Heals All

Scientific Name(s): Prunella vulgaris
Abundance: uncommon
What: leaves
How: raw, tea, cooked
Where: borders, woods, fields, wastelands, full sun, light shade
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: medicinal compounds
Dangers: none

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Stems/Flowers - wound healer; antibacterial; antiviral; anti-cancer; colitis anti-inflammatory; hemostatic; appetite stimulant (tisane, poultice)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in an opposite-alternating pattern along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broadly lanceolate to ovate, typically measuring about 1 to 3 inches in length and 0.5 to 1 inch in width.

Leaf Venation: Venation is pinnate, with a central vein and smaller branching veins.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are serrated or toothed, especially towards the tip.

Leaf Color: The color of the leaves is a deep green, often with a slightly lighter shade on the underside.

Flower Structure: Flowers are clustered in dense, pyramidal, spike-like inflorescences at the tips of stems or in the leaf axils.

Flower Color: The flowers are typically purple or violet, though they can also be pink or white. Each flower is tubular with a two-lipped appearance.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry nutlet.

Seed: Seeds are contained within the nutlets, small and hard.

Stem: Stems are square in cross-section, a characteristic of the mint family, and can be hairy or smooth.

Hairs: There may be fine hairs on the stems and the undersides of the leaves.

Height: The plant typically grows to a height of about 6 to 18 inches.

Bed of heal's all plants while flowering.


Heal's all bed before flowering.


Individual heal's all stalk.


Heal's all plant.


Close-up of heal's all flower stalk before flowering.


Close-up of heal's all flower.


Note the "beard" on the flower's lower lip petal.


Heal's All seedlings in January in Houston, before producing a stem or flowers.


Heal's All in the summer after going to seed.


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.


North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Usually found in somewhat moist, woody areas, Heal's All is a rather unassuming plant for most of it's life. Appearing in late winter, it's first call to attention occurs with the appearance of its unmistakable, pyramidal flower stalk in mid-spring. It isn't a solitary plant and so much prefers being surrounded by many of its fellow Heal's All plants.

Heal's all is often considered to be the best all-around medicinal plant. Other names for it include selfheal, heart-of-the-earth, and woundwort. According to legend and also Peterson's Guide to Medicinal Plants heal's all will take care of problems with lungs, liver, kidneys, blood, joints, cancers, ulcers, tumors, swellings, and back trouble. The usual method of ingestion is as a leaf tea or alcohol extraction. I also like chopping the leaves up and adding them to any rice I am cooking.

The plant can be air-dried for later use. as tea, but the alcohol extraction is best done with fresh leaves. The dried leaves & flowers can also be smoked as part of an herbal "tobacco" mixture.

Link to scientific papers on the medicinal properties of Heal's All (Prunella vulgaris).


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Henbit

Scientific Name(s): Lamium amplexicaule
Abundance: common
What: leaves, stem, and flowers
How: raw, cooked, or tea
Where: sunny yards, urban areas
When: late fall, winter (in Houston), spring
Nutritional Value: vitamins, iron, antioxidants

Medicinal Summary: antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer/cytoprotective. Study:  Lamium Plants—A Comprehensive Review on Health Benefits and Biological Activities

Henbit




Single Henbit plant.


Close-up of top portion of Henbit before flowers appear.


Close-up of top of Henbit when flowers are just beginning to appear.


Close-up of Henbit flowers. They're really odd-looking.


Closer close-up of Henbit flowers.


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.


North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Clumps of henbit begin showing up yards in mid-winter. Rarely standing over 10" tall, it's spindly form, odd-shaped leaves, and small, purple tubular flowers make it very noticeable against the brown, dead winter grass. Looking closely will reveal the oppositely-placed leaves and square, hollow stem of the mint family. It likes yards and other open, sunny areas where it can grow dense mats.

The whole plant is edible either raw or cooked though the stems can become stringy as the plant matures. It has a mild bitter/spinachy flavor. Chickens love this stuff so if you have backyard chickens start collecting Henbit from your neighbor's yard (after asking permission, of course). They'll love your chickens even more if you weed their yards.

Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum) is often mistaken for Henbit. The leaves of edible Dead Nettle's have longer petioles and are thicker than those of Henbit.

Dead Nettle stem and leaves.


Close-up of Dead Nettle head.


Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Flowers/Stems - antioxidant; anti-inflammatory; antimicrobial; antitumor; blood lipid reduction (tisane, tincture, poultice)


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Hoary Bowlesia

Scientific Name(s): Bowlesia incana
Abundance: common
What: leaves
How: raw
Where: moist, disturbed areas, yards, fields
When: winter, spring
Nutritional Value: assorted vitamins
Dangers: beware the mimic creeping buttercup

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are orbicular to kidney-shaped, often measuring about 0.5 to 2 inches in diameter.

Leaf Venation: Venation is palmate, with several major veins radiating from a central point.

Leaf Margin: The margins are scalloped or shallowly lobed.

Leaf Color: Leaves are a light green, sometimes with a grayish tinge due to the presence of fine hairs.

Flower Structure: Flowers are small and inconspicuous, borne in leaf axils or at the stem tips.

Flower Color: The flowers are typically white or pale green.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry capsule.

Seed: Seeds are tiny, enclosed within the capsule.

Stem: Stems are thin, branching, and can be either erect or decumbent (spreading along the ground).

Hairs: The plant is characterized by its dense, fine, white hairs, giving it a grayish or whitish appearance, hence the name "incana." Hairs on stems grow in star-like clusters.

Height: The plant typically grows to a height of about 6 to 12 inches.

Hoary bowlesia growing in a bed of landscaping pebbles.

Close-up of leaves. Note the five major leaf lobes.

Hoary bowlesia grows in a rosette pattern with all the stems originating from a central point.

This weed begins appearing in winter and continues on into spring. It thrives along sidewalks and other urban environments.

Close-up of horay bowlesia's tiny flowers.  Note the hairiness of the leaves.

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Hoary bowlesia is one of those native "weeds" that many people see but few know. Its light-green, five-lobed, hairy leaves begin popping up along sidewalks and in yards after several cool, winter rains. In many ways it resembles the toxic creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens) which also grows in similar locations and time but the creeping buttercup has smooth, hair-free leaves whereas hoary bowlesia is covered in fine hairs.

If you think the leaves resemble cilantro somewhat you have a good eye. Both cilantro and hoary bowlesia are members of the Apiaceae family aka the carrot family and the leaves do have a flavor somewhat like mild cilantro. These leaves can be used raw as a salad green or seasoning or cooked as a traditional pot herb. This is a plant who's flavor will depend a great deal on your own major taste buds and the specific plant compounds that register the most strongly. If you're the type of person who really dislikes cilantro I still recommend giving hoary bowlesia a small test-nibble. I haven't heard of any reports of it containing the soap-like molecules that some people find disagreeable so you may like it.

Young, toxic Creeping Buttercup. The leaf shape is similar but these leaves are hairless.


Mature, toxic Creeping Buttercup produces yellow flowers.

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Japanese Hawkweed

Scientific name(s):  Crepis japonica and Youngia japonica
Abundance: plentiful
What:  young leaves and shoots, roots
How:  raw or cooked, roots roasted for coffee
Where:   disturbed areas
When:   winter/spring/fall
Nutritional Value: minerals and antioxidants
Other uses: After flower stalks have appeared mashed leaves can be used to soothe insect bites/stings.

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves - cough suppressant; fever reducer; mild appetite stimulant (tisane, tincture)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are primarily basal, with most of the foliage concentrated at the base of the stem. There are few if any leaves along the stem itself.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are spatulate to oblanceolate in shape, measuring about 2 to 6 inches in length and 0.5 to 2 inches in width.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, characterized by a central main vein with smaller veins branching off to the sides.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are typically entire or slightly toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves are generally a bright green, though they may exhibit a slightly paler hue on the underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are borne on tall, slender stalks that rise above the foliage. Each flower head is small, with a diameter of roughly 0.2 to 0.5 inches. Multiple flowers will grow on an individual stem.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually bright yellow.

Fruit: The fruit of hawkeed is a small achene, typical of many plants in the Asteraceae family.

Seed: The seeds are tiny, equipped with a pappus of fine hairs that facilitate wind dispersal.

Stem: The stem is erect, slender, and can be either smooth or sparsely hairy. It may often branch out at the top.

Hairs: There may be fine hairs present on the stems and the lower surface of the leaves.

Height: The plant typically reaches a height of about 6 to 24 inches.

