Boneset

Boneset

Boneset herb (Eupatoria perfoliatum) is a perennial native of northeastern America and was commonly used by the Native Americans living there. It likes to ‘keep its feet wet’ by growing in the margins of swamps, marshlands and streams. The leaves are slightly rough...

Plantain

There is a weed that grows on the edges of most parking lots and fields and most of us are so used to tromping on it, that we pay it little heed: plantain, either narrow-leaved (Plantago lanceolata) or broad-leaved (P. major). This common plant, an immigrant from...
Burdock

Burdock

By the end of the growing season, plants have shuffled most of their remaining resources into their roots to store for the winter months. This is the time of year to harvest root-herbs and my all-time favorite is burdock root. The plant’s leaves are similar to...
Saint John’s Wort

Saint John’s Wort

Blooming around the summer solstice is the cheery yellow flower of Saint John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum, a native herb to Europe but naturalized throughout North America where soils are poor. It grows so prolifically in some areas as to be considered a...
Nettles

Nettles

One of the loveliest herbal treats of the spring and early summer is fresh nettle leaf (Urtica dioica or U.urens), found in abundant quantities in cool, moist places along rivers and streams. Nettle is such a rich food source that if it didn’t have a strong...