Wild Teasel, Dipsacus sylvestris/fullonum

which are its primary medicinal components, similar to Chicory (also in this book). Older plants have higher concentrations of sap, especially while the plant is just beginning to bloom. Best to use the sap after it dries or use a tincture form to make full use of its medicinal compounds. Insomnia and Sedative: The sedative properties of wild lettuce come from the milky sap that runs through the stems and leaves. It calms restlessness and anxiety and induces sleep without being addictive. Pain Relief and Shock: Wild lettuce has also been called opium lettuce because of its weak opium-like effects. Used in small doses, it has a sedative and painrelieving effect without causing the stomach upset and high of a true opium. It is also helpful in the treatment of shock, menstrual pain, muscular pain, joints pain, and colic.

Warts: Apply the white sap to the skin as a treatment for external warts. Cover the wart with sap once or twice a day until the wart is gone. Warning: Use with caution as it has a sedative effect. Do not overdose. Harvesting: Collect the leaves and stems in the summer when the plant is just starting to bloom for maximum medicinal properties. Even better is to simply collect the milky sap directly into a small glass jar. This is more time-consuming but gives you the most concentrated dose. The sap turns brown and hardens when dry. Older plants are best. Leave behind enough of the plant so that it will recover. Recipes. Wild Lettuce Tincture: You will need: vodka, brandy or other 80 proof alcohol, fresh or dried wild lettuce leaves. Fill a clean, sterile, glass jar with chopped fresh milky leaves or use 2 ounces (56g) of dried wild lettuce per cup of alcohol. You may also use the sap. Cover the herbs with vodka or other drinkable alcohol. Stir the herbs to remove air bubbles. Move the container to a cool, dark place and allow the tincture to steep for 3 to 4 weeks, shaking daily. Strain out the herbs and discard. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 5 years.

Also known as Fuller’s Teasel, Wild Teasel, or Common Teasel, this plant grows throughout most of the United States and coastal Canada. It is listed as a noxious weed in many states, but it has many good uses. Teasel grows in large patches, crowding out other plants once established. In the fall, it attracts large flocks of birds, who use the seeds as a winter food source. It likes to grow along stream banks, roadsides, pastureland, prairies, meadows, savannas, and woodland borders. It is a water loving plant that grows in a variety of soils including sandy soils in moist areas and heavy clay in poorly drained areas. It is in the Caprifoliaceae, the honeysuckle family. Identification: Teasel is a biennial herbaceous plant. It has lance shaped leaves and grows from 3 to 8 feet in height. The first-year leaves form a rosette at the base of the stem with the flower stem emerging from the center in the second year. Each leaf is 8 to 16 inches (20 cm-40 cm) long and 1 to 2.5 inches (2.5 cm to 6 cm) across. The underside of the leaf has a row of spines along the midrib and the stems are also covered in small spines. The plant has a two-year

lifecycle, growing leaves and stems in the first year and producing flowers in the second year. It has erect hollow pale green to reddish-green stems. Its stems are hairless with longitudinal ridges and white spines. Teasel flowers June through August. It has a cylindrical inflorescence of dark pink, purple, or lavender flowers on the top of the flower stem. The inflorescence is ovoid or conical, up to 4 inches long (10cm) and 2 inches (5cm) across. When the flowers drop, the flower cylinder dries into spiny hard bracts with small seeds maturing mid-autumn. The plant has a deep taproot with fibrous secondary roots that can grow up to 2 feet long (0.6m) and up to an inch (2.5cm) in diameter. Edible Use: The young leaves are edible, but the short hairs make them unappetizing. They can be eaten cooked or raw. The roots are used medicinally but are not eaten. Non-Edible Use: A water-soluble blue dye, used as an indigo substitute, is obtained from the plant. When the plant is mixed with alum, a yellow dye is obtained. The stalks work as a spindle for friction fire, and can be paired with a clematis fireboard.

