Category Archives: Foraging

365 Frankendael day 72

365 Frankendael, Foraging, Wild herbs, , , , ,

We had a lovely long walk in the park today so lots of photos, lots of plants and lots of harvesting for tinctures, drying food and more.

The plants shown below are:
Tansy,
Meadowsweet,
Feverfew,
Mullein,
Mock strawberry,

Here is Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), a powerful herb which is immediately apparent if you pick and smell a leaf. I harvested some pre-flowing tops today, to make a simple moth repellant for my wardrobe and a tincture in case of use through the year. Tansy is very strong and not to be used casually. It has many modern and historical uses including being a potent insecticide, anti worm medicine and more. It can cause contact dermatitis so it is not one for the cut flower vase. I like this herb a lot but treat it with lots of respect.

Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria is another herb I gratefully harvested today. It makes a good stomach medicine, as a tea or tincture. It can help with stomach ulcers, general stomach upsets such as gas and can help calm excess stomach acid. It contains salicyclic acid, the derivative of Asprin and should be used with caution by those taking Asprin as it will increase the dose present in the body. It is interesting to note that unlike Asprin, which can cause gastric bleeding, Meadowsweet has a soothing effect on that area of the body. Another example of how taking a chemical out of its natural plant environment changes it’s affect on the body. Meadowsweet is traditionally harvested now, just before the flowers open. Finally I found some that had just bloomed in the Frankendael ponds. I harvested some pre-flowering tops, have tinctured a couple and am drying the rest. By harvesting very gently and not to low down the stem I get stronger tinctures/ tea and also allow the plants to have another go at flowering this season.

Next is Feverfew, Tanacetum parthenium, a traditional remedy for migraine. I tried it several years ago, hated the taste and didn’t really notice much effect but I simply ate a few leaves between bread. I don’t suffer from migraines these days but if they return ill try a tincture of this pretty little plant and keep trying for a while. The taste of herbs is important in their effectiveness. Taste is the first part of digestion. It primes the internal organs for the food or medicine that is to come. Bear this in mind if you like to take your herbs packed up tastelessly in capsules. Feverfew is currently adorning many pavement cracks, untended planters and road verges in Amsterdam.

Next is the spectacular flower spire of a Mullein plant. I collect individual flowers throughout the flowering season and add them to a small pot of olive oil. It makes a handy ear treatment.

Next are the delightful edible not-strawberries of Potentilla indica, sometimes called Mock Strawberry. I picked a handful with my little girl and we will cook them up with some fallen apples from the public mixed fruit orchard in Park Frankendael. On the recent Greenpeace walk one of the participants told me that her Dutch mother-in-law likes to harvest these almost tasteless fruits and preserve them in vodka. She likes the taste it makes as a drink. Maybe I’ll try adding them to a Rum Pot this year.

Here’s the little orchard.

365 Frankendael day 71

365 Frankendael, Foraging, Wild herbs, , , , , ,

Meadowsweet, buds still developing. I’ve been waiting for them to open into almond scented flowers for several weeks now. Still good for harvesting. Delicious as a tea and beneficial for stomach disorders and pain relief.

Here is my favourite tonic herb in flower: Leonurus cardiaca, Motherwort. My park harvested tincture is developing nicely on my kitchen shelf at present. So easy to make and so little of the herb had to be harvested. I used part of this plant for my tincture and there’s no evidence left to see, just a healthy and beautiful plant for everyone to enjoy.

Next is another pain reliever, but far too potent for me: Poppy, Papaveraceae sp. On a recent meetup group Lime harvest, a member told me how her French Grandmother used to swear by a cough syrup which she brewed down from poppy flowers and sugar. Isobel has made this her self and says it’s beautiful, works a treat but has an unfortunate blood pressure altering effect so she had to stop using it. Not so surprising as the poppy family is the source of morphine. I heard of another contemporary Poppy remedy this week on the Green Peace Walks I led. Boiling up the flowers in water, a decoction, as a heroine substitute! This was witnessed by a walker and not made by any of the Greenpeace walkers, I hasten to add. Not really my cup of tea, but certainly a useful last ditch pain reliever if ever there was an urgent need. The dosage of herbal remedies is often quite a fine art. The amount required for a medicine like effect, depending upon time of harvest, freshness of herb etc. That’s why I stick to mainly tonic herbs, they can be taken for a reasonably long period without negative effects building up and they work more by supporting health rather than suppressing illness. I think that Poopy remedies must be particularly subject to this variation and are thus seen as unsafe by almost everyone. A lot of people enjoy the seeds as a bread ingredient. By harvesting seeds from small patches of Poppy such as this one, the chance of Poppy plants next year is greatly reduced.

