Chickweed

I got permission from Pixie's Pocket to share this little piece with you.  This stuff grows like.... well, like a weed everywhere in my back yard.  I have never tried this for medicinal purposes and instead my go to plant is comfrey which I think every person should have growing in their back yard as I call it the miracle plant.  But more about that later.  Enjoy this little blurb from the Pixie....

If you haven’t ever met Chickweed before, you might want to take a guide with you so that you are sure about the identification. Chickweed has a handy defining feature…if you pluck a stem and hold it up to the light, keep turning it until you notice a line of fine hairs on only one side of the stem in a single stripe.  If you haven’t put any poison on her, then pick a young leaf and pop it in your mouth! Trust me – it’ll be fine…I do it all the time. When I do that, all I taste is fresh and green…she’s great to throw into a salad mix for a boost of nutrients and nurturing live food (like pesto!)
It’s cold here, this morning as I write this love letter. The grass is frosted, but Miss Chickweed is awake at sunrise and ready to roll! She loves this crisp weather – she loves to share her cool and soothing touch with us if we let her, too. Even if you are weird about eating your yard (silly people – that’s what yards are for!), you can utilize Chickweed for any skin ailments you might have.

Chickweed photo by Tony Presley

I’ll give you an example. Earlier this year, I watched a huge and very angry bartholin cyst disappear entirely in a matter of a few days – with no popping, and no antibiotics! All it took was a sprig or two of fresh chickweed, gently bruised and applied directly to the cyst and covered with a damp paper towel. When the towel got warm, we got a new sprig and tried again. We kept that routine up the whole time that the client was at home, both before and after work and poof! Pain and swelling, begone!
Right now I have a tincture brewing with Chickweed and her sister Nettles – they will dance with some dear friends of mine to help them with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and a really impressively large sebaceous cyst, respectively. Chickweed is most able to help you when she’s fresh, but tinctures are a lovely light green color and they do a good job in a pinch.
For now, I’m into the backyard to get my morning sprig of chickweed to munch on while I get myself moving for a longer winter day. Let sweet Stellaria help guide you into Springtime…I promise, it is right around the corner.