Zone: Inner Walkway (The Kitchen Pharmacy)

Season of Interest: Spring to Early Summer (April – June)

The Doctor’s Notes (Medicinal Use)

Dr. Woodward would have valued the daisy primarily for its ability to treat physical trauma and internal inflammation:

• "Bruisewort": Its primary historical use was as a salve or poultice for boils, open wounds, and deep bruises. It was a standard remedy for laborers and soldiers alike.

• Respiratory Relief: Infusions of the flowers and leaves were often prescribed for heavy coughs, catarrh (congestion), and inflammatory issues of the liver and kidneys.

• Pain Management: In the 1800s, daisy extracts were believed to help ease the localized pain of gout and heavy, swollen limbs.

The Household Assistant (Homestead Use)

On the Woodward farmstead, the daisy was a practical source of nutrition and household utility:

• Early Spring Greens: The young leaves are edible and were often added to salads or potherbs as a vital source of vitamins after a long New England winter.

• Decorative Dyes: The flower heads could be used to create a delicate yellow dye for wool and small household linens.

• Daisy Wine: In a tradition of making do with what the land provided, the flowers were sometimes fermented into a light, floral homemade wine.

Botanist’s Corner

• Form: A low-growing, evergreen perennial that forms dense, hardy mats of spoon-shaped leaves.

• Foliage: The leaves grow in a tight basal rosette, a clever adaptation that allows the plant to survive even if the surrounding grass is grazed by livestock or mown.

• "Day's Eye": The name "Daisy" is a contraction of "Day's Eye," so called because the flower closes its petals at night and opens them again to greet the morning sun.