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At the same time, these chemicals can be potentially dangerous if used in the wrong way. Cherokee herbalists have great experience, and have gone through extensive training and observation. Novice herbal practitioners are advised to seek out and develop a close relationship with Cherokee herbalists or their elders to learn how to use these medicines properly. One of the herbs known the longest time for soothing stomach problems is the blackberry.
Using a strong tea from the roots is helpful is reducing and soothing swollen tissues and joints. An infusion from the leaves is also used as a tonic for stimulating the entire system. A decoction from the roots, sweetened with sugar or honey, makes a syrup used for an expectorant. It is also healing for sore throats and gums. The leaves can also be chewed fresh to soothe bleeding gums.
The Cherokee historically use the tea for curing diarrhea. Cherokee healers use a mild tea made from small pieces of black gum bark and twigs to relieve chest pains. Hummingbird Blossom Buck Brush is used by Cherokee healers by making a weak decoction of the roots for a diuretic that stimulates kidney function. Cat Tail Cattail is not a healing agent, but is used for preventative medicine.
It is an easily digestable food helpful for recovering from illness, as it is bland. Most all parts of the plant, except for the mature leaves and the seed head, are edible. Due to wide-spread growing areas, it is a reliable food source all across America. The root has a very high starch content, and can be gathered at any time. Preparation is very similar to potatoes, and can be mashed, boiled, or even mixed with other foods. The male plant provides a pollen that is a wonderful source for protein. You can add it as a supplement to other kinds of flour when making breads.
A decoction of the small roots of Pull Out a Sticker Greenbriar is useful as a blood purifier.
It is also a mild diuretic. Some healers make a salve from the leaves and bark, mixed with hog lard, and apply to minor sores, scalds and burns. Some Cherokee healers also use the root tea for arthritis. Mint teas are a stimulant for the stomach, as it aids in digestion. The crushed and bruised leaves can be used as a cold compress, made into a salve, or added to the bath water which relieves itching skin. Cherokee healers also use an infusion of the leaves and stems to lower high blood pressure. Tobacco-like Plant Mullein is one of the oldest herbs, and some healers recommend inhaling the smoke from smoldering mullein roots and leaves to soothe asthma attacks and chest congestion.
The roots can be made into a warm decoction for soaking swollen feet or reducing swelling in joints. It also reduces swelling from inflammation and soothes painful, irritated tissue. It is particularly useful to the mucous membranes. A tea can be made from the flowers for a mild sedative. All parts of Qua lo ga common Sumac have a medicinal use. Mild decoctions from the bark can be used as a gargle for sore throats, and may be taken for a remedy for diarrhea.
A tea from the leaves and berries also reduces fevers. Fresh bruised leaves and ripe berries are made into a poultice which soothes poison ivy. A drink from the ripened or dried berries makes a pleasant beverage which is a good source of vitamin C. The Cherokee commonly recommend a mild tea of Big Stretch , or Nuyigala dinadanesgi utana Wild Ginger made from the rootstock which is a mild stimulant for the digestive system.
It can also help colic, intestinal gas, or the common upset stomach. A strong, hot infusion of the roots can act as an expectorant in eliminating mucus from the lungs. Fresh wild ginger may be substituted for the regular store-bought ginger roots as a spice for cooking. The ripe fruit of What Rabbits Eat , or Jisdu unigisdi Wild Rose is a rich source of Vitamin C, and is a reliable preventative and cure for the common cold.
The tea from the hips is a mild diuretic, and stimulates the bladder and kidneys. When the infusion of the petals is used, it is an ancient remedy for sore throats. Cherokee healers recommend a decoction of the roots for diarrhea. Squirrel Tail , or Saloli gatoga Yarrow has many uses. Caution is advised in the use of this plant since it is toxic. A tobacco-like plant, it was mainly used to treat respiratory disorders. The Native Americans made concoctions from the roots to reduce swelling in the joints, feet, or hands.
Here you can find more medical uses for mullein. This root is famously used for flavoring candies, foods, and beverages. But it has also been used by healers to treat stomach problems, bronchitis, food poisoning, and chronic fatigue. The Native Americans used this plant mainly for treating bladder and urinary tract infections. Although the name would suggest a poisonous plant, the Native Americans used it to heal various conditions, from treating fever to soothing skin conditions, improving digestion, and treating arthritis.
