Welcome to Herb Camp 2020!
In this first of three weeks of herb camp the theme is “In the Margins”. In the next 7 days, your challenge is to spend 15 minutes a day touching, tasting, smelling, and learning about the herbs in your own environment. Each day you’ll learn skills in herbal medicine, discover herb plants, and learn more about these herbal allies.
Day 1: Taraxacum officinale
Today’s special herb is Taraxacum officinale. The name “taraxacum” comes from the Persian meaning bitter herb. “Officinale” means it was part of the official herbs for medicinal use, in the physic monastery gardens.
Family: Asteraceae
Dandelion is common throughout the world.
Energetics: Bitter, Cooling, Drying
Actions: Alterative, Liver tonic, diuretic, digestive, anti-inflammatory,
It is useful as an all round digestive aid because of it’s slight bitterness. It supports healthy immune function, aids in clearing skin problems by supporting the liver’s detoxification process.
Key Constituents:
Vitamins A and B.
Leaf: calcium, potassium, iron, carotenoids, coumarins.
Root: potassium, calcium, phenolic acids, taraxocoside, inulin
ID:
Dandelion contains a single flower on each stem rising from a basal rosette. Leaves are jagged edged or “toothed”. It has a long tap root.
The dandelion’s long tap root can draw up toxins from the soil — only harvest dandelion’s leaves, flowers, or roots from clean, unsprayed ground.
Your assignment (15 minutes)
Find dandelion in your yard or community. Make a positive ID using at least 3 resources. If appropriate, harvest leaves, flowers, root, or the whole plant. You’ll need about 2 cups of cleaned plant material to make 1 pint of fresh tincture.
Create a whole dandelion tincture (if appropriate) by cleaning, and placing the chopped plant with flowers, leaves, and root, in a small mason jar. Cover with vodka or brandy. Cap tightly.
Label and date.
Shake daily for 3 to 4 weeks, or as often as you think of it. Strain. Retain the liquid. 1 teaspoon 20 minutes before meals to support healthy digestion.
Contraindications:
Germany’s Commission E indicates dandelion is contraindicated when there is obstruction of bile ducts, gall bladder empyema, and ileus; in case of gallstones, use only after consultation with a physician (American Botanical Council, 1999).
Skills: Foraging, Plant identification, Making an Herbal Tincture.
Other things to do with dandelion!
Check out this post for more ideas to use this prolific herb, this summer.
Your turn:
Leave a comment and share one new thing you discovered about dandelion as you spent time observing it and using it in herbal medicine making.
Note: Click on the small arrow on the RIGHT to progress to the next day’s Herb Camp Challenge.
I did not know about the contraindications before. I’m going to look into that German Commission E you have mentioned a few times.
As I looked up the Joybilee post, I was amazed at all the different preparations one can make with dandelion ! that will give me ideas for next spring…
So far, every spring, I enjoy preparing a dandelion salad with young leaves, cut up fine, a hard-boiled egg, some fried bacon bits and a vinaigrette dressing. We eat it when the leaves do not taste too bitter, accompanied by some buttered toast. Such a preparation can be found in local restaurants, and the dandelion is sold in open air markets, but I forage mine in our backyard.
Then later on, I have made dandelion flower jam using apple juice as a base. That too is delicious !
Made both tincture and oil so I can use in salves. Also made Ginger dandelion flowers. Delicious!
Used Whipped Vodka and the taste is so much better!
Have my dandelion tincture going but with apple cider vinegar and vegetable glycerin.
Love these little powerhouses but didn’t know how beneficial they are to the bees!
I used to work at ridding my yard and garden of dandelion but now I protect it, and love seeing it growing.