Whole Life Times: Weeding out the Good

April 2006 | Features

Weeding out the Good

Maybe the best way to beat ’em is to eat ’em.

by Christine Gable

Nearly one-half of all households apply pesticides to their lawns and gardens. That’s 136 million pounds of chemicals, according to a report from the EPA Home and Garden Use Pesticide Survey, just to wipe out those so-called weeds fouling America’s carpet of green.

But perhaps we should reconsider this blanket application of poisons. “What is a weed?” Ralph Waldo Emerson asked, and then answered: “A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Could that hearty chickweed or dandelion be a misunderstood urchin with hidden attributes that outweigh the pleasure of admiring a weed-free (but toxic) lawn?

Absolutely, according to “Wildman” Steve Brill, naturalist, educator and author, and leader of wild edible-plant tours throughout the Northeast since 1982. “Wild plants are packed with known and undiscovered nutrients and natural medicine. They greatly increase your chances of living a long, healthy life,” he insists. Like Popeye’s strength-boosting spinach, greens can do wonders for you too.

“Historically, greens were valued for their ability to restore energy, increase vitality and improve the quality of the blood,” says Dr. Michael Murray, co-author of The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, (Atria Books). “Greens are phenomenal sources of carotenes. Preliminary and experimental studies suggest that a higher dietary intake of carotenes offers protection against developing certain cancers... and other health conditions linked to oxidative or free radical damage.”

Foraging for wild greens provides other side benefits. “Foraging creates a commitment to conservation,” says Brill. Lisa Solomon, a New Yorker who went on one of Brill’s foraging expeditions, reports that after learning how to find wild food, “Whenever I drive past an undeveloped area, I yearn to get out of the car and explore. I never thought of myself as particularly interested in science or nature, but now I enjoy reading field guides. Plus, getting out in the woods to forage is good exercise.”

Today, with food a commercial commodity, many people forget that food comes from the earth—not from a can or a supermarket shelf. Foraging puts you directly in sync with nature’s cycle.

Born To Eat Wild

So are you ready to stop spraying and go gathering yet? When gathering food for human consumption, it’s vital to know your area and be able to positively identify plants. The sheer variety of wild edibles can be overwhelming at first.

Since there are too many wild edibles to learn in one afternoon (or even an entire year), “Start by learning a few easy-to-identify plants well,” says Brill. Familiarize yourself with the plant’s growth and changes throughout the year. Always carry an excellent field guide, take care to school yourself in the common poisonous plants in your region and make sure to obtain permission if you forage on private property. Before foraging, find out if the land has been sprayed. Avoid plants growing near toxic vehicle exhaust, and wash your plants well before eating.

Slowly but surely, those unknown masses of weeds flourishing unbidden at the edge of your lawn will gain a name and a personality. And once you identify and name that anonymous weed patch, you may have found not only your dinner for tonight but a perennial, true-green medicine.

Dandelion

With a rich and respectable history dating back to the Romans and greater nutritional value than many common vegetables, the dandelion has cured people’s ills in myriad ways for hundreds of years. According to Murray, dandelions are particularly high in vitamins and minerals, protein, choline, inulin and pectin, and are an excellent source of vitamin C, riboflavin, B6, and thiamin as well as calcium, copper, manganese and iron.” Phew! All that for only 25 calories per cup.

If gathering wild dandelions isn’t feasible, look for cultivated varieties in farmers’ markets and health food stores. In autumn, young tender roots are delicious when washed, boiled and seasoned with salt and butter. Older roots can be roasted and ground to make coffee; tea can be made from the dried leaves, roots or flowers.

Chickweed

This delicate, bright-green plant with small, white star-flowers flourishes in cool temperatures. That little weed being unceremoniously shredded by your lawn mower is a boon to the glandular and lymphatic systems and will cool and calm fevers, infections, inflammations and digestive disorders. Readily available from mountain valleys to cities and along the coasts, this quiet yet powerful little plant is high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and more. Freshly picked chickweed is delicious in a salad of mixed greens, with your favorite dressing.

Nettles

Its usage dating to the Bronze Age, the stinging nettle has gained a reputation for being a lady with a strong bite, so be sure to don heavy gloves and pack scissors before heading out to gather leaves and stalks. Nettles lose their stinging properties when lightly steamed or cooked—although that sting is said to bring welcome relief to those suffering from arthritis and other chronic pain.

Autumn is the perfect time to gather seeds or roots in preparation for cultivating your own nettle patch in the spring. “New nettles come up in the fall and you can pick them before they’re killed by frost,” said Brill. Stalks and leaves are high in calcium, magnesium and trace minerals. A strong defender of the lymph, endocrine and urinary systems, nettles are a delicious spinach substitute.

Violets

Robust nourishment and bountiful healing effects compose the calling card of this small, heart shape-leafed beauty. Aptly named “Nature’s Vitamin Pill” by wild edible plant expert Euell Gibbons, violets are soothing to the spirit and skin. The violet’s beautiful color is second only to its subtle, exquisite flavor; use the leaves, flowers or roots in a salad, vinegar or syrup.

Christine Gable is a freelance writer who enjoys foraging and eating wild greens with her husband and two children.

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