Tag: wild edible

STEVIA: Your Own Calorie-Free Natural Sweetener

Freak of Natural Staff

  Family: Asteraceae Genus: Stevia Common Name: Stevia Rabaudiana, Sugar leaf, Candy leaf   Stevia is a perennial herb that reaches up to 50-80 cm  in height. The oblong aromatic leaves are times sweeter than traditional white sugar, containing neither calories nor carbohydrates. CULTIVATION Germination from seed is difficult, comparing to other aromatic plants; reason why most plants are grown from cuttings rather then from seeds. The plant requires rich well-drained soil and thrives in warm humid climates. Once established, Stevia is a low water, low maintenance plant, but tender young…

PRICKLY PEAR: Properties, Uses and Benefits

Freak of Natural Staff

  Common Name: Prickly Pear, Indian Fig Opuntia, Nopal Cactus Species: Opuntia Ficus Indica Family: Cactaceae   Prickly pear cactus, also known as Nopal, Opuntia and other names, it is a type of cactus, characterized by its remarkable resiliency and adaptation to arid and semi-arid climates. It thrives in dry, arid places in the tropical and sub-tropical areas worldwide. This plant can tolerate drought well, and capable to stand low temperatures as occur at night in the desert. This succulent plant can reach 4-5 meters in height. It has a shrubby pattern, its branches and…

NASTURTIUM: Properties and Benefits of a Natural Antibiotic

Freak of Natural Staff

  Family: Tropaeolaceae Species: Tropaeolum majus Common Names: Common Nasturtium, Garden Nasturtium, Indian Cress It is a herbaceous annual plant with trailing stems growing to 1 meter long. Leaves are large, circular with distinct veins, 3 to 15 cm in diameter, flowers are 3-6 cm diameter, with five petal; and a long nectar spur at the rear. They vary from yellow to red, often darker at the base of the petals. The fruit is 2 cm broad, three-segmented, each segment with a single large seed. Native to South America, today it…

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE: Properties, Uses and Benefits

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Common Name: Jerusalem Artichoke, Sunroot, Sunchoke, Topinambour Species: Helianthus Tuberosus Family: Asteraceae   Jerusalem artichoke is a herbaceous perennial related to sunflower and native to North America. Today it’s widely cultivated across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable, eaten both raw and cooked. Other uses come from Industry being tuber a great source of biomass, as well as high quality alcohol is extracted from tuber fermentation. CULTIVATION Needing plenty of space to grow, this perennial is ideal when planted as a windbreak or screen. Its stem…

PLANTAIN: Properties of a Common yet Precious Plant

Freak of Natural Staff

  Common Name: Greater Plantain, Broadleaf Plantain, Common Plantain Species: Plantago Major Family: Plantaginaceae   Plantain  is a perennial broadleaf plant that grows the most abundant and widely distributed medicinal crops around the world. Plantain has oval shaped leaves revealing string-like veins, with thick stems that meet at the base and grow in a rosette. Flowers rise well above the foliage and contain a small pod housing dark seeds held by the narrow spikes. Each plant can produce up to 20,000 seeds. We can find this miraculous plant growing nearly everywhere, from meadows…

BEAR’S GARLIC: The Best Spring Natural Detox

Freak of Natural Staff

  Family: Alliaceae Species: Allium Ursinum Common Name: Bear’s Garlic, Wild Garlic, Bear leek, Broad-leaved garlic   Bear’s Garlic is a wild plant relative to chives. and well-known for being a true spring treat for bears that have just woken up from their winter slumber, also a favorite of wild boar. It’s a bulbous perennial herbaceous plant that reproduces primarily by seed. The narrow bulbs are formed from a single leaf base and produce bright green elliptical leaves. The inflorescence is an umbrella of several white flowers. It’s native to…

STINGING NETTLE: Properties and Uses of a Super Plant

Freak of Natural Staff

  Common Name: Stinging Nettle, Common Nettle, Nettle Family: Urticacea Species: Urtica Dioica   Stinging Nettle is a herbaceous, perennial flowering plant widely spread all over the world. Nettle grows up to 1 or 2 meter tall in summer, dying down to the ground in winter. The soft, green leaves are are borne oppositely on an erect,  green stem. Both leaves and stem  have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes which act like needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation when contacted by humans and other animals.…

HOP PLANT: Properties, Uses and Benefits

Freak of Natural Staff

  Family: Cannabaceae (hemp family) Species: Humulus Lupulus Common Names: Hops, Wild Hop, Common Hop, Lupulin     These perennial herbaceous climbing plant require support to thrive. Plants are dioecious, which means that they have a gender. Hop Plants send up new shoots in early spring which are edible and delicious. The cone-shaped fruits are known as strobili,  are collected in fall, can be used either fresh or dried. Hops dies back to a cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. Plants are very hardy tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c when dormant, …

