You can pre-order your copy and get an extra bonus reward gift for your enthusiasm!

Pre-order HERE

Get that Skin Salve HERE

Well in keeping with our 5 Minute Chat Promise,

that’s a wrap for our chat for today, if you have a few minutes more, go check out our other chats and topics.

Here’s a quick link for them both again Health Chats and Book Chats.

Be sure you leave me your email, and select the Plant News box, so you can get the next round of herb chats!

So I will bid you adieu for this round of tea, with a virtual hug, I will ask you to…

Come Back Soon!

As Always, Thanks for taking the time to read!

-Suzy

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Many people I have talked with don’t know the plant names, or they only know a nickname, but they know it’s a weed because it’s not what they planted!

What if were given those plants as a GIFT from God, the Earth or Mother Nature (however you prefer to describe who/how/why). What if those plants you are frustrated with and working up a sweat to remove - are actually a BLESSED GIFT and you are busy throwing it away?

Let Me Help You! Let’s Chat about it for 5 minutes!

Plants that herbalists have written about in books thru history calling them “treasured remedies”, have become weeds to today’s gen who are totally unaware that these plants are beneficial or even a hidden miracle that’s “better than a drug” and instead they are getting called a “despised weed” and yanked from the earth!

We have lost our connection with the earth and the natural remedies we were created to have around us. As wonderful as science and chemistry and advanced medicine can be at times of trauma and crisis, we want to add it to our knowledge, not trade it for what we have already learned thru the ages of time and history and blessed discoveries. Let Me Show You….

This is the cover of my soon to be released book. Coming in 2026 You can pre-order your copy and get a bonus reward gift for your enthusiasm. Pre-order below.

My Kid Crew and I, (they are actually not minors anymore, but they’re still my kids and they did help with this project as kids), we have been working on formatting the hundreds (OK I’ll admit, it’s thousands) of pictures we have taken over the years of common plants growing in the “wild places” and the yards and gardens too. Plants that many call “weeds” or “just flowers” that actually have edible and/or medicinal value.

We have taught many “eat the weeds” classes in the past 25+ years (starting before 2000). They originally were walks thru fields and yards with a small group to ID common edible plants and medicinal plants pre-Y2K. Back then, we just printed simple handouts of names to help with remembering.

In 2010 the first blog was started to go with a large homeschool group event. And since then, we have tried to help you meet the herbs regularly, especially in the spring, and taken loads of pictures along the way.

NOW ~ with a very large amount of pics, we have sorted the files, tagged pics, and tried to narrow the plant list down to 50 and 30 to keep it easy to learn, easy to find, and the most wanted.

This photo sorting project started as a response to repeating questions about plant id apps. “which one should I use?” and “which one is accurate?”. So we started testing them on walks. And well, some of you guessed it, AI and even apps with computer generated and search engine generated answers, were “sometimes correct” or even “often correct” but never totally correct. And since we want these herbs for edible or medicinal uses and to teach our kids….. “mostly” just isn’t quite what we had in mind. It only takes ONE trip to the ER to pay for a whole bookshelf of vetted accurate book information. But in our photo heavy tech world, many books still have only 1 or 2 pics or drawings or not enough detail or not all of the stages of the plant….

SO we decided to take our photo stash and create a 3 option solution for you!

#1 INFO Turning Weeds Into Herbs Mini Book for the Walk.

If you just want a short list of the common weeds and a few pics is enough, we have a class handout that has our top 30 hidden herbs with at least 4 pictures of each herb, plant details, and the basic harvesting practices you need to know. With 30 herbs, it’s not exactly short, but it’s short enough to typically get thru the list during a walk and talk class. And it’s cheap enough to be an easy choice to JUST GRAB IT.

#2 BOOK Turning Weeds Into Herbs the Big Book of Pictures

If you want a more comprehensive list of the top 50 most common plants we’ve seen in the fields, yards, and gardens. This book has double the number of pictures per plant and almost double the number of plants, and a more comprehensive list of plant details and harvesting practices vs “#1 INFO for the Walk” described above. This is the typical “I WANT THAT” when shown off at a class.

#3 SET Are These Herbs in My Yard?

If you want a serious info dump level of information, this is it!!

