Nativedude
03-29-2009, 02:17 AM
PLANTS FOR WOUNDS, SORES & RASHES
Birch - To 80' (24m)
DESCRIPTION: Tree or shrub. Some have bark that peel off in sheets. Oval toothed leaves to 5" (13cm) long. Cone-like oval fruits are up to 4" (10cm) long and disintegrate when ripe.
HABITAT: Wet areas
REMEDY: Strong tea made from bark, twigs or leaves is used as a wash. Gargling tea soothes sore mouth and throat.
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Jewelweed - To 8' (2.4m)
DESCRIPTION: Bushy plant has slender stems. Spotted orange-yellow flowers are horn-shaped.
HABITAT: Wet areas, clearings
REMEDY: Rubbing crushed stems and leaves on skin eases irritation of nettle stings ad poison ivy rashes.
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Alder - To 60' (18m)
DESCRIPTION: Groups of shrubs and trees have distinctive cone-like fruits that do not disintegrate when ripe. Alternate leaves have short stems.
HABITAT: Moist Soils
REMEDY: Strong bark tea is used as a wash. The tea also induces vomiting.
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Burdock - To 9' (2.7m)
DESCRIPTION: Large brushy plant with reddish, celery-like stems. Lower leaves are heart-shaped and hairy beneath. Red-purple flowers are succeeded by spiny, burr-like fruits.
HABITAT: Waste areas
REMEDY: Apply poultice of leaves to irritated area. CAUTION! DO NOT confuse leaves with the toxic leaves of rhubarb.
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Thistle - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Leaves are scalloped and prickly. Flowers are purplish, red or cream.
HABITAT: Waste areas
REMEDY: Strong tea used as wash for stings, boils and poison ivy rash.
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Pipsissewa - To 12' (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Shiny leaves grow in whorls. Waxy flowers bloom in nodding clusters.
HABITAT: Dry woods
REMEDY: Tea is good antiseptic wash for wounds. Also can be used as a diuretic.
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Milkweed - To 6' (1.8m)
DESCRIPTION: Stout hairy plant has sticky stems and leaves and milky sap. Purplish, star-shaped flowers bloom in rounded clusters.
HABITAT: Moist & dry soils
REMEDY: Use tea as wash. Milky sap helps sores heal and removes warts and corns. CAUTION! DO NOT ingest sap.
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Common Evening Primrose - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Leafy plant has terminal spike of yellow, 4-petaled flowers that bloom after sunset. Leaves are lance-shaped and lemon scented.
HABITAT: Fields & roadsides
REMEDY: Tea is an astringent wash.
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Canada Violet - To 18" (45cm)
DESCRIPTION: Leaves are heart-shaped or oval. White flower petals have yellowish bases that turn to violet with age.
HABITAT: Woodlands & stream banks
REMEDY: Use poultice on sores.
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Wintergreen - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Rounded, leathery leaves are clustered at the plant base. Nodding, waxy white flowers bloom along stalk.
HABITAT: Woodlands & clearings
REMEDY: Use poultice on sores, bruises and insect bites.
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Heal-all - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Opposite oval leaves are lance-shaped. Blossoms have a fringed lower lip.
HABITAT: Waste areas, lawns, fields
REMEDY: Use tea as a wash on wounds and sores. Gargling tea will help relieve sore throat.
__________________________________________________ __
Cleaver - To 2' (60cm)
DESCRIPTION: Drooping plant has prickly stems and lance-shaped leaves growing in whorls of 6-8. Small white flowers are succeeded by bristly fruits.
HABITAT: Waste areas & thickets
REMEDY: Use tea as a wash to treat cuts. Is also a strong diuretic. CAUTION! Juice can cause contact dermatitis.
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Coneflowers - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Lance-shaped leaves are slightly hairy. Purple to pinkish flower rays droop around large central disk.
HABITAT: Dry soils
REMEDY: Root or leaf tea is highly antiseptic and used to clean sores and insect bites.
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Common Juniper - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Evergreen shrub or small tree usually grows close to the ground Needle-like leaves grow in whorls of 3. Berries turn bluish-black when ripe.
