Drying Herbs

Ajuga reptans, Bugleweed, Pittsburgh, 2016


Like so many medicinal herbs that I gather in the yard, I didn't plant this, it just grows.  Bugleweed resembles the herb, heal-all (Prunella vulgaris) on steriods, a much larger version, but with many of the same medicinal qualities.  It's so damp because of all the rain we've had lately that when I cut bugleweed and bring it in the house, I lay it out on newspaper to wick up some of the moisture before hanging it to dry. 

Ajuga reptans, Common Bugle

Ajuga reptans, Common Bugle, Pittsburgh, 2015



Common Bugle is in the same family as Heal-All or Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris), and shares much the same medicinal properties.  A poultice made of the flowers and leaves is helpful in healing any external wound, and a tea of the flowers and leaves is an effective treatment for a cold or cough.
I found a clutch of this perennial herb growing wild in my yard, but it didn't escape on its own.  At some point, like much that has gone wild in my yard, someone planted this European native here.  It's such a helpful herb, especially over the winter when we drink a lot of herb teas as a preventative measure, that I've got it hanging and drying right now for future use.