Milk Thistle Silybum marianum

Spring showers allowed me to find Milk Thistle along a country back road so I brought one home to study! A short research session with my medicinal botany books brought me to find that Milk Thistle has great repairing abilities for liver damage done by alcohol and chemicals. Milk Thistles botanical name is Silybum marianum and is thought of as a common weed that can be found on the side of roads, in pastures, and along fence lines. 

Be sure to take care when harvesting this plant as the stalks and leaves naturally defends itself with its sharp needles. The leaves and young stalks can be eaten raw (without the needles) or steamed, and the roots can also be eaten raw or cooked for it's natural healing properties.
If raw greens are not your thing, Milk thistle capsules can be purchased at a natural supplement store.
Enjoy the rest of your day and remember to take a couple seconds to appreciate the green life around you!
Happy Trails Everybody!