Search Results for 'wild lettuc'

[JeanStudent]

https://homesteadacademy.com/forums/search/wild+lettuc/

Prickly Lettuce for Pain

I found two places where Doc. mentions its use. but, one didnt copy and paste right.

 

• This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by Jean.
• This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by Jean.

[Mandi IhdeStudent]

What part of the US are you in?  We live on the Gulf Coast, right outside of Pensacola.  We have almost 5 acres, and when we bought the land, we were blessed to find thickets of elderberry.  This past year I harvested probably 20-25 lbs of elderberries, and that didn’t even come close to what was on the bushes!  I was so thankful!  Besides elder, I’ve also identified wild lettuce, ivy-leaved morning glory, Japanese hawksbeard, dandelion, red clover, Chinese tallow tree, White vervain, motherwort, blue vervain, camphor laurel, Florida betony, sweet gum, cottonwood, bur buttercup, spotted lady’s thumb, Chinese privet, cleavers, bidens, dewberries, chickweed, purple dead nettle, pecans, dock, fleabane, passionflower, muscadine, hyssop, and probably more that I’m forgetting.  (I may have gone a little crazy with plant identifying, lol) In May of this year, we started creating a small food forest, and so far we’ve planted olive trees, several plum varieties, peach trees, apple trees, mulberries, bananas, papayas, black cherry trees, mayhaws, vitex, Florida soapberry, witch hazels, pineapple guavas, tulsi basil, woad, calendula, aloe, peppermint, echinacea, comfrey, yarrow, a bunch of different gingers, turmeric, lemon balm, chamomile, hibiscus, boysenberry, mexican petunia, blueberries, rosemary, blackberries, mullein, ashwaghanda, american hazelnuts, roses, Jerusalem artichoke, taro, and other “normal” trees that people plant, like oaks, redbud, red maple, etc.  Holy moly, I didn’t realize how much work we had put into our little piece of land until I started typing it all out!

I love that you’re able to grow arnica!  Our climate seems too hot and wet to grow it with any success. Oh, and elder seems to propogate well from cuttings, so hopefully you can have your fencerow of elder soon!

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

Lisa Derksen

Doc, I have two questions. 1- if one has sensitivity to latex, should they stay away from wild lettuce?( your book said allergy to latex ). 2. Hops, in your book says it is a cousin of Hemp, so, if one has itching and some burning under the skin from medical marijuana, is it best for this person  not to take it?  I have a first cousin and we are nothing alike. LOL.

• This topic was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by Kim L Edie.

Doc, I have two questions. 1- if one has sensitivity to latex, should they stay away from wild lettuce?( your book said allergy to latex ). 2. Hops, in your book says it is a cousin of Hem, so if one has itching and some burning under skin with medical marijuana so person can not take it. Will hops be safe or not? I have a first cousin and we are nothing alike. LOL.

[Neisa WatkinsStudent]

I have made wild lettuce tincture a a couple of times. I cooked it in a crock pot for about 24 hours, then strained off the liquid from the stems and leaves and cooked the liquid down to a paste in a double boiler. After that I put it in 80 proof vodka for dosing.  It works well for sleep and doesn’t leave me hung over in the morning. I started slowly on the dosing because I was unsure about the strength of the medicine.

[Perschbacher KimberleyStudent]

Best time for wild lettuce is when it is bolting,  you can use the whole plant, cut it up to get the white milky sap, latex.  Put in your blender with alcohol, pulverize it.  To get your product

1 user thanked author for this post.

Lisa Derksen

[Kaye ReidStudent]

I use flour towels that I bought at Walmart lined in a strainer over a glass bowl. I think they are easier to press out when they are powdered. I do have minimal residual at the bottom after pressing but after it settles its not hard to slowly pour into another container.

I had a hard time with 1:5 ratio using cut dried herb as they were to bulky to be covered by the vodka. I have now started putting them in the blender with alcohol like Doc did the Wild Lettuce. It works much better for me to get the 1:5 and still get the herb covered.

 

Kaye Reid

• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by Kaye Reid.

[ElizabethStudent]

Is there a module on Wild Lettuce?

