Medicinal Monday - Beautiful Broom Snakeweed

Today there are very few actual tangible items that remain from the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  Among the plant items that remain is a sample of broom snakeweed.  Eventually, broom snakeweed was included in a two-volume set of new North American plants becoming part of the 226 specimens that make up the Lewis and Clark Herbarium.  Native Americans living in the western part of the United States had many medicinal uses for this perennial shrub that is part of the Daisey Family.

About Broom Snakeweed

This perennial subshrub is native to much of the western half of North America from Western Canada to northern Mexico and is found in open dry plains, arid grasslands, and in upland mountainous areas.  This bushy shrub grows upward 8 to 40 inches from a woody base.  The stems of this plant have short hairs and may be resinous and sticky to the touch.  

The plant has clusters of small bright yellow flowers that bloom at the end of the stems from mid.-July through September giving it a dome shape when flowering.  The plant reproduces from seeds that are light and spread by the wind, with most seeds falling beneath the parent plant.  It is a hardy shrub that is drought resistant that can be found in a variety of eco-environments from pinyon-juniper woodlands and desert shrublands to sagebrush grasslands.

Medicinal Uses of Snakeweed

Snakeweed was used by numerous Native American tribes for a variety of reasons.  The Blackfoot used the roots of broom snakeweed in boiling water and would inhale the herbal steam as a treatment for respiratory ailments. The Comanche had two uses for this plant.  They used the stems of snakeweed to make brooms for sweeping their residences and made a compound from the leaves of this plant to treat coughs.  The Dakota used a concentrate made from the flowers of this plant as a laxative for horses.  The Western Keres made a strong black infusion and used it as a rub to treat rheumatism, they would use the juice of the leaves to treat rattlesnake bites. The Isleta applied a poultice of moistened leaves to bruises. 

The Lakota would take a decoction of the plant for colds, coughs, and dizziness.  The Navajo would rub ashes of the plant on their bodies to treat headaches. They also chewed the plant and applied it to wounds, snakebite, and swollen areas caused by insect bites. Ceremonially, it was used in medicine applied to the ailing gods.  They would combine it with three-lobed sagebrush and add feathers that were dropped from a live crow and buzzard.  The Navajo, Ramah made a decoction of the root and used it to treat stomach aches and to treat snakebite.  The Tewa would burn this plant over hot coals to fumigate a mother and newborn child, it would also be used this way by women in labor.  The Zuni used an infusion of the whole plant for muscle aches.

Did You Know...

Broom Snakeweed can be toxic to livestock including goats, sheep, and cattle due to the presence of saponins.

Desert mules, birds and small mammals eat the seeds and use its foliage as protective cover.

This plant can produce more than 9,000 seeds a season, and these seeds can remain viable for up to two years.

Broom Snakeweed is among one of the most widespread and damaging rangeland weeds.

When the plant dies back its leaves and brittle stems make great kindling, giving this plant nicknames such as matchweed and matchbrush.

Medicinal Monday - Wild Sarsaparilla

You probably know Sarsaparilla best as a sweet soft drink that was first introduced in the 19th century.  Not to be confused with its tropical cousin belonging to the genus Smilax that is native to  Mexico, the West Indies, and South and Central America, wild sarsaparilla is found in the northern and eastern parts of  North America and grows on creeping underground stems rather than large vines with brambles.  It is a common plant found in the woods of Connecticut.  This plant was used as food when hunting or during wars because it was so sustaining.  In addition, wild sarsaparilla has many medicinal purposes that treated everything from sores to toothaches.

About Sarsaparilla 

Aralia nudicaulis, commonly known as wild sarsaparilla is a flowering plant of northern and eastern North America and can be found in a fairly wide range of habitats, including boreal coniferous and mixed woods forests, as well as in thickets and along bog edges. In the spring underground stems produce compound leaves that are large and finely toothed.  This plant produces tiny globe-shaped white flowers, typically growing in clusters of three that bloom from May through July.  The leaves are bronze in the spring, green in the summer, and yellow or red in the fall.   As the leaves die back purple-black edible berries develop that taste slightly spicy and sweet.  The rhizome of wild sarsaparilla has a sweet, aromatic taste and sometimes it is used as a substitute for sassafras in the making of homemade root beer.

