(Part of an Exclusive WebEcoist Series on Amazing Trees, Plants, Forests and Flowers)
From marijuana to catnip, there are hundreds of remarkably common herbs, flowers, berries and plants that serve all kinds of important medicinal and health purposes that might surprise you: anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, insect repellent, antiseptic, expectorant, antibacterial, detoxification, fever reduction, antihistamine and pain relief. Here are eighteen potent medical plants you’re likely to find in the wild – or even someone’s backyard – that can help with minor injuries, scrapes, bites and pains.*
Marijuana
Images via Current and Street Knowledge
Seriously. Though marijuana is still illegal in the United States, it is legal in 12 states for medicinal purposes, and if a case of poison ivy in the woods isn’t a medicinal purpose, what is? Marijuana was *mostly* legal until 1970 when it became classified as a hard drug. No one thought of it as a dangerous or illicit drug until the 20th century; in fact, hemp was George Washington’s primary crop and Thomas Jefferson’s secondary crop. The Declaration of Independence is written on it; the Gutenberg Bible was printed on hemp, too. There’s actually an environmental dimension to legalizing marijuana – hemp is a remarkable and renewable plant, offering all kinds of foodstuff and product uses that surpass cotton and plastic. But health benefits are well documented, from depression and anxiety relief to reduced blood pressure, pain alleviation and glaucoma treatment. It is not addictive, does not kill brain cells and is not a “gateway” drug – in fact, when pot is more available, studies show that the use of hard drugs like heroin and cocaine actually decreases. The bottom line for hikers: when your leg is broken from a misjudged boulder hopping attempt (pain) and a bear has eaten your friend (depression) and you’re lost because you forgot the compass (dumbass), consult the cannabis.
Lady Ferns
Image via US Forest Service
If you grew up in the Pacific Northwest you likely know what ferns are good for: treating stinging nettles. One of the world’s oldest plants, there are many varieties of ferns, but if you’re lucky enough to spy the soft, delicate lady fern, grab some and roll it up between your palms into a rough mash. The juices released will quickly ease stinging nettle burns and can also ease minor cuts, stings and burns (fresh salt water also works in a pinch for bee stings). Bracken fern are similar to lady fern and will work, as well. The rougher, glossier, stiff sword fern and deer fern won’t be as effective, though. (Learn about types of ferns.) Lady ferns actually grow all over North America but are common in areas with high rainfall.
California Poppy
Images via Netstate and Mountain Meadow Seeds
The brilliant blooms of the poppy make this opioid plant an iconic one. The plant is an effective nervine (anxiety reliever) and is safe for use on agitated children. Can be made into a a tea for quick relief of nervousness and tension. A stronger decoction will offer pain relief. (A decoction is made by “stewing” all safe plant parts, including stems and roots if possible, in water for several hours and, ideally, soaking overnight.)
Blood Flower
Image via Mistifarang
The blood flower (also Mexican butterfly weed) is a type of tropical milkweed with toxic milky sap that is emetic (it makes you hurl). It’s also historically favored as a heart stimulant and worm expellent. Pretty useful for a number of potential hiking disasters, if you think about it. (Of course, if you’d quit eating those poisonous berries you probably wouldn’t need to worry about finding a natural expectorant.)
Tansy
Image via Earth Heart Farm
If you’ve decided to backpack through Europe instead of the mountains of Mexico (but why?), you’ll want to know about a few helpful medicinal plants. Tansy is an old-world aster and remedy, used for flavoring beer and stews as well as repelling insects. Rubbing the leaves on the skin provides an effective bug repellent, but tansy can also be used to treat worms. It is said to be poisonous when extracted, but a few leaves are not harmful if ingested.
Korean Mint (hyssop)
Image via Herb Gully
Who doesn’t want to be minty fresh? Most of the various types of “mint” or mentha – spearmint, Korean mint, applemint, regular old mint – offer reported health benefits and medicinal properties. (Avoid pennyroyal, as it’s poisonous.) Mint is famous for soothing headaches, fighting nausea, calming the stomach and reducing nervousness and fatigue. Korean mint, also called Indian mint and hyssop, is a fairly effective antiviral, making it useful for fighting colds and the flu. Whatever continent you’re on, some type of mint is usually to be found. Eat whole, garnish food or make tea to get the all purpose health benefits.
Alfalfa
Image via In Advance
Alfalfa is fodder for livestock for a reason: it’s incredibly rich in minerals and health-promoting nutrients and compounds. With roots that grow 20 to 30 feet deep, alfalfa is considered the “father of all plants”. (It also contains a high amount of protein for a green.) Alfalfa originally grew in the Mediterranean and Middle East but has now spread to most of Europe and the Americans. It can treat morning sickness, nausea, kidney stones, kidney pain and urinary discomfort. It is a powerful diuretic and has a bit of stimulant power, helping to energize after a bout with illness. It’s a liver and bowel cleanser and long-term can help reduce cholesterol. You can purchase seeds and sprouts, but it’s fine to eat the leaves straight from the earth.
