I am more into food than medicine, but I would love to confirm what's available from a reliable source. Over the years I've spotted quite a few potentially edible plants, yet I try to remain skeptical until I know for sure. For example, I don't know if the juniper bushes that grow in such abundance here are the right species. (A few species are actually poisonous.) Same goes for
flax and those tall weeds with tiny yellow flowers. Apparently you can eat the seeds from the yellow flowered plant once it dries out (kind of tastes like sesame seeds to me), but for all I know there is a curing process or a limit on how much you should eat. And the list goes on.
Plantain grows pretty abundantly by the way. Not for eating, but it helps injuries and cuts heal faster when applied directly. There is also some slippery elm down by the river that is a good local anisthetic. It made the tip of my tongue numb just by pressing a torn leaf to it for a second. Who is your friend, Emma? Would he/she be willing to go on a walk?
