This common “weed” creeps almost everywhere.
How to Use: Pick and rinse a good handful of the freshest new growth, then place it in a one-litre drinks bottle with filtered (or tap) water. Leave it in the fridge overnight or longer.
This slightly cucumber-tasting tonic is a great cleanser — a gentle detox kick-start. Its mildly diuretic effects help move toxins out of your body. For an extra dose of vitamins, add the sticky weed to a green smoothie.
This is one of the first plants I taught my kids, with the useful mantra: “Strings are for stings.” As you separate these green leaves from their central rosette, their fibrous veins stay connected like strings — a key ID feature. Please see the video below for reference.
Ribwort leaves are long and thin, with the broadleaf being… well, broader. Both have a sap that is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, making them great remedies for nettle stings and bug bites.
How to Use: Bruise the leaves (rub between your hands) to release the healing juices, then rub on the affected area. Alternatively, a “spit poultice” can be made by chewing a few clean leaves and placing them on the wound.
For minor cuts and scrapes, yarrow helps staunch bleeding. Its astringent properties contract capillaries, while other compounds speed up clotting.
How to Use (Immediate): Clean fresh leaves, crush or chew to a paste, and apply directly to the wound.
For Later: Dry leaves/flowers and crush to a powder; sprinkle onto minor wounds to aid healing. Yarrow tea is also used to soothe stomach issues, ease chesty coughs, and boost appetite.
Willow is nature’s classic painkiller. It contains salicin, which the body converts to salicylic acid (aspirin), inhibiting inflammation and pain. Look for willows along rivers, streams, and ponds.
How to Use: Chew thin slivers of bark from young shoots, or brew the inner bark as a tea for 10–20 minutes. The tea is bitter — a little honey helps.