Catnip
Images via UCC
The cannabis of the cat kingdom. Famous for making cats deliriously crazy, catnip has health properties that are great for humans, too. Catnip can relieve cold symptoms (helpful if you’re on a camping trip and don’t have access to Nyquil). It’s useful in breaking a fever as it promotes sweating. Catnip also helps stop excessive bleeding and swelling when applied rather than ingested. This mint plant (yep, another one) is also reportedly helpful in treating gas, stomach aches, and migraines. Catnip can stimulate uterine contractions, so it should not be consumed by pregnant women. It grows in the Northern Hemisphere.
Sage
Image via Palestine Shop
Sage is an incredibly useful herb, widely considered to be perhaps the most valuable herb. It is anti-flammatory, anti-oxidant, and antifungal. In fact, according to the noted resource World’s Healthiest Foods, “Its reputation as a panacea is even represented in its scientific name, Salvia officinalis, derived from the Latin word, salvere, which means ‘to be saved’.” It was used as a preservative for meat before the advent of refrigeration (eminently useful: you never know when you’ll be forced to hunt in the wild). Sage aids digestion, relieves cramps, reduces diarrhea, dries up phlegm, fights colds, reduces inflammation and swelling, acts as a salve for cuts and burns, and kills bacteria. Sage apparently even brings color back to gray hair. A definite concern when lost in the woods.
Blackberries
Image via Old Ice Works
Did you know blackberries have useful healing properties? Of course they’re loaded in antioxidants and vitamins, but the leaves and roots have value, too. Native Americans have long used the stems and leaves for healing, while enjoying the young shoots peeled as a vegetable of sorts and the berries, either raw or in jams. The leaves and root can be used as an effective treatment against dysentery and diarrhea as well as serving usefulness as an anti-inflammatory and astringent. Ideal for treating cuts and inflammation in the mouth.
Wild Quinine
Image via Stone Silo Prairie Gardens
According to Alternative Nature Online, wild quinine is a potent herb that “is used as an antiperiodic, emmenagogue, kidney, lithontripic, poultice. It has traditionally been used in alternative medicine to treat debility, fatigue, respiratory infection, gastrointestinal infection, and venereal disease.” Whatever the ailment, quinine is famously helpful in treating it. Only the root and flowers are edible; avoid the plant.
Navajo Tea
Image via Birds ‘n Garden
Also called greenthread, Plains Tea or Coyote Plant, this plant has been used for centuries by Native Americans to quickly relieve that most brutal and irritating of infections: the UTI (urinary tract infection). Best when made into a tea or decoction.
Red Clover
Image via Foxy Island
Native to Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia, red clover is now ubiquitous worldwide. The plant’s reddish pink blossoms can be used for coughs and colds, but they are an excellent detoxifier and blood cleanser as well.
Sweet Marjoram
Images via Tasteful Garden and Veseys
Marjoram and oregano are often used interchangeably, but the aromatic sweet marjoram is slightly different. The Greeks called it the “Joy of the Mountain” and it was revered throughout the Mediterranean for its fragrance, flavor and medicinal value. The famous French herbs de provence and Middle Eastern za’atar both use sweet marjoram. Marjoram has many uses (it’s a famous digestive aid) but it is effective as an antifungal, antibacterial and disinfectant treatment in a pinch.
Burdock Herb
Images via Norman Allen and Ontario Wildflowers
Burdock, or cocklebur, is a prickly, thistle-like plant that grows commonly in many parts of the world. It can get fairly big and its leaves resemble the elephant ear plant. Though the burs often get caught in pets’ and livestock’s fur, don’t think of it only as an annoying plant. It is a highly effective treatment against poison ivy and poison oak (claims that it cures cancer are slightly *less* substantiated).
Feverfew
Image via Earth Heart Farm
Feverfew is a plant that has well-known and documented health properties and medicinal benefits. This anti-inflammatory can treat rheumatism, arthritis and, most famously, migraine headaches and tension headaches. It’s also good for alleviating tension and general anxiety (it is a natural serotonin inhibitor). It also helps to reduce swelling and bruising. Though feverfew is most effective when taken daily, it can be a helpful pain reliever when no Advil is on hand.
Sweet Violet
Image via Firefly Forest
Native to Europe and Asia, sweet violet is cultivated around the world and is a pleasant, delicate purple color. When brewed into a syrup the plant is effective as a treatment for colds, flu and coughs or sore throat. However, when made as a tea, it is wonderfully effective for relieving headaches and muscle and body pain.
