Backyard Herbs for Summer First Aid
By Elizabeth Herman
Summer finally seems to have arrived and that means more time outside. Let’s take a look at some of the medicinal herbs growing all around us and consider how we might put them to use on the inevitable bumps and bruises that go along with time spent outdoors. Many would call these herbs weeds, but their “weediness” means that they’re always around when we need them. Lucky for us!
Plantain, both the broad-leafed variety (Plantago major) and the narrow-leafed variety (Plantago lanceolata) is one of my favourite lawn and sidewalk weeds and a great herb to teach children how to identify and use. It has a reputation as a “drawing” herb, meaning that it helps to draw out unwanted items that find their way into our skin such as wasp venom and splinters. It is easily applied as a spit poultice: find a clean specimen, chew it into a ball, and apply it to the affected area. The mucilage in the leaves has a soothing effect on inflamed skin due to insect bites, scrapes, cuts, burns, and bruises. The tannins in the leaves are astringent and antimicrobial thereby helping to tone and heal wounded tissue.
With all the rain we were having, it is still possible to find the lovely little spring herb Chickweed (Stellaria media) in the shadier areas of the yard. Long eaten as a nutritious spring green, Chickweed is also an excellent herb for the skin, especially itchy skin. It can be made into a spit poultice for those emergency situations, but is also very effective if juiced or made into a tea. Unlike many herbs, it must be used fresh to be effective. Use it to soothe insect bites, contact dermatitis, scrapes, and burns, including sunburns.
They say that once you have Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) in your yard, you’ll never get rid of it. Fortunately, it can be put to good use! Comfrey leaf contains a chemical called alantoin, which stimulates cell proliferation and promotes wound healing. It is very effective for shallow wounds, bruises, and scrapes but should not be used on deeper wounds because it may cause them to close over at the surface before deeper healing has taken place.
For deeper wounds, Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is the herb of choice. Yarrow contains essential oils, which give it antiseptic properties and is also anti-inflammatory and astringent. Yarrow is effective at stopping bleeding and the leaves can literally be crushed and inserted into the nostril to stop nosebleeds. Funny-looking but effective in a pinch!
Last but not least is St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), so named because it blooms around the feast of St. John, the 24th of June. St. John’s Wort is useful for cuts and scrapes, but has earned a reputation for burns in particular. Extracts of St. John’s Wort have a strong antiseptic and astringent effect that counters infection, tightens damaged tissue, and stimulates scab formation.
All of these herbs can be easily made into infused oils and stored until needed. Simply fill a jar with freshly dried herb and cover with olive oil. Set the jar in a warm, sunny place to allow the oil to extract the herbal constituents. After about two weeks, strain off the oil and store it in an airtight container in a dark place. The infused oils can be applied directly to the skin or, for those ambitious medicine-makers out there, made into creams and salves.
July 13th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
My husband put on his new running shoes not thinking of putting any socks on and we went out for a walk after supper. Not long after he started complaining about his shoes rubbing so he took them off and seen that his feet were getting blistered. In one of the trails he found some plantain and put it in both shoes to relieve the pain. We enjoyed the rest of our walk without any complaints of his feet hurting. My husband was not a plant lover until he learned through me how plants are important, he has since then built me gardens at the cottage so I can grow these wonderful plants. I’ve enjoyed all your wonderful tips that you’ve been sending. Thanks.