This is a Digital Set of our 5 associated books about herbs including:

• BOOK Turning Weeds Into Herbs the Big Book of Pictures (#2 above)

• BOOK Herbs for Healing at Home

• BOOK The Salve Maker’s Guide

• INFO Harvesting & Medicinal Preparation of Wild Herbs Mini Book

• INFO Why You Want These Herbs in Your Kitchen

• PLUS ……

• THE BIG MOTHER LODE of PHOTOS Access Link. You get access to a massive folder of our herb photos taken in the past 20+ years. This is NOT resell or MRR or publication rights to them, it is digital viewing rights. On your computer or your phone, on your walks, in your garden, wherever you are you can look at a stackof photos for our list of herbs that grow wild. This will help you positively identify the plants you are looking at with multiple versions of a plant in a variety of locations and ages and stages. We have not seen this available anywhere! We do not claim to have pics of all the common edible or medicinal herbs you’ll see in the wild, we simply claim to have a lot of pictures of various stages of many of the commonly misunderstood plants that grow wild just waiting for you to find them volunteering to feed or heal you.

• AND A Coupon for a FREE with Order, Standard Size Jar of our favorite Skin Solutions Skin Salve that we harvest for and is made by Pamper Me Naturally.

You can pre-order your copy and get an extra bonus reward gift for your enthusiasm!

Pre-order HERE

Get that Skin Salve HERE

Well in keeping with our 5 Minute Chat Promise,

that’s a wrap for our chat for today, if you have a few minutes more, go check out our other chats and topics.

Here’s a quick link for them both again Health Chats and Book Chats.

Be sure you leave me your email, and select the Plant News box, so you can get the next round of herb chats!

So I will bid you adieu for this round of tea, with a virtual hug, I will ask you to…

Come Back Soon!

As Always, Thanks for taking the time to read!

-Suzy

Chat With Suzy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Please remember these important buttons!

1. Hit this Share button to share this post with a friend.

   Share

1. Please get your free subscription so you will get an email of the next chat, and while you are there, please consider supporting my writing habit with a paid subscription.

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Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Type: Perennial
Parts: Leaves and Roots are both considered edible and medicinal

Thank You for stopping by Chat With Suzy! This is a reader-supported publication. This article is prepared for our valued supporters who make this site possible. Membership allows us to more freely share our opinions with our readers.

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Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Type: Annual

Parts: Leaves, stems, flowers are considered edible and medicinal

FOR ALL THE DETAILS - Please Subscribe so we can openly chat!

Thank You for stopping by Chat With Suzy! This is a reader-supported publication. This article is prepared for our valued supporters who make this site possible. Membership allows us to more freely share our opinions with our readers.

This site offers public posts and member educational information. To read complete articles, receive new post alerts to your email, and to support this work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

You can also find us on social media Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and Linktree.

Our Herb Series - “Turning Cursed Weeds into Treasured Herbs” is a work in progress. We have over 50 plants in our study and will be posting, updating, expanding, and sharing more photos of our Treasured Herbs in the coming days. Please come back for another Chat with Suzy soon!

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Jewelweed
Impatiens capensis
Parts: Stem, leaves, seeds
A virtual panacea for skin irritation. Jewelweed contains an anti-inflammatory and fungicide that’s an active ingredient of “Preparation H”. It works to prevent poison ivy rash if applied right away. It relieves bee and wasp stings as well as stinging nettle stings. Good for warts, bruises, and fungal skin infections such as athlete’s foot and ringworm. Helpful for minor burns, cuts, eczema, acne, sores and any skin irritations.
When working outside, this is the first herb I look for after accidentally touching a stinging nettle or other similarly irritating plant. It also works well on insect bites too. You can make a jewelweed remedy for poison ivy or insect stings by following the salve directions below or make a tea by harvesting the plant from the ground up. Chop up the whole plant including the stem at the base of the plant that may have a reddish tint. Put your chopped plant into boiling water (roughly 1pint water per oz of plant) and boil until the water is reduced by half. Strain the plant parts out of the tea water. Squeezing them tightly to remove all of the tea. Then use the water as your remedy. This can be stored if frozen. Try using ice cube trays for a nice pre-measured amount.

Very young Jewelweed.  Early May in Michigan

Jewelweed in bloom

Dried Jewelweed that was harvest in bloom

Jewelweed leaves

Jewelweed in Bloom

Jewelweed in bloom

Jewelweed

Horsetail Grass
Shave Grass
Equisetum arvense
Type: Perennial
Part: Whole plant

Horsetail has several stages in it's growth cycle.  It starts as a brown stalk and grows "hair-like" leaves that are segmented.  when the leaves are long enough to become heavy, the segments separate and fall and the plant becomes difficult for the novice forager to locate.  Best picked when the leaves are 1 to 3 inches long, before they start to separate by segments.