Winter Savory
Image via CGNA
Winter savory is your savior against insect bites and stings. One of the most effective natural plant treatments for bug bites is originally from Europe and the Mediterranean but often shows up elsewhere thanks to global trade. In addition to being an antiseptic, it is delicious – used for flavoring meats and stews – and all parts are edible.
With so many amazing medicinal plants on the planet, be sure to look for future posts covering more. Feel free to submit your own request or share your botanical knowledge in the comments.
* Disclaimer: the content of this post is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered qualified medical advice. Always consult an expert before consuming or applying any foreign substance or material. Also, don’t do drugs.
Click Here for Even More Amazing Plants:
16 of the World’s Weirdest Endangered Trees, Plants and Flowers
16 of the Most Unassuming but Deadly Poisonous Plants
20 Beautiful but Endangered Forests from Around the World
Bonus: 10 Deliciously Exotic but Edible Fruits and Vegetables
If you are new to WebEcoist, click here to sign up for the RSS feed and take a look through our archives and galleries. Also be sure to visit WebUrbanist and see architecture, interiors, furniture and more design at Dornob.
-
Sharing:
-
Subscribe
-
Email to Friend
-
Del.Icio.Us
-
StumbleUpon
Check Out These Great Related Articles:
The Biggest Food Fight on the Planet
Once a year, tens of thousands of tourists gather in a town in Spain to hurl over one hundred tons of overripe tomatoes ... all in just one hour.
16 Most Fatal Killer Poisonous Plants
Did you know that things from your local park or even household decorations could be fatal? Here are some of the most deadly poisonous plants around the world.
11 Weirdest Real-Life Cases of Mass Hysteria
Here's a collection of some of the weirdest real-life cases of mass hysteria. From witch trials to the Halifax Slasher, they are enough to creep anyone out.
25 Comments
September 30th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
love the new ECO site, awesome info and the same great information that im used to over at URBANIST. thanks and keep up the good work!
October 8th, 2008 at 12:48 am
What a delightful column! And written with a wicked sense of humor.
Today, in the midst of some senior citizens, I confessed that as a hippie I smoked lots of marijuana. I also told them that I have carefully compared the over-65 populations of straight folk and hippie folk and found practically no differences. None of them have a short-term memory worth much! And the old hippies are no crazier than ex-mayors, retired cops. or graduated school teachers. And they live just as long.
It’s just that in those middle years, they misbehaved and wandered outside of the strictures of propriety.
Marijuana is the white man’s Medicine.
October 11th, 2008 at 9:42 am
I just love thi site! Great article and great sense of humor too
October 13th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Are you serious? Do you really believe that drugs like those extracted from poppies are “safe for use on agitated children”?! As a physician, I have seen professional adults become life-threateningly toxic on supplements that they and their chiropractor or naturopath believed were “safe” and “harmless” because they were “natural”. What a bunch of crap! The authors of this site should be ashamed. What if someone reads this “info” and kills their child! Take this down now!
October 14th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Excellent article! I’m gonna have to remember the blackberry thing! Thanks
October 27th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Greets! Really interesting. Big ups! Tnx! Saw!
November 10th, 2008 at 6:21 am
marijuana can be classified as the best medical plants but over indulgence of usage could harm your mental activity. Addiction maybe acquire from this plant.. Its better to intensity the prohibition of this because of its bad effect to human..
November 24th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Once again you have a physician chiming in with no tolerance for anything he didn’t learn in his medical school books, and a brainwashed anti-marijuana person giving his self-proclaimed professional opinion.
It’s a shame to see the level of control the pharmas exert with their misinformation campaigns.
There was a time when Nature held a cure for every complaint of ill health. Now we are expected to find relief in tablets of chemicals that simply mask the symptoms rather than cure the disease.
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:26 am
Hey. Interesting website. Useful information. However I must point out that the picture that you are currently using for ” Blood FLowers” is wrong. Those are without a doubt in fact Ixoras. I’d recognise them anywhere… They’re all over SIngapore. These – http://www.flickr.com/photos/g.....281261297/ – are the real Blood Flowers. Speaking of which I must agree with Dr. P, the usage of Poppies sounds rather dubious. Please double check your information.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Nice article.
However, the stub on California Poppy being a source for opioids is mistaken. Though called a poppy, it’s not related to the proper opium poppy. Though it has minor effect that are somewhat similar to opium poppies, if only just.
In the end, this mistake might be a good thing. Opium poppies can be very potent, and if not careful one can easily overdose drinking tea. Though adults should be able to choose what they put into their own bodies, I don’t think giving a child opium is very good idea.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
there is absolutely no way you could conclusively say that marijuana is not a gateway drug. Don’t say things that have no factual basis behind them. It is entirely rational to assume that an individual willing to take marijuana would be more inclined to use a harder drug than one who has never used drugs.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
@Parris: “Marijuana is the white man’s Medicine.”
