For the love of weeds

Natural Health, July-August, 1998 by Laurel Vukovic

Part used: Flower

Habitat: Backyards, empty lots, fields, meadows, parks, roadsides. Prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil.

Harvesting guidelines: Gather flower heads between late spring and early fall. Avoid blossoms that have started to fade.

Medicinal uses: Red clover has an abundance of nutrients, including antioxidant vitamins and minerals, and has a reputation as a tonic herb. It also helps to relieve coughs and chest congestion because of its anti-spasmodic and mucus-loosening properties.

How to prepare: Red clover tea: Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of dried flower tops (or 2 tablespoons fresh) and steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups daily for the duration of the cough or cold.

Personal notes: Gathering red clover on a warm, sunny day is my idea of a wonderful outing, and I find that it's easy to engage both adults and children in the pleasant task of picking the plump red flower heads

WILD ROSE (Rosa rugosa and other Rosa species)

Description: Wild roses are easy to recognize because they look and smell like cultivated roses but have smaller flowers and leaves. There are shrubs and climbing varieties that can grow from 1 to 8 feet tall. Leaves are toothed, and most species have thorns. Wild roses bloom in early summer, with five-petaled flowers ranging in color from white to pink. In late summer or fall, the flowers give way to red or orange rose hips, the fruit of the plant.

Part used: Fruit and petals

Habitat: Fields, roadsides, thickets, seashore. Prefers consistently moist soil and full sun.

Harvesting guidelines: Gather petals any time the flowers are blooming; harvest rose hips in the fall after the first frost, when they turn bright crimson or orange. Small rose hips (the size of a pea) can be dried whole; slice larger rose hips in half and remove the seeds.

Medicinal uses: Rose hips are high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids and make a vitamin-rich tea that is helpful for preventing and treating colds and flus. The astringent properties of rose hips makes them helpful in mild cases of diarrhea. Rose petals are mildly astringent and soothing for all skin types. They can be used in facial steams to cleanse the skin.

How to prepare: Rose hip tea: Gently simmer 2 to 3 teaspoons of chopped rose hips in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes in a covered pot. Drink 3 cups daily when you think you are prone to a cold or flu.

Rose petal facial steam: Add 1/4 cup of dried rose petals (or 1/2 cup of fresh) to 1 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, cover, a and turn off heat. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, make a towel tent over the pot and your head, and allow the steam to cleanse your pores for 10 minutes. Rinse with tepid water, pat your skin dry, and apply a moisturizer.

Personal notes: I gather rose petals every year from early summer until the last roses succumb to winter frosts. For several months, my house is filled with baskets of fragrant rose petals in various stages of drying. One of my favorite memories is of gathering wild roses on a small island off the coast of Maine.