[SharonStudentTopic Author]

Now that I see what is coming up and what got demolished by the rabbits over the winter, I’m needing (organic if possible – and can trade for) is:

Wild/prickly lettuce (not sure if they are the same plant, but it’s the one used for pain)

Grape leaves

Skullcap

Chickweed

Rose Hips

St John’s Wort

Wormwood (Sweet Annie)

Devil’s Claw

White Sage

Uva Ursi

Black Walnut

I have organic dried Plantain, Comfrey, whole Cloves, Cramp Bark, Fennel Seed, Ginkgo, Siberian Ginseng, Oregano, Parsley, Raspberry, Red Clover, Rosemary, Star Anise, Thyme,  Yarrow, Holy Basil, & Bull Thistle.  I’m thinking that with that many things I’m looking for and how much diversity I have with excess products, we should be able to help each other out!  Thanks in advance!

• This reply was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by Sharon. Reason: mistake in text

[GCubedStudent]

Can either wild lettuce or prickly lettuce be used for pain relief? Or just prickly lettuce?

[KATHRYN DELONGStudent]

My family has been using wild lettuce for quite some time, now, and love it. We have prepared it quite a few ways: tincture made with 80 proof when using dried leaf, or Everclear when using fresh leaf; cooking it down to black goo; and drying the leaf, then powdering for capsules. All worked very well, but I personally didn’t like making or using the goo. At first, I didn’t use the stems in the tincture, then did an experiment making tincture with only ground up stems, and that seems to work, as well.

I particularly like the capsule version because it travels better. For all the trouble to make the goo, it certainly didn’t work better than the tinctures or capsules.

4 users thanked author for this post.

SharonG, GCubed, Rebecca Boone, Rebecca

[SharonStudentTopic Author]

So – do you loose the medicinal sap when you freeze dry or dehydrate it?  The reason I ask is because I don’t think it grows here, so I’ll have to rely on buying someone’s dried wild lettuce to tincture.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sandra Boldiston

I don’t have any of this herb yet, but it really sounds like something hubby and I need.  But in cruising around the “misleading web” – it makes me very confused on how best to tincture this herb because of the latex “sap”.  Some use the leaves and dry them, then use EVERCLEAR (for a dried herb??).  I get using it if it was fresh, but not dried – right?  Also, is the latex only in the stem/stalk or is it also in the leaves, and if it is in the leaves, does the drying process mess up the latex that we really want in the medicine?  Then others make this gooey glob of  concentrated dried extract, then add alcohol back in again to re-liquify it (is that even a word?).  Why put more alcohol back in when they tinctured it with Everclear to start with.  Seems like way too much hooch to me!  Any thoughts on how best to use this herb?

[Kaye ReidStudentTopic Author]

Thank you Greg and yes I think I will powder them first when possible. I did however try to powder grape leaf last year and it turned into something that resembled stuffing in a chair. It became very dense and fluffed at the same time. I will however attempt blending leaves with alcohol and see how that works. Like I have the wild lettuce. Its worth a shot anyway. I do have tincture with the leaves working in the meantime. Thank you

 

Kaye Reid

[Tim MajorsStudent]

I’m going to be collecting meadowsweet in early June (at full blossom here). I have one bush I’m taking out to make room for a rainwater collection tank.  I can start a few cuttings too if you want a plant.  I’ll be making tincture from the remaining bush.  Any interests out there let me know your contact info..

Shannon, you never can be too prepared stocking apothecary shelves if you have access to the herbs & storage in my book!  You will only be out the booze if never needed, but thankful if relied upon.  I only use a fraction of what I store and grow. I can get you seeds for wild lettuce if you are in need or I have about 80-100 oz on the shelf so I could part with a 4 oz bottle tinctured if you get in a pickle.  You can also try fermentation weights on your herb tinctures…when dry herbs swell.  The weights help for the first short time until you can compress herbs and add more alcohol.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by HGH I.T..

[JeanStudent]

“I can’t find Wild Lettuce anywhere!!!!!!!!!! I need that now for my personal use”

I think it is also called prickly lettuce.  However, to forewarn you, I do not think Doc. Jones recommends Wild Lettuce.  I was tincturing it before I knew about this course.  I cant say what I will do in the future regarding Wild Lettuce.

