Hedgerow Medicine

I thought I’d pick some meadowsweet too.

I was having a walk in the park this week with the dogs and a friend when all of a sudden they all ended up in the grass and shrubbery. The dogs were chasing a resident pigeon as usual but my friend was in there for a different reason. She had spotted a clump of Meadowsweet flowers “These make a great tea and has natural aspirin in it” she tells me coming out of the undergrowth.   “You can just dip the flowers into a cup of hot water or make a glycerine mixture from it to take on a teaspoon”.

My friend went on a nature walk with a group of ‘Feed Yourself from the Hedgerow’ people and it looks as though things have stuck.  

Of course the first thing I did when getting home was to boil the kettle and pour it over the flowers. It tasted a bit like it smelled, sweet and sickly, but with a hint of insects. One recommendation if you try this at home is to keep the flowers in the sun for a bit to let the little critters escape before you dip the flowers into the cup. 

My friend went on to tell me a few more fascinating facts about some of our common plants. One of them being St John’s wort, the plant the pharmaceutical companies love.  My friend explains “St John’s wort has become well known as a herb for treating depression and SAD, but it is far more than that. An old antiseptic wound herb and was the main plant of St John, the sun herb of midsummer and a protector against evil and unseen influences. In modern terms, it strengthens the nervous system and the digestion, protects the liver, is antiviral and reduces pain; it is a plant for support through life-cycle changes. It’s no wonder the pharmaceutical companies want to keep it for themselves.

What about leaves? I hear raspberry leaves are good ?  

“Both raspberry and strawberry teas are good”. She continues. “Raspberry leaf tea is well known for strengthening the uterus prior to childbirth, and for relieving painful periods. It is also an effective and soothing remedy for ‘flu and fevers, helping reduce the aches and pains that go with them.

This tea is a good source of calcium and other minerals, making it a health-enhancing alternative to regular tea. Raspberries, especially wild ones, are very high in salvestrols, a class of cancer-fighting chemicals.” 

How about strawberry leaves?

“Strawberry leaf has a mild, fruity flavour and is one of the highest sources of naturally occurring Vitamin C available. As with raspberry leaf it makes a very pleasant spring tonic and is especially beneficial to pregnant and nursing mothers and to young children. It is very soothing to the stomach. Harvest young leaves in good condition, throughout the spring and summer, but particularly during blossoming for the finest flavour. Again, use either fresh or completely dried leaves, as strawberry leaf suffers from the same toxic change as raspberry leaf during the drying process. Its safety as a tea is not in question when the leaf is entirely dry or fresh, but not between the two. Only use about 1 teaspoon of leaf per cup.

Often wild strawberry grow poor soil conditions, such as sunny, dry, gravelly, or sandy slopes, where many other plants would not cope well at all. Try to avoid harvest altogether in these areas, and instead harvest in areas with more abundant growth. Domestic strawberry leaf makes a tea with all of the same properties, though perhaps not as strong. Be sure if harvesting the domestic sort that the patch is free of chemicals.”

Rosebay Willow Herb

One of my favourite summer hedgerow plants is the Rosebay willow herb. I think it stems from my early youth when I used to play on the railway embankments where these plants flourished. They can be invasive but I love the tall slender stems with the reddish pink flowers. Can these be used medicinally I ask?

“This beautiful native plant is stunning enough to be grown in any garden and yet is considered a weed. It has not been used much in medicine in recent years but was a favourite of the American Eclectic physicians in treating diarrhoea and typhoid. Its soothing, astringent and tonic action is wonderful for all sorts of intestinal irritation, and it makes a good mouthwash.”

I might just try that. As a mouthwash, thankfully I don’t think I have typhoid.

The usual disclaimers apply here I must add, these tonics should be taken cautiously at first and medical advice sought before!