Medicinal Use: Teasel root can be taken internally and externally, but you must be very careful with internal dosing, especially if you have, or suspect you have, Lyme Disease. For Lyme, I prefer to use teasel in a tincture form with a maximum dose of 9 drops split into 3 drops each in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Begin by taking 1 drop in the morning of the first day. On the second day, take one drop in the morning and one in the evening. On the third day, take one drop in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Continue adding one drop each day until you reach the maximum of 9 drops total each day (three in the morning, three in the afternoon, and three in the evening.) Note that you may have a Jarisch-Herxheimer (“herx”)” reaction if you have Lyme. A “herx” reaction is an adverse response to the cytokines that are released as the Lyme bacteria are killed. Once the bacterial waste and dead bacteria are expelled this reaction goes away. This does mean that the spirochaetes that cause Lyme are dying, which is good news, but you may feel worse before you feel better. Personally, I use teasel tincture in larger amounts as a Lyme preventative when I am in an area with Lymecarrying deer ticks (see “Lyme Prevention” below). Treats Chronic Lyme Disease: Lyme disease is a bacterial infection of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted by infected deer/blacklegged (Ixodes spp.) ticks. The spirochaetes drill into human tissue and, in time, seal themselves in by creating a biofilm, which acts as a barrier to antibiotics. Teasel is not an antibiotic, but it acts to boost the effectiveness of antibiotics, dumping the bacteria back into the blood stream where antibiotics can more easily attack and clear the infection. In most cases, antibiotics given soon after infection work well for Lyme, but in the case of Chronic Lyme Disease, where antibiotics are not working well enough, adding teasel to the cure can make all the difference. It may still take 6 months or longer to clear the infection, but the teasel is thought to draw the spirochaetes out of the tissue, thus exposing them to the antibiotics. Please see suggested dosing instructions above. Lyme Prevention: I use teasel tincture as a Lyme preventative when I am in an area with Lyme-carrying ticks. I take a dropperful 2x/day if I am in the woods in a known Lyme area. I know many other people who work in the woods who also use teasel in this way. It keeps Borrelia from burrowing into my tissues in case of an infection. If you do get a tick bite save the tick to get it tested for Lyme. If antibiotics are taken early Lyme can be prevented.

Osteoporosis, Osteopenia, and Bone Frac-

tures: Teasel root increases blood circulation so that the body can rebuild and repair tendons and bones. It stimulates new bone growth and helps increase bone mass. It is an effective treatment for both Osteoporosis and Osteopenia and for bone fractures once the bone has been properly set.

Natural Diuretic: Teasel root is excellent at ridding the body of excess water and encouraging urine flow. Teasel rids the body of unnecessary water weight, salt, and toxins. It helps reduce inflammation and swelling and can be useful in reducing a fever by stimulating sweating. Candida and Yeast Infections: Teasel root works to purge excess yeast and Candida from the body into the bloodstream where it dies and is eliminated. Teasel is useful in keeping yeast infections and Candida under control.

Arthritis: Teasel root is an anti-inflammatory and helps repair damaged joints that cause arthritis. It gives some short-term pain relief, but it takes longterm use for effective arthritis relief. Jaundice and Liver Problems: Teasel is a liver tonic, and is helpful in treating liver problems of many types, including jaundice. The diuretic properties of teasel root support the liver and help clear the body of the toxins that cause jaundice. It supports the liver and helps reduce inflammation and infections, but it does not cure the underlying cause.

Wounds and Inflammation – External Ap-

plication: For skin wounds and inflammation, teasel root powder can be sprinkled directly on the affected site. To use, grind dried teasel root into a fine powder and apply or add water to make a poultice. Harvesting Teasel: I recommend wearing gloves and protective clothing to protect your skin from the teasel spines. Harvest the roots after the end of the first year’s growth between early autumn and early spring. Once they have flower stalks it is too late, as the roots become woody. Dig up the plant with a spading fork, pushing deeply into the soil next to the plant. The taproot is deep with additional secondary roots. Wiggle the fork to loosen the soil and push it as deep as possible. Grab the plant with a gloved hand and pull the plant up, loosening more with the spading fork as needed. Take enough teasel root to make a year’s supply of tincture at once. Wash them, slice them and cut away the brown parts, tough roots, or soft roots. You want to use the center of the root. Use fresh root to make tincture or place them in the dehydrator to dry for powder or future use. Make sure to cut them before they dry out, as they are very difficult to cut once they are dry. Warning: Take care in dosing teasel root tincture, starting with one drop only and slowly increasing it as tolerated.

Teasel root can cause a “herx” reaction in some people (see “Lyme” section above). These side effects subside over time. Fresh Teasel Root Tincture Recipe: Fresh teasel root, sliced and chopped into small pieces, 100 proof vodka or similar proof drinking alcohol, 2 clean jars with tight-fitting lids, Strainer. Use the center of the fresh root for this recipe. Place the chopped root in a clean jar, filling it to within one inch of the top. Cover it with 100 proof alcohol, completely filling the jar to the rim. Cap it tightly and label /date the jar. Shake the jar weekly. Refill with 100 proof alcohol if needed. Allow the tincture to macerate for 6 to 8 weeks, then strain and move it to a clean jar. Store Teasel Tincture in a cool, dark place for up to 5 years. Dose Teasel Tincture carefully, starting with 1 drop and increasing by 1 drop daily to a maximum of 9 drops total daily if using for Lyme. Divide the doses into morning, afternoon, and night doses, never giving more than 3 drops per dose.