It Removes Splinters. It Heals Wounds. It Makes A Great Salad. And Chickens Like It, Too. by: Bethany Hayes for Off The Grid News
Chances are you have chickweed growing in your backyard. But did you know this herb has multiple medicinal purposes?
It grows between four and 12 inches long and produces small, yellow and green leaves. Small white flowers also develop on the plant.
One of the most common uses is on the skin. If you have a minor burn, you can help heal it with a chickweed salve. Chickweed also is a great addition to homemade lotions.
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You even can use the juice from the plant to draw out splinters! If you spend any time working in the garden or around wood, you need chickweed.
Those are just two of the medicinal properties of chickweed. Here are a few more:
- It soothes itchy and sore skin conditions.
- It acts as a diuretic for those who suffer from congestive heart failure or obesity.
- It is used it some parts of Asia to help regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle.
- It can be used to help increase a mother’s milk flow after birth.
- It relieves constipation.
- It is used in an infusion or herbal tea to soothe coughs and hoarseness.
- It treats asthma and bronchitis.
- It treats rheumatic pains and wounds.
Of course, Chickweed has non-medicinal uses, too. Believe it or not, chickweed during the Victorian era was once planted in gardens to add to salads and sandwiches. Chickweed is rich in Vitamin C and potassium, as well as Vitamin B complex, so feel free to add it to dishes!
If you are a poultry owner, chickweed is a favorite among birds. In the spring, it is a nutritious weed for poultry to eat, refreshing them after a long winter. It is one of the first plants that grow
How to Reap the Benefits of Chickweed
Most herbalists create tinctures from chickweed. It transfers its properties into vodka, brandy and other alcohol well. Another great choice is to make a heat-infused herbal oil. Doing so allows you to create salves, lotions and ointments featuring chickweed.
