The Plant Lady

These are some of my favorite plants and how I use them. Most are found across the 

northern hemisphere. Please check the other pages to obtain links and more information. 

Keep in mind that you need to be aware that if you have allergies, you may not be able to 

eat some of these plants. Sample in very small quantities at first, but at your own risk. One

can develop an allergy to any substance, even if it is something you regularly ingest.

Achillea mellefolium: Yarrow  

This plant is often mistaken for Queen Anne's lace which is a good reminder to be sure 

you know what plant you are picking! I enjoy this herb as a tonic tea any time of year, 

which means I dry it for winter use. My preference is to drink the tea straight, but you might

want to add a bit of honey or sugar to taste. Yarrow has also been used to stop bleeding 

for small wounds and to help break a fever.

 YOUNG YARROW--next year's bloom                                                 YARROW IN BLOOM--pick top one                  third of plant for tea

Aesclepias syriaca:  Milkweed

A wonderful multi-purpose plant, it is one of my favorite vegetables. The important thing to

 remember is that this plant MUST be cooked in one or two changes of water as the white,

 milky substance that gives it its name is poisonous. However, once cooked, the young 

shoots have a taste similar to green beans, the young leaves are delicious (the older 

leaves are too tough to eat), and the small, immature pods, one inch or less, are great 

served with butter or used in stir fry. The young stalks are good, too, but they are better 

peeled, first, and then steamed.

One exception to the cooking requirement is the flower head. It only needs to be steamed 

and the water discarded. It can retain a floral taste that is heavenly, and can be used as a 

substitute for broccoli in most dishes. 

Capsella bursa-pastoris: Shepherd's Purse 

I first learned about this plant's medicinal value before I learned about it's edibility. The 

leaves, either fresh or in an ointment are good for treating wounds and nosebleeds. But I 

also enjoy eating the young leaves in a salad or steaming the older leaves or using them 

as a pot herb. I have since learned that the seeds can also be used by grinding them into a

 meal and using as is or incorporating them into flour when baking. 

Chenopodium alba: Common names include Lambsquarter, pigweed, wild spinach, goosefoot. 

Depending on climate and soil, I’ve seen the plant grow anywhere from eighteen inches 

tall to six feet or more (especially in a manure pile!). A wonderful edible with more nutritive

value than garden spinach, it provides beta-carotene, calcium, potassium, iron as well as

trace minerals, B-complex vitamins, and vitamin C and can be used in any recipe that 

calls for spinach. This is one of the first plants that I teach to children. From the time the 

shoots spring up until the plant is about six to eight inches tall, I eat the entire plant as a 

snack, in a salad, or in a stir-fry.

Later in the summer, I strip the leaves off the plant and steam them. Throughout the

summer, I harvest the leaves, including any part of the stem that is still tender, i.e. easily 

pinched with fingernails, as well as the flower head/seeds and can them for winter use. 

The seeds can also be dried and used either as a cereal or ground into a flour.

Fragaria: Strawberry

Everyone knows how good strawberries are, rich in vitamin C, great in jams, jellies and on

short cake, but few people realize the value of the leaves. They also make a wonderful

vitamin-C rich tea, especially when picked fresh. Just put a handful in a jar and cover with 

boiling water, cover until cooled and drink. Flower and leaves are also great additions to a 

salad.

I like to candy the flower and leaves, too, and use them to decorate cakes. Just beat an 

egg white until frothy, dip the flower or flower stem and leaves and gently cover with sugar.

Place on waxed paper on a cookie sheet in a slow oven (about 200 degrees) and dry 

completely. I check for doneness by taking one of the flowers and biting into it. If it's crisp,

it's done.

Oenothera biennis: Evening Primrose 

Once again, here is a very versatile plant.  The first year root (before it blooms) can be 

used in stews and soups, but because of the strong, peppery flavor, a little goes along 

way. Clean and scrape the roots and quarter lengthwise. Second year roots can be used 

but are a bit bitter so require two boilings in water. The leaves are best cooked as they are 

too hairy to be palatable. The seeds can be sprinkled on almost any dish, but I like using 

them instead of poppy seeds when I bake. 

Mentha arvensis, Mentha piperita, Mentha spicata: Mints

Everyone recognizes the fragrance of mint as they walk through it in field or woods. I love 

the young plant chopped fresh in a salad, used as a garnish with a meat dish, or made into

jelly. But nothing surpasses refreshing mint tea. I pick the leaves on a dry, sunny day and 

put them on a cookie sheet to dry. If it's too humid, a dehydrator or a slow oven (150-200

degrees) can be used. Then I store the leaves in an airtight jar in a closet or cupboard for 

later use. Don't forget to combine mint leaves with less tasty wild vegetables or greens to 

improve the flavor. 

Plantago lanceolata, Plantago major (there are also desert species): Common names:

plantain, broadleaf, white man's foot print

One of the most useful and common plants in the northern hemisphere. I've used it as food

and medicine. As a food, pick the leaves while very young and use in a salad; Most people

agree the leaves are best when cooked like any other green. The leaves contain vitamins 

A, C, K, and calcium. Seeds can be ground into a flour.

Medicine: For insect bites or stings, chew the leaf and apply directly to the site. Relieves 

almost immediately and prevents swelling. The crushed leaf makes a good bandaid. Also 

good for poison ivy, etc. Properties are anti-inflammatory, anti- hemorrhagic, and 

antimicrobial.

Rhus Glabra: Sumach or Sumac

Sumac lemonade is one of the first wild beverages I learned to make. Very high in Vitamin 

C, I pick clumps of the berries as I'm traveling. It's important to pick them when it's sunny 

and at least a few days after a rain as the rain washes out the lemony flavor and vitamin C.

