herb of the month
Chickweed
Stellaria medica
family:Caryophyllaceae
the plant: An annual wild herb that grows in dense, tangled, vivid-green mats. Its delicate stems have a tiny shifting line of hair and pairs of small oval leaves. The flowers are tiny, starry & white with five petals, each so deeply notched it looks like there are ten.
Chickweed is one of the first wild herbs to blossom after winter - at Emerald Valley it is going off now - and stays lush and green through spring while there is water. Native to Eurasia, it is found throughout North America in woodlands, lawns, meadows, and cracks in the sidewalk.
parts used: Flowering herb
medicinal actions: Vulnerary, demulcent, antirheumatic, antitussive, expectorant, alterative
preparation: Fresh! Bruised as a poultice, infused in water as tea, or blended with your choice delicious liquid as a beverage
indications: Chickweed is a moist, soothing & cooling medicinal as well as a nutritious, delicious edible green. Used as a poultice or in a salve, it is excellent in healing surface wounds, sores, ulcers, cuts or boils. Chickweed softens the skin and cools and calms itching, dryness, psoriasis, and irritation. A poultice can also bring relief to eye inflammations.
indications contined to right >>>>>
herb of the month: Chickweed (continued from left)
indications (cont'd): Taken internally, chickweed's cool, demulcent quality may help ease coughs & sore throats, expectorate mucous from the lungs, act as a mild laxative, and ease ulcers and irritations of the stomach. It also has a reputation for providing relief in rheumatism.
contraindications: none.
note: This information is not a replacement for a trained herbalist. Please consult your medical professional before treating yourself or others with this or any other herbal remedy.