Pineapple Weed (Matricaria Discoidea) is an annual medicinal plant. It is also known as wild chamomile, disc mayweed, and rayless chamomile. It's naturally sweet and has a pineapple-like flavor. When brewed, it tastes similar to chamomile tea and has similar benefits! I even include it in my lavender tea blend!
It's my third year of having my amazing garden here in Montana. Last year, while pulling weeds, I noticed a beautiful plant with mini pineapple-shaped flowers. The yellow-greenish petal-less rosettes are actually made up of many tiny florets and can be used, along with the foliage, to make a delicious tea!
The flowers and edible feathery leaves have a very sweet odor, reminiscent of pineapple and chamomile, especially when crushed.
The entire plant has medicinal properties. The tea has a mild sedative effect, similar to chamomile tea, and may help you relax and sleep better. Foraging this plant for tea is easy and cheaper than purchasing chamomile tea! You may also want to try this elderflower syrup recipe!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pineapple weed flowers & leaves: Pick fresh young flower buds and leaves, or use dried leaves and flowers instead.
- Sweetener: Use sugar, whipped honey, low-calorie sweetener, plain honey, or honey syrup.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Pineapple Weed Tea
- Using scissors, snip approximately ¼ cup of fresh pineapple weed flowers and foliage, then give them a quick rinse.
- Crush the flowers and leaves with a mortar and pestle to release even more flavor (optional).
- Add the flowers and leaves to a teapot or an ibrik. Pour 2 ½ cups of water into the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for at least 5 minutes. Steeping it longer will make it stronger.
- Strain the tea into 2 cups and sweeten with sugar, honey, cardamom syrup. or your favorite sweetener, if desired.
Pro Tip: If you prefer iced tea, strain the brewed tea into a jar, then refrigerate.
Is Pineapple Weed Good For Anything?
The whole flowers and leaves are commonly brewed to make a delicious, calming tea. The tea can range from pale yellow to light green depending on how strong you make it and how long it is brewed.
The edible flowers can also be used to make syrup, cordials, liqueur, sorbet, cookies, and other desserts.
In the past, this plant was ground into a powder and scattered over meat to keep it from spoiling. The yellowish-green flowers were also used to repel insects and carried in sachets because of their pleasant aroma. -Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies.
Pineapple Weed Benefits
Pineapple weed has many of the same benefits of chamomile. It can aid in relaxation and acts as a mild sedative. It may also aid digestion, ease menstrual cramps, relieve sore throats and heart burn.
Plant Precautions
When harvesting this herb, pick young plants that have not been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals. You'll also want to avoid picking the flowers from heavy traffic areas like roadsides and trails where plants can be polluted by smog or soiled by pets.
Pro Tip: Avoid sick plants or those covered with aphids and ants!
Those with allergies to plants in the Aster family or ragweeds may want to steer clear of this tea.
Where to Forage Pineapple Weed?
This wonderful plant can be found growing in the wild, in disturbed ground, along roadsides, in poor compacted soil, in your lawn, and garden. You can find it from early spring until late summer/early fall.
Looking for other great tea recipes? Be sure to check out this best chai tea recipe and this fireweed tea recipe!
FAQ
Most people prefer the flavor of the flowers as compared to the leaves. The flowers have a wonderful, pineapple flavor, while the leaves can be slightly bitter.
Pineapple weed buds can be eaten as a trail snack, in salads, or incorporated into baked goods. The flowers and leaves (both fresh and dried) can be used to make tea or infused to make syrup and a floral cordial.
To make pineapple weed syrup, add the snipped flowers, sugar, and water in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened. Strain and pour into a mason jar or flip top bottle and store in the fridge.
Pineapple weed makes its appearance in late spring and flourishes throughout the summer and early fall.
Pro Tips
- This tea is pleasantly sweet, which means you may not need to add sugar or other sweeteners.
- I like to freeze or freeze dry this plant when it's in season to enjoy throughout the year!
- Keep a bottle of this refreshing tea in the fridge to have it on hand whenever you feel like enjoying a glass or pineapple weed tea!
More Foraging Recipes
If you find this post informative, check out these other posts!
Recipe
Pineapple Weed (Wild Chamomile)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pineapple weed (flowers and foliage)
- 2½ cups water
- sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Using scissors, snip approximately ¼ cup of fresh pineapple weed flowers and foliage, then give them a quick rinse.
- Add the flowers and leaves to a teapot or an ibrik. Pour 2 ½ cups of water into the pot. Bring to a boil then simmer over low heat for at least 5 minutes.
- Strain the tea into 2 cups and sweeten with sugar, honey, cardamom syrup. or your favorite sweetener, if desired.
Notes
- Avoid sick plants or those covered with aphids and ants.
- Crush the flowers and leaves with a mortar and pestle to release even more flavor (optional).
- If you prefer iced tea, strain the brewed tea into a jar and refrigerate until you're ready to have some.
- This tea is pleasantly sweet, which means you may not need to add sugar or other sweeteners.
- I like to freeze and freeze dry this plant when it's in season so that it can be enjoyed throughout the year!
- Keep a bottle of this refreshing tea in the fridge to have on hand whenever you feel like enjoying a glass of pineapple weed tea!
Hilda Sterner says
I hope you enjoy this post!
Kelly Methey says
I love all the ideas you give me for making teas with foraged plants! It’s so fun to try them! Thanks Hilda, this one’s a keeper!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kelly! It's one of my favorite foraged teas. I think I prefer it cold though and this year, I'm going to try it carbonated!