Herb of the Month: Chickweed, sweet little ground star
cooling magic, even into the winter months (really, that depends where you live!)
I’d like to share, that I know many folks who live in colder places won’t probably see this little plant this time of year. But it will be here for you into the damp months of spring, reminding you to eat and make medicine of your wild greens!
I know y’all, it’s not a fashionable time to be writing about our beloved chickweed, we’re only a few weeks into December. But you know, I think this speaks to this little plant’s tenacity — as it’s growing everywhere here at my new house. Chickweed was the first plant to greet me here. Actually, I’m wrong about that. The first plant was the massive grandmother rosemary out my front door, but she’ll get a post of her own at some point…
Chickweed is, Stellaria media — stella, meaning star, and -aria meaning "pertaining to," referring to the shape of the flowers.1
Chickweed was the first plant of remembering for me. You see I’d been living in Northeastern Oregon for four years, then I moved to the prairie terraces of the west valley coast range slopes (aka Willamette Valley) and lived there for a year — no chickweed. None that I ever saw, none that ever crossed my path. So, when a plant does this in my life and I have the opportunity to say, “hey, I remember you” it means something.
It’s an invitation to explore and remember our relationship.
And all I felt from chickweed was a cool, soothing, quenching balm to my rather inflamed, hot, dry and irritated state. Things that felt stuck, felt like they might be able to move again. I am speaking in metaphor, and also literally.
The stress of living in and leaving my abusive relationship (with my dear dog and sweet young baby in tow) took a huge toll on my health. My body felt like it was on fire, my nerves, my skin. Physically I felt hot all of the time. The skin on my hands peeling and cracking, my immune system was shot. I felt vulnerable to illness and stuck.
Chickweed, being under the rulership of the moon, comes in with soft tender leaves, cool to the touch and tongue and has that delicious mineral spring greens taste. And when I went outside to marvel at the many patches of growth around my house, I snacked on small bunches of it and felt an internal cooling and calming relief. I felt like I could get unstuck.
Chickweed is a mellow little plant. They’re tender, yet so very hardy. They can stand up to a decent frost, but in the high heat of summer they shrink back. They love the cool moist and shaded spots.
What’s this little plant do?
Chickweed is a refrigerant. Herbal actions like this make me laugh a bit. She’ll cool you off if you’re feeling hot, or dealing with wounds that have some heat to them, or burning itching rashes, eczema and the like. It will help cool and soothe. You can easily do this by making a fresh poultice — this is also beneficial if infection is starting to set in (combine with plantain, amazing!).
One thing that comes to mind, is a poultice for wounded nipples from breastfeeding. Breasts carry so much heat, especially when feeding a little one and when they’re hurting, even more heat. The cooling touch of chickweed feels like a good idea, and safe for babe.
Chickweed, like many spring greens, is just all around amazing nutrition and great to add to your food as a fresh green. Honestly, that’s the most common way this plant is used!
The saponins in chickweed dissolve cysts and fatty deposits and increase cellular membrane permeability, allowing the body to recieve nourishment and rid itself of wastes more easily. — Scott Kloos, Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants2
I have no experience with chickweed dissolving cysts, but if and when I have the opportunity to find that out for myself, I will update this spot.
I’ve only ever eaten chickweed, but I am excited to try some experiments with the abundance here. Here are some of my plans with chickweed:
Salve! I will be doing a salve of wilted chickweed and plantain — just waiting for the stars to align to get out into the yard to do some gathering.
Grazing and eating. I am not a cold salads kind of person during the cold months, but I will nibble on this fresh and green right outside. Though, I imagine that one could make a small side salad with bitter greens for some digestive stimulation as a part of a rich winter dinner.
Soothing oatmeal pack, filled with herbs. I saw this in the Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook by James Green. He mentions adding chickweed to a cloth bag filled with other soothing herbs and ground oatmeal to use on irritated skin in the tub. I imagine this could be good for kiddos with rashes and such like.
Blended up and frozen in ice cubes and stored away in the freezer for later use. Perfect for burns, or irritations that carry heat that need to be soothed right away.
Used in cold process soap making. I am really thinking about adding some chickweed to a spring greens themed soap coming up pretty soon. I might chat about that in my Notes from the Botanica series (where I chat about my small business, Blood Moon Botanica — no posts yet, they’re coming!) — I like the idea of infusing it with an oil used in the soap making process (I love olive) and adding it in fresh and green.
Chicken snacks. I don’t have chickens, but according to Richo Cech3, increases egg size and nutrition. I’m sure chickens wouldn’t have a hard time finding it on their own, and may even it all of it before you do.
A little unconventional to be writing about this usually spring focused plant, but why the heck not. Keep her on your radar and memory for when spring rolls around. Poke around in the woods, hedges and borders of cool moist spots. Bring your plant ID book, a gathering bag or basket and eat or make medicine of your fresh gathered greens.
Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness (Medicinal Plants Series) - May 17, 2017
Making Plant Medicine, Fourth Edition by Richo Cech 2016