Darling Herbs of May

The wheel of the years turn in my Children’s Clinic, away from coughs, colds and winter eczema; and towards allergies, hay fever, and hot summer rashes. Fortunately, antidotes to such seasonal maladies are blooming all around. These common native plants are easy to identify, safe and gentle, and easy to use. Some of he most helpful include:

Nettle (Urtica dioica) 

Stinging nettle, with its high protein and mineral content, is nature’s anti-histamine own, dampening down and helping to prevent hay fever attacks in children and adults. The tea can be drunk freely, warm or cold, and overnight cold infusions of the freshly picked leaves work

wonderfully well. To collect your own nettle tops, head out with washing up gloves, a bag, and a pair of scissors; find a patch out of the dog piddle zone, unsprayed, and away from busy roads (Look along back walls in parks, old churchyards, bike paths and neglected garden corners.), and take the top four to six leaves off each plant. If flowers are coming, you can take those as well. You don’t need many plants to fill a carrier bag. Keep the leaves in a bag in the fridge if you plan to use them soon (use until the start to wither, yellow or mould - a surprisingly long time with freshly picked greens. Makes you wonder how old supermarket veg actually is by the time you buy it), or dry in the airing cupboard for later use. An overnight infusion of the leaves in cold water produces a rich green beverage full of the benefits and vitality of the plant, and is great for seasonal allergies.

Elderflower (Sambucus nigra)

Just coming into bloom in the sunny spots about town, the elder tree is a living medicine chest. This time of year, the flowers offer their anti-allergic properties, strengthening beleaguered membranes in the eyes and respiratory system. By helping to reduce the itching, gritty sensation, and endless streaming of eyes and nose, they can allow us to properly enjoy this lovely time of the year. And elderflowers taste wonderful! Use them in teas, fruit salads, desserts - elderflower and gooseberry are a classic combination!, cordials, lightly fermented “champagne”, cocktails for adults, and baths for babies and young children. The flowers work very well with nettle, and a drop of chamomile, in hay fever remedies, efficacious enough for adults and gentle enough for children. 

When harvesting, head out with a basket or bag, and remove the whole inflorescence using the twist and snap method. A quick twist and snap at the join of the flower head and branch will cleanly remove the flowers whilst causing minimal damage to the tree. Remember not to take too many off a single tree so as to leave flowers for insects, propagation, and - of course - autumn berries. When you get hoe, simply run the flower heads through the tines of a fork to remove the individual flowers. Ignore small pieces of twig. And, come autumn, you can use the same method to harvest berries.

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Visible as bright green carpeting in sunny and shady corners, along the edges of walk and walk, and virtually anywhere else protected from trampling feet, you can now see Chickweed’s heart- shaped leaves topped by delicate little star-like flowers. The soft and succulent leaves can be used to make wonderfully soothing preparations for itching and inflamed skin conditions such as eczema and heat rash. Gently infuse Chickweed into a light soothing oil over a gentle bain marie, taking care to ensure that all the water evaporates before storing your product. Use the oil straight on, in ointments, or to make your own homemade creams. Tincture the herb in your favourite spirit to preserve it for use later on; use it fresh and green in juices and smoothies; infuse fresh into tea for drinking or bathing sore skin; or infuse fresh into a litre of water for adding to a afflicted person’s bath. Adding oat water, made similarly to barely water, to a

chickweed bath greatly increases the healing effects. 

If foraging and gathering aren’t your thing, store bought dried herbs will do very well in homemade remedies. You can also purchase readymade summer tea blends, tinctures, and soothing skin preparations from herb and natural health shops if you like your herbs in tidy bottle and bags. Happy Spring!