Corn Silk

Botanical Name: Zea mays Family: Gramineae

Common name(s): Corn silk, corn tassles

GROWING

HARVESTING

Harvest the silk when it is still golden/green and sticky (this is before corn is ready to eat).

PREPARATION / DOSAGE

Infusion: Pour 2 cups boiling water over 2 ounces of fresh herb (or 1 ounce dry) and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Drink 1/2 cup, 3x/day.

Tincture: 15-30 drops in water between meals and before bedtime.

MEDICAL

Constituents: Allantion, maizenic acid, saponins,  sterols, vitamins C & K

Actions: Alterative, demulcent, diuretic

Uses: Urinary infections/inflammation, bed wetting, edema

Combinations: with dandelion root and golden seal for advanced urinary complaints – 4:2:1 ratio of corn silk to dandelion root to golden seal

CHINESE MEDICINE

  • Sweet, bland, neutral

SOURCES 

  • The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra
  • Indian Herbology of North America, Alma R. Hutchens
  • Back to Eden, Jethro Kloss
  • photo credit: corn silk via photopin (license)

Corn silk?!!! I always just thought it was that annoying thing that was hard to get off of your fresh ears of corn! I’ve also read that it is a good thickening agent (kind of on the idea of cornstarch).