I wrote a post last year with a few common plants that can be used in a herbal tea, so take a look at it. In this video I made a simple herbal infusion for hayfever using ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) and nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves. Whilst it’s good for dealing with hayfever, it’s also my favourite woodland tea, the taste is delicious!
Ground ivy has the typical square stem of the dead nettle family. We find it both within the woodland and in some of the surrounding fields, so it seems to tolerate both shade and sun. And mostly we find it creeping along the ground, but sometimes growing more upright. Ground ivy has decongestant pros.
Nettles (Urtica dioca) are a much maligned plant. As well as being great for making natural cordage, they are an incredibly nutritious plant. They contain 4 times as much iron as spinach as well as minerals such as potassium, magnesium phosphorous and calcium (much more than any shop bought vegetables) and also vitamins A and C, (again, much more than anything you buy in the shops) and a small amount of protein. Nettles have anti-histamine properties.
I hope this simple herbal infusion for hayfever helps in your bushcraft adventures, but please remember to forage considerately and sustainably. Take a couple of identification books with you and if you’re not sure, don’t pick it let alone eat it.
You can see photos from our spring foraging courses and herbal remedies courses , where we often make a herbal infusion for hayfever, on our Facebook page as well as photos of people on our courses here.
