Scottish Thistle

There is a book I have been reading called Healing Threads by Mary Beith.


In there she mentions the old uses for thistle - a sweet for children and a tea for melancholy.

So we set about researching it and looking at the varieties we have growing near us.

There are several kinds of thistle that grow world wide.  Looking at the flowerhead, leaves and stem give you a good idea of which one you have.  The Scottish Thistle has a very different flower head.

There is little to no info on the culinary / medicinal value of Scottish Thistle.

We did find this site though that echo's the info by Mary Beith.


http://scienceray.com/biology/botany/thistle-do-nicely/

Extract:  Once upon a time, tea was brewed from the mighty thistle. It was said that it was a good cure for depression and everyone knows that in time past depression was surely a good part of the Scottish psyche. If the thought of thistle tea puts you off then I can only imagine at how you would feel about the children eating the bulbous head of the thistle – rumour has it that it tastes chewy and sweet.


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Personally I think its very useful culturally to investigate the thistle further and we will be doing this over a period of time.


Certainly with herbs its essential to correctly identify the plant as many look similar with toxic results.

Cleavers (Galium aparine)

(also known as Sticky Willy, Clivers, Goose Grass, bedstraw, catchweed, velcro plant)


Family:  Rubiaceae


There is a lot of cleavers around at the moment, expecially around the vegetable/herb patch and instead of pulling it up and composting it, we though of using the opportunity to read up on it.


Most of the kids here call it Sticky Willy but we havea  good little book that lists it as Cleavers.  So we searched for Cleavers and positivly identified it by looking at several websites and photos as well as the book.


The most important thing about using wild herbs is correct identification and this can be tricky.  You must look many pints i.e. size, leaf types, flowers, seeds, colour, location etc.


This is a summary of what we learnt about Cleavers:

1. It  is an edible and medicinal herb that has been used for centuries.  
2. It grows well all in many places around the world and sadly most mistakenly believe it to be a useless weed.
3. Cleavers is considered a safe herb and is usually taken as a tea but can also be eaten or freshly ground.
4. Cleavers is primarily a diuretic and blood purifier. Regular use detoxifies the body.
5. This species becomes increasingly fragrant as it dries.
6. For hundreds of years, a traditionally drink made of Cleavers was given every spring as a tonic to cleanse the blood.
7. Cleavers botanical name, Galium, is derived from the Greek word, gala, which means, “milk” and is supposed to relate to the fact that the plant has the ability to curdle milk, which was beneficial in the making of cheese. Cleavers is a longtime use in cheese making. 
8. It stimulates the lymphatic system.
9. Cleavers has shown to be beneficial in skin related problems.  Cleavers makes an excellent facial wash as it tightens the loose and sagging skin caused by wrinkling. This plant works very well in treating eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea, acne, boils and abscesses, arthritis and gout. 
10. Cleavers is also useful in treating swollen lymph glands, or congested glands and congestion in the breasts. 
11. The cooling properties of Cleavers makes is useful in reducing fevers and resolving infections associated with skin eruptions such as measles and chickenpox. 
12. It also works in soothing tonsillitis, hepatitis, cystitis and arthritis. 
13. This herb stimulates liver function and improves digestion and absorption. Externally the fresh leaves can be applied to cuts and wounds, or to help stop bleeding and enhance healing. 
14. The leaves also soothe burns, sunburn, acne and other skin inflammations. Bathing in the juice of the plant works to soothe and heal varicose ulcers. 
15. Galium/Ladies' straw was used as a red dye during Anglo-Saxon times in England. (Anglo-Saxon Crafts -Kevin Leahy, p75-76)
16. In 1947, French researchers discovered and extract of Cleavers to be effective in lowering blood pressure, by thinning the blood.

Dried or Fresh


Tonic
Purifying - cleanses and rids the body of toxins.  Acts on lymphatic system - effective in removing /draining poisons /trapped bacteria from lymph glands and helps relieve glandular fever, swollen or enlarged lymph glands, adenoids and tonsillitis.
Cooling - treats fevers
Diruetic - increases urine flow (helps to rid the kidneys and bladder of gravel and stones & clear various urinary tract infections)




References / For more info:  


http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail215.php
http://www.herbalremedies.com/cleavers-information.html
http://www.altnature.com/gallery/cleavers.htm