I am big fan of ancient knowledge, that you can find in old dusty books long forgotten on a shelf, a treasure kept secret until someone dust off that old book, and learn again.
I am an equal fan of technology, and what it can bring to us, we have a sea of information at our disposal, and only enjoy a fraction of it.
Once the first Tesla Bot will be released on the market, I don't know if I'll be buying the first one, but I certainly will be tempted by the 3rd or 4th generation of these robots to help around the farm 😁.
Today, I've decided to put technology to good use, helping me identifying all the herbs, weeds, around our land. I also take advantage to put my daughter to sleep, if you don't mind.
If you want to know more about the app I used, here is a link
Nettles
We had countless amazing posts about nettle on hive, so I am going to direct you to them instead of repeating what has already been said:
Spring Foraging Nettles and Cleavers and What To Do With Them
Why I'm a Nettle Pusher Plus a Couple of Creative Ways to Use Them
Just by reading these few posts, I've learnt an incredible amount of information, I know now that it's an antioxidant, a powerful diuretic when combined with cleavers or goosegrass.
I've also learnt how to cook it, make a tea with it, and it's apparently very nutritious, promotes blood circulation, can heal the liver, and I am forgetting a whole bunch!
One important info that I got, is that you can get rid off the stinging by leaving it in the fridge overnight, thanks @holisticmom
Apple Mint
The App was telling me it's Apple Mint! I had no idea there were different types of mints, mint has always been mint for me!
After digging a little bit online, I've discovered that apple mint, pineapple mint, and peppermint are from the same family. Apple mint seems to be a little bit milder, so probably more versatile to use.
Our favourite use at home is for tea, it's easy, comforting, with a bit of honey, just a wonderful drink.
There are countless benefits in using mint, here are the most known:
- Nutrient Rich
- Improve Digestion
- Improve Brain function
- Decrease breastfeeding pain
- Help with cold symptoms
I know that my son, from a very early age, got attracted by this plant. I always think it's because he has a very green energy, and by this I mean the colour green (like his strongest chakra), and I can't prove it, but I am sure the chlorophyll in the mint is the reason for his attraction.
I also think it just has a calming scent, and if he is anything like his dad, it will have a calming effect on him too.
Bracken Fern/ Eagle Fern
Man, my knowledge is very limited for this plant. I knew people use it as an ornament, but I opened a whole can of worms, learning that in some part of the world, people eat ferns!!! Even here on hive:
- Eating ferns in Sarawak, Malaysia
- I also found an article online about it being carcinogenic
- But also found an article talking about its medicinal benefits
So, my take is as there are more than 10 000 species of ferns, some of them are nasty, and some are good, in other words, we are very much like ferns 🤓
Wood sorrel
What the hell is this? It's pretty, I like it. can I eat some? Yikes, that's bitter.
The sorrel, called sometimes Indian Sorrel or Oxalis, is a very ancient plant, used in Ayurvedic medecine, in holistic science, I found all these incredible info in this article, and learnt, learnt, and couldn't stop learning.
Beta carotene, is what you need to remember about sorrel, and also flavonoids, here is what sorrel can do:
- Prevent blood clots
- Reduce cancer risks
- Help with asthma
- Protect against cardio vascular disease and slow cognitive decline.
Can also create kidney stones when ingested in large quantity, so beware!
Wood Cranesbill
I am ashamed to admit that I thought it was mugwort from afar, wood cranesbill is also called wild geranium, and was used by the native American to tread dysentery and diarrhoea.
After digging a little bit more, I've discovered that the rhizome was used as a powder by The Ojibwe or Chippewa, to help cure canker sores, and help with gum inflammation, and even used by the Blackfoot tribe to stop haemorrhages (haemostatic properties).
Its high concentration in tannin makes it an astringent and an antiseptic! But...can you smoke it?
Nope...Stop constantly asking this question please...
Broad bean
Just a bean...Farmer in the area like to plant it during winter, and let the plants break down on the land to create Nitrogen.
This little guy probably got lost!
Yellow Loosestrife
Right now, that application identified this plant as a yellow loosestrife, but it's hard to tell now that the plant isn't flowering yet, as it flowers from April to September.
If it's the case, it seems to have almost the very similar properties to wood cranesbill, you can add to the list expectorant, and also antiseptic as it was used to clean wounds.
The herb is astringent, and demulcent, and of course I didn't pull these info out of my ass. It's been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, incredible...
