🌿 Beginner’s Foraging: What I’m Learning

For a long time, I’ve felt a gentle pull to reconnect with the land—not just spiritually, but in a physical, grounding way. Lately, that pull has turned into action, and I’ve started learning how to forage for nature’s medicinal plants.

It’s slow, it’s sacred, and it’s honestly kind of magical.

🍃 What Foraging Means to Me

Foraging feels like remembering. Like walking through the woods and hearing the plants whisper, “We’re still here.” It’s a practice of presence—slowing down, paying attention, and honoring what the Earth offers.

As a beginner, I’m learning how important it is to:

🌿 Respect the land and never take more than I need

🌿 Identify plants with absolute certainty before harvesting

🌿 Learn the history, uses, and energetics of each plant

🌿 Leave space for awe, gratitude, and curiosity

This is more than gathering—it’s a relationship.

💜 Meet My First Wild Plant: Purple Dead Nettle

Purple Dead Nettle, with its distinctive green leaves and vibrant purple tops, thrives in sunlight, adding a splash of color to the garden landscape.

As I begin my foraging journey, I’ve found myself enchanted by a humble little plant that’s often overlooked: Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum). It was the very first wild plant I learned to identify, and honestly? I’m in awe of how much goodness this one tiny weed holds. What started as curiosity has bloomed into appreciation, both for the plant and for the practice of slowing down and noticing the magic all around me.

This blog, and this process of discovery, has become such a healing place for me. And today, I want to share some of what I’ve been learning—with heart, hope. The first plant I ever identified on my foraging journey is the sweet and underrated Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum).

Despite its name, it’s not a true nettle, and it doesn’t sting. It has soft, fuzzy leaves, a square stem, and delicate purple flowers that bloom early in the spring—one of the first signs that the earth is waking up again.

Purple dead nettle does not have any toxic look-alikes.

It is sometimes confused for henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) which is closely related and another tasty edible weed.

The main difference between purple deadnettle and henbit is the arrangement of the leaves. Henbit has leaves that surround the stem, while purple dead nettle has triangle shaped leaves.

✨ Why Purple Dead Nettle is So Special

This wild little weed is so much more than it looks. It’s packed with nutrients and healing properties, and it’s been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Here's what I’ve found out:

🌿 Nutritional Powerhouse

• Rich in vitamin C, A, K, iron, and fiber

• Great as a nutritious addition to salads and raw dishes

🧬 Healing Benefits

• Antioxidants: Contains polyphenols that support gut and cardiovascular health

• Immune support: Quercetin helps calm inflammation and strengthen the immune system

• Allergy relief: Natural histamine support eases seasonal symptoms

• Anti-inflammatory: Helps reduce chronic pain and swelling

• Antibacterial + antifungal: Useful for wounds, skin issues, and internal infections

• Kidney health: A natural diuretic that supports detox and may help break up kidney stones

• Cleansing properties: Its diaphoretic nature promotes gentle detox through sweat

🧺 How I’m Learning to Use It

I’ve just begun experimenting, but there are so many ways to work with Purple Dead Nettle both medicinally and spiritually. Here are a few beginner-friendly ideas I’m exploring:

🧴 Salve

Infuse dead nettle into oil and combine with beeswax to make a soothing balm. Perfect for minor wounds, dry skin, or joint aches—especially when blended with herbs like calendula, plantain, or yarrow.

💧 Tincture

A concentrated extract made with alcohol. Super handy for immune and allergy support—just a few drops can go a long way.

🍵 Tea

Dried leaves steeped with other herbs (like mint or chamomile) make a grounding, nourishing tea that comforts from the inside out.

🔮 The Plant’s Magic

There’s a quiet folklore around Purple Dead Nettle. It’s said to be a plant of resilience, protection, and happiness. The way it blooms early in the season, despite cold winds and wild weather, inspires a kind of rooted strength I admire. Spiritually, it’s been used in rituals to ground the heart and ease emotional overwhelm.

And even if you don’t use it magically, spending time with this little plant teaches you something just as sacred—how to notice, how to connect, and how to bloom in your own time.

🌼 A Note from the Path

I’m not an expert herbalist (yet), just someone learning one step at a time. But I’ve found that every little plant holds a story, and every moment spent outside feels like coming home.

If you’re new to foraging too, maybe let Purple Dead Nettle be your first friend in the field. It’s gentle, generous, and grows almost everywhere—maybe even right outside your door.

✨ Let’s Chat!

Have you tried foraging before? What wild plants grow near you that you’ve always been curious about?

I’d love to hear your experiences—or walk this path together. Share your thoughts in the comments below. Let’s learn from one another 🌼

Rooted, curious in practice, and learning with every leaf I meet,

Bobbi Ann

Blessed be. 🌙