Lawanda's Garden

Okay, so you know you should have a first aid kit – a good one, not a cheapie one – with you when you’re in the field or forest or on the water, right?  But what if it’s in your buddy’s car, back at the cabin, or even on the counter at home right next to the flashlight you also forgot?

What do you do if you get dinged, gashed, pull something, sprain something, or worse when you’re out in the middle of nowhere?  Look to the plants growing around you for Mother Nature’s own first aid kit.

This isn’t an article on plant identification.  I’ll assume you either know the plants mentioned, or someone in your party does.  Do not guess or use any plant that you aren’t 100% sure you’ve identified correctly or you could end up worse off than you were before.  Most of the plants mentioned are common ones that most people should know.  If you don’t, buy yourself a field guide with good, colored pictures, and study up.

INSECT BITES AND STINGS, POISON IVY, OTHER RASHES

• Plantain is a lawn weed that is also found alongside roads and trails.  Chew the leaves to crush them into a poultice and apply to the affected area.
• Jewelweed often grows in wet ditches and alongside streams.  Tear open jewelweed stems and spread the juice inside over the affected area.
• Break open a milkweed stem and apply the white sap over the sting or bite.
• Lamb’s quarter is a weed of the field and roadside.  Crush the leaves and apply as a poultice to the area.
• Make an infusion of yarrow flowers, let it cool and either drink it or wash the affected area with it.
• Crush leaves of curly dock and apply to the area.
• Pound phragmites stems and leaves and apply the juice to bites and stings.
• Wash sores with an infusion of elderberry leaves.
• Crush cattail roots and apply as a poultice.

CUTS, BRUISES, and WOUNDS

• Make an infusion of yarrow flowers or cleavers and bathe the area with it.
• Chewing plantain leaves produces antiseptic and immune stimulating compounds that will soothe and keep infection at bay when used as a poultice.
• Make a decoction of goldenrod leaves and use as a wash.
• Pound the root of curly dock for a poultice.
• Make a poultice of bruised lamb’s quarter leaves.
• Mash purple coneflower leaves and stems and apply to wounds to prevent infection.
• Bruise and soak the whole evening primrose plant and use as a poultice on bruises and sores.
• White pine sap is wound healing.
• Burned cattail leaves are anti-microbial.  Use the ash to dress and seal wounds.
• Make a poultice of tamarack bark to treat wounds and draw out infection.

BURNS, SUNBURN

• Make a compress of lamb’s quarter leaves and gently apply it to the area.
• Apply crushed cattail roots as a poultice.
• Tear or crush jewelweed stems and spread lightly over the burn.
• Make an infusion of nettle leaves, chickweed, yarrow, or cleaver.  Cool and apply to burn.
• Make a poultice of fresh, crushed chickweed leaves.

BLEEDING

• Make a poultice of plantain leaves and apply it directly on the wound.
• Dried goldenrod flowers and leaves applied to wounds will slow bleeding.
• Spread white pine sap over the wound.
• The ashes of burned cattail leaves will stop bleeding.

OTHER TIPS

• PLANTAIN:  Dried seeds can be eaten when a laxative is needed. The tough leaf veins can be used for suture material.  A tea made of the leaves will help toothache, sore mouth or gums, and coughs.
• GOLDENROD:  Heat a poultice of the crushed root and apply to stomach for stomach aches.  Apply a stalk or root poultice to sprains.
• STINGING NETTLE:  Remove the sting of nettle with jewelweed juice or crushed mullein or curly dock leaves.  The fiber in nettle stalks makes excellent cordage.
• MILKWEED:  Use the fiber in the stalks for cordage.  Use seeds for fire starting.  Use the sap as glue.
• CATTAILS:  The juice between the leaves is a powerful anesthetic.  The dry fluff of the late season is an excellent, almost explosive, fire starter.
• BURDOCK:  Use the dried burs like Velcro to hold clothing or fabric together for a bandage.

GLOSSARY:

•      COMPRESS – A cloth soaked in an infusion or decoction and applied to wounds, rashes, sore muscles or sprains.

•      DECOCTION – A tea made of roots, bark or twigs.  Simmer 1 oz. of plant in 10 oz. of water for 20-60 minutes.

• INFUSION – A tea made of leaves or flowers.  Pour 1 pint of hot water over 1 oz. of leaves or flowers and let stand 20 minutes.
• POULTICE – A mass of fresh, ground up leaves, flowers or bark applied wet to an area of the body to encourage healing.

FROM THE CABIN KITCHEN:

• White flour sprinkled on a burn helps ease the pain.
• Cayenne pepper sprinkled on even a deep wound will stop the bleeding.  It’s going to hurt, and hurt bad, but it may save your life!
• A paste made of baking soda and water stops the itch of bites, stings and rashes.
• Rub lemon slices on poison ivy to stop the itching.