Dandelions
Dandelions is a superstar, not only he/she is one of the coolest, but I don't know anyone that hate it, it's pretty unanimous across the globe, pretty as f***, yummy, and hanging out on its own like a cool kid...
If you are interested, and I know you are, here is list of its benefits:
- Help with inflammation
- Anti-oxidant
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduce Cholesterol
- Boost Immune System!!
- Can help curing cancer!
- Promote a healthy liver
- Good for your bones!!!
I got my info from the INTERNET which everyone knows is pretty accurate!!
Buttercup Fail
Yeah, as you can see, technology isn't 100% accurate, and needs some work, but I believe it was the angle of the picture that prevented the app to recognize it.
Does buttercup has benefits you may ask? Yes, my dear friend, it does...
- Help with headaches
- Help with joints (ah!)
- Help with Shingles
- Help with pains
and also:
- All parts of the plant are poisonous.
Wait...What? Oh man! (spits out the flower)
Conclusion
I managed to put the little one to sleep in my quest for weed(s), and learn a bunch about plants, they can all heal and also kill you, so make sure to only smoke a small amount 😌
I straight up tag @rubido that is probably already dusting off his herbalist books, but I know @dandays go outside sometimes so yeah, tagged!
Very informative! The person saying that they've read lots of studies about ferns being carcinogenic, then doesn't cite the studies is not a very reliable writer. Not that they aren't, but most everything can be carcinogenic if certain preperations are not respected. In the U.S. all processed food is carcinogenic, and you can't cook that out of oreos lol🤣 But the healing properties of these plants are immense. I wish I'd studied them more during my 26 years living in France as the French have been healing themselves naturally for over 6000 years. Of course, they mix with allopathic medications, but those that live the longest mostly do natural healing, get daily exercise, and eat a healthy diet. Thanks for the good read😀
Hey What's up @katou.kanga Thanks for your awesome comment! As I was saying to @leaky20 I think it's linked to something called ptaquiloside being a natural carcinogen.
Check this article https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-021-00468-0
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00580-018-2636-2
I agree with you though, it's an incredible remedy against tuberculosis, chest infection, fever, sore throat, etc...
You will notice that half of the weeds in the post are toxic in high quantity, so I guess it's always kind of a matter of balance! Cheers and thanks for passing by!
Also I think a lot of stuff about herbs errs on the side of caution - they jsut don't know enough about how they work, so best just tell people to be careful..
Yeah, I've always been told to microdose with plants and drugs, just to check the effects, before taking the normal posology.
I know quite a bit and have books on essential oils. Plants were the original medicine for thousands of years so of course, can be toxic which is why they should always be studied first. But the curing possibilities are endless with very little side effects. Kudos on the great article you wrote and thanks for the links🙏🌱
A très vite! Quand est-ce que tu reviens en France?
Jamais. Je me suis sauvée au Mexique avec le Freedom Cell Network. Nous allons se couper du système et construire des petits communautés off grid en permaculture. Je cherche ma communauté actuellement. Pas facile car les expats ne sont pas très motivés pour l'instant😂😅
I used to smoke nettle for some time while I was trying to get rid of tobacco in my joints. It actually worked for me.
Interesting facts, I didn't know that buttercup helps with headaches.
You see, that's why we stay together. So I can learn how to smoke my spliffs with nettle! how was the taste?
The treasurable smoking experiences 😃
It was a bit bitter at first, but then I remembered that I had some old nettle tea- which was too old for tea and that one was way better than most of the herbs I've try to use instead of tobacco...even camomile
Aahaha, such a good joke. My hubby used to do that all the time.
Me: 'Is it even edible?'
Him: Pretends to die.
I really relished the idea of you on a walk with the sleeping child and your phone, perusing the internet and the fields for wisdom. I've learnt so much via both books and the internet - I tend to do both these days. That app - I'll have to check it out. And yes, lots of different mints! Some are horrible and far too strong, some are delightful in mojitos, some are good for digestion. I'm investigating spearmint currently as it keeps coming up in my readings.
So many plants in Europe we just dont get here, and if we do, the council poisons the shit out of them because they're an invasive species. Let them invade, I say - we need these allies in our life!
Even the smokeable ones.
I am not surprised, I think that's how the Frenchs and Aussies created the myxomatosis, they were trying to eliminate rabbits proliferation, and they ended up creating a uncontrollable rabbit genocide! Way to go!!!
