Identifiable by the bright blossoms and round leaves, nasturtiums are part of the landscape in Bermuda. The plant is commonly found in the garden, yard, or uncultivated areas. If unchecked, nasturtiums can become invasive in the garden, but the plant is still food. The flowers, leaf, and seeds are edible.
The taste of the leaves and flowers is peppery and there are some recipes online for drying the seeds for use as a pepper alternative. The peppery bite of nasturtium isn't overwhelming though, and it is a great introductory herb to wild food for children and adults.
Nasturtium flowers bloom bright yellow, orange, or flame red in the Spring and Summer months. The leaves can be found in various circular sizes and resembles lily pads. Creeping on the ground is where you can find the vine, but it will climb if given an opportunity.
Plant nasturtiums in your garden for an ally in minimizing bug infestations or plant diseases. If you are a container gardener, either plant nasturtiums in a pot or allow it to grow around your containers. If you garden in the earth, collect a few seeds from a plant and put them in your garden. Train the vine to grow around the plants susceptible to infestation or disease as a form of prevention, but check it regularly to make sure the nasturtiums are not choking the garden plants.
Try It Out
Steep a small handful of the leaf and flowers in hot water. Allow to cool and use as a hair rinse for irritated scalp conditions.
Plantain is an herb that looks, well, a bit plain. It's so commonplace in fields, gardens, cultivated and uncultivated lawns alike, that you have likely seen it but overlooked it.
The two prevalent types of plantain that grow throughout the world are lance leaf and broad leaf. Lance leaf plantain is shaped like a spear, with a flowering stalk that rises from the center. The small white flowers of lance leaf plantain tend to stay at the top of the stalk. Broad leaf plantain has a leaf shape that widens considerably at the middle, tapering at the tip. Broad leaf plantain also have a center flower stalk, but the flowers can reach the midpoint or even travel past the midpoint of the stalk.
Plantain flower and seeds are known as psyllium, a bulking agent that will move the bowels and relieve constipation. Plantain is also known as nature's band aid. If plantain is growing nearby and you happen to get a surface wound, bug bite, or slight burn, use it as a band aid. Break off a piece of the leaf, rub it in your hands to bruise it slightly and put it on the wound. Hold it in place with another plantain leaf or cloth.
Be cautious before using wild plantain for medicinal purposes. Plantain is considered a pervasive, pesky weed and people resort to using chemicals to eradicate the plant. It's best to use plantain that grows in your own yard.
Try It Out
Try to find the plantain in a landscape by looking for the flowering stalk. When you find it, look at the leaf to determine if it's lance leaf or broad leaf.
Take a bath with plantain leaf for relief from skin irritations or hemorrhoids.
General Benefits
Flushes toxins from the blood
Detoxifies the colon and digestive tract
Soothes sores
Relieves mouth ulcers if used as a mouthwash
Dries out mucus membranes that are prone to infection