Use: Horsetail, also known as Shavegrass, is commonly thought of as the "hair, skin & nails herb".

It is mild in flavor, but somewhat fibrous. This makes it a bit tougher to chew for a salad green. It's a little softer than rosemary herb.  It makes a fair pick for those who want to chew on a plant instead of a toothpick while on a walk.

Horsetail makes an excellent tea herb.  It tastes best when paired with a more flavorful companion like mint or stinging nettle.  

Horsetail is strongly astringent and is therefore used for both internal and external wounds. 

It kills eggs of parasites and dissolves tumors. Studies have shown that fractured bones will heal much faster when horsetail is taken. 

Silica, found in horsetail is helpful in aiding circulation and assimilation of calcium in the body. It is commonly sold in health food stores for strengthening and improving fingernails, skin and hair.

Please, let’s take 5 minutes or so for a lil chat break from the busy day.

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Valerian
Botanical Name: Valeriana officinalis
Perennial Plant
Part used: root parts

This is a beautiful plant for your flowerbed. It has pretty white flowers sorta like Queen Anne's Lace, but sooooo fragrant. I really enjoy the air when it is in bloom. It is good in the flower bed, give it a lil space because it tends to spread some, and you want it to - since it's the root that is most beneficial. But don't worry about it taking over the flowerbed, it has more manners than those notorious mints - spearmint or peppermint.

Interestingly, with such a beautifully fragrant blossom you wouldn't think the root would be so smelly. The root is the part used for herbal medicine. The root has a very earthy, dirty, musty smell. If you like patchouli, you probably won't mind valerian. If you think patchouli smells like dirty socks, you'll likely think valerian does too. Don't fret. You don't have to like the root smell to use and appreciate it's benefits. This isn't usually a single herb tea, (although it can be found in tea blends) it is commonly capsuled or tinctured. And the tincture really isn't as bad as you'd think!

It is not commonly found as a wild weed/herb, but it is sometimes considered a flowerbed plant.

So why did I post about it on this weed site?
For the same reason I've posted about violets, bee balm, and others.

Because it's great to consider using your flowerbed as a dual purpose area.
Choosing flowers with beneficial uses besides their beauty is a great thing!

Walk into a health food store and ask an employee for details on valerian and you're sure to get a comment. It's well known for it's benefits for insomnia, stress, nervous conditions, hyper children, and more!

No need to write more - I'll just post a few links and you can check it out from there:

Right click on the links to open in a new tab or window for easy viewing.
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/search/node/valerian


>http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/search-results.html?cx=partner-pub-9271860870733306%3Ankfcbk-1jp9&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=valerian&sa=Search&siteurl=www.herbalremediesinfo.com%2Fsearch.html#1364

http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/articles/complementary_alternative_medicine/herbs_supplements/valerian.php

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Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha piperita - Peppermint
Mentha spicata - Spearmint

Perennial Plant

This isn't really a "common weed/herb", but it is a commonly used herb that could be found or placed in your yard or field for a wealth of enjoyment.

It's a mint family members - so those square stems are a tell-tale identifying aid.
Other helpful mint family members I've posted about are Bee balm and catnip.

Peppermint and Spearmint plants look a lot alike.
But they taste a bit different.
Spearmint has a sweeter flavor.
Peppermint has a sharper mint flavor.

It's spearmint essential oil (the volitle oil or essence of the plant's scent and flavor) that Wrigleys uses for it famous chewing gum.

Mint is a great plant to have in your lil corner of the world.

It's a cool plant for children to have available to pick and chew the leaf of.

A small patch can make a lot of leaves to dry for mint tea.

And it has a pretty although not real showy flower.

Put it in an area that gets disturbed (like being brushed up against or walked on) and it will cast it's pleasant scent for you.

Mint tea is great to help settle a gassy, or over-stuffed, or unsettled stomach.
Mint or catnip tea is a soothing treat to a colicy baby.

The essential oil of peppermint is awesome stuff.
Although it's hard for the home grower to distill, it's still worth mentioning.

Mint is very penetrating. (Thus the post title.)

Peppermint essential oil works wonders when a couple drops are rubbed into sore muscles,
or at the temples or base of the neck for a headached even some migranes.
1 drop on your tongue will freshen your breath with a strong minty kick and if you breathe deep with it on your tongue it will clear your sinuses like nothing you've tried before.

