I spent yesterday morning foraging and the rest of the day preparing what I harvested for drying. I found salt marsh and frost asters at my place. I took a drive to a forest I am allowed to go into and found calico asters on the edges of trails. I was pretty tickled to find that! I harvested over a bushel of four different varieties of asters for making tea from the leaves and flowers. The leaves are full of nutrition and can be eaten in salads or soups. Asters can treat digestive issues, fevers, earaches, and more. The New England Aster is highly sought by herbalists and tea lovers because it is nervine and calmative which can help with anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia.
