Herbs of Spring

This is a great time of year as the weather gets warmer and new growth begins again. It's a great time to make new plans and fresh starts, to turn over a new leaf as the old saying goes, and to get stuck into the garden if like me you enjoy the great outdoors.

Lots of plants are beginning to show now. Here's just a few of them from the garden:



Claytonia perfoliata (Winter Purslane)

Winter purslane, sometimes called Miner's Lettuce as it was once used by miners for its vitamin C content to help prevent scurvy, is a great salad vegetable which produces lots of succulent leaves from October until Spring and tastes like a cross between bean sprouts and spinach. A great herb to grow in your garden it is also very nutritious being high in omega 3 EFAs and antioxidants. It is also thought to be a rare vegetable source of vitamin B12.



Ruscus aculeatus (Butcher's Broom)

Butcher's Broom is a member of the lily family Liliaceae and is an often overlooked herb. It is used by herbalists to promote circulation. As a great vasoconstrictor it is useful for the treatment of varicose veins, and as the name suggests was once used for making brushes. The young shoots are eaten like asparagus and may be useful for constipation.

Pulmonaria officinalis (Lungwort)

The lungwort is now in full flower in my garden and always a welcome sight. A member of the Boraginaceae family it has a long tradition for lung complaints as the name might suggest. The Doctrine of Signatures (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctrine_of_signatures) comes into play here as well with the spotted leaves resembling the lung itself.



Geranium molle (Dove's Foot Cranesbill)

There are many different types of cranesbill, this particular one isn't commonly used by herbalists. Maud Grieve's 1931 Modern Herbal suggests the cranesbills are "Styptic, astringent, tonic. Used for piles and internal bleeding. Excellent as an injection for flooding and leucorrhoea, and taken internally for diarrhoea, children's cholera, chronic dysentery; a good gargle."



Arum maculatum (Lords & Ladies)

Lords & Ladies, so-called due to the shape of the leaves, is a plant NOT generally used by herbalists because it is quite toxic. The fresh tubers of this plant however are of note to survivalists as they are a good source of carbohydrates and are the only edible part of the plant. It does have medicinal qualities and was noted in the Dublin Pharmacopeia. Later in the year after flowering this plant is known as the Cuckoo Pint. As with all plants correct identification is paramount.



Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)

The common Dandelion is one of our great liver herbs - This one appeared in the middle of February and was the first in my garden. I always note the times and appearances of common flowers as it can give an indication of climate. Dandelion root is one of the most commonly used herbs. A fresh decoction of 5g of the root boiled in a pan for 10mins with the lid on and served straight away makes for a great tonic.