Mint is very invasive. I mean REALLLLLLY invasive.
If you put it in your flowerbed you WILL live to regret it.
Instead plant it in the edge of your yard, or use it for a ground cover.
Once established it is hardy. You can mow it down and so long as it doesn't dry out, it will be back. And of course the mowing will make the yard smell minty instead of just cut grass smell.

It has horizontal roots like invasive grasses do. I don't mean the shallow rooted manicured lawn grass, I mean the heardy grasses like crab grass.

Peppermint and spearmint roots are a little smaller than a pencil and they have bracketed sections about every inch. That means, if laid on the ground horizontally and coveren with about an inch of dirt (that's not very deep) it will likely send up a mint stalk at every bracket! And they spread. Any bracket can split, or get broken and then each end or division will grow more. It doesn't take long for a few roots to turn into a carpet.

Horizontal roots are givers. I call them the gift that keeps on giving.
Hardy grasses, stinging nettle, peppermint, spearmint, and usually any bracketed horizontal root are designed to be difficult to erridicate. They pull up relatively easily, but if any of those inch-long bracketed roots remain behind, they will grow! If you consider them as beneficial instead of "weeds in need of erridication" you'll be happy to have them to share the joy with others!

Motherwort also has a tell-tale stalk with small purplish flowers, which become the spot for sharp, pointed seed pods in the fall that will make you respect the plant after one touch. (See the drawing above.)

This is not what I'd call a "common" weed/herb, but there are people who have it grow in the wild. It naturalizes well. Once you have it, if you can tolerate the seed pods and let it seed out, you'll have more! Like most annuals, it re-seeds well. It likes full sun, but will do ok with partial shade. It does fine in an average soil, but will thrive with darker leaves in a rich soil. I likes well drained soil, not wet feet. It's really not very fussy. Just be sure you water it well and repeatedly if transplanting.

Here's my nut-shell comment on Motherwort:

If you are a Mama,

or you have a Mama,

or you know someone who is a Mama,

you should have this plant!


I've seen tea from this plant relieve round ligament pain, after birth pain, speed postpartum recovery, and relieve menstral cramps. But that's just the start of what it can do!

If taking during pregnancy, use it in the third trimester only. You'll be glad you did. Especially if you've had a baby before without it - you'll likely know the difference in recovery time and postpartum pains. My experience has been that 2 to 4 oz of tea per day during the last month and for the first couple weeks postpartum is enough.

There's plenty of good sites extolling it's virtues. I've pasted 3 quotes with links below. Do check out the links, each quote is only a portion of the info you'll find on the site.


These sites primarily talk of using a tincture. I've typically used it as a tea.
Either will work. An you can make both easily.

Benefit of the tea is you can make it in just a few minutes of when you need it, and you can store that tea in the fridge (well sealed) and continue using it for several days. Or freeze the tea as ice cubes and you'll have tea cubes whenever you need them.

Benefit of the tincture is it is portable, long-term storable, it is more concentrated, and the dosage is more easily regulated.

See the "Herbal Preparations" spot elsewhere on this site for details on how to make tincture or tea.

This herb has a BITTER flavor. It's not a plant you'll enjoy drinking tea from, but any Mama, and plenty of non-Mamas, will enjoy the benefits received from the tea. Sweeten the tea with honey, or dilute it with some other tea or juice (you don't have to drink it warm). The good news is: you don't have to drink a lot of it. An ounce or two at a time, a couple times a day is usually sufficient for prevention or maintenance. If you need a quicker kick (like for some "special" day in the month), go for a whole cup of it and see how you feel. But really, you'd be better served having a smaller amount per day a couple days before those expected days come.

Here's those quotes I mentioned earlier:

“Motherwort”. As the name suggests, this wonder herb is a woman’s best friend, right from when she hits puberty to menopause to right up until our last days. Here’s how motherwort can help you (and your daughters, sisters, mother, grandmother… you get the picture) live a happier, healthier life:

PMS Relief
If you are like most women, no period goes by without some uncomfortable cramping. For those with mild to moderate cramps, try taking 5 to 10 drops of motherwort to ease your cramps in under 10 minutes. Continue to take another 5 to 10 drops every 10 minutes until your cramps have been absolved completely.

If you suffer from irregular periods, this has been known to help regulate your menstrual cycle, as well as help prevent any bloating. Taking small yet frequent doses of motherwort throughout the day will help cut down any bloating in a matter of hours.