HABITAT: Dry rocky soils
REMEDY: Strong tea of berries is a good antiseptic wash.
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PLANTS FOR BLEEDING
Oak - To 120' (36m)
DESCRIPTION: Tree produces acorn-like fruits. Alternate leaves come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
HABITAT: Woodlands
REMEDY: Boil acorns to produce an astringent wash that helps to relieve skin irritation and stop bleeding.
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Smooth Sumac - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Long leaves have 10-30 leaflets and turn red in autumn. Small whitish lowers boom in dense clusters and are succeeded by 'hairy' red fruits. Bark is gray and smooth.
HABITAT: Open woodlands & waste areas
REMEDY: Tea of bark and leaves creates an antiseptic wash that slows bleeding. Leaf poultice soothes poison ivy rash.
__________________________________________________ __
Witch Hazel - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Shrub or small tree. Leaves turn yellow in autumn and fall off before flowers bloom. Fruits are woody capsules with 4 sharp points.
HABITAT: Moist woods and meadows, primarily found in the east.
REMEDY: Poultice stops bleeding and alleviates itching.
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Horsetail - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Plant has jointed stems. Branches grow in whorls at joints. Fertile stalk has cone-like head.
HABITAT: Wet areas, roadsides, fields
REMEDY: Tea of sterile stems used to clean wounds and help stop bleeding. Poultice makes a good bandage.
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Common Plantain - To 20" (50cm)
DESCRIPTION: Common weed has broad, rounded leaves. Greenish flowers have purplish anthers and bloom in long spikes.
HABITAT: Waste areas & lawns
REMEDY: Use poultice to stop bleeding and soothe infections and cuts.
__________________________________________________ __
Shepherd's Purse - To 18" (45cm)
DESCRIPTION: Weed has basal rosette of lobed leaves. Small white flowers bloom on erect spikes. Fruits are heart-shaped pods.
HABITAT: Waste areas
REMEDY: Tea is used to clean wounds and stop bleeding.
__________________________________________________ __
Silverwood - To 4' (1.2m) long
DESCRIPTION: Creeping plant has serrate leaves with 7-25 leaflets. Bright yellow flowers are long-stalked.
HABITAT: Moist soils, meadows
REMEDY: Poultice stops bleeding. Tea cures diarrhea.
__________________________________________________ __
Storksbill - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Compound leaves have oblong leaflets. Named for its 'beaked' seed pods that point upward.
HABITAT: Waste areas
REMEDY: Tea helps stop bleeding, and is also used to induce sweating.
__________________________________________________ __
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PLANTS FOR BANDAGES
Sphagnum Moss - To 8" (20cm)
DESCRIPTION: Tassel-like plant heads are greenish to red in color. Forms peat bogs over time.
HABITAT: Mountainous and northern areas
REMEDY: Create a pad and apply to wound. Replace as needed. Used during both World Wars as expedient field bandage.
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Balsam Fir - To 70' (50cm)
DESCRIPTION: Steeple-shaped tree. Flattened needles grow around branches in 2 rows. Greenish flowers are succeeded by purplish to green cones that grow upright on twigs.
HABITAT: Wet, cool forests
REMEDY: Apply pitch externally to help wounds, burns and sores heal.
__________________________________________________ __
Hemlock - To 75' (23m)
DESCRIPTION: Flat needles grow from 2 sides of twigs, parallel to the ground. Tip of the tree usually droops.
HABITAT: Rocky areas
REMEDY: Poultice of bark is an astringent, helps stop bleeding and speeds healing.
__________________________________________________ __
Prickly Pear Cactus - Pads to 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Prickly pads grow in dense clusters. Large yellow flowers bloom in May - June.
HABITAT: Dry areas
REMEDY: Make a poultice of peeled pads.
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Stay tuned for part 2. . .
Birch - To 80' (24m)
DESCRIPTION: Tree or shrub. Some have bark that peel off in sheets. Oval toothed leaves to 5" (13cm) long. Cone-like oval fruits are up to 4" (10cm) long and disintegrate when ripe.