Next today is Veronica, also called Speedwell. I have never used the plant but it’s a useful and very beautiful one. I’m not exactly sure of the genus of Veronica but its similar to Veronica spicata.

There was more mowing going on in and around the park today and also I noticed that a sprawling poisonous White Bryony had been carefully removed, from the Juniper bush I watch it climb. Perhaps also by the maintenance team? This poisonous plant remains and does look rather lovely: Birthwort.

Here is Teasel, now with fully formed and about to bear a pretty ring of tiny flowers around those distinctive flower heads. This plant shows much promise in the treatment of Lyme’s Disease. I like to drink from the water collecting leaf joints, on dewy mornings.

There were so many other plants around today but not enough time to write about them. I also met Joop, looking for the Spoonbill and a freindly local woman, also taking photos of plants, who has a children’s clothing range inspired by the nature in park Frankendael. What a lovely idea! Sorry, I forgot to ask her name, if she reads this perhaps she’d like to email me or place a comment below.

365 Frankendael day 70

365 Frankendael, Foraging,

Today the council mowed many of my favourite herb-filled verges, in this part of Amsterdam. Often I worry about harvesting from such verges, trying to do it in a way that leaves no obvious trace. Then this happens and I stop worrying quite so much. The time chosen does allow for many herbs to seed beforehand but not all of them. Those beautiful Burdock plants were just a few weeks away from seeding and Mugwort was at it’s most beautiful and useful phase. At present, most people don’t know about those plants and they would soon have looked too straggly for many. The poison Hemlock which I watched for weeks, was cut to the ground in this mowing. Just before the seeds matured, so I see that as a positive thing. I’m also very appreciative that the green verges are managed so that they look very attractive for most of the year and thus are welcomed in the city.

Near the garden centre entrance of the park, mowing also occurred today but a healthy strip of growth was left. Here are photos from that area. Firstly Hedge Woundwort,


Stinging nettle, setting seed,

Hemp Agrimony,

and Cleavers, in flower,

365 day 69 Green Peace Walks

365 Frankendael, Foraging

I’ve given myself a day away from Park Frankendael. I led three Herb walks in Amsterdamse Bos, for staff of Green Peace and wanted to share a photo of a plant from that location instead. Around 60 members of the staff joined me to look at some herbs found there and in central Amsterdam.  As ever I learned some interesting uses for plants from those attending, such as rubbing nettles on sore muscles, to increase the local circulation. Also that burned Chicory is still sometimes used to bulk up coffee before trading it internationally and how baking powder makes a good vegetable cleaner. Very interesting people. Thank you all for a lovely day!

So here’s my urban herb photo of the day, a lovely patch of Enchanters Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana) does grow plentifully in Frankendael and I identified it there yesterday but here’s some in de Bos. I hope you don’t mind the venue switch for today…

I found a lovely clump of Gypsy wort, growing on the edge of the canoe lake and am intrigued to know more about it’s uses and name. That plant also grows thoughout the city so I’ll have a hunt for it very soon.

365 Frankendael day 67

365 Frankendael, Foraging, Trees, Wild herbs,

Today I cycled along the Lime tree lined route from home to Amstel Station. So many of the tree canopies along that road are within grabbing height from my bike. Some of the trees are still preparing to open their delicious flowers, others are in full, fresh bloom and still others are setting seed and thus carry fading blooms. These should be avoided by foragers as they are past their best tastewise and may even cause ill health. They also are not stable for drying and I wouldn’t want to preserve them by tincturing or other methods.

The photo above shows a just-fading cluster of Lime tree (Tilia sp.) flowers. Notice the colour of the stamens, stigmas and petals. Fresh, bursting-with-sweet-glutinous-goodness Lime flowers are a crisp, pale cream colour. Those past their best are at first pink/beige then brown. You should be able to see all of these in the photo. If you want to forage Tilia flowers, choose only those in clean locations (well, as clean as possible) which are either about to pop open or are recently open and very fresh looking and tasting.

Here is a link to Linden Schnaaps (basically a very quick tincture).

