Useful and Beautiful Plants of the Ozarks

Wild Ozark Herbs

An Ancient Earth Wisdom virtual herb walk with Madison Woods

Introduction

Books

Edible

Beautiful

Unusual

Medicinal

Woodland

Harvest

Plant Spirit Medicine

Conclusion

Contents

Magical Realm

Plants catch my

attention. They

wave me down

even as I am

driving by on the

highway, but most

often when I am

creeping down

the dirt roads

around home.

The following is

an introduction to

some of my

favorites.

BOOKSMy three favorites:

1. A Modern Herbal, by Mrs. M. Grieve2. Edible and Medicinal Plants, by Wildman Steve

Brill3. Ozark Wildflowers, a Falcon Guide

Edible

Redbud Tree(Cercis canadensis)

Native Americans

used the flowers,

seedpods and

seeds.

I love them for

their beauty in

early spring when

not much else is

showing color.

Note: With all wild edible or medicinal plants, just as with domestic food products like peanuts and shellfish, allergic reactions are possible. Always do your own research to verify identity or edibility of any plant.

Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)

Some uses are

obvious. Black

raspberries are

delicious and

nutritious – a

treat on a hot

summer hike.

Wild strawberries

(Fragaria virginiana)

late May

Edible and tasty,

wild strawberries

are much

anticipated!

Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)

Red raspberries

offer themselves

up as both food

AND remedy. Not

only are the

berries delicious

and nutritious, but

the leaves have

long been used to

strengthen the

uterus of pregnant

women, to make it

ready for labor.

Gooseberry (Ribes Missouriense )

Gooseberry

grows in shade

under trees and

are fairly

common, but I

never hear of

anyone making

pies and jams

anymore.

Aesthetics – the Beautiful Ones

American Bellflower (Campanula americana)

American

Bellflower

frequents the

shady and moist

spots under trees

and alongside

creeks.

They grow to be

about 4’ high,

sometimes with

several stems on

one plant.

Milkweed(Asclepias spp.)

A few different

varieties of

milkweed grows

in the area where

I give herb walks.

This is one of my

favorites.

Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens L.)

Another, very

colorful milkweed

that grows in my

area.

I love milkweed

for the butterflies

they attract, and

for the insulating

quality of their

seed fluff.

Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens L.)

Growing along

moist creek beds

and against

limestone bluffs,

this flower is

barely

reminiscent of

the big globes of

pink and blue

sold in nurseries.

Unusual or RareSome plants appeal to me just because they are different in appearance, or unusual to my area. The Dutchman’s Breeches and Ninebark are included here because they aren’t very plentiful around my house.

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

One of the first

flowers to bloom

in spring after the

bloodroot.

It occurs in only

one short stretch

along my dirt

road and I

haven’t found it

elsewhere yet.

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens)

Not really a

plantain, but an

orchid.

Madison county is

one of only a few

areas where this

plant is found in

Arkansas.

Indian Pipes(Monotropa uniflora)

Rising like

ghostly

apparitions from

the fall leaves,

these parasitic

plants are just

intriguing to me.

Native Americans

used it for an

eyewash to treat

inflammation of

the eyes. Also

once considered a

substitute for

opium.

Giant Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

This is one of the

most unusual and

attractive

woodland plants .

This photo shows

the flowers, but

the leaves belong

to wild

hydrangea.

The zigzag stem

and leaves

provide an

interesting

feature to the

woodland garden.

Giant Solomon’s Seal

How the leaves

look from above.

This herb is

useful across all

my categories:

edible, beautiful,

unusual and

medicinal.

Giant Solomon’s Seal

The plant dies

back in winter

and the shoots

arise in early

spring. Here’s

how they look in

mid-April.

Nine bark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Uncommon in my

area, interesting in

its history and a

striking shrub to

use in

landscaping.

It was once used

to treat a plethora

of illnesses

ranging from

‘women’s issues’

to TB, but it has

fallen from

popular medicinal

use .

Medicinal Plants

Always take responsibility for your own well-being by researching the herbs you intend to use

medicinally.

Some have side-effects or can interact with other medications .

The notes on these slides are in no way intended to treat, diagnose or advise.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Red clover, found

in fields around

our area, has

phytoestrogenic

properties, is

anti-inflammatory.

Common, small

and unassuming,

it packs a lot of

medicinal punch.

All-heal (Prunella vulgaris)

Prunella grows all

around my

property, so it is a

commonly used

component to my

herbal mix.

As many of our

often used

medicinals are ,

prunella is common

in Great Britain and

is where much of

the anecdotal

information is

derived.

Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

Long held in high

esteem as a

poison-ivy

remedy.

Grows in shady

moist areas.

It’s fun to bring

children to gather

seeds because the

pods explode on

touch.

Mullein (Verbascum thaspus)

Mullein is an old

standby for

congested

coughs. It helps

to liquefy phlegm

and at the same

time quiets

coughs.

To use it, I make

a decoction of the

leaves and then

add honey and

Vitamin C

powder.

Beebalm (Monarda didyma)

The wild ones that

grow around our

area are lavender

colored, (M.

fistulosa) but I

haven’t had any luck

getting those to

grow at my place.

So I planted these,

which are equally

useful in my teas to

provide good flavor

and antiviral and

immune stimulating

properties.

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

This is probably

one of the best

known medicinal

plants.

Once commonly

occurring in our

area, it was nearly

eradicated by herb

diggers selling it

to root buyers.

Now it has been

re-established on

roadside.

