I was asked about a nice and safe herb to use for baby teething pain, so today I went hunting for a bag full of Meadowsweet from which to make a more of a pain relieving tincture. Here is some of that beautiful Lady of the Meadow, this morning in the park:
The plant is packed with Salicylate salts, what Asprin was isolated from many years ago. Compounded in this natural way, it reduces inflammation, relieves pain, reduces stomach acid (unlike Aspirin) and can remedy rheumatic pain, uric acid crystal build up, stomach ulcers and more. It is renowned as a good remedy for diarrhoea in young children. Bees also love it and I had to avoid disturbing plenty of honey bees, as I harvested the plant today. The plant is most used as a tea, and I’m using that today to ease inflammation and general pains from a classic “start of teachers school holiday”cold. It works a treat. Filipendula ulmaria is quite a wonder plant.
Here is a wonderful herb that is now going over. As it sets seed Feverfew always tends to break down its leaves and look like its been selectively sprayed by some nasty chemical. But it hasn’t, its just dying back after a busy season making flowers and now seed.
Above is a type of Sweet Clover (Melilotus alba), I mentioned it recently and how I chose not to eat it, even though the flowers taste sweet. It contains some unpleasant chemicals and if you enjoy it, try not to make a habit of eating much of it.
Lastly is a type of Balsam. I’ve not tried it but apparently its edible and also an invasive plant in some parts of Europe. I recently heard of Balsam bashing walks around National trust properties in the UK, maybe they do more harm than good as when a swathe of this plant is quickly removed other opportunistic plants, equally disliked such a Japanese knotweed, may move in.
Urban Herbology 