One herb photo today – Chickweed (Stellaria media), taken in a tree pit of Lavender around a Pine tree, in Christian Huygensplein. Chickweed is a delicious peppery salad plant that is full of nutrients which can help us through the winter and can soothe skin which suffers from heated complaints (such as some forms of eczema). Chickweed is
powerful against itching and cysts. It makes a good juice, tea, straight raw or cooked food and is very useful in ointments.

Respectfully grab a handful when you see it invading a clean spot, give it a good wash, gently shake it dry and use as you wish! One super use if to infuse it in apple cider vinegar, perhaps along with Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris).

This little beauty of the herb world will be around through the depths of the Dutch winter, even if under snow, and is only really absent from the reach of urban foragers in the fight of summer, when it dries out and sets seed.

Look for the minute line of hairs down one single edge of the stem and the tiny white star like flowers.

Here’s a link to some historical uses and a link to a Susun weed post about this wonderful herb.