You do know that with the pain kit that Doctor Jones sells, that all of the tinctures in that kit can be used topically.  So, if I was in pain, I would try those particular tinctures for pain.  (I guess that is my goal, more then antibiotics, because, when I am in pain, I cannot think straight enough to use an antibiotic.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Shannon Mertz

[Shannon MertzStudentTopic Author]

I just went to the liquor store and bought the cheapest vodka they had. Both 40% and 50%. I have plenty Everclear left. I ordered a book that somewhat tells me what strengths to use for what herb. I wish it had mentioned more herbs but,,,, it gives me an idea. The book said that using too high of an alcohol could destroy the herb. I guess the brownish lookin color will do, lol. I use dried herbs for all my tinctures.

 

I can’t find Wild Lettuce anywhere!!!!!!!!!! I need that now for my personal use. I am making myself crazy trying to be prepared.

Thank you for your comment.   😉

[JeanStudent]

“I did a small test on Lemon Balm. I did one jar in Smirnoff (40%) and another in Everclear (190).  Oh, my goodness!!!!!! The 40% was brownish lookin, but the 190 proof was a beautiful green color. Totally different look with the exact same ratios. I want to do everything in Everclear now.”

I Shannon, Before I started this course, I grew wild lettuce and tried to tincture it.  (I didnt really know what I was doing) I had on hand  200 proof alcohol.  The ratio was not 1:5.  I just cut the herb up and covered it with 200 proof alcohol.  It was in the cupboard for a long time.  It had a luminescent brilliance to it.  I didnt want to lose that incredible color so just left it until it was starting to fade.  When I tasted it – – – it was way strong and wondered how anybody could ever take it!  Truthfully, I think there was more alcohol in it then medicine!

“I need things that will treat infections/bacteria. I know y’all must think I’m strange for needing all this stuff, but I do have good reason. We’re trying to go off the grid and live, get ready for what may come….I’m preparing.”

You Go Girl!

Doc. Jones does recommend in his book to have on hand herbs that would be hard to get. IE: Herbs from across the pond.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Shannon Mertz

[Jenny BrightStudent]

Hi Wanda,

It’s possible for sedative herbs to have this kind of effect.

Hops is one that I’ve often heard is contraindicated for those with depression. I find it really effective at relaxing me and achieving a deeper sleep. But if I take it for too many days in a row or at too high a dose, I struggle with grogginess and weepiness. I’ve tried it so many times that I know it’s definitely the hops causing it.

When I first tried medicinal-strength camomile, it used to make me feel groggy. But then I got used to it, and now have it almost every day with no ill effect.

Have you tried adjusting the dosage to take less Rest Easy? Perhaps swap out some for another herb. I’m thinking passionflower, lemon balm, ashwagandha root…

I make my daily tea with between 5–15 different herbs that I buy in bulk or forage. I rotate between different plants with similar relaxing effects. That way, my body doesn’t take offence and have ill effects the next day. I reserve the “stronger” herbs (hops, wild lettuce) for occasional use.

Another thing that seems to help me sleep is to focus on consuming higher levels of magnesium. Seaweed, nettles, other leafy greens.

I also have a more stimulating wake-up tea in the morning. Something like ginger, that gets the circulation moving, or green tea if that agrees with you. And I do some exercise plus a cold shower first thing if possible. That really helps to clear the grogginess for me.

I find that when I least want to take a cold shower (when I’m feeling depressed and emotionally vulnerable) is when I benefit the most from it.

Also, relaxing breathing exercises can have the same kind of effect as a relaxing herb before bed.

Hope this helps; good luck with experimenting. I hope you find something that works for you. I’d be very interested to hear if anyone else has any experience with this issue 😊

2 users thanked author for this post.

Dr. Patrick Jones, Wanda Breighner

[Diane O'DonnellStudent]

That is so exciting to find how many plants are on your land! We are saving up for some land, and that is probably the first thing I will do lol! For now we are renting a modest house in the suburbs, and we have had goose foot (lambs quarters), dandelions, wild lettuce, and purslane just show up naturally.  Former tenants had already planted lemon balm, garlic chives, rhubarb, and white sage. I have added anise hyssop, comfrey, mint, chamomile, yarrow, plantain, mullein, lemon thyme, and lavender. I have made tinctures with some, and I eat the rest in salads and smoothies for breakfast. Ten acres! I am so happy for you!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Lisa Derksen

My daughter and I gathered wild lettuce  in the spring of 2023.  We made tinctures, but learned afterwards the medicinal properties are potent in the fall.  We will try again.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sydnia Ginger Anady