 Medicinal Uses

The Abnaki and Iroquois use a tonic made from this plant to strengthen the blood, and the Algonquin use an infusion of the root to treat children with kidney disorders.  A poultice of chewed roots was applied to treat earaches and a decoction of the root was taken to treat stomach pain.  The Chippewa applied fresh mashed roots to treat sores and chewed the fresh root to stop nosebleeds. An infusion of the root was rubbed on the chest and legs of a horse as a stimulant.  The Cree made a poultice of chewed roots and used it to draw infections out of wounds and would also use it to wash children's teeth to stop the spread of infection, it was also used for teething sickness.  

The Iroquois used the roots in a variety of ways. The most common way it was used was to treat cuts, sores, and ulcers.  The Kwakiutl would beat and roast broken roots and then use them as a remedy for blood spitting and coughing. The Meskwaki made a dressing for burns from the pounded roots.  The Mohegan made a complex compound infusion that included the root of the wild sarsaparilla plant that was taken as a spring tonic and the Ojibwa used an infusion of leaves as a blood medicine and to treat fits. They would also treat fishing nets with the dried root of wild sarsaparilla to attract fish. The Algonquin, Montagnais, and Iroquois reportedly use the berries to make wine. The Kwakiutl roasted the roots for food.

Did you know

The genus name, Aralia is a Latinization of an old French-Canadian name, which may have been derived from the Iroquois language.

Common names for wild sarsaparilla include rabbit root, sweet root, American Sarsaparilla, wild licorice, and Virginia sarsaparilla.

Because this plant grows with groups of three leaves it is sometimes mistaken for poison ivy; the way to tell the difference is that Sarsaparilla lacks a woody base and has fine teeth along the edges of its leaves.

Sarsaparilla Flowers look similar to those of wild leek but don't smell like onions.

American black bears, chipmunks, skunks, whitetail deer, moose, and red fox also enjoy eating the berries of this plant.

Medicinal Monday - Curious Catnip

When most of us think of catnip we think of it as nature's little drug for cats because they are so attracted to it.  Most cats can't resist playing with this perennial plant. Nepeta catataria or catnip is a member of the mint family and is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa.  Settlers took cuttings of this plant with them for food and medicinal purposes when they traveled to the New World.  These early settlers introduced this handy little perennial to Native Americans who began to use it in their medicines and recipes.

About Catnip

Catnip can grow up to three feet tall and is a gray-green perennial with square stems, heart-shaped leaves, and terminal flower spikes that are similar to plants found in the mint family.  Catnip or catmint as it is sometimes called loves full sun and usually blooms from late spring to autumn and has purple flowers.  It is drought tolerant and deer resistant.  Best of all, catnip is a repellent for certain insects like aphids and squash bugs in the garden and bees love this plant.  

Medicinal Uses

Catnip is found in American folk medicine as well as in Native American healing practices.  The most common use of catnip was a tea that was given to children for an upset stomach or sleeplessness. Catnip is used by the Hoh,  Rappahannock, Delaware, and Iroquois tribes for children's complaints such as colds, fever, chills, diarrhea, stomach aches, and headaches.   The Cherokee use an infusion of leaves with honey for coughs and the Chippewa make a simple decoction of leaves that were given to someone with a fever. 

The Delaware combine the leaves with peach seeds to make a tonic for children and the Keres use an infusion of the plant for a bath for tiredness.  The Mohegans use an infusion of leaves to treat colic in children and also used the leaves in a bath to raise the temperature of the body. The Ojibwa used an infusion of the leaves as a blood purifier and the Okanagan-Colville used the top of the plants for colds.  The Shinnecock would dry the leaves and smoke them in a pipe to help treat rheumatism.

