This cooling jewelweed spray helps soothe the itch of poison ivy, poison oak, bug bites, and bee stings. If you enjoy foraging or exploring the outdoors during late summer, you’ve likely stumbled upon a patch of jewelweed before. Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) especially loves to grow on creek banks, or in areas where the soil is…
Learn how to forage, identify, and harvest black walnuts (Juglans nigra) plus how to dry and cure the nuts, and use the hulls and leaves for remedies! ID Tips for Black Walnuts (Photo Identification) Black walnut is a native tree, for those of us who live in Eastern North America. It’s a tall beautiful tree,…
Learn how to identify and forage Creeping Charlie, an edible spring weed, plus instructions to turn it into a tincture! Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) – also known by the common names “gill-over-the-ground”, “ale-hoof”, “run-away-robin” and “ground ivy” – is a fast-growing, perennial weed that grows low to the ground. Many gardeners find it the bane…
Cleavers is a common edible weed that also has herbal benefits. Learn how to identify and forage cleavers, plus ways to use it! Cleavers (Galium aparine) is a widely found spring weed that you’re likely to find in your garden, flower beds, or while exploring the forest around you. Other common names for cleavers include:…
Learn how to identify and forage for wild violets, plus how to harvest, preserve, and use them. Often considered a backyard weed, violets provide value to native butterflies, bees, and wildlife, and they offer food and herbal benefits for humans too! Foraging wild violets is an easy and fun springtime activity! Here’s how to make…
Learn how to identify and forage plantain, a common backyard weed, plus how to harvest, dry, and use it! The herbal weed we know as plantain belongs to the family Plantago – of which there are about 275 species worldwide. Some of the plantagos most commonly seen here in the United States are non-native, introduced…
Spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata) is a stellar pollinator plant in the mint family which attracts all kinds of native bees and butterflies to your garden. As a bonus, the plant has use as an edible herbal too! At a Glance: How to Grow Like other bee balms, spotted bee balm is super easy to…
Now that you’ve learned how to forage for St. John’s wort, let’s turn those flowers into an herbal oil and salve that’s helpful for tired muscles, sciatica, cold sores, shingles, or general aches and pains! If you haven’t read up about collecting this sunny summer herb, check out our article: Foraging St. John’s Wort: How…
Learn how to use honeysuckle flowers to make tea, tincture, salve, jelly, and more! Benefits of Honeysuckle Japanese honeysuckle has been well studied for its ability to help the body clear viruses. It’s cooling, making it useful for hot, inflamed, and swollen conditions like sore throat and colds/flu. In Chinese medicine, the unopened flower buds…
Learn how to identify, safely harvest, prepare, and preserve stinging nettle, plus ways to use it for food, natural medicine, and more! Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is delicious and nutritious wild edible that may already be growing near you. (If not, you can also grow it as an outdoors potted plant.) Not only is it…
Learn how to identify and use chickweed – a common backyard weed that’s nutritious and delicious, and can also be turned into salves for itchy skin, and more! Where & When to Look for Chickweed While common chickweed (Stellaria media) isn’t a native plant, it has naturalized and spread all over North America, and is…
Learn how to forage and harvest pine resin, then use it to make a first aid salve, a decongestant balm, and a pine resin sore muscle rub! Resin is a substance that oozes or exudes from pine trees, and some other plants, to help heal wounds or seal off insect damage. Depending on what time…