HABITAT: Wet areas
REMEDY: Strong tea made from bark, twigs or leaves is used as a wash. Gargling tea soothes sore mouth and throat.
__________________________________________________ _
Jewelweed - To 8' (2.4m)
DESCRIPTION: Bushy plant has slender stems. Spotted orange-yellow flowers are horn-shaped.
HABITAT: Wet areas, clearings
REMEDY: Rubbing crushed stems and leaves on skin eases irritation of nettle stings ad poison ivy rashes.
__________________________________________________ __
Alder - To 60' (18m)
DESCRIPTION: Groups of shrubs and trees have distinctive cone-like fruits that do not disintegrate when ripe. Alternate leaves have short stems.
HABITAT: Moist Soils
REMEDY: Strong bark tea is used as a wash. The tea also induces vomiting.
__________________________________________________ __
Burdock - To 9' (2.7m)
DESCRIPTION: Large brushy plant with reddish, celery-like stems. Lower leaves are heart-shaped and hairy beneath. Red-purple flowers are succeeded by spiny, burr-like fruits.
HABITAT: Waste areas
REMEDY: Apply poultice of leaves to irritated area. CAUTION! DO NOT confuse leaves with the toxic leaves of rhubarb.
__________________________________________________ __
Thistle - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Leaves are scalloped and prickly. Flowers are purplish, red or cream.
HABITAT: Waste areas
REMEDY: Strong tea used as wash for stings, boils and poison ivy rash.
__________________________________________________ __
Pipsissewa - To 12' (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Shiny leaves grow in whorls. Waxy flowers bloom in nodding clusters.
HABITAT: Dry woods
REMEDY: Tea is good antiseptic wash for wounds. Also can be used as a diuretic.
__________________________________________________ __
Milkweed - To 6' (1.8m)
DESCRIPTION: Stout hairy plant has sticky stems and leaves and milky sap. Purplish, star-shaped flowers bloom in rounded clusters.
HABITAT: Moist & dry soils
REMEDY: Use tea as wash. Milky sap helps sores heal and removes warts and corns. CAUTION! DO NOT ingest sap.
__________________________________________________ __
Common Evening Primrose - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Leafy plant has terminal spike of yellow, 4-petaled flowers that bloom after sunset. Leaves are lance-shaped and lemon scented.
HABITAT: Fields & roadsides
REMEDY: Tea is an astringent wash.
__________________________________________________ __
Canada Violet - To 18" (45cm)
DESCRIPTION: Leaves are heart-shaped or oval. White flower petals have yellowish bases that turn to violet with age.
HABITAT: Woodlands & stream banks
REMEDY: Use poultice on sores.
__________________________________________________ __
Wintergreen - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Rounded, leathery leaves are clustered at the plant base. Nodding, waxy white flowers bloom along stalk.
HABITAT: Woodlands & clearings
REMEDY: Use poultice on sores, bruises and insect bites.
__________________________________________________ __
Heal-all - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Opposite oval leaves are lance-shaped. Blossoms have a fringed lower lip.
HABITAT: Waste areas, lawns, fields
REMEDY: Use tea as a wash on wounds and sores. Gargling tea will help relieve sore throat.
__________________________________________________ __
Cleaver - To 2' (60cm)
DESCRIPTION: Drooping plant has prickly stems and lance-shaped leaves growing in whorls of 6-8. Small white flowers are succeeded by bristly fruits.
HABITAT: Waste areas & thickets
REMEDY: Use tea as a wash to treat cuts. Is also a strong diuretic. CAUTION! Juice can cause contact dermatitis.
__________________________________________________ __
Coneflowers - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Lance-shaped leaves are slightly hairy. Purple to pinkish flower rays droop around large central disk.
HABITAT: Dry soils
REMEDY: Root or leaf tea is highly antiseptic and used to clean sores and insect bites.
__________________________________________________ __
Common Juniper - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Evergreen shrub or small tree usually grows close to the ground Needle-like leaves grow in whorls of 3. Berries turn bluish-black when ripe.