ARTEMISIA ANNUA: The Most Efficient Malaria Cure is Natural

Freak of Natural Staff

  Common name:Artemisia Annua, Sweet Wormwood, Sweet Annie, Sweet Sagewort, Annual Mugwort Genus: Artemisia Family: Asteraceae   Artemisia Annua is an annual aromatic herb from Asia that has been used in China to treat fevers for centuries. The genus Artemisia includes well-known plants used in medicine, perfumery and the food/beverage industry, such as Tarragon, Artemisia Absinthium and Mugwort. CULTIVATION The plant  naturally grows up to 1 meter tall, although cultivated ones can arrive to double their size. The intensive aromatic scent of the leaves is very characteristic, they are divided by…

YARROW: Properties, Uses and Benefits

Freak of Natural Staff

  Family: Asteraceae Species: Achillea Millefolium Common Name: Yarrow, Milfoil, Thousand-Leaf, Achillea, Woundwort   Achillea Millefolium is an erect, herbaceous, perennial plant that produces one to several stems. It’s leaves are almost feathery and  and arranged spirally on the stems. The inflorescence consist in a flat-topped cluster white to pink in color, visited by many insects because of their strong scent. Yarrow is a common weed, an herbaceous perennial plant native to the Northern hemisphere that grows freely in grassland, roadsides and other sites with well draining ground. Easily recognizable for…

MILK THISTLE: A Natural Detox

Freak of Natural Staff

  Common Names: Cardus Marianus, Milk Thistle, Marian Thistle Species: Sylibum Marianum Family: Asteraceae (Cynareae)   Milk thistle is an annual/biennial plant that grows in dry, rocky soil throughout southern and Western Europe, and in some parts of the United States. The stem grows tall and bears spiny leaves, which are dark green in color and streaked with white along the veins. Milk thistle flowers from June to August, bearing a single spiny, reddish-purple blossom. The fruit of the plant (commonly misidentified as the seed) is used for health purposes. Milk Thistles…

CALAMINTHA GRANDIFLORA / MINT SAVORY: Properties, Uses and Benefits

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  Family: Laminaceae Species: Calamintha Grandiflora Common Name: Mint Savory, Large-Flowered Calamint, Satureja Grandiflora     Calamints are close cousins to garden mint, without the spreading invasive habit, and a more delicate fragrance. This plant is native to Europe and the Middle East. This selection forms an upright, bushy mound of soft green, oval-shaped leaves. Rose-pink flowers are studs on short spikes among the leaves in midsummer. This will slowly spread to form a small patch, attractive to butterflies  and bees for their pleasantly fragrance. CULTIVATION Plants are hardy to…

POTENTILLA: Uses and Benefits

Freak of Natural Staff

  Common Name: Potentilla Reptans, Creeping Cinquefoil, Creeping Tormentil, European Cinquefoil Genus: Potentilla   Potentilla  is a very interesting perennial plant in the Rose family that is known by a number of names. Easy to grow, this small plant, has fuzzy dark green leaves with a strawberry-like look, and five petals yellow flowers. It’s a rather quite common hardy plant that has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. It grows well in the open meadows and grassy slopes,  and it’s very common to find from late spring to…

THYMUS SERPYLLUM: Properties, Uses and Benefits

Freak of Natural Staff

  Common Names: Wild Thyme, Mountain Thyme, Creeping Thyme, Serpolet Species: Thymus Serpyllum Family: Lamiaceae    Thymus serpyllum or wild thyme,  is a specie of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to most of Europe and North Africa but found in North America too. It’s a low, usually prostrate subshrub growing few centimeters tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long. The oval evergreen leaves are small as the strongly scented flowers that are either pink-purple and produced in clusters. This hardy plant tolerates some pedestrian traffic and produces odors…

BORAGE: A Very Resourceful Plant

Freak of Natural Staff

  Family: Boraginaceae Species: Borago Officinalis Common Names: Starflower, Bee Bush, Bugloss, Borragine, Tailwort   Borago Officinalis is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and has naturalized in many other localities. It grows satisfactorily in gardens in the UK climate, Northern Europe and America. Can survive light frost and it is considered to be an invasive plant in some country, remaining in the garden from year to year by self-seeding. The leaves are edible and the plant is grown in…

COMMON MALLOW: Properties, Uses and Benefits

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  Common Names: Common Mallow, Malva Vulgaris, Marsh Mallow Family: Malvaceae   Mallow is usually an annual, sometimes perennial plant of the Malvaceae plant family. Normally small hairs cover its creeping stems and leaves. It can grow up to 60 cm in height. Leaves are dark green, while the flowers are pink with purple darker veins. Its fruit splits into numerous small seeds. CULTIVATION A very easy plant to grow, doesn’t require particular care and grow with success in ordinary garden soil, so that is often considered invasive and easily spotted…

SUMMER SAVORY: Properties of a Natural Aphrodisiac Plant

Freak of Natural Staff

  Common Names: Summer Savory, Garden Savory Species: Satureja Hortensis Family: Lamiaceae   Summer savory is an annual member of the Lamiaceae family and closely related to rosemary and thyme.Similar in use and flavor to the perennial winter savory, this herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom in the northern hemisphere from July to September. CULTIVATION Widely cultivated as a spice and for its medicinal properties. The plant grows best in sandy, loamy and well-drained soil. It does not grow in shade and should be planted in full sun. It tolerates both…