Tonight while out on the trail with my tin of foraged goods, walking slow in late evening sunshine & singing to the plants – I began to cry. Not because I was sad. But because I was so happy! I was overcome with gratitude to be alive. Overwhelmed with how fortunate I am to be living in this beautiful place where I can walk out my front door & immediately be among a wild medicinal food forest. I realized (again) how abundant life can be & simultaneously so simple.
The following dear-to-me plants – stinging nettle, wild strawberry & raspberry, dandelion, and lilac – have been what’s most abundant in Montana lately & so incredibly easy to identify even the newest of wild harvesters can enjoy. Plus they are likely to be growing in your area even if you don’t live in the Rocky Mountain West!
A quick note on three ethical harvesting guidelines to remember:
- don’t take the first you find & always ask before harvesting
- don’t take all…just what you need or actually plan to make use of
- always leave offerings: song, water, gratitude, other plants, or smoke
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STINGING NETTLE
“Everything has its sting. Some just aren’t as obvious or instantly painful.
Look closely at me & pay attention to my unique characteristics.” – Nettle
- dried leaves make for nutrient-dense teas & broths
- add crushed dried or chopped fresh leaves to whole grains while cooking
- infused sesame oil with dried nettle & resin-coated cottonwood buds is soothing on burns
“The time to heal is NOW.” – Cottonwood
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WILD STRAWBERRY
“A flower is made to blossom. To open.
Even if it means her demise, being picked or eaten, transformed into fruit.
She does what she was grown to do — bloom.” – Strawberry
- steep blossoms & leaves for a delicate tea
- sprinkle in your bath with other wildflowers in bloom
- press flat in a book & dry for several days to make art with
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RASPBERRY LEAF
“Create sacred space every day.” – Raspberry
- add dried & crushed leaves to an herbal smoking blend
- enjoy as a feminine energetic tea
- place upon your altar to invoke a sense of sacred space
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DANDELION
“I will make all your wishes come true. Have patience.
Your attachment to visions & dreams inhibits you from seeing what is here right in front of you.” – Dandelion
- infuse root & flower with brandy for a healing tincture
- dandelion & nettle vinegar for digestive bitters
- blow heart-felt wishes into the wind with matured dandelion clocks
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LILAC
“Breathe deep & nurture your inner child.” – Lilac
- infuse with local raw honey
- grind dried petals for a pretty pastel floral dust
- infuse in drinking water
Happy Harvesting!
Wild Altar 