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Almost all of the

research

information on

elderberry will be

from S. nigra, the

British variety of

elderberry.

Our variety is S.

canadensis and it

has the same

properties.

Passionflower

Passiflora Incarnata

Long used as a

remedy to calm

the nerves,

passionflower is

one of the most

beautiful and

unusual flowers I

know. The scent

is equally

intriguing. The

fruits are called

maypops and are

also filled with an

edible gelatinous

coating that

surrounds the

seeds.

The Woodland HerbsThese plants all require specific habitat: dense shade, moist soil, and certain companions.

Shade is best if from mature trees, a mix of oak, maple, beech, hickory for over story . Under story includes dogwood, pawpaw and redbud.

These companions all tend to occur in the same areas because they all enjoy the same habitat. If a few are found, then it is likely the others can be found there also.

Some are more tolerant of sunlight than others, so a marginal habitat might house the partial list but not all.

Bloodroot (Sanguinera canadensis)

A folk medicine of

the Ozarks with

properties

believed by

healers to cure

cancerous

tumors. It does

kill cells, but can

be very painful

and disfiguring,

and not reliable

at removing all

cancer cells from

a tumor.

Bloodroot(Sanguinaria canadensis)

Bloodroot is one of the

earliest flowers to bloom

in spring.

The sap of the root is

bright red and when

snapped in half, appears

to “bleed”.

Bloodroot has a long

history of use in skin

cancer, but the treatment

is harsh, dangerous and

not recommended.

Bloodroot leaves after flowering has finished. The leaves will grow larger.

Goldenseal(Hydrastis canadensis)

Goldenseal isn’t one

of the herbs I add to

my jar throughout the

year because it is very

bitter.

The root of goldenseal

is an excellent

remedy for sinus

infections, especially

in combination with

cayenne.

Historically, it has

also been used as an

eyewash, among

other things.

Black Cohosh (Cimifuga racemosa)

A ginseng

indicator plant

with plenty

medicinal history

of its own.

Used to treat

women’s issues, it

is anti-

inflammatory and

estrogenic.

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)

Ginseng is my

favorite Ozark herb.

It grows only in a

very specific

habitat, marked by

moist soil, tall trees

and a soil profile

low in pH, yet high

in calcium.

Certain plants

indicate good

growing conditions

for ginseng.

American ginseng 2-prong emerging in spring

American ginseng 3-prong, flower stalk beginning

American ginseng 3-prong with green berries

Indicator Plants

What are “indicator plants”? It’s a term used by ginseng hunters. When you’re walking in the woods, in a certain kind of habitat, you’ll see certain plants.

The ones that “indicate” the area is a good place to find ginseng (or a good place to plant it) include christmas fern, black cohosh, bloodroot, wild ginger, pawpaw trees, grape ferns and maidenhair ferns.

Some of these plants tolerate more sun, like the bloodroot and cohosh, and some tolerate more shade, like the maidenhair fern. But if you spot these plants, chances are good if the shade is right, you’ll find ginseng there.

Christmas fern fiddleheads (Polystichum acrostichoides)

Companion plant

to ginseng,

easiest to notice

at a glance.

Rattlesnake Fern (Botrypus virginianus) and Grape Ferns (Botrypus virginianus)

Indicator plant

for ginseng.

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

Pawpaw is the host

plant for the zebra

swallowtail.

The fruit is a

calorie dense food,

but coons ,

possums and bears

love them, so we

don’t often get to

have any.

The seeds of the

pawpaw make a

very effective

insecticide for

headlice.

Also an indicator

plant for ginseng.

Tools of the trade for planting woodland herbs.

End of Season

Plants harvested

earlier in the

year will be dried

now and

tinctures started

are ready to

strain. Cold

winter days are

perfect for

making salves.

Spring Harvest

Prunella, wild

strawberries, red

clover and mint –

all gathered in

one morning’s

walk.

Once dried and

blended together,

they make a tasty

tea good for

warding off a

cold.

Plant Spirit MedicineSome remedies don’t use the actual plant tissue to produce a tincture, but the essence of the plant. Some are made by floating the flower or plant in a clear bowl of water to capture the spirit of the plant.

Alternatively, a person can come to know other aspects of plants by photographing them, sketching them, and especially by sitting with and meditating near them.

This allows the user to interact with the plant on more than a physical level.

It isn’t necessary to make the remedies themselves if you are interested in this form of relationship with plants. True benefit can be found just by being in the presence of the spirit of a plant.

Prudence

This plant in

particular teaches a

harsh lesson.

I call it ‘Prudence’

because people who

aren’t cautious

suffer severe

consequences when

it is mistaken for

wild carrot, or

Queen Anne’s Lace.

It’s hemlock, and

it’s deadly.

Trout Lilly

She teaches

suffering with

grace and

strength.

Elderberry

Her blossoms are

delicate yet lay

the groundwork

for strong

medicine in her

berries.

She teaches

dedication to

excellence and

universal

abundance.

All Plants can

teach us

something if we

are open to

listening.

Personally, I

interact with

plants on all levels,

but generally only

share the

traditional during

herb walks.

This has been an Ancient Earth Wisdom virtual herb walk with Madison Woods.

http://madison-woods.com

Thank you!

The following are some random photos from some of my hikes around the woods to look for plants. I hope you enjoy them!

A Little More

by Madison Woods

Photo Album

If curiosity is overwhelming you, go to my website (click on the Virtual Herbwalk tab at the top of the page to find out

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