Remember that knowledge is the only doctor that can save you when there is no medical help around. That is what I thought also, blackberry seed section is larger and leaves are different size and color. It looks like blackberry. You can see the white pith at the bottom of the stem. The black raspberry is smaller and hollow inside when the stem is removed. I have been a follower, and practitioner, of herbal medicine for more than 30 years, and a practicing RN for more than So I wanted to jump in here as someone with a great respect for the knowledge amassed by our Native American and world wide cultures regarding all the natural treatments that grow all around us, all over the world.
Although you are correct about the distinctive hollow formed when a black raspberry is picked, identifying the whole plant is usually your best bet. The stems in the picture shown are round, and bluish in color called glaucous, in the botanical world, indicating this photo is indeed of a black raspberry.
The blackberry stem is true green, and has ridges, often brownish in mature plants, making it look and feel angular and more sturdy. Both plants often grow in close proximity to one another, especially here in the foothills of my home state of NC, and have a similar leaf stucture, but the color varies. The blackberry leaf is green on the top, and only slightly less so on the underside, with the veining prominant, whereas the black raspberry leaf is green on top, but very pale, again almost a silvery blue, on the underside, with veining more recessive.
This distinction is easily noticed when they are side by side in comparison, but harder if not growing near to each other. The stems, however, are distinctively different, so start there. In addition to the variance in color, the thorns on a blackberry stem are larger, usually singular, and often curled upwards at the tip. The black raspberry thorns are smaller, sometimes clustered, and appear to curl in a downward arc. This will be helpful in identifying the berry, but possibly not the plant. While both berries are delicious when ripe, the medicinal uses do vary.
I enjoy them both, and prefer the wild grown to cultivated, so we get every possible benefit the earth, sun and rain provide! There are many resources out there — books hand written by practitioners, passed down through generations, word of mouth stories, published authors and notable scientists, to help guide us through the incredible amount of information needed to know about even a single plant. But the information is there, for your use and benefit, and the knowledge found in the journey of learning is truly worthy of the trip. Really liked your comment. You as a nurse and one with knowledge of natural healing are truly a rarity.
The same berries grew along a canal near my house. Also, this seems like a great article. Black raspberries look less like a mulberry and are a rounded cap kind of looking like a tiny bowl if picked due to the inside being hollow. I already use an teach these in my survival classes. The picture for wild ginger is indeed accurate. There are several varieties. The small violet flower that shows on one leaf is an accident. The actual wild ginger flower appears early in spring when the leaves appear.
I have many pictures of this plant as it grows prolifically where I lived for 40 years. This particular variety is the Canadian variety. The other 2 are common in the south. The wild ginger has distinctive leaves in sets of 2 unlike the violet. The leaves of the Canadian one are not glossy like the other varieties.
It is an endangered species as deer love to feed on it. It is also called Canada snakeroot and favored in the perfume industry. The aroma is awesome. The flower is very low to the ground and looks like a tiny cup with 3 points coming off the lip that are pink to rusty brown in color. It is short lived and once the leaves have grown a few inches it will disappear. The leaves grow in sets of 2.
Yes, wild violets, dandelions and wood land plants grow among them. Love this article as I do all. Very informative with great pictures making the plants identifiable. Please put them in downloadable format so they can be saved and not just printed! I wish that you would have explained to to use each plant.
There are a number of reputable schools of herbal knowledge. The one I am most familiar with is Dr. His text book is sometimes found on Amazon as a used book. It is very precise in how the herbs work, what they are used for, precautions and historical use. What good is a list of medicinal plants that many of which do not grow in your country?
Do your research folks. Find the plants that grow near you and make your OWN list. Thanks for the reminder.
Euel Gibbons had such a book. Darcy Williamson, life-long herbalist, has published several books. It is the best. None other like it. I have had bouts of bronchitis for about 10 months out of the year for the last 2 years. I am desperate for relief. I am on my third doctor in 6 months and he is treating me with the same drugs.
So far no improvement. So far the bronchitis has caused scarring in my lungs, laryngitis, pulled muscles, and a fractured rib.
I was desperate for help to help me feel better. I spoke to few people who used the treatment here in USA and they all gave a positive response, so i immediately purchased the bronchitis herbal formula and commenced usage, i used the herbal supplement for only 7 weeks, all symptoms gradually faded away, herbs are truly gift from God. Some of these are accurate some are not, study before you use natural Meds. A brief article is not the way to learn. These are meds after all. Treat them as such. The article I found to be fairly accurate considering the plants from a native american perspective, which keeps herbalists out of trouble with the FDA.
