5 Easy to Forage Medicinal Plants 

 
By Colleen Codekas of Grow Forage Cook Ferment  
Dandelion 
 
Dandelions (​Taraxacum
officinale​) grow
worldwide and are one of
the most recognizable
plants around, and they
are also one of the most
medicinal. The best part
about dandelions is that
you get three different
edible and medicinal
parts in one plant: the
flower, the leaves, and
the root.

Dandelion flowers are edible and make a nice homemade wine, but they also have
medicinal properties. They are especially good for sore muscles and painful joints, and
can be made into a salve for this purpose. See my ​Dandelion Salve recipe here​.

Dandelion leaves are a delicious bitter green. They are a superfood that is very high in
many vitamins and minerals and are a healthy addition to a wild greens salad. They
also make a lovely springtime pesto. See my ​Dandelion Pesto recipe here​.

Dandelion root is the biggest medicinal powerhouse of the whole plant. The bitter quality
of both dandelion greens and root makes them excellent for the digestive system and
for the liver, but it is more concentrated in the root. The root is specifically used for
natural detoxing and can also be made into a caffeine free coffee substitute. It is also a
powerful diuretic and can help to prevent urinary tract infections. See my ​Roasted
Dandelion Root Coffee recipe​ and ​Dandelion Root Bitters recipe here​.

For more information on foraging dandelions, see my blog posts here:

● Foraging for Dandelions

● Foraging for Dandelion Root
Plantain 
 
There are two main
varieties of plantain that
are used for medicinal
purposes, broadleaf or
greater plantain
(​Plantago major​) which
is shown in the picture to
the right, and narrowleaf
or ribwort plantain
(​Plantago lanceolata​).
Both varieties have
similar uses and are
good “weeds” to know
how to identify if you
spend anytime outdoors in the natural world. Plantain grows worldwide.

Plantain is known as the first aid plant or nature’s band-aid, and has been used as a folk
remedy for all kinds of ailments for centuries (and probably much longer). It is
particularly useful when made into a poultice and placed directly on a minor wound,
sore, rash, insect bite or sting. It has astringent, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and
antihistamine properties.

Plantain leaf is the perfect ingredient to include in an ​herbal salve​. I include plantain in
my homemade diaper rash salve and eczema relief salve. It also makes a highly
effective balm for bug bites and stings. I sell these plus a plain plantain salve in my
Coco’s Herbals Etsy shop​.

Plantain leaves are also edible and highly nutritious. They are best when consumed as
a young and tender green, as they tend to get a bit fibrous as they get older. The leaves
are very high in vitamins and minerals, and can also be made into a medicinal tea.

For more information on Plantain, and to see pictures of the narrowleaf variety, see my
blog post on ​Plantain: Nature’s Band-Aid​.
Yarrow 
Yarrow (​Achillea
millefolum​) is a flower
that I seem to see
growing almost
everywhere. It is an
excellent plant to know
about for its many
medicinal uses. It grows
worldwide.

It is important to pay
attention when identifying
yarrow, as there are a
few toxic plants that look
slightly similar. The good
news is that once you know what to look for to identify yarrow, it’s easy and you will
begin to see it everywhere! The main identifying feature of yarrow is its frilly feather-like
leaves. You can see several pictures of the leaves in my blog post about ​Foraging for
Yarrow: Nature’s Medicine​.

Yarrow is most well known for its ability to quickly stop blood flowing from wounds or
nosebleeds. A poultice of the leaves applied directly to a cut or wound, or up the nose
for a nosebleed, is a quick and easy way to do this. The leaves can also be dried and
ground into a styptic powder for this purpose.

Dried yarrow leaves or flowers are a wonderful ingredient in an ​herbal salve​ for healing
wounds, either on its own or combined with other healing herbs like plantain and
calendula. I also have a lovely recipe for ​Wild Rose and Yarrow Soap​ on my blog.

Yarrow is astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and a natural diuretic.

It can be made into a tea with catnip and elderflower to help reduce a fever. Yarrow is
also highly effective at healing and preventing urinary tract infections, especially when
combined with other herbs like dandelion root and uva ursi. Yarrow should not be taken
internally for more than a week at a time, and should be avoided by pregnant women.
Elderberry & Elderflower 
Elderberry (and
elderflower) is arguably
one of the best herbs for
colds and flus. There are
several varieties of
elderberry, but the two
that are most often used
medicinally are black
elderberry (​Sambucus
nigra​) and blue
elderberry (​Sambucus
cerulea​), which is shown
in the picture to the right.

Both black and blue elderberry are native to the United States. Black elderberry grows
east of the Rocky Mountains and is also found in Europe. Blue elderberry grows west of
the Rockies and into Mexico. There are different elderberry varieties that grow in South
America, Asia, and Australia (not all are edible, consult a guidebook for proper
identification). Read more about ​Foraging for Elderberries and Elderflowers here​.

Elderberries are a powerful immune system booster and have potent antiviral
properties. They are commonly made into a medicinal syrup or tincture to take during
cold and flu season. The dried berries can also be made into an immune boosting tea.
See my recipes for ​Elderberry with Echinacea and Goldenseal Syrup​, ​Elderberry
Tincture​, and ​Immune Boosting Herbal Tea Blend here​.

Elderflowers also have medicinal benefits. They are effective at helping to reduce fever
and can be made into a tea for this purpose. They are also beneficial for the skin and
make a good addition to skin soothing salves, lotions, and body butters.

Black and blue elderberries (and their flowers) are edible, but sometimes cause an
upset stomach when eaten raw, so it is recommended to cook them first. I like to
ferment them into ​Elderflower Sparkling Mead​, ​Elderberry Mead​, and ​Elderberry Soda
with Ginger and Honey (made with wild yeast)​.
Rose Hips 
Rose hips are the fruit of
the rose flower (​Rosa
spp.). All varieties of rose
hips are edible and
medicinal, and they grow
worldwide.

Rose hips first appear in

the fall and in some
locations they will persist
throughout winter. They
are easy to identify,
especially if you can
identify it as a rose
earlier in the season when it’s in flower, whether as a cultivated or wild variety. Wild
rose is commonplace and grows nearly everywhere. They can be a shrub or sometimes
grow as a vine. Read more about ​Foraging for Rose Hips here​.

One of the main benefits of rose hips is that they are extremely high in vitamin C. They
are one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C available. This makes them excellent
for boosting the immune system, and they can easily be made into a tea for this
purpose. Simply pour hot water over dried rose hips and let steep for 15-20 minutes.
The only thing to be wary of is that the fine hairs they contain can be irritating if
consumed, so be sure to strain your rose hip tea with a fine mesh sieve lined with
several layers of cheesecloth before drinking.

Rose hip seed oil is highly beneficial for the skin, and is commonly used as a natural
anti-aging treatment for the face. It reduces wrinkles and may fade age spots and scars.
I like to use dried rose hips and rose hip seed oil in a homemade lip balm, see my ​Rose
Hip Lip Balm for Soothing Dry Lips recipe here​.

Rose hips are flavorful and can also be made into jam, jelly, syrup, soda, wine, mead, or
even soup! Check out the recipe on my blog for ​Rose Hip Syrup and Whiskey Smash​.