I had the same problem with mint, I've also been told that deer pee constantly on it, so be ready to ingest so deer urin from time to time, it won't kill ya.
Thanks, It's the most fun I had this week, some silence, just birds flocking around, and taking the time to look on the side of the road!
Thank you for this great post, @edprivat ! I enjoyed very much perusing it... especially the notes on nettles, as I wrote about them here recently too - they are such a well-loved herb!
I prefer books always, but on the hoof it's nice to have an app, eh! I'd always refer to a wider-panoramic view of all plants and wild things, and only use an app to join the dots or remind me of what I already know, rather than a core source of info.
And yes, isn't it True how many of our plants are vibrantly medicinal and healing and transformative - and our processed and packaged foods profoundly harmful...
I noticed that in more modern publications on mushrooms for example, more and more species are being classified as 'deadly poisonous', when there used to be only 4 truly, immediately deadly poisonous mushrooms where I grew up in Scotland. It has a lot to do with insurances and culpability, and the contemporary weakness of digestive and immune systems... And folks' naive trust of the 'authority' of t'internet!
The average person might be overly-sensitive to anything truly Natural, from water to bacteria to 'viruses' to fungi to leaves - because they've adapted to such a limited variety of food stuffs, and their systems are clogged with gunk and toxins. A wild herb therefore, might immediately set off a detoxification process, which would be viewed as them 'being poisoned'.
Blessings!
Hey there!
I should actually add your post to the list, because it's an awesome one!
Everything that you said, even prior to the quote is so important. It reminds me that if tomorrow, we lose internet, electricity, all systems of communications, people will go back to micro-dosing herbs as an only way to "test" their effects.
Of course, there will be still few books hanging around, eventually some of that ancient knowledge will resurface once more.
You seem to be pretty well versed with shrooms, man I don't wanna mess around with it, some of them are pretty nasty right?
Aw, thanks for your lovely response @edprivat , and yes indeed - I love your idea of micro-dosing to 'test' plants - I feel that this is the right way back into nature eh!
And I was wondering too, about how they label certain plants as carcinogenic, but not our food -v HAHAHAHAH! Idiots! Us and them!
And yeh, I was thinking to share around pelvic steaming and how important it is to have an intuitive approach to herbs when we want to clear our root chakra/ womb energy - we are so very unique, and the soil around us and the plants growing in it are also so unique.
In my experience, the power of the plant is as much in our personal relationship with it, as it is an inherent and objective power. :-D Happy days, havering and ruminating around herbs! :-D Thanks for the thought-provocation!
And yes, there are a minimal number of truly 'nasty' mushrooms, but a limitless wealth of nourishment, medicine and magic in mushrooms and fungi - a panoramic view is essential, and a willingness to delve deep before enjoying the rewards! :-D
Blessings!
PS This is a parasol mushroom: they grow on the hills behind my town in Italy. Fantastic, easily identifiable mushroom, to begin with :-D
There were a woman that critized by food companies in France few years ago, she was the first one to speak out about Aspartame, she suddenly "died" if you catch my drift.
We did water birth for the 3 kids, but I would imagine that steaming raspberry leaves, could induce the same way it does in a tea.
Haha I can literally do that all day long! I am also very forgetful, which is great as I relearn the same facts over and over again like it was the first time I hear them. "OOOh, that's interesting!"
Parasol mushroom, got it. Let me try to find one on my side!
(takes a bit of a random mushroom, passes out)
:-D Heheheheh - did you wake up from passing out yet? :-D hehehehhe! Careful with those mushrooms!
Yes! Bravo to your partner for birthing in water - wonderful!!! The act of steaming has massive opening power for the pelvis, though obviously there'd have to be a deep embodied Knowing to be wise enough to use steaming in the birth process - but mostly people are so timid about such things - I'd be well up for it! I haven't birthed yet, but pray and hope to one day, and have all my practises given supreme Purpose! :-D
Very sorry to hear about the brave woman in France - there are soooo many stories like that, of folks speaking out and being 'disappeared' - but now the movement is so very wide and subtle - like a 'virus'! - and there's no way to quell it. Lots of information flooding in from all directions! I too don't retain information unless it's embodied firmly and practically - and this too might be a positive quality - a living moving knowing that only activates when the time is right :-D Heheh - happy foraging!
I had no idea.
Apple mint, what the? Do tell when you find strawberry basil. At first glance when I saw Wood Cranesbill I thought it said Cannabis. Oops.
