Red Clover

Last week on all of my social media, I have put the first five pics below, and told readers to stay tuned.  So, at long last, here it is:

Look at these fields of red clover!!  Many will look at this as some type of common weeds, but OH NO!  Red clover (Trefoil Pratense) has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for PMS, hot flashes, lowering cholesterol, improving urine production and improving circulation of the blood, to help prevent osteoporosis, reduce the possibility of blood clots and arterial plaques and limiting the development of benign prostate hyperplasia.  Red clover is also a source of many valuable nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.  Because it contains chemicals called isoflavones, which belong to a larger class of plant chemicals known as phyto (plant-derived) estrogens, red clover is often taken to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Isoflavones are similar in shape to the female hormone, estrogen. Therefore, they may attach to estrogen receptors throughout the body particularly in the bladder, blood vessels, bones, and heart (1). 

Red clover maintains a strong following among traditional herbalists as a blood purifying depurative that has been used safely and effectively for hundreds, if not thousands of years in clinical practice. Red clover has been used traditionally to treat respiratory and skin problems such as cases of childhood eczema, and can be effective for other chronic skin conditions as well (2).

So, some weed??? Indeed! The reason why I'm showing this field is because my plan was to do some wildcrafting (foraging or picking wild herbs) and to dry my own. Now, I could take the easier route by buying red clover blossoms (which I have done through my local health foods store about two and a half years ago), but to get it in bulk would be between $15 and $38 per pound. Being that the title of this blog is The Thrifty Gemini, by wildcrafting, I'm getting this valuable herb for free. Red clover can be found on roadsides and open fields and meadows. This field is on the other side of the gravel road where my community garden plots are located.

Here is a pic of some red clover in the midst of plantain.  Plantain is another plant that is considered a weed, but has wonderful medicinal properties.  Because this entry's focus is red clover, I will do one on plantain at a later date.  I thought that this was pretty, hence the reason for me taking the pic.

Here is the red clover that I harvested.   To harvest it, what I did was cut slightly below the blossom--leaving little stem and some leaves (which are just as useful as the blossom.  The leaves are used by survivalists as a means of protein).  I filled out a little more than half a plastic bag.  I thought about filling the entire bag, but I didn't want to be greedy.  Since red clover is a popular food source amongst honeybees and other pollinators, and the fact that pollinators are very important--as well as the concern of Colony Collapse Disorder, I wanted to save an ample amount of blossoms for them.

The pic on the left is the red clover on the tray right after wildcrafting.  The pic on the right is the red clover...one week later, completely dried.

The blossom on the left is from red clover that I bought at the health food store.  The one on the right is a dried blossom from my wildcrafting excursion.  If I must say so myself, the wildcrafted clover looks much better.

 All of the red clover that I wildcrafted fit into a one gallon plastic bag.  I don't believe this is not quite a pound, but this is a good start

I just thought I'd compare my wildcrafted red clover to the stuff I bought at the health food store.  You be the judge.

Here is the store bought stuff.  Look at the price per pound--despite the fact I paid $3.04 for eight-hundredths of an ounce.  Once again, you be the judge.

I must reiterate the "thrifty" in the title of this blog.  This entry is one, BIG "Thrifty Tip".  That being said, I encourage you to go wildcrafting for medicinals, if you can.  Although red clover can be found on roadsides, it is often not recommended because of pollution concerns.  Now that you know what it looks like, I encourage wildcrafting in open fields, meadows, and parks.    When I have another opportunity to wildcraft, I will post more entries.  So, until then...Think Thrifty!  Dawn

LAST SIDE NOTE:  I'm glad that I wildcrafted when I did, because the field was mowed.  Who knows, since red clover grows between May and September, if I grows back, I will provide an update.

References

1. http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-red-clover.html
2. http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail124.php