The bounty of the growing season is on full display this month and it can be difficult to figure out how to use everything from the garden this time of year. One overlooked solution: making a cup of fresh tea.
Many herbs, flowers, and even some things people generally discard from plants, can be used in fresh teas and as herbal remedies. Venice Williams is a big fan of fresh teas. As the executive director of both Alice’s Garden and the Fondy Food Market in Wisconsin, she relies on fresh teas to get her through the lengthy growing season. She shares some of her favorite medicinal teas, made from three common plants.
Note: If you’re considering using a tea for medicinal purposes, first check with your physician to ensure it’s right for your medical needs. Each tea is made by pouring boiling water over the plant material and letting it steep.
1. Corn silk tea
The term “corn silk,” may not be familiar, but anyone who has eaten corn has likely encountered it. Corn silk is the long, fibrous strands that grow at the top of an ear of corn. Most people discard the silk, when they husk the corn, but Williams says it can be beneficial for people dealing with urinary, bladder, and prostate issues.
“It’s really, really helpful for improving urinary tract infections, but also for preventing them,” says Williams. “So a lot of times… we wait until we’re in a crisis. I always suggest that you engage in these practices as preventative medicinals.”
2. Chrysanthemum tea
“This time of year mums are everywhere. A lot of people are cleaning up their gardens and they’re tucking in mums for the color, for the beauty,” says Williams.
But mums are good for much more than their looks. Williams says the flowers and leaves can be used to make a tea that helps people relax. She explains, “Chrysanthemums are right up there with lemon balm and lavender and those other herbs that really invite us into non-stressful moments. It has been known to help lower blood pressure, to help cool the body, and it also helps reduce inflammation.”
Each flower color tastes a bit different, so people can experiment with different flavors, as well.
3. Calendula tea
There are many types of calendulas, but the kind used for this tea is calendula officinalis, sometimes called the pot marigold. These calendula flowers can be eaten and added to a salad, but the fresh flowers also make a medicinal tea, which can be drunk or used in a variety of other ways.
Williams explains, “There are some great ways to use it, like using it as a gargle for a sore throat… you can use it as a mouth rinse to help relieve blisters and enflamed gums… You can wash your face with calendula tea.”
The tea can be added to baths to help relieve other enflamed skin problems, like eczema or psoriasis, and Williams says it can also be used as a natural baby wipe. She says, “You can dip your clean cloth in the calendula tea and use that to wipe your baby’s beautiful bottom.”