365 Frankendael day 64

365 Frankendael, Foraging, Perennial herbs, Wild herbs,

Here is a spindly wild plant that needs a closer look to be appreciated. It is Chicory or Succory (Cichorium intybus). The Dutch nation seems to love to eat the leaf heads of a cultivated & blanched version of this plant, called Witloof. Wild Chicory is best known for its tasty bitter roots which can be roasted and ground to produce a useful though non medicinal, substitute (or addition to) coffee. The young leaves of Wild Chicory (scroll through link for photo) are very tasty, not dissimilar to Dandelion and favoured by some bitter-leaf connoisseurs, for their more delicate flavour. They are rich in bone strengthening Calcium and Magnesium and may be eaten raw in salads through most of the year, or gently cooked. The green leaves, grown in open light, are far more bitter than their blanched sisters. To blanch a plant such as this it must be grown in complete darkness for a season. It is also simple to make a vinegar from Chicory roots and leaves, please see Susun Weed but where I live, there is not enough of this plant to harvest any roots.

To harvest the root, the hardy perennial plant must die and that is not reasonable here but by pot-growing your own, on a balcony (or in your work locker as my friend Micheal used to do at De Hortus) you may be able to produce a tasty and unusual crop for personal use.

Apart from being something of a bitter delicacy, Chicory was historically prised as a non-irritatant laxative, suitable for children when prepared as a syrup or similar. It is also a diuretic and a tonic herb, rather like Dandelion. Being strongly bitter, it acts as a Liver strengthening tonic. The flowers were used historically to make an anti inflammatory eye wash. All parts of the plant are edible and generally seen as safe but historical texts point to over consumption causing unusual side effects such as congesting the blood supply of digestive organs and depleting the power of the retina. They also saw it as unsuitable for people with easily depleated energy. Some modern herbals also point out that Chicory root is an emmenagogue, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.

This Frankendael plant is preparing to flower at the moment and what beautiful blue flowers they will be! I hope to save some of it’s seeds, if the plant is left undisturbed long enough for them to ripen and sow then next spring.

365 Frankendael day 63

365 Frankendael, Foraging, , , , , , , ,

I went hunting for a specific herb in the park today, for my neighbours’ dog. Parietaria officinalis, Pellitory-of-the-wall (NL: Groot glaskruid) or something extremely closely related to it, seems to be a favorite walk-time snack for young Tobias and we are all wondering what it is about this particular plant that he enjoys and needs. To identify the plant, I had to find it growing and take a close look. Here’s a link to some historical information about Pellitory of the wall and it’s uses. It is still revered by some herbalists as a urinary system tonic which is safe for children and adults (unless they suffer from hayfever and allergies). It is also used to treat urinary system complaints, when they arise, such as cystitis. Historically many more trusted it’s ability to treat cystitis, prostratitis, kidney and bladder stones, nephritis, urine retention and dropsy, more effectively than any other herb. It is a diuretic, emollient and sedative. It is commonly used today as an emollient in products such as baby creams and lotions. There are also those who use it as a wound herb, as a window and copper cleanser and to sooth burns and scalds. Here’s an interesting link for more information on these less well documented uses.

The plant is a non-stinging member of the Stinging Nettle family, Urticaceae. Its upper leaf surfaces are smooth and the lower suface veins are tufted with hairs. The flowers are discrete and clustered around the base of the leaves. The diuretic action of the plant is due to it containing very high levels of Potassium nitrate (KNO3).

The plant which grows in the park has a crucial difference, it has green stems rather than the red stems which are indicitive of P. officinalis. Also it is softly hairy all over, whereas P. officinalis is hairy on the stems and lower leaf sides. It seems to be Parietaria pensylvanica, Pennsylvania Pellitory, which is known to be naturalized in Europe. It smells very pleasantly like stinging nettles and tastes similar to nettle but lighter and more fresh almost like a cucumber, when chewed. It is sometimes called Pensylvania Cucumber plant and I am looking forward to developing some nice recipes for this plant. All members of the Parietaria Genus seem to share the same high pollen allergy properties and I have found a few US accounts of it being used as a food and medicine plant to help urinary tract problems, in just the same way as P. officinalis. Here’s an interesting link about using the Genus. Please note that one Parietaria species, with red stems, is known as Asthma weed in Australia. It produces pollen which a great number of people are allergic to.

So, Tobias seems to know what he’s looking for. Parietaria pensylvanica grows very well in several parts of Frankendael, all of which are dry, shady woodland habitats. Now I know more about this genus of plants, I can’t wait to get out my scissors, jam jar and vodka to make a Parietaria pensylvanica tincture. The well documented herb Pellitory of the wall, is also effective as an infusion, juice and decoction. Perhaps my neighbours may like to try adding a drop of Pensylvania cucumber plant tincture to Tobias’ water bowl each day, to see if that helps satisfy his need for the chemicals found inside the plant?

