Backyard Apothecary: Unveiling the Hidden Benefits of Backyard Herbs

Ever wondered if those pesky dandelions ruining your pristine lawn might actually be a treasure trove of health benefits? Join me, Demetra Clark, on the Heart of Herbs Herbal School Podcast as we uncover the surprising medicinal and culinary uses of common backyard weeds. From the diuretic power of dandelion leaves, loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, to the liver-supporting properties of their roots, these so-called nuisances might just become your new favorite herb. You’ll also discover innovative ways to incorporate dandelions into your diet, like fresh greens in salads or roasted roots as a coffee alternative, all while gaining historical insight into how early European settlers valued this versatile plant.

But the exploration doesn’t stop there. Learn about the nutritional benefits and uses of plantain, chickweed, and nettle, each with its unique advantages. Hear personal stories highlighting nettle's nutritional value and unexpected role in alleviating carpal tunnel syndrome. Lastly, we shed light on the remarkable red clover, a traditional spring tonic known for its blood-cleansing properties. You’ll leave with a newfound appreciation for the natural remedies right outside your door, eager to embrace your backyard as a source of health and wellness. Tune in, and let's transform those unwanted weeds into your personal apothecary!

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The Heart of Herbs Podcast with Demetria Clark! 🌿 Tune in for herbal wisdom & wellness tips!

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The content provided in this podcast is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. It is always recommended to consult with a qualified healthcare professional

Chapters

• 0:00 Discover Your Backyard Apothecary
• 10:25 Powerhouse Herbs
• 24:25 Discovering Backyard Herbal Remedies

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:37

Hi, this is Demetra Clark, the director of the Heart of Herbs Herbal School Podcast. So today I'm really excited, if you can't tell, we're going to talk about your backyard apothecary. And what do I mean by that? I mean, like all the weeds and all the herbs that are beneficial and useful that grow in backyards, communities and fields all over the United States. Obviously, in some areas they'll be easier to find than others, but this is just a general kind of overview, and I did this because I think most people come to herbs because herbs are around them and they can find them in places that are sacred and special to them. And so often, for many people, one of the only green spaces that you have that you can feel is yours is your backyard or your balcony, where you have your plants or your farm's fields. These are your green spaces. So today's episode is your backyard apothecary the hidden power of weeds. So hey there, fellow nature lovers and budding herbalist, welcome to another episode of the Heart of Herbs Herbal School Podcast. This is where we are going to uncover hidden gems in your backyard today and transform what you think are pesky weeds into powerful allies for your kitchen and medicine cabinet.

Speaker 1: 2:06

I'm Demetria Clark and I'm your guide today on this botanical adventure. Today, we're diving deep into the world of common backyard weeds. These are plants that pop up uninvited and often in the most inconvenient places. But guess what? They're far more than just an eyesore and a nuisance. Many of these so-called weeds have been used for centuries in herbal medicine and even in your kitchen. So grab your gardening gloves, your notebook and whatever device you're listening to, because you should go outside and listen and wander around while we're talking, because I bet you're going to find some stuff in your yard that you didn't really think of before as being a powerful plant ally.

Speaker 1: 2:50

I'm going to start off with an herb that is one that most people know what it looks like by sight, and it's one that's often used in commercials to depict pesky weeds. It's really the poster girl or boy or they for weeds Like they are the one that you see when people are talking about weeds. This is one of the first herbs that comes up. So what do you think it is? If you guessed dandelion, then you're probably right. Yes, first up is dandelion, that bright yellow flower that seems to take over our lawn every spring. But did you know? Dandelion is one of the most versatile herbs you can find. This herb has a long history of healing and food use and wine use. Dandelion is super versatile.