Did you know...

Not only domestic cats but also jaguars, tigers, leopards, and lions are attracted by catnip and exhibit the same behavior as domestic cats.  They are responding to the scent of nepetalactone, the aromatherapeutic element in this plant.

Nepeta catataria is thought to have taken its name from the Etrurian city of Neptic -- today the town Nepi in the province of Viterbo,  Italy.

In the 11th century, Europe catnip was prized for its ability to calm nervousness and to promote restful sleep.

About one-third of cats are not affected by catnip!  The behavior is hereditary.

Winter Survival in the Eastern Woodlands @ Institute for American Indian Studies Jan. 26

We often don’t think about the resources we use.  We are displaced from them through processing, manufacturing and shipping.  For Native people living in the Northeast, using resources and preparing for winter was vital to survival.  So how do you find shelter, make food, and stay warm when the weather is cold and your resources are diminished? On Sunday, January 26 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. the public is invited to join the Institute for American Indian Studies educator, Griffin Kalin for a fun and informative program on how to survive in the Eastern Woodlands without twenty-first-century technology.

Participants will learn how to start a fire in the snow, how to find food in the forest, and how to make a shelter from the natural environment.  Visitors will even see examples of how Native Peoples of the Eastern Woodlands lived by visiting the replicated Algonkian village on the grounds of the Institute that is composed of wigwams and longhouses and the remnants of the three sisters garden.  It is an exciting as well as an engaging experience that is suitable for all ages to feel as though you have stepped back in time as you explore the forest and learn the ways of the Eastern Woodland Indians.

To participate in this event be sure to dress warm and wear appropriate footwear because some of this program will be outside. This program is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children, members of the museum are free.  In addition to this program, entrance to the museum with its fascinating exhibits and wonderful gift shop featuring locally made handcrafted Native American art, crafts, and jewelry among other items is also included.

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.  New @ the Institute is an Escape Room - Wigwam Escape 1518.

The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans; the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

Medicinal Monday - Water Parsnip

Thriving in wetland areas this wildflower is related to carrots, celery, and parsley.  It has many medicinal uses in Native American culture from its analgesic and digestive properties to its use as a hunting medicine.  The water parsnip is found in Connecticut and other parts of New England.

About the Water Parsnip

This perennial wildflower is found in the wetlands; it is common along shallow marshy streams and is scattered throughout open wet meadows.   It is commonly called a water parsnip because of its resemblance to the parsnip and because of where it grows.  The stem of the water parsnip is light green and grows up to five feet in shallow water in a cluster of aquatic leaves.  Once the leaves have formed the water parsnip rises from the water and blooms from July to August.  This wildflower creates beautiful small white flowers with umbel inflorescences.  These flowers attract a wide variety of insects; bees seek nectar and pollen, flies, wasps, butterflies, and beetles are also attracted to this plant. 

Medicinal Uses

Edible parts of the plant include the root either raw or cooked, which is said to have a nutty flavor and is often eaten by Native Americans.  The leaves and younger stems are also edible after cooking. The Iroquois used water parsnips for their analgesic properties.  They made an infusion of smashed roots into a poultice to treat pain for a broken limb.   Iroquois women would take a decoction of the roots as treatment for epilepsy and the Lakota used an infusion of the roots to help settle the stomach.  The Ojibwa would gather the seeds of this wildflower and smoke them over a fire to drive away and blind any evil spirits that would steal one's hunting luck. The Shuswap considered the white flowers poisonous. 

Did you know...

The Latin name of the water parsnip is Sium that comes from the Latin word sion meaning "water parsley" and the word suave that means "sweet".

Extreme caution should be taken when harvesting any part of this plant in the wild because it resembles several poisonous plants including the Spotted Water Hemlock, which is the most poisonous vascular plant in North America.

Older plants and flowers should be avoided because they are toxic.