edible stem Archives - The Cargo Cult Café

Golden Alexanders: Edible, Medicinal & Cautions

April 15, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea, is a golden flower of May and June. This plant is potentially toxic and eating the roots has caused vomiting and other adverse reactions. Be careful with members of the parsley family. Both the flowers and stalk are edible, the flowers can be prepared like broccoli. It has been used medicinally by both American Indians and in western herbal medicine. Golden Alexander or Zizia was used for headaches, fever, hysteria, epilepsy, chorea, leucorrhea, backaches and increasing sexual drive in men.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry.

Golden Alexanders Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Boericke, William, Materia Medica, 1901.

Deane, Green. Edible Flowers: Part Sixteen. Eat the Weeds. Web

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 125-126

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 614

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 226-227

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Field Thistle: Edible & Medicinal

April 8, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Field Thistle, Cirsium discolor, is one of those common plants that almost everyone knows. The stem, root and leaves can be eaten cooked or raw, but make sure you take the time to remove the spines. The Cree, Iroquois and Meskwaki Indians all used this plant for medicinal purposes. Western herbal medicine used the root as a tonic and astringent.

Field Thistle Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 1. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 560-561

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 367-368

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 188, 231

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 163

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 430-431

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 126-127

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Purple Dead Nettle: Edible & Medicinal

February 3, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Purple Dead Nettle, Lamium purpureum, this member of the mint family resembles a small nettle plant and has hairs but they do not sting like stinging or wood nettles thus the nettles are dead or inactive. Dead Nettles are edible and contain vitamins, iron and fiber. The leaves can be eaten raw in early spring, afterwards they can be boiled or cooked as potherb. Medicinally, it was used for any kind of hemorrhage.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

Purple Dead Nettle

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Culpeper, M.D., Nicholas. Culpeper Color Herbal. Ed. David Potterton. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1983. Print. pg. 17

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 330

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 86-87

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Web.

Great Angelica: Edible, Medicinal, Cautions & Other Uses

January 27, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Great Angelica, Angelica atropurpurea, or Purple Angelica is an extremely large plant of meadows and stream banks. This plant is edible but don’t misidentify Great Angelica for Poison or Water Hemlock which grow in the same habitat and are deadly poisonous. Medicinally it has ben used by the Cherokee, Delaware, Iroquois and Menominee Indians for a variety of ailments. The Iroquois even used it for witchcraft and to get rid of ghosts. The Delaware mixed Angelica seeds with tobacco and smoked it.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

Great Angelica Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software. Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 1. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 265-266

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 296-297

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 23

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 194-195

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany. Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 74

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 222-223

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 40-41

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Common Chickweed: Edible & Medicinal

October 9, 2015 by Mike Leave a Comment

Common Chickweed, Stellaria media, is a highly nutritious common plant that many overlook as an invasive garden weed. You can eat it raw, add it to salads or boil and serve it like greens. Medicinally, this is an excellent plant for ulcers, cuts and skin conditions. It can be used as a poultice or made into an ointment and applied to the affected area.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

Common Chickweed Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software. Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 1834-1835

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 144

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 543

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 274-275

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 34-35

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Common Evening Primrose: Edible, Medicinal & Other Uses

September 28, 2015 by Mike 3 Comments

Common Evening Primrose, Oenothera biennis, is both edible and medicinal. The seeds, stem, leaves and root are all edible but the root especially has a peppery taste. Medicinally, it has been used externally as a strengthener, for hemorrhoids, bruises and infant skin conditions. Internally it was used as a dietary aid. The seeds were used by the Lakota people for its aromatic fragrance.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

Common Evening Primrose Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software. Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 1319-1320

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 33

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 175-176

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 361

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 134-135

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 66-67

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.