[DawnStudent]

I allowed several plants to stay in place thinking they were dandelion, then thinking they were wild lettuce, and today I am just as confused as ever as to what they are and IF they can be useful. None meet the descriptions for any of the aforementioned. So, hmm, but I do have a lot of Chickory. Do I understand it correctly from the webinar that Chickory can be used like Dandelion, although not as potent for liver/kidney support? My general understanding is that it is an alternative “if you can’t find dandelion” but best used as a root for prebiotic/fiber or roasted for tea or coffee substitute (no caffeine). Confirmation or correction would be greatly appreciated 🙂

2 users thanked author for this post.

Cecilia, Sydnia Ginger Anady

[Michelle KochStudent]

Some plants that have that white sap in the stems, like dandelion and wild prickly lettuce, act on the hpv also. The white stuff is the active agent, especially when applied topically to skin warts.  I’m not a doctor, nevermind a gyno, but your idea of a cervical wash sounds plausible to me.  The only concern I would have is disrupting the delicate balance of vaginal flora through repeated, frequent douching, which could cause an overgrowth of the wrong kinds of flora.

1 user thanked author for this post.

susan freeman

[Michelle KochStudent]

Maybe some comfrey salve on his feet? I don’t know if it is possible to rebuild worn pads or not, but it might he worth trying.

When one of my previous dogs got old and had problems with her back legs, I found lactuca serriola (wild prickly lettuce) to help reduce the spasms. Harvested in late summer, the white latex pith in the center of the stalk is the active medicine. I cut open the stalks and made a tea, which I poured on her food.

Sorry I can’t be more help. It sucks when they get old.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

In my area prickly lettuce and wild lettuce are the same plant. Lactuca serriola

The sap will kill warts (as all latex saps will)

It’s a narcotic useful for pain. Be careful with it. It’s safety margins are narrower than most herbs.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[NikkyStudent]

I watched several videos on how to make it, using prickly lettuce there are so many “varieties” of “wild lettuce” the one research pulled up was prickly lettuce without “cut” leaves. and rather than “milk” the plant i followed a video of how to process the leaves and made the “medicine” My husband tried a 1/4 of a tsp he said it helped with his pain.

I have heard of Wild Lettuce being used for pain. But only Prickly Lettuce grown in my area. Is it safe to make an alcohol (Everclear) extract from Prickly Lettuce and does it have similar properties to Wild Lettuce? What would the dosage be?

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Petrucci054 wrote:

Hi! What does HGH have for managing SEVERE chronic pain, from fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and spinal fusion?

The person in pain was on chronic pain management with opiates for several years, then ditched them when they were no longer effective. This person cannot work because the pain is so debilitating. We need to find an effective treatment. Person is adverse to steroids and other pharmaceutical drugs.

Thanks.

For Chronic pain these herbs are recommended: California poppy, Jamaican Dogwood, Wild Lettuce. These 3 together are most effective for Chronic pain.

Those three would be good. I’ve also used Valerian, chamomile and skullcap. There are lots of nervines that make things feel better. :0)

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Petrucci054]

Fundog wrote: Hi! What does HGH have for managing SEVERE chronic pain, from fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and spinal fusion?

The person in pain was on chronic pain management with opiates for several years, then ditched them when they were no longer effective. This person cannot work because the pain is so debilitating. We need to find an effective treatment. Person is adverse to steroids and other pharmaceutical drugs.

Thanks.

For Chronic pain these herbs are recommended: California poppy, Jamaican Dogwood, Wild Lettuce. These 3 together are most effective for Chronic pain.

For instance, if I wanted to make a healing salve that would both heal and relieve pain, would I add in both plantain and calendula/willow bark/wild lettuce? Or would this have any negative effects?

Thanks in advance.

[IdahoHerbalist]

Michael Moore says that wild lettuce (the prickly kind) has a mild opiate analgesic effect, useful in children when they need rest from constant coughing or intestinal cramps.

[Michelle KochStudent]

Hmmm…. I believe you might be right, Steve. (Though I have tasted the weed in the picture and I didn’t die or get high).

However, it is good to bear in mind that there are two varieties of wild lettuce, as we know them: Lactuca Virosa, which is the small weed that grows close to the ground and is often mistaken for dandelion.

