Wild Food & Medicine

by Felicity Joy January 21, 2021

Wild food & medicine spread, all picked within 20m of our DOC campsite. The edge is where it's at...just stay away from spray & peezones.

From left to right:
*3 types of wild lettuce, including lactuca muralis aka Wall Lettuce, the funky shaped one at bottom. All very bitter but edible.
*Broadleaf Dock, easy to cook and great for topical skin conditions incl. Nettle rash & stings
*Cleavers for a cleansing, nourishing tea
*Usnea for cleansing wounds and internally to improve immune system
*Self Heal for everything
*Hangehange aka bush lettuce, delicious lettuce flavor and good texture
*Yarrow to stop bleeding, disinfect wounds and reduce fevers
*Dandelion for salads & amazing medicinal & nutritional properties
*Broadleaf Plantain & Narrowleaf Plantain, creamy spinach substitute and for topical skincare, incl bites & rashes, to disinfect also to soothe sore throats and upset tummies
*Herb Robert, incredible flavor, add to salads & smoothies
*Blackberry leaf for diarrhea
*Koromiko for upset tummies
*Daisy for salads
*Red leaf clover for medicinal tea
* White leaf clover for salads
And in the middle delicious Kotukutuku berries for a real wild treat.

Obviously there's many, many more nutritional & medicinal properties to each and every plant, but this gives a quick snapshot to give you some ideas.

We discuss many of these plants in depth during my Foraging Workshops.