By Autumn Falk, Naturopath – Okaihau, Northland, NZ
Spring in Aotearoa is a season of awakening—longer days, warmer air, and an explosion of green life across paddocks, gardens, and roadsides. For most people, this sudden surge of plant growth means more mowing and weeding. But for naturopaths, herbalists, and foragers, spring is an invitation. Beneath our feet (and often pulled from our gardens without a second thought) are healing plants rich in vitamins, minerals, and therapeutic compounds.
These “weeds”—so often dismissed—have nourished people for generations. Many travelled here with early settlers; others are native treasures with deep Māori history. And today, with interest growing in natural wellness and herbal nutrition, these humble plants are making a well-deserved comeback.
As a naturopath, herbal tea maker, and teacher at the Shiatsu Bodywork Academy, I see spring weeds as more than wild plants: they’re seasonal medicine, nutritious food, and an accessible way to reconnect with the land. Platforms like Herbal Potential and Julia’s Edible Weeds celebrate these benefits, helping people rediscover a world of flavour and wellbeing right outside their door.
This month, let’s explore some of New Zealand’s most common spring weeds—and how to safely bring them into our daily meals.
Why Eat Weeds? A Naturopathic Perspective
Weeds thrive in tough conditions. They survive drought, compacted soil, erosion, grazing, and neglect. Because they must “fight” for their place, they tend to be:
- extremely nutrient-dense
- rich in antioxidants, minerals, and bitter compounds
- powerful contributors to detoxification and liver support
- naturally adaptogenic in their resilience
- full of flavour varieties modern vegetables lack
Many spring weeds are at their nutritional peak right now—fresh, tender, and bursting with the upward energy of the season.
Eating wild greens is also a form of seasonal alignment. Spring is associated with renewal, cleansing, and energy rising through the body—mirroring the principles taught in Shiatsu and Five Element theory. Bitter greens, vibrant herbs, and mineral-rich shoots support the liver and gallbladder, encourage healthy digestion, and help shake off the heaviness of winter.
Five New Zealand Spring Weeds You Can Add to Your Daily Foods
Below are some of the most abundant, safe, and flavourful spring weeds commonly found across Northland and wider New Zealand. As always, harvest away from roadsides, chemically sprayed areas, and polluted soils. When in doubt—don’t eat it.
1. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Best for: Liver support, digestion, nutrient density
Eat: Leaves, flowers, roots
Dandelion is one of the world’s most respected medicinal weeds. Every part of the plant is edible:
- Leaves support digestion and are rich in iron, calcium, potassium, and prebiotics.
- Flowers add colour and sweetness to salads or fritters.
- Roots can be roasted to create a digestive “coffee” alternative.
How to use in food:
Add young leaves to salads or blend them into pesto with lemon, garlic, and olive oil. Mix flowers into pancakes or bake them into biscuits for a honey-like flavour.
2. Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Best for: Skin health, cooling the body, spring tonics
Eat: Tender stems and leaves
Chickweed is one of the gentlest and most nourishing wild greens. It thrives in cool, moist spring soil, often forming soft mats across gardens.
It’s rich in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and gentle lymphatic-supporting compounds.
How to use in food:
Use it like spinach—raw in salads, added to smoothies, or chopped into omelettes. Chickweed pesto (paired with basil or parsley) is a favourite.
3. Plantain (Plantago lanceolata / major)
Best for: Gut health, respiratory support, skin healing
Eat: Young leaves, flower buds, seeds
Plantain is a powerhouse remedy—used for centuries to soothe the gut, lungs, and skin. The young leaves have a crisp, slightly mushroom-like flavour.
How to use in food:
Sauté young leaves with garlic and butter as a side green. The immature flower spikes can be cooked like asparagus. Add finely chopped plantain to bread dough for a nutritious boost.
4. Puha (Sonchus oleraceus) – Aotearoa’s Iconic Bitter Green
Best for: Blood nourishment, digestion, traditional Māori kai
Eat: Leaves, tender stems
Puha is deeply connected to Māori kai traditions. Its slight bitterness supports digestion and liver health, making it an ideal spring tonic food.
How to use in food:
Traditionally eaten with pork or watercress. You can also blanch it to reduce bitterness, then add it to soups, stir-fries, or quiches. Puha pairs beautifully with citrus and sesame.
5. Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Best for: Iron, energy, allergies, gut health
Eat: Leaves and flower buds (if eating it raw, make sure to rub it or chop it finely, to neutralise the stinging spines on the leaves, or blend it…)
Nettle is one of the most nutrient-dense plants on earth—rich in iron, magnesium, chlorophyll, and anti-inflammatory compounds. Once cooked or dried, its sting disappears completely.
How to use in food:
Use nettle like spinach. Add it to pasta, frittatas, soups, or blend it into a high-fibre green smoothie. You can even make nettle gnocchi or savoury nettle scones.
Spring Weeds for Everyday Meals
Here are simple ways to integrate wild spring greens into your daily diet:
1. Add a handful of chopped wild greens to salads
Chickweed, dandelion, and young plantain add crunch and complexity.
2. Blend them into smoothies
A small handful of nettle or dandelion provides minerals without overpowering the flavour.
3. Create wild pesto
Use a mix of chickweed, dandelion, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and nuts.
4. Make a simple “wild greens sauté”
Sauté nettle, puha, and plantain with garlic, tamari, and sesame oil.
5. Infuse into herbal teas
Dandelion leaf tea is cleansing; nettle is energising; chickweed is soothing and cooling. Teas are most effective when dried herbs are used, so harvest when there is abundance and enjoy all year round!
6. Mix into baked goods
Plantain seeds and dried nettle powder can enrich bread, crackers, and savoury muffins.
Spring is the perfect time to experiment—greens are at their tender best.
Medicinal Benefits: Where Food Meets Herbal Medicine
Spring weeds are not only nutritious; they’re medicinal in gentle, accessible ways. Some key benefits include:
✔ Detoxification and liver support
Dandelion, nettle, and puha help the liver process waste more efficiently, making them ideal for spring cleanses.
✔ Digestive health
Bitters stimulate bile flow, improve nutrient absorption, and reduce sluggishness after winter comfort foods.
✔ Energy and vitality
Mineral-rich greens like nettle and chickweed replenish depleted iron and magnesium stores.
✔ Immune support
Plantain and nettle have anti-inflammatory actions that support respiratory health during seasonal changes.
✔ Emotional clarity
In traditional energetic systems—including Shiatsu—spring is the season of inspiration, vision, and clarity. Bitter greens help “lift the fog” and bring a sense of lightness.
These plants are everyday foods with deep therapeutic value.
A Note on Safety and Sustainable Harvesting
- Avoid roadsides, chemically sprayed areas, and livestock paddocks.
- Always positively identify plants—when in doubt, leave it out.
- Harvest lightly to protect local ecosystems.
- Introduce weeds slowly into your diet (they can be surprisingly potent!).
This is where Autumn’s background in naturopathy and herbal education shines—teaching people to harvest with respect, prepare with confidence, and eat with joy.
Reconnect With Nature This Spring
Bringing wild spring weeds into your food is more than a trend—it’s a way to reconnect with the land, your body, and the seasonal wisdom that humans have followed for thousands of years.
Whether you learn through the Shiatsu Bodywork Academy, explore recipes on Julia’s Edible Weeds, or brew nourishing blends from Herbal Potential, there’s a whole world of flavour and wellness waiting for you in your backyard.
This spring, try adding just one wild green to your next meal. Notice how your body responds, how the flavours awaken your senses, and how your connection to nature deepens with each bite.