I thought medicine was the white man’s medicine.
February 28th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Tsu: “Once again you have a physician chiming in with no tolerance for anything he didn’t learn in his medical school books, and a brainwashed anti-marijuana person giving his self-proclaimed professional opinion.
It’s a shame to see the level of control the pharmas exert with their misinformation campaigns.”
I feel that I should comment on this attitude. I am a pharmacy student, and contrary to a lot of suspicion and wild assumptions, physicians and pharmacists are not instructed by drug companies. There is no money in producing text books, nor would a respectable med school utilize such a text as a primary source of information. We get our information from medicinal chemists and physiologists mostly…some who may work for a drug company, but the majority of whom are PhD’s, post-docs, and professors that work for a University. I can’t speak for medical school students, but in pharmacy school drug information is presented as objectively as possible, with consideration given to non-western medicine. As a general conclusion, herbal medicines have their use, but when treating life altering illnesses, evidence based medicine practices are the best route. Unfortunately this usually implies using western medicines because the FDA doesn’t evaluate safety or efficacy of herbal drugs…hence there is very little research done in this area.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Love the information. Sorry for the Uptight rants of Mr P. People act responsible enough. Look what Doctors do today. They are constantly testing on patients and the famous words are “Let’s see if this will work” while they feed you more dope.
I am a naturalist and will not take drugs from anyone – prescribed or otherwise.
This is a great article and is only information. Whatever people do with information is up to them.
It is like TV Shows, they entertain. But if some goofball takes it into thier hands to duplicate the show and reek havic that is a stupid person. I think we are all grown ups and can live responsibally. Or Not. Don’t ask someone to take down an artical that is interesting, you are surpressing their freedom of speech.
I find the rants to bring more attention to the artical rather than the opposite.
So there.
March 4th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
California poppies are not a source of opium, having almost none of the effects you claim. Looks like most of these plants have a calming or buzz factor. How about digitalis or aloe?
March 7th, 2009 at 7:19 am
@Answer My Health Question
“marijuana[...]Its better to intensity the prohibition of this because of its bad effect to human..”
Yeah, cause prohibition works like a charm, amirite? There’s no positive outcome if you investigate marijuana health benefits… amirite? It’s better to just ban the damn thing, even though the thing is growing everywhere.
If you want to stay ignorant and disinformated do not drag us with you, thank you.
@everyone: sorry for the crappy english, that was my best try.
March 7th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Well, whoever wrote this column certainly did NOT do their research before writing the “marijuana” article. The hemp plant that George Washington and others grew and Marijuana, although related are two entirely different varietals. This misinformation is part what has prompted the uneducated DEA to outlaw the growing of “hemp” in the US.
Industrial hemp, also comes in several varieties and is used to make fabric, string, rope – used to for everything from clothing, sails, rope, tents (WW I & II) and today has been developed for food use. In Canada it is legally grown and the hemp nut is extremely nutritious providing highly digestible protein, Omegas 3 – 6 & 9 – great energy food. Check out thegoodseedhemp.com for more information.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:40 am
I heard once that Romaine lettuce was the natural equivalent to Valium. A “botanist” once exposed it on American tv (J. Carson presumably) and was quickly reprimanded by the FDA. I heard it. I believe it.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
On pot, what a way to go, people use tabet medication to releax and keep the daily stresses away, which is just as habit forming e.g.: prozak etc.
Smoke a joint, then feel how you relax. Pot is a natural form of medication.
April 8th, 2009 at 9:33 am
THANKS for this article and link. I’m always looking for healthful herbs that I can grow in the small space I have. I use them in daily smoothies. I find it especially very easy to grow catnip.
April 10th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I work in Chinese Medicine Research and study the medicinal benefits of plants. There are life saving, cancer fighting plants that didn’t make the list. The list may have better been called, the top ten, sort of beneficial plants. San qi is a life saving herb which has been used in war for thousands of years. It can stop fatal bleeding. Bai Hua she she cao can attack peritoneal cancers. Huang Qi can boost the immune system and prevent replication of HIV while at the same time making insulin more available for diabetics. There are truly powerful herbs which can take out life threatening diseases, including the top three killers in North America. Marijuana is crap for treating any disease. The Chinese had it for thousands of years and only used the seeds for constipation. There are far superior herbs which have been studied extensively for depression according to the Hamilton Scale of depression. Its poison from a traditional Chinese medical viewpoint.
As to the poppies being safe for children. Every substance has a minimum effective dose and an overdose which makes it poisonous.
While I appreciate the effort, next time consult google scholar or pubmed. There is extensive research on a variety of plants as well as potential side effects available for the general public.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
This is a fantastic collection of knowledge. Too bad the Scientific Society is loading our bodies with non-essential drugs that do more harm than good.
Trackbacks
What do you think? Leave a comment!