Speaker 1: 3:47

So medicinally, dandelion is a powerful diuretic. It helps eliminate excess water and that's also why it's often called the piss-a-bed herb. Its leaves are rich in vitamins A, c and K and it's loaded with minerals like iron and potassium. So just medicinally, the leaves offer so many uses. So the root, on the other hand right, is a fantastic liver tonic and detoxifier. It's used in herbal medicine to support digestion and liver function and even to balance hormones and I'm so sorry I just hit my mic because I'm flopping my hands all over the place.

Speaker 1: 4:35

So here's some of the medicinal properties of dandelion. It's a diuretic, so dandelion leaves are known for their diuretic properties, helping to increase urine production and flush excess water and toxins from the body. So this can be really beneficial for conditions like edema or high blood pressure. Liver support. The roots of dandelion are used as a liver tonic and detoxifier and they help stimulate bioproduction, supporting digestion and the elimination of toxins from the body. Dandelion root is often used to treat liver conditions such as hepatitis and jaundice.

Speaker 1: 5:09

So remember we are not giving you any medical advice. I need to say this, like all the time. I guess this is up to you to learn about and to explore. This is not to be taken as medical advice or legal advice, financial advice or any other kind of advice. It's just information about the traditional uses of these herbs. So it also uses a digestive aid, stimulating appetite and aids in digestion by increasing the production of stomach acid and bile, so it can be useful for conditions like indigestion, bloating and constipation. It also works as an anti-inflammatory, so it can be useful for conditions like indigestion, bloating and constipation. It also works as an anti-inflammatory, so it can help reduce inflammation in the body, making it useful for conditions like arthritis. And it's rich in antioxidants, and antioxidants help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and may support the overall health and well-being of your body.

Speaker 1: 6:02

So culinary uses so we know you can make wine. You can make dandelion wine, but you can also use the greens, much like spinach or kale. You're going to want to use them when they're young. They're less bitter. It also makes them a great addition to salads, sautés, smoothies, for a nutrient-packed punch. So I used to always put fresh dandelion leaves in the food I was cooking my children. So it would be like the green in the mac and cheese if I was doing something like that. Or I would use it powdered on popcorn with nutritional yeast and, you know, I would use it in salads or smoothies. Kids didn't seem to mind at all.

Speaker 1: 6:46

The flowers can be used to make dandelion wine or jelly, and the roasted roots often are a great addition to coffee or as a coffee substitute. So dandelions are not native to North America. They were brought here by early European settlers who valued them as food and as a medicine source. So the next time you see these sunny little flowers, you may want to think twice before you, you know, pour stuff on them to eradicate them. They definitely have uses and they definitely could be a good food source. So if you're a prepper or someone who's worried about that kind of stuff, there would definitely be one to keep in the yard. Look, green lawns were not a thing until we decided to make them a thing. So we can unmake them a thing too.

Speaker 1: 7:35

So the other one is plantain. So the next on our list is Plantago Major. So listen, this is not the plantain that you see in the grocery store. It's not the banana-like fruit. Those are yummy, completely different. This is a low-growing broadleaf plant that's probably growing between the cracks of your driveway right now or, you know, up along the side of your garden beds. They don't mind, they'll just grow anywheres. The thing to remember is that they're coming if they have a few different leaf shapes. So definitely go and look this up, because I guarantee you probably have it in your backyard.

Speaker 1: 8:13

So plantain is an incredible herb for skin health. It's anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and excellent for soothing insect bites, cuts and rashes. Simply crush the fresh leaves and apply them directly to the skin as a poultice. Internally, plantain can be used to support digestion and heal the gut lining, making it a great herb for conditions like leaky gut or irritable bowel syndrome. Plantain leaves have a strong anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, making them excellent for treating cuts, scrapes, insect bites and rashes. They help draw toxins and speed up the healing process. It is great for soothing the skin because it is soothing and cooling, which makes it effective for treating skin irritations like eczema, psoriasis and sunburn.

