A Plethora of Medicine: Ethical Harvesting of Invasive Herbs and Food of the Colonial Settlers

When European settlers arrived in North America, they brought with them numerous important food and medicine plant species from their homelands. Many of these plants, considered weeds in this day and age, spread rapidly and significantly impacted the local ecosystems. When first learning to wildcraft and harvest medicines for our own use, we should first become familiar with these safe and abundant medicines. Ethical wildcrafting is a highly nuanced activity that takes great care and self-awareness so as to not continue to perpetuate colonial damage to the lands we now call home. We’ll be taking a closer look at these nuances in future posts.

Some beginner-friendly, common weeds brought to North America by settlers include:

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Dandelions were introduced by European settlers for their medicinal and culinary uses. However, they quickly naturalised and are now widespread throughout North America.

Plantain (Plantago major): Plantain is a common weed brought to North America from Europe. It is known for its ability to colonise disturbed areas and is often found on lawns, sidewalks, and roadsides.

Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album): Lamb's quarters, also known as goosefoot, were likely brought to North America as a food crop. However, it escaped cultivation and is now considered a common weed in agricultural fields and disturbed areas.

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica): Stinging nettle is a perennial weed likely brought to North America for its medicinal properties and as a fibre source. It is now found in many regions of North America, often in moist, disturbed areas.

Yellow dock (Rumex crispus): Yellow dock, a perennial weed with distinctive reddish-brown seeds, was introduced to North America by European settlers. It is commonly found in fields, pastures, and disturbed areas.

Wild mustard (Brassica kaber or Sinapis arvensis): Wild mustard is an annual weed introduced as a crop and is now considered invasive in many parts of North America. It is often found in agricultural fields and disturbed areas.

Common chickweed (Stellaria media): Common chickweed is a low-growing annual weed likely introduced from Europe. It thrives in moist, shady areas and is often found in lawns and gardens.