I've been meaning to get with you about an app we can develop that identifies wild weeds and herbs since we're outside so often but I guess I waited too long.
That made me very happy!
It's ok, let's move on to the next app! 😁
Cannabis identifier! Name, THC %, strain, everything you need in one :click:
It's a tough one because some strains look identical!
Very interesting, especially the part about ferns. I have heard that you can eat the young shoots but I didn't know that some are carcinogens. Yikes. That's good to know before I go tromping in the woods to find some lol.
Yes but can I smoke it?
Lmao 🤣 you crack me up
Man I had no idea neither. Then again, it's the internet, so you better double triple fact check everything. It's apparently linked to ptaquiloside! No idea!
Also the the spores release toxins
https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-ferns-are-poisonous-to-humans/
Hahaha I know you thought of it too!
ptaquiloside
There's another word I don't recognize. I'll have to look that one up lol
What a wonderful walk that was. Nothing better than bringing the baby along in a stroller, it's lovely to see your sleeping daughter. An angel, all babies look like that when they are asleep.😉
Thanks for sharing all that knowledge, my great grandmother would make wine out of dandelion. I was too young to drink it of course , but she would also make tea with it and it was good for colds, or so she said. She was my first intro to the uses of herbs and plants. She had awesome gardens, I can remember her pinching leaves off of mint plants and having me smell them. I loved it as a child and I do the same thing now with many of my herbs, I am a sniffer. There must be something to all this plant healing stuff, she lived to 94 y/o.
Thanks for sharing and kudos for being such a good dad.
Hello my friend! Good to see you here!
Wow that's a very touching moment in time, I do the exact same thing with my son, it's an important ritual, the pinching of the leaves.
I am so curious about this dandelion wine, I imagine it's about dipping the flower in a wine bottle?
Thanks for the awesome comment, always something beautiful to share!
Hey there Ed. Yeah, that’s the only way I know how to make that wine😃
I know it sounds a little nuts but part of morning ritual in grow season is sniffing herb, always pinched between my fingers. I love it, it motivates me to do my walking.
So nice to hear from you, especially if we are talking about my stud of a SPUD😜
Guess I'm it 🤣 dusty old books here I go
Librarian mode activated 🤓
Awesome post man. You jumped in front of me on this one! I wanted to make a similar type of post for a couple of months now. I recently started using Google lens, probably not the safest option but what the heck. It does a surprisingly good job. If the plant goes to flower or something like that it has an almost 100% success rate. I have systematically gone through my garden and found some really cool things, new herbs to eat but also "weeds" that endanger local fynbos. Scary plants.
Anyways, try to find yellow woodsorrel. Seriously yummy, tastes like lemon. It makes a seriously nice yellow flower and also tastes amazing in salads. (Although, just be aware of the oxalic content, apparently not too good in big quantities too often.)
I was 100% sure that you would do a similar post!! I am so happy I beat you to it, because your post would have probably made look mine amateurish 😁.
In all fairness though, I wouldn't mind you doing it too, just to see what's on the sidewalk! Never did it in SA, and I should have!
so it looks like most of the plants can kill you, that a lovely thought!!
Hahah rather say: great minds think alike! Your post is awesome, and I am not sure how I would better on it because my foraging is in my backyard.
But maybe you are right! The more herbs in the database the better. Hive is an awesome place to start! Maybe people can even help with unidentified ones.
And yes, even oxygen can kill us! But I feel like "killing yourself" slowly is the best way to go. Okay that sounds much worse than it is. I am reminded of an ancient Greek philosopher who foraged and ate small portions of poisonous plants on a daily basis for his whole life. When he was sentenced to death by poison, none of them worked as he built up a natural tolerance to all the poison. I think about my own foraging like that haha
The Greek philospher slowly building poison resistance is an incredible story. You got the name of the story in mind?
Mithridates was his name. Maybe not a philosopher, my bad! Still an interesting read.
There is apparently also something called a Mithridate cure or antidote:
Isn't it amazing how much medicine is readily available to us when we take the time to go outside and connect with our surroundings.
This is definitely a positive side of technology when it can help you identify those plants and you certainly have an abundance around you. Thanks for sharing it with us @edprivat xxxxxx
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Thank you @theherbalhive for tagging me, I liked the freedom this time around! I think it's clear that nettles are the most beloved herb on hive!
Yes nettles are a favorite if mine as well, @trucklife-family here by the way xxx