It would be so worthwhile to learn more about basic remedies provided by plants that grow near you. Sending you peace and a slice for me. Indian Hill Billy Tehachapi. I am a male of 55 years now and I have been confirmed diabetic. I am having lots of symptom like weak erection, weakness of the body, dry lips and palms, and even restlessness in the legs and shrinking of my general body build ups. My head is itching very much.
I wish my doctor had mentioned that, so I could have monitored my weight more closely. Finally i started on Diabetes herbal formula i purchased from Health Herbal Clinic, i read alot of positive reviews from other patients who used the Diabetes herbal treatment. I used the herbal remedy for 7 weeks, its effects on diabetes is amazing, all my symptoms gradually faded away, i walk very more freely by myself now! I to have copd like to get hold of this herbal doctor if price is not to high I am retired to see if it works I just turned I really think you should also use scientific names when listing edible plants, because common names are used for many different plants or plants in the same group, but not all are safe.
Since rosemary, sage, and lavender are plants of the Old World they would not have been used by Native Americans at least until the plants had been brought to the New World. They did use sage prior to this time but they were sagebrush and its relatives — no relationship to culinary sage. Rosemary, sage, and lavender were not in the New World until they were brought here from the Old World. Sagebrush was and is used by Native Americans and is a New World plant. I have tremors and have tried everything and thought you might have a remedy? I have my husband write everything for me and I use a spoon to eat.
I love your articles laurie. It is best to address this question to a GP since they are the only ones in the position to recommend you treatment for your condition. Your situation is quite difficult and I do have some acquaintances who suffer from this as well. Some of them have tried medical marijuana and that really helps. From what I know, there are more remedies for your condition, most of them are from the natural world and include plants.
One of them is wild lettuce which is widely known for its painkilling properties, but many people consume it for its relaxing properties, you can read more here: Laurie, first thing to do is detox your brain tissue of heavy metals.
Fresh green juice 1cup x per day. All detox heavy metals. Add 1 drop of Frankincense OIl. The mouth is a huge source of toxins entering the body, and the closest tissue to store them in is the brain. Everyone should kill off the bacteria in the mouth every day, and your body will thank you! My grandmother was part Cherokee.
It is a very pungent medicinal smell on a stalk with sawtooth edged leaves. Can anyone identify the real name of this plant? You can email me GrannieOh gmail. I Cassandra Mary Wimbs is very glad for This site.
HERBAL FORMULAS FROM INDIAN TERRITORY - Kindle edition by LELANIE FULLER-ANDERSON. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC. The statements made about products, herbs, and/or remedies have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). They are not intended to.
I think they should be listed By function. For example contraceptives Like cotton root. Licorice root contains a substance called glycyrrhizin that can raise blood pressure in patients. OTOH, it can be useful for someone with plummeting blood pressure, such as going into shock. Nothing written above should be construed as medical advice. At minimum, you should take a six-week break between using it. I smoked for approximately four years, from age 18 to age I am now age 66 plus and was very recently diagnosed with emphysema.
I had for some time now noticed having difficulty catching a deep breath. Never in my wildest dreams did it cross my mind that I may develop a serious lung disease. Last year december i purchased emphysema herbal remedy from Best Health Herbal Centre, my emphysema was totally reversed within five weeks of usage.
Am so happy, now living a normal life. Please all smokers must note, I am only writing this to inform others that if you think you will escape the dangers of a serious lung disease please think about it again because it is not avoidable under any circumstances. I found out that I have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease three years ago.
I hurt so bad everyday, my back and my lungs. I wake myself up at night with my wheezing. I use 2 different inhalers three to four times a day and also do breathing treatments at home.
Licorice Root This root is famously used for flavoring candies, foods, and beverages. A tea from the leaves and berries also reduces fevers. I live in NW Alabama and have wild gingerr in much of my yard. Many of these people will still recall some of the home remedies that their families used, as well as provide information on herbs which they themselves use. Everyone should kill off the bacteria in the mouth every day, and your body will thank you! Rosemary Native American tribes considered this plant sacred. I love your articles laurie.
But i was able to get rid of this disease totally through the means of totalcureherbalfoundation gmail.