Speaker 1: 8:58

So if you were a proper like I was just saying, right, plantain is something that you definitely want to keep in your yard. Not only can you eat it, it has a lot of great topical and internal medicinal uses, so it really packs a nice, well-rounded punch. It's a demulcent, so that means it forms a soothing film over mucus membranes, making it beneficial and useful for digestive health. So if you are someone who camps a lot or is a prepper or goes to a lot of festivals or gatherings where things like Giardia and stuff like that goes around, so plantain is going to be one that you're going to want to know what it looks like, because it can really be helpful for soothing conditions like gastritis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome. It's good for diarrhea. It's definitely one of those herbs that you're going to want to keep on hand. It also can help soothe inflamed mucus membranes in the respiratory system, making it useful for conditions like coughs, colds and bronchitis. So you could make a syrup out of the leaves. You know, a tea and honey a really strong tea and honey could be a good, easy cough syrup on the go that can help with those conditions. It also reduces inflammation internally and externally, so you can use it as compresses or teas to help with inflammatory conditions.

Speaker 1: 10:25

In the kitchen, plantain leaves can be eaten raw, when they're young and tender, or cooked like other leafy greens. The seeds can be harvested and used like a mini psyllium husk, which is great for fiber intake. So plantain was known as white man's footprint by indigenous people in the United States, because it seemed to spring up wherever European settlers went, due to its seeds, hitching a ride on their shoes and their animals. The next is chickweed. So chickweed is that delicate sprawling plant with tiny white star-shaped flowers. But don't let its dainty appearance fool you this weed is a powerhouse. It also is one that you can pull out really, really easily Like it does not have really long, strong, deep root systems.

Speaker 1: 11:12

It's often used in herbal medicine as a cooling herb, perfect for reducing inflammation and treating skin irritations. It's also a mild diuretic and can be used to support urinary tract health. Chickweed is rich in vitamins and minerals, making it a great general tonic and great for boosting overall health. It's anti-inflammatory. It helps to reduce inflammation, making it useful for treating skin conditions like eczema, rashes and insect bites. So chickweed and plantain are great for insect bites and they're really easy to use because you could just mash them up and put it right on the bite and it'll start soothing it right away. It has demulsant properties, soothing mucous membranes and irritated tissues both internally and externally. It also works as a mild diuretic, helping to support the elimination of excess fluids throughout the body, which can be helpful for reducing swelling and edema. Chickweed is also known for its ability to promote the healing of wounds and sores when applied topically. So chickweed and plantain I mean, can you see how these two things could just work together and be dynamos?

Speaker 1: 12:24

Traditionally, tickweed also has been used to support weight loss and metabolism. Though the evidence on this is limited, there are a lot of traditional herbalists who really believe that this is something that really works for them and their clients. So it is one of those things it is not going to hurt you to try if that's something that you want to do. It's also great culinarily being added to food, so it's pretty easy to incorporate it into your diet because you can use it in salads, sandwiches, smoothies, pastos, garnishes they can be added to so many different things to make your experience better. So definitely, like you know, do not hesitate to bring that into your life. Obviously, with any herb that we talk about, if you have any kind of interaction or reaction, stop using immediately. Or if you were allergic to the plant family that that herb is from, do not use it. There's no such thing as a healing crisis.

Speaker 1: 13:30

Chickweed has been used traditionally as a remedy for lots of different things over the years, and it is definitely one that you're going to want to keep an eye on and incorporate into your life. So the next is nettle, one that you're going to want to keep an eye on and incorporate into your life. So the next is nettle, and it can be about as fun as its name. Sometimes Nettle is notorious for its sting, but once you get past its prickly exterior, nettle is one of the most nutritious plants you can find. The great thing about nettle, too, is if you harvest it when it's really young, there aren't as many prickly, spiny, thorny things on it that cause irritation.

