chickweed and nettles

Some bits and pieces i dsicovered about chickweed and nettles.

Chickweed is called Stellaria Media while nettles belong to a family called Urticanceae.

Chickweeds are an annual herb, widespread in temperate zones, arctic zones, and throughout, probable origin Eurasia. Chickweeds have established themselves all over the world, possibly carried on the clothes and shoes of explorers. They are as numerous in species as they are in region. Most are succulent and have white flowers, and all with practically the same edible and medicinal values. They all exhibit a very interesting trait, (they sleep) termed the 'Sleep of Plants,' every night the leaves fold over the tender buds and the new shoots.
The cultivation of this one is not necessary it is abundant and easy to find. Gather fresh edible plant between May and July, as soon as flowers appear, it can be used fresh or be dried for later herb use.
Properties Chickweeds are Medicinal and edible, they are very nutritious, high in vitamins and minerals, can be added to salads or cooked as a pot herb, tasting somewhat like spinach. The major plant constituents in Chickweed are Ascorbic-acid, Beta-carotene, Calcium, Coumarins, Genistein, Gamma-linolenic-acid, Flavonoids, Hentriacontanol, Magnesium, Niacin, Oleic-acid, Potassium, Riboflavin, Rutin, Selenium, Triterpenoid saponins, Thiamin, and Zinc. The whole plant is used in alternative medicine as an astringent, carminative, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, refrigerant, vulnerary. A decoction of the whole plant is taken internally as a post-partum depurative, emmenagogue, galactogogue and circulatory tonic. It is also used to relieve constipation, an infusion of the dried herb is used in coughs and hoarseness, and is beneficial in the treatment of kidney complaints. as an astringent, carminative, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, refrigerant, vulnerary. A decoction of the whole plant is taken internally as a post-partum depurative, emmenagogue, galactogogue and circulatory tonic. It is also used to relieve constipation, an infusion of the dried herb is used in coughs and hoarseness, and is beneficial in the treatment of kidney complaints. New research indicates it's use as an effective antihistamine. The decoction is also used externally to treat rheumatic pains, wounds and ulcers. It can be applied as a medicinal poultice and will relieve any kind of roseola and is effective wherever there are fragile superficial veins or itching skin conditions.
Folklore Chickweed water is an old wives' remedy for obesity.
RecipesMedicinal tea: To 1 tbls. dried herb, 2 if fresh, add 1 cup boiling water steep for 10 min. Take in ½ cup doses 2 to 4 times daily, during a cold or flu.
Article by Deb Jackson & Karen Bergeron



Nettles -- http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/stinging-nettle-000275.htm