Motherwort also tones the uterus, which in turn reduces the chance of cramps in the future. This also, of course, helps prepare our bodies for both pregnancy and childbirth.

Pregnancy and Birth
Not only is it a uterine tonic, but it also seems to be a vaginal tonic as well! Motherwort encourages blood flow to the pelvis and helps thicken the tissues of the organs in the area (such as your bladder, uterus and vagina). This will tighten and improve the elasticity of your vaginal walls, as well as help keep you from feeling the urge to pee so often!

Motherwort has been well known to help promote the flow of a mother’s milk, so if you find your milk not coming in so quickly after baby’s born, take 10 to 15 drops of motherwort daily for best results.

Menopause
Tired of waking up in a soaking sweat at 3am? How about those hot flashes that strike in the middle of the day and cause that horrible dizzy sensation? Motherwort can help reduce the duration, frequency and severity of your hot flashes, as well as take away the faint sensations you may experience. Try taking any where from 15 to 25 drops daily for 3 months to help you with this condition.

Uses that Both Sexes can Enjoy
Yes, men can enjoy a “mother’s” touch too! For any bouts of insomnia, take 10 to 15 drops of motherwort and follow it up with a gulp of water. This will help calm you and soothe away any nightmares you may also be experiencing (this is common for women in menopause).

Who wants to be less stressed out? As with the sleeping remedy, motherwort eases nerves and helps eliminate stress with 10 to 20 drops of this tincture. Continue to use it every day for the best effects, and take ever 5 minutes if you are experiencing a lot of stress and need some quick healing.

For those looking for a stronger heart with a regular pulse, look to motherwort yet again (this herb didn’t get the nick name “lion-hearted” for no reason!). A 1 ml. drop of motherwort will ease heart palpitations and tachycardia, and hypertension after extended use.

Looking to improve digestion and eliminate constipation? Try adding 5 to 10 drops to your daily regime.

Lastly, if eliminating depression and increasing your life expectancy is what you seek, motherwort can help you with that too. Try taking motherwort in the morning rather than your caffeinated coffee – I guarantee you that you will be feeling happier and healthier in no time.
Right click this link to open in a new tab or window and learn more from this site:
http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/go/index.php/89/uses-for-motherwort/

This herb is beneficial in balancing hormones and women's menstrual cycles. It has a reputation for soothing stress and tension during pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood.

It is often taken two to three times daily, in the last few weeks of pregnancy, to encourage coordinated contractions of the uterus.

It's also used to treat heart disorders, anxiety and palpitations. It strengthens the heartbeat and increases circulation to the heart without increasing the pulse rate.

This herb may be used for irregularities such as arrhythmias and palpitations which are associated with anxiety and tension. The glycosides have been observed to have a short-term ability to lower blood pressure.

Motherwort is used to strengthen heart function, especially in conditions where the heart is weak. A gentle sedative and antispasmodic, it promotes relaxation rather than drowsiness. However, it does stimulate the muscles of the uterus, and is especially suitable for delayed menstruation, menstrual pain, and premenstrual tension.

As a nerve tonic, motherwort is taken three to four times per day on an empty stomach. The best times are 15 to 30 minutes before meals and before bed. During acute stressful periods, it is taken more frequently.

Motherwort is a first-class relaxing nerve tonic with valued for its ability to bring cal without drowsiness. Taken throughout the day and before bed, it helps insure restful sleep. This herb is also an antidepressant and very slightly euphoric for some people.

The aerial parts are used medicinally in teas and tinctures.

CAUTIONS: Motherwort should not be taken during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. Should be used cautiously by pregnant women as it is a uterine stimulant. Should not be used if menstrual bleeding is heavy.

Right click this link to open in a new tab or window and learn more from this site:
http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/Motherwort.html

