The dandelion may just seem like a nuisance weed to those seeking a clean, green lawn. And given its pervasiveness, it’s difficult to imagine the time when the dandelion didn’t grow in North America.
But once, it was true. The dandelion was brought deliberately to the United States by European settlers – as both food and medicine. And some people still use it for these purposes.
“Some people spend a long time trying to get rid of the dandelions on their lawn,” said Rick Van de Poll, the principal of Ecosystem Management Consultants of Sandwich. “But both its roots and leaves can be used for food and medicine.”
Like many plants, different parts of the dandelion are useful for different things. The leaves are high in vitamin A, have a bitter which stimulates liver function, minerals that support immune system functioning and metabolic processes, and are high in potassium and phosphorus. The roots can be used to make a coffee substitute.
Van de Poll would know. He learned basic woodcraft at the knee of his grandparents, who used plant remedies regularly, and from his grandmother’s copy of Joseph Myer’s The Herbalist.
“She actively practiced using herbs for a variety of ailments, having grown them in her garden,” said Van de Poll. “My grandfather, he had witch hazel extract on hand always.”
Now, he too, will make a cough syrup from the bark of a cherry tree, ear drops from the evening primrose flower, and witch hazel infusions to alleviate muscle aches. He and his wife even used to run an apothecary that sold plant-based remedies, though now he makes his living promoting biodiversity through land and wetland assessments.
Van de Poll will be sharing his knowledge on medicinal and edible plants during a Sustainability Fair in Wilton in April. There, he will detail several dozen plants that grow in the area that are useful for both food and easing ills.
Some are obvious, said Van de Poll. Who in New England hasn’t had some blueberries fresh off the bush? And while blueberries are obviously edible, they’re being more and more recognized for their antioxidant properties, which help the body process potentially toxic substances and help in processing fats.
“That’s just one of the many attributes of a very common plant that all people know,” said Van de Poll.
And while many people see woodcraft as a bygone era, Van de Poll suggested not being too quick to dismiss it. Some plants, or their base elements have made it into the commercial medicine market.
Coltsfoot, an old cough and sore throat remedy formed the basis of the original cough syrups. And witch hazel, the extract that was so popular with Van de Poll’s grandfather, has a variety of uses based on its ability as an astringent and anti-inflammatory, and is also used in commercial medicines as well as a common home remedy for everything from bug bites to small wounds.
“That’s a native species, and it’s still being manufactured and sold at stores like Rite Aid,” said Van de Poll.
Van de Poll will present “Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants & Fungi” at the Souhegan Sustainability Fair on April 22, including a slide show and talk at the Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative High School, followed by a walk around Frye Field at High Mowing School at 5 p.m., for a search for plants and mushrooms that are out and identifiable.
The walk is limited to 50 people.