The brighter red the berries, the better the flavor. 

When I get home, I pick the berries off of the stem (which is high in tannic acid) and put 

them in a bowl. When I have about five cups, I crush the berries using a wooden pestle or 

an ice cream scoop. Then I put them into a gallon jar and pour about a half gallon of water

(brought just to the boiling point) over them, seal the jar, and let the berries steep over 

night. In the morning, strain the berries through several layers of cheese cloth, pouring the

liquid into a clean jar. Stir in about two cups of sugar, or sweeten to taste, and you have a 

wonderful summer beverage.

Rosaceae: Rose

Besides being fragrant and beautiful, roses are also edible. Many people are aware of the 

edibility and nutrition of the hips, which is used to make jellies and tea, but too few people 

know that they can eat the petals and use them for tea, too. The petals should be picked 

fresh and the white base snipped off as it's very bitter. I like to just nibble on them as well 

as add them to my salads, or make them into a delectable tea. I also like to candy them for

 a delightful snack or cake decoration. NEVER use roses from the florist! They may have 

been treated with pesticides or other chemicals.

High in Vitamin C, I enjoy picking the hips in late Fall, especially after the first frost when 

they are at their best. Unless you're making jelly, which is strained, it's necessary to 

remove the seeds because they easily catch in the throat, but these can also be used. 

Then you can nibble on the hips, dry them for tea, candy them, or make them into jam, 

jelly, pie, or syrup. I also like to pick the petals throughout the blooming season and dry 

them for tea. 

To use the Vitamin E rich seeds, grind them and then boil in a small amount of water. After

straining, you'll have a naturally sweet beverage, almost a syrup. Enjoy!

Rubus sp. Raspberry

Besides the delectable fruit, which I make into jams, jellies and fruit leather (the original 

version of fruit rollups), I collect the leaves for tea. It's a good tonic tea in winter, but the 

leaves are often combined with other herbs in medicinal mixes. By itself, raspberry leaf tea

is a woman's friend as it helps with muenstral cramps and helps tone the uterus in 

preparation for giving birth. Be sure to let your doctor know that you are drinking this tea if 

you're pregnant.

Rumex crispus: Dock, Yellow dock, Curled dock, Curly dock, Sour dock, Common dock. 

This is a wonderful vegetable. I love the steamed young greens, or cooking the older 

greens in a change or two of water. I have learned that the seeds are also edible and can 

be ground into a flour, which I hope to try this year.

Taraxicum officianale: Dandelions 

High in Vitamin A, this plant is too often condemned by those looking for the perfect, sterile

lawn. However, all parts of this plant are edible at one time or another and have medicinal

value as well. The yellow blossoms are most well known for making wine, but I prefer 

using them as a substitute for deep-fried mushrooms. After picking only the blossom 

heads (you may need to rinse and pat dry, depending on where you live), prepare your 

favorite tempura batter and season to taste. My recipe uses 1 cup flour, 1 egg, garlic to 

taste, salt and pepper to taste, and enough milk to make a batter. Dip each blossom in the 

batter and drop into hot oil, turning once, frying until golden brown. Drain on paper and 

enjoy!

The greens are best picked in early spring, or after the first frost, which will sweeten them 

again, if you want to eat them fresh or in a salad. However, the greens are also good later 

in the year cooked in two or more changes of water, depending on their bitterness and 

your taste. You can even use the older leaves in a salad if you cut a few up and mix them 

in with your other greens and/or lettuces. 

The root can be cut into small pieces and roasted in a slow oven (200-250 degrees) until 

brown, then ground up as a coffee substitute. The young roots can also be peeled and 

sliced then cooked in salted water as a vegetable. As with the leaves, the water can be 

changed if the taste is too bitter.

Trifolium: Clovers 

Red or white or hop, these well known plants are versatile. Eaten fresh or cooked, or dried

 and ground into flour, or brewed into a tea, they are a nutritious food. Medicinally, they are

used in infusions, tinctures, poultices or compresses, ointments and syrups. I enjoy adding

the blossoms and leaves to salads, or steaming them with other wild greens, as well as 

snacking on red, white, or hop clovers as I hike. 

Each Summer I pick red clover blossoms and dry them on cookie sheets. Once dried, I 

store them in an airtight jar to use as a tonic tea, especially in winter, or to make into cough

medicine as needed. 

 RED CLOVER, Trifolium praetens                                                        SWEET CLOVER, Trifolium repens 

 HOP CLOVER: Trifolium agrarium, T. procumbens, T. dubium                      COMMON WHITE CLOVER: 

Trifolium repens, T. hybridium  

Typha latifolia:  Cattail

Here is one of my all-time favorite wild vegetables. Different parts of the plant are edible 

throughout the year. In the Spring, the entire shoot can be eaten raw or steamed, but be 

CERTAIN that you are not eating anything else, especially the poisonous iris.

From late Spring to early Summer, cut the stalk at the water line and peel off the outer 

leaves (usually only three or four), and eat the succulent white part raw. What a treat! I 

also slice it up for stir fry. 

Come Summer, the green cattail forms. This can be steamed and eaten with butter, like 

corn on the cob. If you wait a couple of weeks, the pollen "stalk" forms on top of the "tail." 

This yellow pollen should be shaken off into a paper bag, spread on a cookie sheet or 

cheese cloth to dry completely, and then used to add wonderful flavor, color, and nutrition 

to any baked good. I especially enjoy adding it to breads, cookies, and muffins.

Although available throughout the year, for me autumn and winter are the time to harvest 

the potato-like tubers. As long as the ice isn't too thick, this is a great winter forage food. 

Again, be certain you know that only cattails grow in the location you've chosen.