Page 84 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

joint pains. Take internally and topically apply a poul- Be sure of your plant identification. There are poison-
tice or wash directly to the affected joints. ous look-alikes. Goldenrod can increase blood pres-
sure in some people.
Harvesting: Harvest healthy leaves and flowers that
are free of powdery mildew or other diseases. Pick the Recipes. Goldenrod Tea: You will need 2 cups of
leaves throughout the spring and summer and harvest boiling water and 1 Tablespoon of fresh goldenrod or 2
flowers in the late summer or early autumn, just as the teaspoons of dried goldenrod. Bring the water to a boil
flowers open. Leave some flowers on the plant to pro- and pour over the goldenrod. Allow the herbs to infuse
duce seeds and guarantee a crop the next year. Roots for 15 minutes. Strain and serve. Use up to three times
are harvested in early spring or autumn. Hang the a day. This tea is slightly bitter. Adding an equal
plants to dry or use a dehydrator on the lowest setting amount of mint to the herbs improves the flavor.
to dry them for long-term storage.
Goldenrod Decoction: Ingredients: 1-ounce
Warning: Goldenrod is a diuretic and can be overly goldenrod herb (leaves or flowers), 1-pint (500ml) of
drying when used long-term as a daily beverage or tea. water. Place the herbs in a non-reactive pot with the
Do not use goldenrod during pregnancy or when nurs- water over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
ing. Consult your doctor if you have a chronic kidney Turn the temperature down to a low simmer for 20
disorder. Do not use goldenrod if you are allergic to any minutes. Cool the decoction and strain out the herbs.
members of the Asteraceae family. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Use 1 to 2 tea-
spoons per dose, 3 times a day.

rich in nitrogen. Its preferred habitat is in disturbed
Greater Burdock, areas.

Arctium lappa Edible Use: The leaves, stems, seeds, and roots are
all edible. Young first-year roots and leaves are good
Arctium lappa belongs to Asteraceae (Daisy) Family. raw in salads, but they become too fibrous as they ma-
It is commonly known as greater burdock, edible bur- ture and need to be cooked before eating.
dock, lappa, beggar's buttons, thorny burr, or happy The leaves and stalks are also good either raw or
major. It is a Eurasian species and is cultivated in gar- cooked. I prefer to remove the outer rind before cook-
dens for its root, which is used as a vegetable. This ing or eating. The sprouted seeds are also eaten.
plant has become an invasive weed in many places in
North America. It is a giant weed with much medicinal Medicinal Use: Greater Burdock is antibacterial
potential. and antifungal, helps with digestion and gas, is a diu-
retic, and regulates blood sugar. It is a powerful
Identification: Greater burdock is a biennial plant.
It is tall, and can reach 10 feet (3meters). Its stems are
branched, rough and usually sparsely hairy. It flowers
from July to September. The fleshy tap-root of this
plant can grow up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) deep. Greater
Burdock forms a 1.5-inch-wide (3.75 cm) single flower-
like flat cluster of small purple flowers surrounded by
a rosette of bracts. Leaves of greater burdock are alter-
nate and stalked. They are triangular–broadly oval,
usually cordate, and have undulating margins. They
have a white-grey-cottony underside and first year
growth is in rosettes.
The fruit is flattish, gently curved and is grey-brown in
color. It has dark-spotted achene with short yellow
hooked hairs on tip. Greater burdock is found almost
everywhere, especially in areas soils that are usually

83