HABITAT: Dry rocky soils
REMEDY: Strong tea of berries is a good antiseptic wash.
__________________________________________________ __
__________________________________________________ __
PLANTS FOR BLEEDING
Oak - To 120' (36m)
DESCRIPTION: Tree produces acorn-like fruits. Alternate leaves come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
HABITAT: Woodlands
REMEDY: Boil acorns to produce an astringent wash that helps to relieve skin irritation and stop bleeding.
__________________________________________________ __
Smooth Sumac - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Long leaves have 10-30 leaflets and turn red in autumn. Small whitish lowers boom in dense clusters and are succeeded by 'hairy' red fruits. Bark is gray and smooth.
HABITAT: Open woodlands & waste areas
REMEDY: Tea of bark and leaves creates an antiseptic wash that slows bleeding. Leaf poultice soothes poison ivy rash.
__________________________________________________ __
Witch Hazel - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Shrub or small tree. Leaves turn yellow in autumn and fall off before flowers bloom. Fruits are woody capsules with 4 sharp points.
HABITAT: Moist woods and meadows, primarily found in the east.
REMEDY: Poultice stops bleeding and alleviates itching.
__________________________________________________ __
Horsetail - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Plant has jointed stems. Branches grow in whorls at joints. Fertile stalk has cone-like head.
HABITAT: Wet areas, roadsides, fields
REMEDY: Tea of sterile stems used to clean wounds and help stop bleeding. Poultice makes a good bandage.
__________________________________________________ __
Common Plantain - To 20" (50cm)
DESCRIPTION: Common weed has broad, rounded leaves. Greenish flowers have purplish anthers and bloom in long spikes.
HABITAT: Waste areas & lawns
REMEDY: Use poultice to stop bleeding and soothe infections and cuts.
__________________________________________________ __
Shepherd's Purse - To 18" (45cm)
DESCRIPTION: Weed has basal rosette of lobed leaves. Small white flowers bloom on erect spikes. Fruits are heart-shaped pods.
HABITAT: Waste areas
REMEDY: Tea is used to clean wounds and stop bleeding.
__________________________________________________ __
Silverwood - To 4' (1.2m) long
DESCRIPTION: Creeping plant has serrate leaves with 7-25 leaflets. Bright yellow flowers are long-stalked.
HABITAT: Moist soils, meadows
REMEDY: Poultice stops bleeding. Tea cures diarrhea.
__________________________________________________ __
Storksbill - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Compound leaves have oblong leaflets. Named for its 'beaked' seed pods that point upward.
HABITAT: Waste areas
REMEDY: Tea helps stop bleeding, and is also used to induce sweating.
__________________________________________________ __
__________________________________________________ __
PLANTS FOR BANDAGES
Sphagnum Moss - To 8" (20cm)
DESCRIPTION: Tassel-like plant heads are greenish to red in color. Forms peat bogs over time.
HABITAT: Mountainous and northern areas
REMEDY: Create a pad and apply to wound. Replace as needed. Used during both World Wars as expedient field bandage.
__________________________________________________ __
Balsam Fir - To 70' (50cm)
DESCRIPTION: Steeple-shaped tree. Flattened needles grow around branches in 2 rows. Greenish flowers are succeeded by purplish to green cones that grow upright on twigs.
HABITAT: Wet, cool forests
REMEDY: Apply pitch externally to help wounds, burns and sores heal.
__________________________________________________ __
Hemlock - To 75' (23m)
DESCRIPTION: Flat needles grow from 2 sides of twigs, parallel to the ground. Tip of the tree usually droops.
HABITAT: Rocky areas
REMEDY: Poultice of bark is an astringent, helps stop bleeding and speeds healing.
__________________________________________________ __
Prickly Pear Cactus - Pads to 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Prickly pads grow in dense clusters. Large yellow flowers bloom in May - June.
HABITAT: Dry areas
REMEDY: Make a poultice of peeled pads.
__________________________________________________ __
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Stay tuned for part 2. . .