Foraging, wild food and medicine
Did you know that you can eat dandelions?
Did you know that daisies are great for healing bites and scratches?
Did you know that lilac flowers help to eliminate intestinal worms and parasites?
Are you interested in natural remedies and free superfoods mislabelled as weeds?
Join me for a walk on the wild side.
We will ramble through fields and parks and look at what is growing under our feet and how we can use it.
The Buachalán Buíde
All over the hills and the valleys so green
The buachalán buíde in its glory is seen
Some call it a weed, and a weed it may be,
But not to the fairies, the buachalán buidhe
For when you and I are asleep in our bed
The buachalán tosses its yellow tressed head
And then 'tis a charger with mane flowing free
For fairies to ride on, the buachalán buidhe
In the dark of the moon when the breezes are still
There's a rustle and stir in the heart of each hill,
Where wee folks slip out from the halls of the sidhe
To go for a ride on the buachalán buíde
With bridles and saddles and stirrups of gold
They travel through Erin with few to behold
Till the first spears of dawning steal in from the sea
Then homeward they jog on the buachalán buíde
So when on the hillsides and valleys so green
The buachalán buíde in its glory is seen,
Don't call it a weed - though a weed it may be -
But the horse of the fairies, the buachalán buíde
Teresa Brayton (Kilbrook, Kilcock, Co Kildare. 1868 – 1943)
More on fairy plants in this episode of Heartlore
Dandelion
Dandelion may seem like a simple wildflower, yet in Irish landscapes it carries a quiet, ancient magic.
It grows where it is needed, bringing gentle support to the body, especially the liver and digestion, helping to clear, cleanse, and restore natural balance. Like many wild herbs, its medicine is subtle but deeply rooted, working in harmony rather than force.
In Irish folklore, dandelion is often seen as a plant of the Otherworld. It's golden flowers were thought to hold the energy of the sun, while its soft, silver seed heads became messengers between realms.
Blowing its seeds into the wind was believed to carry wishes, prayers, and whispers to the fairy folk.
A small, sacred act of trust in unseen guidance.
There is something both grounding and ethereal in dandelion’s presence. It teaches release, transformation, and the beauty of letting go, from root to flower to seed. A quiet companion on the path between worlds, inviting you to listen a little deeper.
more on Foraging in my book
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