365 Frankendael day 62

365 Frankendael, Foraging, Wild herbs, , , , , , ,


Some common “weed” plants have the most subtely beautiful flowers and I think that Ribwort (Plantago lanceolata)  is one such plant.  Many of you already know of the merits of this wonderful first aid herb and I hope that more appreciate how pretty the flowers are.  I think they ar quite incredible creations and couldn’t resist another Ribwort photo today on an outer edge of the park.  There are many Plantago species growing here. Another notable one which has settled in my roof pots is Plantago major. It has broad leaves and it not as highly prized for it’s medicinal qualities but it none the useful.  Douzens of seedlings have taken root in my pots and they are very useful for first aid. Yesterday I was harvesting rooftop Gooseberries and Blackcurrants with my daughter and we chewed on and a leaf or two before gently rubbing the sap onto her berry bush scratches.  It worked a treat and was much quicker to apply and work physically (and mentally) than any remedy I have inside of the house.

If Ribwort and making remedies at home interests, you may like to join me for a small workshop near the next New Moon.


Here is Greater celandine, a wonderful plant with poisonous/potent orange sap, which can often help with unwelcome skin growths, such as warts and corns.  Today I noticed lots of Greater Celandine setting seed and I look forward to collecting some when the time comes.  Below is a lovely picture of the plant drawn and painted by Elodie some time ago. Sometimes paintings tell more about the spirit of a plant than photos ever can.  I need to make more time to sit and draw plants, maybe it’s something you would like to try too?  Drawing a plant requires that you sit with it for a while, that you and it breathe each other in and out and from that you can learn a lot.

Lastly today, a mixed salad in scrub-land beside the park.  I love this untended patch and I’m pleased it gets little maintenance as the wild edibles love it!  Here you may be able to see Chickweed and Ground ivy growing together with some Shepherd’s Purse.  All three, tasty and nutritious.  The main thing that worries me about harvesting from such locations is not really knowing what is in the soil. You can never really know for sure but some scrub-land such as this may be used for tipping unwelcome materials.  I keep that in mind when I choose to harvest or not.

365 Frankendael day 60

365 Frankendael, Foraging, Wild herbs, , , , ,


Very early this morning I was out tasting dew that had collected in this Teasel’s “water cup”, the part of the leaf that joins the stem.  There had been a heavy morning mist over most of Amsterdam but by the time I got to the park it had been burned through by the midsummer Sun.  This Teasel (Dipsacus sp.) had quite a lot of water stored in it’s “cups” or “traps” this morning.  There are different ideas about why the plants are adapted in this way. Some think that the cup shaped leaf joints serve the purpose of trapping insects, perhaps to prevent them climbing the plant, perhaps which the Teasel then somehow digests and absorbs.  The trap/cup which I chose was high up, fresh and insect free. The water within it tasted delicious and set me up for the rest of my cycle.  Teasel is increasingly valued as a useful herb to help counter the effects of Lyme’s disease.


Next is the beautiful, if unextravegant, flower head of  a small Mugwort plant (Artemisia vulgaris).  This plant really is my Midsummer favourite.  So many uses, so common, so inconspicuous to most, so tasty and so much interesting associated folklore.  This plant grows as a welcome weed, beside a park planted tree.  Just notice the moon-like silvery grey undersides of the leaves.  A beautiful contrast to the dark green upper sides.


Lastly today is Brassica oleracea, Wild Cabbage.  Yes, it tastes of cabbage!  No need to harvest the whole plant though, this one is good as a cut and come again plant – cutt a leaf off now and again throughout it’s season.  Very tasty and convenient!

Mugwort Teabread

Food, Foraging, Wild herbs, , , ,

Here’s a basic outline of how to make the Mugwort Teabread from the late Maida Silverman’s book, “A City Herbal. Lore, Ledgend, & Uses of Common Weeds.” The book is available from the publishers; Ash Tree Publishing, Woodstock, NY. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in city foraging and herbs.

I posted Information about adding Mugwort to my usual bread recipe previously but I made this Teabread for the Mugwort Workshop today and some of the participants wanted the recipe. I have slightly changed the ingredients to match what I used today and am not reproducing the recipe exactly. To see it in full, have a look at the book from a library or perhaps purchase a copy, it is full of lovely and tasty ideas.

2 cups spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped Mugwort leaves
1/2 cup grated firm cheese (I used goat cheese)

Preheat oven to 180 C.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and spread evenly in a small or medium, greased bread tin.
Bake for about 30 – 40 minutes, until an inserted sharp knife comes out clean.
Turn out onto a rack and eat warm or cold.

This recipe is extremely easy and I like to make it regularly when Mugwort is plentiful. You could easily adapt the recipe to miss out the egg and or cheese, should you want to.