Hairy Wood Mint, Blephilia hirsuta, a common mint in my area with interesting little white or purple flowers that are in bloom from May to August. The leaves have both a minty and earthy taste. They can be steeped in hot water for five to ten minutes to make a tea. Or, they can be used to add flavor to sauces, jams, jellies and beverages. Medicinally, they could possibly be used in place of Blephilia ciliata as a remedy for headaches.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry.

Hairy Wood Mint Sources:

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. 216

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 45

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 126

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 84-85

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. 138-139

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