Backyard Medicine

The concept that the dreaded weed is really beneficial may be surprising for some, but there is an old adage that goes….’A weed is only a plant we do not yet know the uses and benefits of yet’.

This is so true. Dandelion and Chicory are diuretics, making elimination of excess fluids in the body easier. Common Plantain, when crushed, releasing the juices, is a wonderful balm for a scrap or bite. Staghorn Sumac and Sassafras have been used for hundreds of years as spring tonics. The white sap of Common Milkweed has been used to remove warts.

So before you use those herbicides on the lawn….look a little closer and find out what treasure chest you might have growing willingly in your backyard.

It is so much fun to learn about these plants that many people are now starting gardens to foster some of these plants in their yard. To do so would add to your yards diversity…..allowing the beautiful orange blooms of the butterfly weed to grow and attract butterflies is a wonderful balm to the soul, encouraging Echinacea to bloom and return to your yard year after year allows a wonderful medicine against flu to flourish, and Dandelion and Chicory roots can be harvested right from your yard to make a different kind of coffee substitute, one that was utilized in World War II when rationing meant many didn’t have coffee at all without it’s use.

So the next time you mow the lawn….maybe you could leave a small area to grow wild, see what is really there. Look closely for all your new friends…you may be surprised to find their smiling flower faces gazing back at you.