Japanese Hawkweed.






Japanese Hawkweed flowers are quite small and grow in clusters.


Close-up of flowers.




Japanese Hawkweed leaves.


Young Japanese Hawkweed plant.


Japanese hawkweed invading a yard.




Flowering Japanese Hawkweed.


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.


North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Appearing just about everywhere there is grass, Japanese hawkweed appears to be a dandelion but with clusters of tiny, yellow flowers. It is a close relative of dandelions and contains all the same beneficial nutrients. Unfortunately its flowers and roots are too small to be used like those from dandelions. On the plus side, the leaves are less bitter than most of the other members of the dandelion family.

Unlike the other dandelion-mimics, Japanese Hawkweed remains low in bitterness even after the flowers begin blooming. You can add the leaves raw to salads or treat them as described in the other tips for preparing bitter greens. The basic methods are boil, wilt with bacon grease, mix with an acidic/sour dressing, or dilute them with bland greens.


Edible Dandelion Mimics:
Dandelion
Cat's Ear
Chicory
Japanese Hawkweed
Salsify
Sow Thistle
Texas Dandelion
Wild Lettuce


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Lyreleaf Sage

Scientific Name(s): Salvia lyrata
Abundance: plentiful
What: leaves
How: raw or cooked when young, tea after flowers form.
Where: full sun to partial shade, borders and light woods
When: winter, spring
Nutritional Value: low

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves - laxative; cough suppressant; weak antibiotic (tisane)
Root - wound healer (poultice, infused oil, salve)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in a rosette at the base of the plant, with some leaves also present on the stem in an opposite-alternating arrangement.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are ovate to lanceolate, often with a heart-shaped base. The basal leaves are typically larger, ranging from 3 to 6 inches in length and 1 to 3 inches in width, while the stem leaves are smaller.

Leaf Venation: The leaves exhibit pinnate venation, with a prominent central vein and multiple side veins.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are typically serrated or toothed, and can be somewhat wavy.

Leaf Color: The leaves are primarily green, though they can have purple highlights or veining, especially in the basal rosette.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in whorls on a spike-like inflorescence, extending from the upper part of the stem. Each flower is tubular and measures about 0.5 to 1 inch in length.

Flower Color: The flowers are typically blue to violet, though they can occasionally be white or pink.

Fruit: The plant produces a small nutlet as its fruit.

Seed: The seeds are small, brown, and enclosed within the nutlet.

Stem: The stem is erect, square in cross-section (a characteristic of many members of the mint family), and can grow up to 1 to 2 feet tall. The single stalk produces two side branches as it matures.

Hairs: The stem and leaves are covered in fine hairs, giving these plants a fuzzy texture.

Height: Salvia lyrata typically reaches a height of 1 to 2 feet.

When in flower, lyreleaf sage makes clusters of light-purple flowers along roadsides.


Young plant (eat at this stage). Note the purple veins and leaf stems.




Close-up of leaf. Note the hairs.


Mature lyreleaf sage with flower stalk (less tasty at this stage).


Lyreleaf Sage flower stalks produces two side branches.


Close-up of lyreleaf sage flowers.


Stem after dropping flowers.


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.


North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Lyreleaf sages quickly cover the ground wherever they show up giving rise to it's other common name, "Cancer Weed". As winter turns to spring these purplish plants send up flower stalks which split into three stems, each with multiple long, thin, small light violet/purple flowers. One quickly learns to spot beds of lyreleaf sage by the large beds of these flowers. Being in the mint family, the flower stem is square. Both the stem and leaves are hairy. The veins will be purple and under the right conditions the entire leaf may be purple. I thought the amount of purple was due to sunlight but now I'm thinking its more a factor of watering.

Young lyreleaf sages have a weak, somewhat minty flavor when young. It is good in salads or in cooked dishes where a bit of mint flavor is wanted. After it flowers the dried plant can be used to make a weak mint tea. Like all mints, it has a square stem and can be very invasive.

The youngest leaves are used raw in salads but as the plant matures I find the leaf texture is improved by cooking.

Native Americans were the first to notice how this plant spreads across an area like a cancer and following their belief that "like cures like" they thought it could be used to treat cancer. Western science has not put much effort into determining if it does have any special anti-cancer properties but it is generally believed to not fight cancer.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.