Speaker 1: 14:04

But I will tell you, years and years ago, before I really even knew what carpal tunnel syndrome was like it wasn't even in our lexicon I was pregnant with my first child and I had one of those really old, like bankers oak chairs to use at my desk, because I had one of the very first computers out for like mass production, because I was going to go back to school, and so I was sitting at my desk all day long writing papers and didn't realize that when you're pregnant, you're more susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome. Number one and number two, that I wasn't sitting in a good chair, I wasn't sitting with you know right posture and all this other stuff, because nobody was talking about that. This was in the early 90s and so I had our mid-90s. I had no idea what the way I was sitting and the way I was working was really bad for my body, and so I developed carpal tunnel syndrome. Long story short, what I did accidentally discover along the way maybe about two, two and a half years later, I accidentally moved my arm. I was pregnant with my second child by then and my carpal tunnel had been acting up and I moved my arm through some stinging nettle and so I got a bunch of stings on my left arm and the pain went away. And so for years I would go get stung by stinging nettle about once a year to help keep my carpal tunnel at bay. I would joke that it was like along the same lines as a you know something like bee venom therapy or something. But it worked and I I currently, um, I currently, to this day think that just getting you know, a bunch of stings on my arm, I don't know, reset something in there and and my and my arm stopped bugging me. Now I'm not saying go and roll around and get stung by stinging nettle. I'm just sharing a fun little story and why I like it so much.

Speaker 1: 16:11

Nettle is a nutritious powerhouse herb. It's rich in iron and calcium and calcium, magnesium, vitamin A's and C. It's used as a tonic to build blood, support kidney function and alleviate allergies. Thanks to its natural antihistamine properties, nettle is also an excellent herb for promoting healthy hair and skin. So just another little fun fact.

Speaker 1: 16:38

Well, I don't know if it's a fun fact for you or not, or if I'm just rambling, but I have a dog that gets really, really bad allergies in the spring. We moved to a new place and on our new little farm something is causing him allergies in the spring, and the first year we were here it was so bad I actually thought he got attacked by an animal because he had been scratching his face so hard. And so now I, just in the springtime, I incorporate a little bit of dried nettle into the dog food mix-ins that I make, and it seems to help him just a little bit to help him with handling some of his allergies, because I don't want to put him on a bunch of drugs that slow him down and that he doesn't like. If I don't have to, obviously I'll do whatever I need to to make sure everyone's healthy who lives in my environment. But if I can hit it with something natural first, I'd definitely do 110%. So nettle is also an excellent herb for promoting healthy hair and skin.

Speaker 1: 17:42

It's nutrient rich, so we're already saying that it has tons of you know iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamins A, c and K. It's also often used in a general tonic to support overall health and vitality. You'll also see it in a lot of PMS formulas and pregnancy formulas. Because of the nutrition. It's also an anti-inflammatory, making it useful for conditions like arthritis, joint pain and muscle aches. It has lots of natural antihistamine to help you with allergy relief, such as hay fever, seasonal allergies and other allergic type reactions. Obviously, listen, if you're going into like anaphylaxis or you have a really, really severe allergy that could kill you, do not reach for a nettle first. Do the protocol that you need to do to keep yourself healthy and well. It also works as a diuretic to help promote urine production and can be used to support kidney function and treat urinary tract infections. Because it's high in iron. It's also used in many formulas that help support healthy blood production and anemia. Nettle is also used to support respiratory health and can help with conditions like asthma, bronchitis and eczema.

Speaker 1: 19:06

In the kitchen, nettle can be used much as the same way as spinach, just make sure you cook it first to neutralize the sting. Nettle soup, pesto and tea are just a few ways to incorporate this herb into your diet. You could do powdered nettle and bread, or you could add nettle tea to smoothies, or the liquid and items that you are cooking soups, stews, the liquid and breads. You can do all kinds of things with it. So fun fact and you may have seen this person on the interwebs. I don't know their account name, but I watched them for a little bit and then I lost them but basically they were using nettle fibers to make cloth and I was like that's so great.

