How to harvest wild herbs

You need to pick wild herbs that are easy to find so you have ready access to them come harvest season. Take a look at the following wild medicinal plants:

Goldenseal

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is a perennial herb commonly used in Native American Medicine to treat skin disorders, digestive problems, liver conditions, diarrhea and eye irritation.

This plant is found in large stands in hardwood forests throughout the eastern United States. While harvesting goldenseal is not prohibited in most states, collecting from federal or state lands may require a permit that puts a limit on your total harvest.

The biggest and healthiest plants thrive in moist, wet areas under heavy shade. The most valuable plants are aged four to five years. At this stage, leaves mostly appear in pairs and are alternately forked along the stem one above the other.

The best prices are paid for premium fall-dug root, though goldenseal can be harvested earlier than this. Waiting until fall gives the plant's fruit time to ripen and drop its seed.

Goldenseal has a connected root system that supports several stems. A garden trowel is all you need to dig the shallow roots. Start at a patch's outer edge and work your way inward, then dig up large, mature plants and leave immature ones.