Impatiens Capensis -- a great fall flow plant

[Cindi]

A wildflower, pretty, grows everywhere in the moister parts of my property, mostly bordering the treelines along the ravine.  The bees love this species of Impatiens that is a massively invasive self-seeder.  I don't mind, it can seed itself this the skies turn purple.  Enjoy these pretty pictures, and have a wonderful day.  Cindi

[mark]

in case anyone doesn't know it's an excellent poison ivy remedy.  crush and rub the juice on affected skin.   we harvest in season and freeze in small portions. excellent pictures

[Cindi]

Mark, now that is a bit of trivia worth remembering.  I would presume using the leaves for the juice.  Now if it works on poison ivy (I have never encountered that lovely plant  :roll:, I wonder if it would work on stinging nettle, for example, or maybe bee stings.  Michael Bush contends to use plantain for bee stings, mosquito bites, and so on.  I agree with him, I have tried it on several different types of pains and it really does work extremely well.  I get stinging nettle  encounters quite often around here, it is very annoying and I wish the chickens would eat it up, but they won't touch it either.  Have a wonderful day, best of our beautiful life.  Cindi

[mark]

cindi                     the stems have more moisture than the leaves so they are easiest to use but i usually biz up the whole thing in a blender and freeze that way.   the remedy for the stinging nettle is actually the juice of the stinging nettle.  but just try getting it :-D.   steeped into a tea we used it for congestion with the kids. have used plantain for a toothache on occasion too. if ya try plantain for nettle let me know if it works.             

[Brian D. Bray]

Bracken fern juice works for stinging nettles.  Ancient Salish Indian remedy.

[Cindi]

Brian, some good trivia also to remember.  I think that I would try that remedy before I tried plantain for the stinging nettle pain.  We have the bracken fern and ostrich fern growing on our property.  Some people consider the fiddleheads of the ostrich fern to be edible and quite good steamed.  The fiddleheads of the bracken fern are carcinogenic and must not be eaten.  Personally, I have so many other greens that I would love to eat, I couldn't be bothered with eating fiddlehead greens.

So, if the fiddleheads of the Bracken fern are poisonous, are the leaves?  The Salish Indian remedy is no doubt in my mind very effective.  But I question chewing on the leaves to use the juices though, perhaps just rubbing the leaves on the nettle sting?

LOoking at the two species of ferns, the ostrich fern is a much more beautiful plant, in that the ferns are so much more airy looking.  Ooops, way off topic!!!  Have a wonderful day, best of this beautiful life we live.  Cindi

[Brian D. Bray]

You don't chew the bracken fern, you just break the stem and smear on the sap.  It might be necesary to crush the stem a little to get the juice to flow but chewing is not necesary or recommended.

[Cindi]

Good knowledge.  C