Ever since I moved to my current city almost 4 years ago, I've made a list of sorts of all the plants I see that intrigue me. I learn a lot about a new territory just by studying the plant life.
The feature today is: the Purple Archangel, aka. Lamium purpureum.
Sometimes this cool guy is also called “purple deadnettle,” but I like the name “purple archangel” better because its usually growing quite well here in Eastern Washington right around the Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael on May 8th. So you could say that we have the appearance of one earthly ‘archangel’ to commemorate the appearance of a real Archangel.
I like that this guy is so distinctive; with the purple tops and pink/purple flowers, and uniquely pyramidal structure of the leafy part of the plant, it’s not easy to mistake it for something else (a concern when foraging or studying herbal remedies). It’s also one of those plants that is very prolific (thanks, Mint family), and grows practically everywhere. As a medicinal1, texts corroborating its’ use go back to 9th century England.
My favorite part? You can make tea with it. (As a tea drinker, this makes me very happy.) The entire plant is edible, and easy to prepare as such. The long, leafless stems make it one of the easiest plants to hang up to dry and preserve, and the leaves can be brewed inside a regular tea ball. 🌿
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Please note: I am not a doctor, and I am not giving medical advice. I am simply sharing anecdotal information I have collected and/or utilized where it aligns with my personal beliefs.