And Lactuca Serriola, also known as Wild Prickly Lettuce, or “Opium Lettuce.” It is tall and really quite unattractive, with a flowering top and sharp prickly spines all over the stems and leaves, but inside that woody stem is a white latex which is the medicine. Though it will not get you high, as the name implies, that medicine has some antispasmodic properties. I’ve boiled it down as a decoction and put it on my dog’s food to help the spasms in her back legs. When the plant is tiny and young, it has very little medicine (and is a lot less prickly), and you can actually make a nice tea out of it, which is mild and pleasant, with a flavor similar to asparagus. (Yep, I tried it, and it’s true, it’s not bad!)

To find pictures of the two, use their Latin names and you will be sure to find what you’re looking for. I’d be willing to bet you’ve got some of each growing in your yard, or for sure have seen the Serriola in a vacant lot nearby.

[IdahoHerbalist]

I don’t think it is wild lettuce. It does not appear to have the requisite spines down the back rib.

[Michelle KochStudent]

Wild lettuce. It’s safe, and you won’t get high, despite what some other folklore might tell you.

[Jannevarez]

So I was wondering if you or Patrick have ever used wild lettuce medicinally and if so what for? I’ve been reading about it and trying to decide if I should harvest it or not. I’ve been nurturing a whole section in my yard that’s filled with it. I figured they must have come here to help me with something! There’s so many! Lol Just wondered if you’ve had any experience with them 😉

Jan

[IdahoHerbalist]

The first is wild/prickly lettuce. It is in Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West.

The second is Sow Thistle.

Among the wild leaves, flowers, berries, nuts, fruit, roots, and bulbs that can be foraged as food, you’ll find that some weeds that are edible, easily identified, and easy to forage. Take a look at the list below. Recognize anyone from your yard or homestead?

This article is for informational use only. Harvesting and eating foraged plants is always at the discretion and the responsibility of the reader.

Dandelions are a popular edible weed found in every garden and lawn everywhere!. Peter

1. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Previously hated (and eradicated) by suburbanites everywhere, dandelions are currently making a comeback. These perennial weeds are once again enjoying their rightful throne both as a medicinal and culinary herb.

Dandelion greens are reminiscent of arugula and can be steamed or sauteed. Harvest the leaves while they’re young if you’re going to use them in a salad or sandwich, as that’s when they are the least bitter.

Chickweed favors the cool weather of spring and fall. John Tann

2. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

You might find annual chickweed year round, but it favors the cool weather of spring and fall. Chickweed makes a mild and tasty salad green. Use this common and crunchy weed in sandwiches the same way that you would sprouts.

Vitamin-loaded chickweed can be cooked, but it’s also easily over-cooked. It’s just as tasty when it’s added to soups and stews.

Natural edible landscaping from the cracks in your driveway. Forest and Kim Starr

3. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Purslane is a sprawling, heat-loving, annual succulent that shows up on just about everywhere (including your garden). You’re most likely to notice them on the roadside or between sidewalk and cement cracks. Just think of this as the ultimate in natural edible landscaping.

Use purslane like you would lettuce in a sandwich; toss them into soups and stews; and steam or stir-fry them.

Miner’s lettuce is one of the first delicious greens to show up in early spring. Dawn Endico

4. Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia prefoliata)

Miner’s lettuce is plentiful here in the California gold country. In fact, this round-leafy succulent was named for the miners that came to the west in search of gold. During those tough times many a miner’s diet was supplemented with this woodland green.

Use Miner’s lettuce in baked dishes; steamed as you would spinach; or raw and fresh in salads.

Once cooked, stinging nettles lose their bite. J. Brew

5. Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica)

Now this perennial weed doesn’t sound like a pleasant edible, right? I’m not going to lie to you — if you attempt to harvest this weed without gloves, you’re going to be very unhappy. Those little hairs can cause anything from light itching to downright burning once they connect with your skin.

That said, once they are cooked they lose that stinging ability. Nettles are loaded with vitamins and has been used for hundreds of years as a health tonic.

The Number One Foraging Rule

It bears repeating, so I’m going to remind you about our Number One Safety Rule when harvesting wild foods: Be able to properly identify every plant that you harvest and know whether it’s safe for human consumption (edible). If you can’t 100% positively ID the plant you’re harvesting (and know it to be an edible) — then do not put it in your mouth, period.