Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Traditional herbalist Megan Schnitker was inspired by the treatments her uncle gave her for injuries when she was a young girl. She talked about the value of plants, including weeds, during a Thursday presentation at the Historical Society.

NEW ULM — Megan Schnitker from Lakota Made in Mankato visited the Brown County Historical Society to give a lunchtime presentation on local plants.

Schnitker is a traditional herbalist. She became an expert on the different uses for common plants in the region.

Her knowledge of plants was obtained from her family. Her life as an herbalist began when she was young after jumping off a hay bale and landing in a cactus patch. Large cactus needles were sticking out of her hand. Her uncle was able to remove the stickers, then pulled a plant from the ground, balled it up and put it in her hand.

The plant stopped the bleeding and healed the wound.

“That was my first lesson in plants,” Schnitker said.

A while later, she was stung by a bee, and her uncle used the same treatment. “He grabbed something green off the ground, wadded it up, put it on my bee sting. I didn’t swell up and my hand stopped hurting.”

After these incidents, she began following her uncle to learn more about the plants. Schnitker’s uncle would pass down plant knowledge he obtain from his great-grandmother. After the family learned she liked learning about plants, her grandparents would also pass down knowledge.

From her grandmother, she learned many of the weeds pulled from gardens were more than weeds. Some of these plants had medicinal and nutritional value.

Schnitker spoke on the values of five different area plants: mullein, plantain, amaranth, nettle and dandelion.

Mullein has several medicinal purposes. Schnitker said her family used it for respiratory issues like a bad cough. It can be taken as tea or smoked. Some used it for pain relief. Schnitker’s family used it to relieve back pain.

Schnitker said mullein was her grandmather Eva’s favorite plants. She said the best time to harvest it for tea was before the flowers bloomed. For smoke, harvest after the flowers bloom. For the syrup, harvest as the flowers bloom.

She warned, mullein by itself does not taste great. Schnitker prefers to mix mullein with other herbs.

Plantain was another family favorite. It is a widely available plant that can be used for food, medicine, or first aid. Schnitker said plantain was the plant used by her uncle to treat her cactus wound and bee sting.

Schnitker once used plantain to help a cousin who sustained a cut falling out of a tree. His shirt was also torn and she was able to mend the shirt with a needle from a tree and thread from the plantain plant.

Plantain has thread-like strands on the inside. After this incident, her uncle showed her a book on Civil War that details how soldiers would use plantain fibers as stitches.

Wild amaranth, also known as pigweed, is used as food. It is often used as a rice replacement. The entire plant is edible and is high in vitamins. Schnitker said her family would harvest and save the plant for stews. Amaranth is similar to quinoa.

Nettle, sometimes called stinging nettle, also has a medicinal purpose. Schnitker said the entire plant is usable, but the name “stinging nettle” makes some nervous. Schnitker said harvesting can be difficult because it does sting, but after running it through the water the chemical drops and eliminates the sting.

Nettle can be used in soups, stews, teas, soaps and tonics. Schnitker said it can be prepared in several ways, but her family likes to sautee it. She said by adding nettle to soups or stews, can change the flavor profile.

Dandelion is the last of Schnitker’s favorite plants. She said it was the most common as most people could recognize a dandelion. The dandelion plant is known for transferring its yellow color and for that reason is used as a dye.

The heads of a dandelion make a great tea, but Schnitker warned it will dye the inside of your mouth. It also works in soups and stew. Some people will ferment the plant and make dandelion wine.

Dandelions are naturally rich in vitamin C. The plant can be made into a salve to clear up mild skin irritations.

Schnitker warned not to harvest plants that have been sprayed with chemicals.

“Beware of whose land you are on and when is the last time they sprayed,” she said.

Some chemicals have multi-year half-lives. Even if plants were not sprayed recently, the chemical could still be in the soil. She also recommended not harvesting plants within 60 feet of a major roadside. Plants do breathe in vehicle exhaust.

There are public land areas where people are allowed to harvest these plants. Schnitker said plants dubbed noxious weeds are the easiest to harvest as the DNR encourages removal.

Schnitker said Lakota Made shop in Mankato is in the process of relocating. It is moving to 606 N. Riverfront Drive in Mankato. She hopes to reopen before the end of the month. Many of these herbs will be available.

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