When I was in debilitating, menstrual pain, I found this herb growing in full sun almost everywhere.  During my studies with the School of Natural Healing, I learned that this herb is analgesic, meaning it relieves pain. This plant has an affinity for the nervous and reproductive systems.

Wild lettuce has a long history of use:  Around 60 A.D., Pedánios Dioskourídēs, a travelling army surgeon working for Roman emperor Nēro, wrote about Wild Lettuce in his “De Materia Medica.” This was a multi-volume herbal that was famous for more than 16 centuries. Dioscorides explained that wild lettuce is bitter and similar in effect to poppy. It is generally sleep- inducing, eases pain, and prevents poisoning from insect bites.  

Various Native American tribes used the milky juice from the fresh plant topically for poison ivy eruptions. They also made tea to ease childbirth recovery in women and reduced it for making a syrup that helped certain infant diseases.  It was proven safe in China and India for centuries prior. From 1820 to 1926, this plant was officially part of the U.S. Pharmacopeia. 

Wild lettuce is similar in appearance to dandelion, chicory, or thistle when it is young. It eventually grows to be four to nine feet tall with leaves on a central stem that have small spines on the back of the stem. The plant blossoms with a pinnacle of white flowers at the top during its second year of growth. The ideal time to harvest this plant is in the late summer. Gather the leaves just before the plant flowers in July and August.  

The milky juice from the fresh plant is called latex. The latex may be extracted as a decoction or evaporated into a resin. You can also dry the leaves for use in the winter as tea. A strong tea or decoction is ideal for immediate use while a tincture stores well almost indefinitely.

To make a decoction, chop leaves and stems and put them in a stainless-steel pot.  Add enough pure water to cover the herbs. Let this sit two to eight hours if possible.  Then slowly boil the water down to half of its original volume and strain.  The decoction keeps for up to 72 hours in the refrigerator. The tonic dose is two ounces three times daily and is milder than a tincture.

Alternatively, making a tincture involves using alcohol instead of water and no boiling, but sitting the mixture out on the counter: After finely chopping the leaves and stems, pack them into a mason jar and cover with 100 proof alcohol. Never use rubbing alcohol. Make sure all plant parts are submersed to avoid spoilage.  Seal the jar and let this sit for at least two weeks out of direct sunlight, agitating the mixture daily. After two weeks or more, strain the liquid using a juicer or nut milk bag and store it in dropper bottles. Use two dropperfuls three times daily for a tonic dose.  

In summary, wild lettuce is a tall dandelion or thistle-looking plant that is analgesic, meaning pain relieving. It is a nervine with an affinity for the reproductive system. The leaves and stems are usually gathered for their milky latex in the late summer. Making these into a decoction or tincture for immediate or future use is simple. Where does wild lettuce grow near you?

Samantha Fish has a Master Herbalist certification from the School of Natural Healing and is a Kon Mari consultant in-training.  She empowers friends and family to revitalize any health condition using herbs and natural methods when possible.  Samantha enjoys weight training, gardening, hiking, tidying/decluttering, and sharing with friends and family.