First Spring Flowers

Have you ever foraged for plants or mushrooms? Have you ever wanted too? I encourage you to keep a local wildflower identification book handy. As the year goes by take a cutting of the plant and place it on the ID Page and date it. Then you will have a good idea when to expect them again, next year.

Here are the first four native plants found on my little farm. Purple Deadnettle, Hairy Bittercress, Chickweed, Hoary Puccoon. Seeing these little gems fills my heart with joy and excitement because I know winter is coming to an end and spring gardening is right around the corner.

Purple Deadnettle, Hairy Bittercress, Chickweed are all edible, can be used in teas and smoothies, dried or used medicinally. I can’t think of a bee that wouldn’t be eager to find these fresh flowers in the garden, or walkway. Each of these plants grows readily in many places and I encourage you to check them out.

The Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens), less common, is a member of the Borage family. As a member of the borage family, the little lovely is also a delight to the first foraging bees. With its long taproot, I would consider this a welcome addition to my soil biome. Research is conflicted as to the reason for the naming of the Hoary Puccoon, but all sources appear to agree that the name derives from the Algonquin people. The glorious taproots can be used in making a red dye, while the flowers can be used to make a yellow dye.

Hoary Puccoon should not be used as a food product or taken internally as it contains Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids. According to The Naturopathic Herbalist (https://thenaturopathicherbalist.com/plant-constituents/alkaloids/), only PAs which contain “unsaturated necine bases are hepatotoxic”. Hoary Puccoon may have as many as 7 PAs. I encourage you to read further on the processes in which PAs can affect the liver and other organs. This plant comes with serious consequences if used improperly. However, there are many indications, that it may have been used by the Menominee for external treatments. Some sources suggest it may have been used as a tea wash in treating fevers accompanied by spasms.

While this plant may not be a food product, it is a lovely little plant, which can provide food to early spring insects and contribute to the life cycle beneath our feet. I encourage you to look holistically at all things. I hope you are also lucky enough to have Hoary Puccoon on your homestead.

Happy Gardening!

Purple Deadnettle, Hairy Bittercress, Chickweed, Hoary Puccoon