Wild Chamomile

According to the Peterson, "Medicinal Plants and Herbs," field guide, the dried Chamomile flowers used to make tea have been used for colic, diarrhea, insomnia, indigestion, gout, sciatica, headaches, colds, fevers, flu, cramps, and arthritis. With all these health benefits it's no wonder it still occupies shelf space at the supermarket.

I could purchase a box of tea but I thought it would be more fun to go out and harvest some of my own since it is locally abundant. However, I have been teased all summer long by the Ox-Eye Daisy which is similar to Chamomile with its ray of white flowers and yellow central discs for there are some discerning traits that can only be detected up close. The leaves of the Ox-Eye Daisy are  irregularly lobed and those of the Chamomile look feathered, like miniature pine bows.  Both the Ox-Eye Daisy and Chamomile have yellow centers but those of the daisy are depressed in the middle while those of the Chamomile are domed like a little beehives or honeycombs. When pinched the Chamomile flowers emit a sweet apple-like scent whereas those of the daisy remain odorless. These distinguishing characteristics remain unknown while you motor down 290, as both are found in disturbed areas and waste grounds.

I have learned that you can spend countless hours studying your books but the real learning takes place outdoors. On page, the plant is one-dimentional but outside these plants can tantalize all of your senses. You can feel the woolen leaf of mullein, taste the sweet flesh of a Juneberry, smell the sweetness of pineapple weed, gaze upon the blue petals of violets, and hear the thuds of Black Walnuts landing at the base of their trunks.  During these encounters you can make your own observations and notice the things that are not mentioned in your guide book such as the fine hairs covering the tops of the leaves or the almost microscopic black dots that line the stem. It's where you will take note of the neighboring plants and feel the texture of the soil from which its herbaceous body burgeons. This is referred to "dirt time" A.K.A. hands on learning for the naturalist.

My dirt time quest brought be to the grassy doorstep of my long sought after Wild Chamomile which I happened upon after I pulled over near a pond and followed the dirt path that lead to the waters edge. The white daisy-like petals, yellowed domed central disks, and feathered leaves were a sight for tired eyes.

It has been a month since I plucked the Chamomile flowers from their stems and brought them home to dry. They are so pretty in their dehydrated state. I wish I could preserve how delicate they look. Instead I will steep them in hot water. Even now that they are in the tea ball awaiting their final dunk, I am reluctant. It is not long before the water in the mug turns a pale yellow.

Wild Chamomile-Whole Plant

Wild Chamomile-Yellow Domed Center

Wild Chamomile-Ray of White Petals

Wild Chamomile-Feathered Leaves 

Wild Chamomile-Flower Heads

Wild Chamomile-Dried Flowers

Flowers Awaiting Steeping 

Chamomile Tea

First Cup of Wild Chamomile Tea

Chicory-A Caffeine-Free Coffee-Like Beverage

Chicory-Whole Plant

Chicory is both a rural and urban dweller. It loves full sun and well drained soil. You'll find it along sidewalks and on the edges of sandy/gravely roads. It is an introduced biennial/perennial (www.plants.usda.gov chichorium intybus L.).  It is a beautiful plant to observe with its ray of fringed, square-tipped blueish/purple petals and its dandelion-like basal leaves. These flowers cling right to their stout green stems and are open until noon on sunny days. You can consume both the leaves-boiled for 5-10 minutes-and the roots-roasted and ground into a coffee-like beverage. Chicory leaves should be collected in early Spring because the plant becomes too bitter after that point. The roots are harvestable year-round (Peterson, Lee Allen. Edible Wild Plants-Eastern/Central North America. Peterson Field Guides.1977.)

I decided that I was going to process the root to make the infamous coffee-like/caffeine-free beverage. To prepare the root you must first scrub off the outer brown sheath until the white fleshy coat is exposed. I used an abrasive sponge. Next you peel the flesh from the woody inner core. Lay the peels out on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours or until the peels are dark and brittle (my roots were thin and only took 1 hour). Next grind the roasted peels and prepare like coffee (I don't have a coffee maker so I improvised). Once ground, the roasted chicory emulates coffee in appearance, aroma, and taste. 

Chicory root was once and still is in demand. "In the late 18th century the Dutch grew the roots for use as a cheeper substitute for coffee-as an additive without caffeine it remains popular in Belgium, France, Germany and the US (Norman, Jill, Herbs &Spices the Cook's Reference, 2002 DK Publishing). On Amazon.com roasted/ground chicory root is sold for anywhere from $10-$16/lb. 

Chicory root is both a laxative and a diuretic. (Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs. 2000. Peterson Field Guides). According to the United States Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database (https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2923?manu=&fgcd=) raw chicory root is packed with vitamins and minerals including folate, vitamin A, Niacin, and calcium. 

Chicory is widely abundant, it is a great coffee substitute, it is currently sought after, and it offers health and nutritional benefits. I must say that this has been one of the most pleasant tasting wild edibles that I have ever sampled. Slack told me that he would harvest more Chicory roots so that we can enjoy this beverage more often. "I could wake up to this every morning" he said.

Below, I have documented how to identify and process the Chicory root so that you too can enjoy a mug of roasted Chicory root.  

Flowers-fringed square-tipped ends, blue/purple petals 

Stems-new and old growth

Dandelion-like basal leaves

Chicory roots

Scrubbed root

Peeling the flesh from the woody inner core

Chicory root peels

Chicory root peels ready to be roasted 

Roasted Chicory root peels

Roasted root in spice grinder

Ground roasted Chicory root

1 1/2tsp of ground chicory root in strainer

Roasted root steeping in boiled water

Mug of roasted Chicory root

Enjoying my first mug of roasted chicory root