Let’s continue our summer wild edibles walk.

Here’s another of my favorite herbs to find: Mullein. The flowering plant is the second year (mullein is a two year plant, like Burdock.)

mullein

We collect and dry the fuzzy soft mullein leaves, the tea from which is excellent for the lungs. Those beautiful yellow flowers can be steeped in olive oil for an excellent ear oil to use in cases of ear aches (safe on animals, as well.) We often mix mullein oil with garlic oil to use as drops in the ear.

Here is the beautiful Milkweed in bloom:

milkweed

Monarch butterfly chrysalises can be found on milkweed plants. Some people find the catepillar eggs early in the season and collect the leaves of the plant, feeding the catepillars throughout the year (milkweed leaves, of course) and will hatch a monarch butterfly to release in the summer!

The flowers smell like lilacs. Some people steam the flowers to eat.

Finally we have the very delicious black raspberries, whose season is nearly done here in Pittsburgh.

black raspberries

In this picture I am demonstrating that the underside of the raspberry leaves are white, as opposed to blackberries, (which will ripen later), which are green underneathe.

Of course, you’ll also still find dandelions blooming, chicory flowering, burdock and thistles in purple bloom…it’s just gorgeous out there. I’ll post more pictures and let you know what we’re up to!

We’d love to hear what you’ve been doing as well! Any new finds, recipes, tinctures, or oils? Please let us know!!

Thanks!
~ Melissa