Diamon Naturals
Alaena Charlotte Diamon
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Diamon Naturals Alaena Charlotte Diamon
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 Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album) Name: Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae) Common Names: Wild spinach, Frost Blite, Baconweed, Muckweed, Fat-Hen, Pigweed, White Goosefoot. Parts Used: Leaf, seeds, flowers. Description: Annual herb with fibrous roots; odorless, branching, with stalked, opposite, simple leaves which are clammy-feeling, unwettable, and have a whitish coating on the underside. The first leaves are roughly diamond-shaped and somewhat toothed toward the point, and the later leaves are narrow and toothless.. The distinguishing features of this species are the white lower leaf surfaces and the seeds lacking a honeycomb appearance. Erect stems, often branched, smooth or with short hairs, up to 4 feet tall. Alternate leaves, simple, broadly lanceolate to ovate, coarsely and irregularly toothed, whitish on the lower surface, up to 5 inches long. Flowers are tiny, crowded in several spikes that form a panicle and 5 very tiny sepals with 5 stamens. Seeds are smooth, black, shiny, about 1/20 inch long. Flowers from May to October. It generally grows from 1 to 3 feet tall, though it may reach over twice that height under favorable conditions. There are many similar edible species in this genus. The rule is: if it's odorless, it's food, and if it has a resiny smell, it's a spice.Habitat: Disturbed soil, moist areas. Common throughout
North America. Naturalized from Europe; native also to Asia.
Habitats include cropland, old fields, gardens,
nursery plots, vacant lots, weedy meadows, construction sites, and miscellaneous
waste areas, particularly where the soil has been recently disturbed. Lamb's
Quarters does not invade high quality natural areas to any significant extent.  Constituents: Lamb's-quarters is very high in vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus and is also a good source of protein, trace minerals, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, iron, and fiber. It also contains high amounts of oxalic acid (also like spinach) and should therefore be consumed in moderation. Uses: The young parts of the plant can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The red tracing in the leaf in the lower right corner means that spinach leaf miner larvae live there. It's probably better not to eat those leaves. Collect the young tender plants whole, and then when the stems become tough, collect just the leaves and tender tips. The leaves can be collected up until the frost kills them, and they never turn bitter, but they do get much smaller later in the season. For long-term storage, the leaves may be dried, canned, or blanched and frozen. The flowers are also edible, and so are the seeds. Medicinally, Lamb's-quarters has been used to treat various symptoms attributable to nutritional deficiencies. It's also said to have sedative and refrigerant properties, and people have used the poulticed leaves to soothe burns. The American Indians ate the leaves to treat stomachaches and prevent scurvy. A cold tea is used for diarrhea, and a leaf poultice can be used for burns. Miscellaneous: Many wild birds eat the seeds, as do chipmunks and squirrels, and the plants provide food for butterflies, as well as for other mammals (aside from human ones). Be sure to leave some for everybody. Flower Essence: Heals
separation between the heart and mind; balances the power of the mind with the
joy of the heart. For those lacking balance and harmony between the rational
and the intuitive. Return to Plant Portfolio Home
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