Wild Plants Used for Medicine and Food
Learning wild plants used for medicine, food, and tools is also known as the study of ethnobotany (how people utilize plants). Edible and medicinal plants can provide healthy alternatives to highly processed foods and pharmaceuticals, bringing greater health into our lives. To effectively use wild plants, one must learn basic plant identification skills, especially for poisonous plants, as well as proper collection and preparation methods. This section of the online library provides articles on edible, medicinal, and utilitarian uses of plants. Articles often include references to excellent books, resources, and classes. We hope you enjoy these resources that can help you discover ways to bring wild plants into your life. You can peruse the articles below and/or sign up to the
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to get updates on new articles. Information and Articles on Wild Plants Used for Medicine and Food: Wild Edible Plants: Benefits, Hazards, and Major Groups We are surrounded by wild plants used for medicine and food everyday. Here are some important consideration for getting started with wild edibles... (read more) Coniferous Forest Plants in the Pacific Northwest Coniferous forest plants are a unique and beautiful part of our world’s biodiversity. They provide food, medicine, wildlife habitat, and materials for tools... (read more) Plants That Repel Mosquitoes There are a variety of both wild and cultivated plants that repel mosquitoes. Almost anywhere you go, it is reasonable to find several plant species that you can use to ward off these pesky critters. (read more) Pacific Bleeding Heart Plants Pacific bleeding heart plants are found throughout the moist lowland coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest. It is a delicate, low-growing beauty, also known as the western bleeding heart. (read more) Red Huckleberry Plants: A Valuable Northwest Native Red huckleberry plants are abundant in the northwest. These delicate translucent berries have been a source of food for generations of Northwest natives, animals and people alike. (read more) Medicinal Uses of Elderberry Plants Blue and red elderberry plants have been used for generations by the native people of the Pacific Northwest as both powerful medicine and vitamin-packed food supplements. (read more) Wild Strawberry Plants: The Sweetest Little Gift of the Forest Though smaller than the cultivated garden varieties, their flavor and sweetness is unmatched. Wild strawberries are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as high in iron, potassium and calcium. (read more) Cottonwood Salve, Part 1: Jan 2008 issue of the Alderleaf eNewsletter Early February is often the best time in the Pacific Northwest to collect sap-filled buds of cottonwood trees for making medicine. The sweet-smelling sticky sap, also known as... (read more) Cottonwood Salve, Part 2: Feb 2008 issue of the Alderleaf eNewsletter Now that you have created cottonwood oil, you can use the following recipe to create your very own medicinal salve. The advantages of a salve is that the medicine is turned into an ointment... (read more) Five Temperate Rainforest Plants to Know in the Pacific Northwest Temperate rainforest plants used for medicine, food, or made into tools. The following wild plants are some of the most useful species in the Pacific Northwest. (read more) List of Medicinal Plants in the Temperate Rainforest A thorough listing of wild plants used for medicine found on the west side of the Cascade Mountains and nearby habitats of the Pacific Northwest. (read more) Identifying Wild Mushrooms There is nothing quite like the feeling of coming upon a strange and wonderful mushroom on a walk or wander! For many of us the next step is mushroom identification... (read more) Medicinal Herb Gardening Using Permaculture Techniques Medicinal herb gardening is a wonderful way to begin incorporating permaculture into your life. Growing useful medicinal plants allows you experiment with small-scale sustainable gardening... (read more) List of Deer Resistant Plants When working with nature in gardening or landscaping it is often helpful to know which plants to consider when deer are a potential concern. Deer can eat a variety... (read more) Edible Weeds: A Different Perspective Everywhere you walk, you are probably surrounded by wild edible weeds. These plants likely have among them some great edible as well as medicinal species. It is truly amazing... (read more) Blackberry Plants : One of the Tastiest Wild Fruits One of the tastiest of all wild fruits grows on the vines of blackberry plants. It is a well-known and well loved plant found throughout the United States. Humans have... (read more) Fiddlehead Ferns Of all the wild edible plants, fiddlehead ferns are some of the most unique and flavorful. Fiddleheads are the unfurled new leaves of a fern. They vary in size, shape and palatability from... (read more) Edible Berries The most delicious treats to be found foraging in the wild, edible berries are a delight to find and to eat! There is a wealth of wild edible berries throughout North America, and a great number of them grow... (read more). Edible Wild Mushrooms Do you want to learn how to find and identify edible wild mushrooms? Learning about edible wild mushrooms can seem like an overwhelming process, but don’t get discouraged... (read more). Poisonous Mushrooms Some poisonous mushrooms can kill you! It is essential to learn to identify the poisonous mushrooms properly and avoid them carefully. The good news is that... (read more) Types of Evergreen Trees How can you tell the different types of evergreen trees apart and which ones are your best allies in a survival situation? Where are they found and what do they look like... (read more) Tree Identification: Do you need help with tree identification? Tree identification is most easily done if you look at the parts of a tree in front of you, and using them, look up the tree in a ... (read more) Tincture Recipes: Making Home Remedies Looking for some great tincture recipes to help you heal and stay healthy? For starters, tincture is typically an alcoholic extract of plants for use as medicine... (read more). Fruit Tree Pruning Instructions These simple fruit tree pruning instructions will help you bring health to your trees and encourage them to produce amazing fruit. Proper pruning can not only maintain... (read more) Permaculture Food Forest Ever heard of a permaculture food forest? It’s a system of food production that utilizes the wisdom inherent in natural woodlands and the understanding of beneficial relationships between plants to... (read more)
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