As its Latin name cardiaca suggests, Motherwort has traditionally been used to treat heart conditions. The ancient Greeks and Romans employed Motherwort to treat heart palpitations as well as depression, which they considered a problem of the heart. Centuries later, Europeans would believe Motherwort helpful for "infirmities of the heart", but also considered the herb to have strengthening and stimulating effects on the uterus, using it to bring on a delayed menstrual period, as an aid during labor, and to relax a woman's womb after childbirth. These uses of Motherwort also correspond well with those in traditional Chinese medicine, which employs another Asian variety, Leonurus artemisia, to treat menstrual disorders or to help a woman expel a dead fetus and placenta from her womb. In eastern China, women still drink a syrup made from Motherwort to promote the recovery of the uterus after childbirth; the herb has a strong bitter taste, so visitors to a recovering mother often bring along sugar as a gift. Europeans used Motherwort as a sedative as well, inducing tranquility in times of anxiety, or when there is restlessness during fevers. Germany's Commission E has authorized Motherwort for the treatment of heart disorders caused by anxiety and stress, as well as part of an overall treatment plan for an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). These two uses are linked by the fact that both stress and high levels of thyroid hormone can increase the heart rate. Motherwort is an excellent heart tonic, and research has shown that it is able to calm palpitations, tachycardia and irregular heartbeats. The primary chemical constituents of Motherwort include alkaloids (stachydrine, leonurinine), ursolic acid, flavonoids (quercetin, rutin), bitter glycosides (leonurine, leonuridin), caffeic acid, essential oil, tannins, resin, beta carotene, and potassium.

Especially valuable for PMS, menstrual pain and delayed menstruation. Gentle sedative. Helps calm the entire nervous system. Strengthens the heart and often prescribed for palpitations.

These uses of motherwort correspond well with those in traditional Chinese medicine, which employs the Asian variety, Leonurus artemisia, to treat menstrual disorders or to help a woman expel a dead fetus and placenta from her womb. In China, women still drink a syrup made from motherwort to promote the recovery of the uterus after childbirth; the herb has a strong bitter taste, so visitors to a recovering mother often bring along sugar as a gift.

One component of Motherwort, ursolic acid, appears to possess antiviral and anti-tumor properties. However, a highly preliminary animal study suggests that Motherwort can both inhibit or stimulate the growth of breast tumors. The alkaloid leonurine produces central nervous depressant and hypotensive effects in animals, and stachydrine may also be involved. The glycosides have a short-term ability to lower blood pressure. Chinese research has found that this herb reduces blood platelet aggregation and decreases levels of blood lipids.

Right click this link to open in a new tab or window and learn more from this site:
http://www.mdidea.com/products/new/new03103.html

Yellow Dock
Curled or Curly Dock
Rumex crispus
Type: Biennial
Parts: Young leaves, root
For: Young tender leaves are good for salad or cooked greens. Roots are an excellent blood cleanser, tonic and builder. It has one of the highest iron contents in the plant kingdom, and is an effective tonic treatment of anemia during pregnancy and anemia in general. It will tone up the entire system and is good for diseases such as skin infections, tumors, liver and gallbladder problems, ulcers and skin itch. It builds the immune system and endurance.

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Wood Sorrell
Oxalis, Sour grass
Oxalis
Parts: Tender leaves, stems
For: Frequently found in poor or acidic soils of yards or fields this sour tasting herb with a clover-like appearance is commonly tasted by children for it’s lemony sour flavor. It can be used to make an iced tea drink, in salads or as a cooked green. See also sheep sorrell.

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Violets
Common Blue Violet
Viola papilionacea
Parts: Leaves, flowers
For: Salad, cooked greens, tea, candy.
The leaves can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried for tea. The flowers are a culinary delicacy when candied. Violets are rich in vitamins A, C and iron. A study done by Euell Gibbons says that a half cup serving will yield as much vitamin C as 4 oranges and a full USDA supply of vitamin A.
When harvesting, stick to the common blue-purple variety. Take care to not over-harvest the leaves, but since the flowers are not seed bearing, they cannot be over-harvested. African violets are not in the same botanical family and are not edible

THIS IS A POST IN PROGRESS - MORE DETAILS AND PICTURES COMING SOON


Red Clover
Trifolium pratense
Parts: Young leaves, flower heads, seeds
For: Red clover is probably best known for its effectiveness against coughs and mucus, as a cancer tumor treatment, and a high protein cattle feed. The blossoms, commonly sucked on by children for their sweet flavor, make a healthful tea and can be blended with other herbs for delightful blends. The mature leaves, although rich in protein, are difficult to digest unless soaked in salty water for several hours or boiled for 5-10 minutes. The seeds are a common sprouting herb and can be ground into flour. Red clover is one of the best mucus clearing sources in nature. Contains molybdenum and iron which possess the ability to form special antibodies of protection from rattlesnake, scorpion or any kind of bites or stings. For over 100 years in Europe and America it has been used to treat cancer. It has been known to ease arthritic pain by its ability to rid the system of uric acid, which is considered by some as the main cause of arthritis.