Do You Know This Surprisingly Versatile “Life Everlasting” Herb? Some people treat sore throats or colds with a tea made from the wild native herb called life everlasting or rabbit tobacco.

Do You Know This Surprisingly Versatile “Life Everlasting” Herb? www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/do-... via @peoplespharmacy

#rabbittobacco #herbs #lifeeverlastingherb #sorethroat #cold #health

<Alt Text 1 of 2> The Wild Harvest Digest: March 2025, #1 Good Morning Neighbors, Today’s wild plant of the week is one that you’ve probably seen while walking about your yard or somewhere in the urban landscape and probably thought; ‘Oh it’s a weed, I’ll get it later’ or something close. You see not all wild plants invoke the same level of reaction as say, Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), or Dandelions and a few others. The plant in question is called Shiny Cudweed but I prefer its other common name Rabbit Tobacco (Gnaphalium spicatum). Rabbit Tobacco is generally considered an annual or a biennial and this varies on when its seed germinates. On my property these plants are definitely biennials, but elsewhere they may only be annuals. Rabbit Tobacco is not exactly what you’d call an aggressive or even very competitive wild plant as it forms it’s basal rosette of leaves and may even form small colonies of inter generational plants but it only spreads by seed. Rabbit Tobacco prefers dry open areas with some level of soil disturbance which kind of summarizes the Sandhills of North Carolina pretty well. The spread of Rabbit Tobacco is surprisingly vast as it has been seen all over the southeast, as far north as New York and in the west as far as Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and even in Kansas. For all that spread you would think this was a well-traveled native wild plant right? Unfortunately no, Rabbit Tobacco (Gnaphalium spicatum) is actually native to South America with references to the plant indicating it was introduced to Mexico in 1958. Physically though I have to note that there is some variation on the shiny green leaves you see in the pictures as these leaves can have a light hoar-fuzz that can make some or all of the leaves appear different. Individual plants in a colony might have this trait or perhaps the whole thing so if you’re planning to use Rabbit Tobacco then make sure you have the right plant. <Alt Text 1 of 2>

<Alt Text 2 of 2> So how does one use Rabbit Tobacco? Well the name indicates one use that I’ve found good evidence is true, this plant can be used a low-quality substitute for actual Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Most folks seem to agree that smoking it straight and not mixed in with other smoking herbs isn’t desirable but perhaps used in conjunction with other herbs to ward off biting insects might be an option. Ticks, fleas, flies and mosquitoes inherently avoid burning brush so a little Rabbit Tobacco might not be out of place in telling them to get lost. In terms of medicinal use a number of reasonably credible sources indicate that this plant has been used to treat congestion in a tea form but it also was smoked to handle emphysema and asthma. Personally I’d say stick to using it as a tea as smoke may agitate those conditions. The parts you want for use in an herbal tea are the leaves, stems and flowers, for smoking you just need the leaves. In both cases its best if the plant material is dried first. If you’re eating this plant as a wild forage item you want it raw and you want to go for the least fuzzy and youngest leaves. I’ve had Rabbit Tobacco in a Wild forage Salad before and it’s not really too flavorful though I suspect you can get more bang for your forage buck by actually cultivating it. So that is Rabbit Tobacco for you, thank you for reading and stay tuned, more wild food plants are emerging from dormancy and things are going to get real interesting soon. <Alt Text 2 of 2>

The Wild Harvest Digest: March 2025, #1

Good Morning Neighbors,

Today’s wild plant of the week is one that you’ve probably seen while walking about your yard... <See Alt text for more>
#RabbitTobacco #ShinyCudweed #WildForageFood