Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine

by Rosalee de la Forêt, Emily Han

Overview

That's not a weed—it's herbal medicine! Learn to use wild plants and herbs for food and DIY remedies in this illustrated guide from two expert herbalists.

Millions of people are interested in natural and holistic health, yet many are missing out on the key ingredient: Nature itself!
Rekindle your connection with the earth as you craft your own herbal medicine with 75 delicious recipes and powerful healing remedies. Herbalists Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han expertly guide you through the benefits of two dozen of the most important and commonly found wild plants-many of which you can easily grow in your own garden, if foraging isn't right for you. Detailed illustrations and beautiful photography ensure that you won't make a plant-identification misstep as you learn how to tend and properly harvest the plant medicine growing right in your own neighborhood.
After reading Wild Remedies, you'll never look at your backyard, a public park, or any green space in the same way again. Instead of "weeds," you'll see delicious foods like Dandelion Maple Syrup Cake, Nettle Frittata, and Chickweed Pesto. You will revel in nature's pharmacy as you make herbal oils, salves, teas, and many more powerful remedies in your own kitchen.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401956882
Publisher:	Hay House Inc.
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Pages:	424
Sales rank:	116,396
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Rosalee de la Forêt loves to inspire people to connect with nature and herbs in their everyday life. She is the best-selling author of the book Alchemy of Herbs, the education director for LearningHerbs, and a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild. See more herbal inspirations at HerbsWithRosalee.com.

Emily Han's work as a naturalist, herbalist, writer, and educator focuses on intersections of nature, culture, and food. She is the author of Wild Drinks and Cocktails, the communications director for LearningHerbs, and co-founder of the International Food Swap Network. Emily is a Certified California Naturalist and Master Food Preserver. To learn more, visit EmilyHan.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction x

Part I Creating Your Foundation 1

Chapter 1 The Power of Plant Medicine 2

Chapter 2 Getting to Know Where You Live 10

Chapter 3 Wildcrafting Principles 20

Chapter 4 Wildcrafting Practice 30

Chapter 5 Botany Basics 46

Chapter 6 Plants in the Kitchen 58

Chapter 7 The Joy of Reconnection: Living Deeply with the Seasons 70

Part II Spring 77

Chapter 8 Chickweed 79

Chapter 9 Dandelion Leaf and Flower 91

Chapter 10 Wild Mustard 103

Chapter 11 Nettle 115

Chapter 12 Plantain 129

Chapter 13 Violet 139

Part III Early Summer 149

Chapter 14 Elderflower 151

Chapter 15 Mallow 161

Chapter 16 Mint 171

Chapter 17 Prickly Pear 181

Chapter 18 St. John's Wort 195

Chapter 19 Yarrow 207

Part IV Late Summer 217

Chapter 20 Apple 219

Chapter 21 Blackberry and Raspberry 231

Chapter 22 Elderberry 243

Chapter 23 Mullein 255

Chapter 24 Purslane 267

Part V Autumn 277

Chapter 25 Burdock 279

Chapter 26 Dandelion Root 293

Chapter 27 Echinacea 301

Chapter 28 Rose Hip 313

Part VI Winter 323

Chapter 29 Citrus 325

Chapter 30 Cottonwood 335

Chapter 31 Evergreen Conifers 345

Chapter 32 Willow 361

Afterword: What if Everyone Wildcrafted? 370

Metric Conversion Chart 372

Glossary 373

Recommended Resources 377

Endnotes 379

Index 387

Acknowledgments 398

About the Authors 401

Editorial Reviews

I was intrigued and captivated from the very first paragraphs. Beautifully written, Wild Remediesabounds with plant lore, wisdom, and instruction. The authors have created a deeply thoughtful, insightful, and interactive book that enables readers to not only identify and forage wild foods but also to create a deepening relationship with nature and the world of plants. As an added bonus, the book is gorgeously illustrated with several photographs of each plant, making it easier to identify them through the seasons. And the recipes provided with each plant are out-of-this-world good! - Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist 

Wild Remedies is a gorgeous book with tantalizing recipes for healthy foods and healing medicines. The authors go beyond mere consumption of herbs to nurture reciprocal relationships with plants and strengthen community connections. In effect, Wild Remedies is a prescription to heal people and planet together. - Thomas J. Elpel, author of Botany in a Day and Foraging the Mountain West 

In Wild Remedies, Emily Han and Rosalee de la Forêt accomplish the most important thing a book exploring herbalism can do: framing it not as simply the use of herbs and supplements, but as a craft rooted in a direct relationship between people, plants, and the land they live upon. With this book in your hands, the plants at your feet will open into a whole new world. - jim mcdonald, herbalist, www.herbcraft.org

I've been studying wild edible and medicinal plants for decades, and I learned a lot reading this book. So if you want to use some of our best medicinal wild plants, this book is a great choice.
- "Wildman" Steve Brill, author of Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places 

Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han's seasonal, carefully thought out, and practical approach to common backyard wild medicinals will inspire budding and established herbalists alike. It approaches backyard herbalism to a depth rarely covered in herbals. I can't wait to share this book with students as required reading in my herb courses. - Maria Noël Groves, clinical herbalist at Wintergreen Botanicals and best-selling author of Body into Balance and Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies 

In this must-have herbal resource, you'll find in-depth medicinal uses of two dozen plants, little-known plant-harvesting gems, insightful plant-identification and gardening tips, as well as refreshingly creative remedies and nutrition-packed recipes. Wild Remedies reads like a joyous love poem to the earth and gives us the compass for a much-needed regenerative model of harvesting and working with medicinal plants. - Kami McBride, author of The Herbal Kitchen 

Wild Remedies is a truly holistic and comprehensive map for the journey of nature connection, people connection, and ultimately ourselves. - Jon Young, author, presenter and founder of 8 Shields 

Rarely does a book take my breath away, but Wild Remedies had me in full swoon by the Table of Contents. With gorgeous illustrations, scintillating recipes, and detailed plant profiles, you'll be reaching for your harvesting basket with a newfound appreciation for the bounty and beauty of the green world. Emily Han and Rosalee de la Forêt have concocted an herbal tour de force, destined to deepen your connection to backyard plants. - Juliet Blankespoor, director of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine

Wild Remedies is an incredibly thoughtful, seasonally based forager's guide that empowers the reader to connect with plants and build a more reciprocal relationship with nature herself.
- Susan Leopold, executive director, United Plant Savers 

Wild Remedies couldn't come at a more important time, as humanity's connection to nature is essential not only for the health of the planet but also for ourselves. This book is a calling for us to reforge our relationship to the living, healing intelligence of the earth through medicinal plants. Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han have gone beyond simplistic laundry lists of what herbs are 'good for' and instead paint a holistic picture for how the wholeness of the plant heals the whole person. - Sajah Popham, author of Evolutionary Herbalism

From the Publisher