MEDICINES As Close as Your Door

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The flower heads may be gathered as they ripen, and used fresh or dried. The roots are good, but the root system is not big enough to warrant digging it up until after about the third year. In some areas of the West it is prolific; but in a garden, it takes a large number of the plants, with now ones added each year, to supple the mots.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea ca) is a near relative to the commercially sold moss rose. This plant has been used frequently by Native Americans and colonists in the treatment of health problems. It was used for burns, headache, caterpillar stings, and stomachache. It is reported that it aids in lowering blood pressure and is a diuretic.

Today it is best known for its nutritional value since it is a good source of vi tamins A and C, calcium and iron, and riboflavin. The whole above-ground plant is good as a stir-fry vegetable or cooked in stew or soup for thickening. The fresh plant maybe used at any time. The seeds can be made into flour or stored for later use.

The plant is found growing in waste places and can be transplanted easily or started from seeds. Although there is some question in books as to whether the moss rose can be used as well, I have used them interchangeably and can tell no difference. There is one caution: Purslane is a bit sour because of the oxalic acid it contains. Spinach also contains this, and it can prevent the absorption of calcium, resulting in a depletion in the body if eaten in massive amounts. Moderation is the key to any food or spice.

One plant you probably already have in your garden is chickweed (Stellaria spp.). It is one of those which is usually unwelcome and hoed up quickly. Medicinally, the entire above-ground weed is boiled and used for urinary tract inflammations and can be used as a poultice for boils. A hot compress of the plant can be applied to finger and toe joints (those close to the skin) to relieve the pain of arthritis. The oil (as described in section on mullein) is soothing for skin rash. Chickweed is also an excellent source of vitamin C.

Plants can be transplanted or started from seed and begin growing in the winter, becoming very invasive as the seasons move into spring and summer. When the weather becomes hot, the plant begins to die down until next winter. Use the aerial (above ground) part of the plant fresh, frozen, or dried. If you still have an abundance, try eating it. The tender parts are good as a nibble, a salad, or cooked.

Amaranth (Amaranthus), also known as pigweed, has a long and colorful history. Delena Tull, in her book A Practical Guide to Edible and Useful Plants, says that amaranths were grown by the Aztecs. When the Spaniard Hernando Cortes invaded the Aztec homeland in 1519, he found this was one of their major crops, destroyed it, and made the growing of this plant a crime punishable by death. However, it is still grown and depended upon for food in some areas of Mexico.

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