The berries make strong medicine, but you want to make sure you separate them from the stems, as the stems contain a mildly poisonous substance. Elderberry separating is tedious business. Make sure you have a good cup of tea and an audio book to listen to!
Wild Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium)
The wild yarrow loves areas of disturbed soil. We found this particular batch on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean one afternoon when we went fishing as a family. The only path down to one of Josh's favorite spots is over a cliff edge down the rocks to an area that during low tide is full of delightful tide pools, and muscle beds. The fish seem to like it too. As we walked down the path, Emma shouted out "Yarrow!" and sure enough, clinging to the sandy soil, hugging the ground amidst the Oregon grape and other native plants, was a large batch of Yarrow. The harsh winds and salty air seemed to embue it with a particularly fragrant strength. I harvested enough to make a little dried powder for a wound styptic, a glycerite, and a tincture for my family. The rest we left to nod and dance on the edge of the sea. |
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