Speaker 1: 19:51

There's so many things like if I had the time and I plan on like doing when I retire and this is on my list I want to grow my own fabric. If you know me, you know I love linen. You know I. This is on my list. I want to grow my own fabric. If you know me. You know I love linen, you know I love natural cotton, so this is just like this to me would be like next level. I would just love it.

Speaker 1: 20:10

I've always wanted to make my own fabric. I'm not sure where that came from, because I can't sew, so I would have to learn how to sew too. And I've tried to learn how to sew and it didn't go well. But I'm thinking, as I get older and I come from a long line of quilters, maybe I can learn how to do this. So it's definitely something that is a fun thing to add to your just fun fact file about nettle. It's just so cool that you can also use it to make fabric, and that they did during the second world war, when things like linen, linen and hemp were in short supply. Nettles are also used as a substitute um in Germany for cotton during the First World War. So that's definitely something to you know. There were times in our history where we used lots of different things in our lives and they've gone out of style, but it could be something that's really sustainable, and so to me that just sounds really cool. It's something that I'd like to learn more about.

Speaker 1: 21:15

All right, so last but not the least is red clover, and red clover is found all over the place. It's beautiful. You've probably gotten it in a bouquet if you have children. It's a beautiful flower and it's a favorite of bees and it's a favorite of bees, so I always love it. When I drive by like a large field of just wildly occurring red clover, I just think it's so beautiful and you can see just like the haze of the bees just buzzing around, so I love red clover.

Speaker 1: 21:51

Red quail over is well known for its phytoestrogen content, making it a popular choice for supporting women's health, particularly during menopause. It's also used as a blood purifier and to support lymphatic drainage. It can be helpful for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Red clover contains isoflavones, which are plant-based compounds that mimic estrogen, making it particularly useful for managing menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and hormonal imbalances. It's also an herb that I suggest people take when they are getting their bodies ready to get pregnant. It seems to be really helpful for people who are experiencing some forms of infertility. Of course, I'm not a fertility doctor. I'm just sharing what I have shared with clients over the years and success stories. It also is called a blood purifier, but I don't really like that word, because what it does is it just helps build our blood back up and to really aid our bodies in removing toxins from the body. It's believed to help improve circulation and support the lymphatic system.

Speaker 1: 23:14

Red clover has anti-inflammatory properties, which can be beneficial for conditions like arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. It's also used to relieve coughs and respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and whooping cough due to its expectorant properties. So we already have two herbs that we could turn into a nice cough syrup. See how this works. They can all work together. We also have a few herbs that we can turn into a nice cough syrup. See how this works. They can all work together. We also have a few herbs that we can apply topically to treat skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and rashes, because they're soothing, and red clover is one that is great for that also.

Speaker 1: 23:52

The flowers of the red clover can be added to salads, soups or teas. They have a slightly sweet, grassy flavor and are rich in vitamins and minerals. You can also put the blossoms on cakes and pastries and in bread. Red clover is a soothing, nutritive drink that can be enjoyed daily. So the great thing with red clover is that it tastes delicious and so it's really easy to get young ones to drink because it almost tastes fruity and lots of kids like it.

Speaker 1: 24:25

Red clover is a traditional spring tonic in many cultures, so it's thought to cleanse the blood and renew the body after a long winter, and so it's something that lots of different cultures use in their spring renewal tonics.

Speaker 1: 24:41

So I think that going over these five was just so much fun, and I hope that you learned a lot about these five amazing guests in your garden, and next time you're out in your backyard, take a closer look at these so-called weeds. You might find your next herbal remedy or gourmet ingredient right under your nose. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey into the world of your backyard apothecary. I hope you're inspired to explore the natural pharmacy and kitchen garden right outside your door. Don't forget to subscribe and share our podcast. Every little bit helps. It really does. We want to be able to bring our students and the herbal world at large more fun information and to give herbalism more of a voice throughout the world, and you help by doing that, by sharing and listening and sending us questions. So thank you so much. Don't forget to subscribe and until next time, happy foraging, and may your weeds always be green.