Grow Your Own Medicinals the heart and soul of UPS

Jane Hawley Stevens Four Elements Organic Herbals Jane Hawley Stevens North Freedom, WI
Four Elements Organic Herbals North Freedom, WI.

Woodland Medicinals
all the plants featured today grow in this region
Goldenseal Black Cohosh Blue Cohosh Wild Yam

Bloodroot
Slippery Elm Solomon's Seal and False Solomons Seal

Goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis

Excellent antiseptic, astringent root Long lived herbaceous perennial, grows in understory of hardwood forests. Needs at least 3 months of cold or freezing to survive, moist, but well drained soil in shade Need to remove pericarp, and keep

Black Cohosh, Cimicifuga racemosa

Classic remedy for menopause, great for relaxing muscles due to injury or overexertion Propagate by division or seed Seed takes 2 years to germinate, can dry seed

Easy from divisions, taken in fall. This is the preferred method.

Blue Cohosh, Caulophyllum thalictroides

Woodland perennial Needs damp, well drained, shady spot. Grow from seed or divisions

Seed takes 2 years to germinate, remove from germination inhibiting fruit and keep seed moist

Wild Yam, Dioscorea villosa

Great plant, (root) for relaxing smooth muscles. So very high in saponins, that it can relieve hormonal discomfort applied topically. Grows in woods, and woods edge, likes shade Perennial vine with heart shaped leaves Propagate from seed or divisions Seed germinates the next year, hooray! Very easy from divisions, the roots are even shallow, and grow

Bloodroot, Sanguinarea canadensis Lovely, woodland spring

ephemeral, gorgeous white, waxy flower and beautifully lobed leaf which need moist, well drained soil and shade to thrive The acrid, red juice of the root is antiseptic, used as a mouthwash to keep gums healthy, and externally to burn off wart s and cancers. The seed cannot dry out. Keep moist in soil or peat moss and will germinate the next spring Propagates from divisions, but do not overwater or they will rot You can use the easy to grow, prolific, Greater Celandine juice

Slippery Elm, Red Elm, Ulmus rubra

Common mid sized tree in this region, but hard to distinguish from American Elm. Inner bark is layered is all red, not mixed with white. American Elm has a white inner bark, sometimes mixed with red. Inner bark is used as a demulcent, slimy and helpful for moistening tissues. Cuttings must be taken from roots or shoots off the roots in the late summer

Prairie Medicinals
Echinacea purpurea Echinacea pallida Elderberry St. Johns Wort

Blue Vervain
Red Clover

St. Johns Wort, Hypericum perfoliatum

Great for lifting spirits internally and healing nerve endings, topically. Makes a beautiful red oil traditionally used on sore or bruised muscles or tissues.

Easy perennial from seed, cuttings or division

Collect seed in September, store in cool dark place and sow in March

Echinacea purpurea or Echinacea pallida

Great immune system stimulant Perennial herb, easy from seed, but benefits from a cold treatment,(stratification) Grows well in most soil types, . Angustifolia likes it too dry for the Midwest. Harvest root in third year. Can also collect leaves and flowers for tea ingredient.

Elderberry, Sambucus canadensis

The medicine chest of the Folk People useful as anti-viral, astringent, febrifuge, vulnerary all parts are useful Woody perennial plant Propagate from dormant cuttings, division and seed Grows easily throughout North America, likes full sun , but can take partial shade

Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata

Wonderful nervine and bitter. Helpful for menopause to take the edge off. The bitters make the body function better.

Beautiful perennial that prefers moist soils, grows around marshy areas. Grows easily from seed, division or cuttings

Growing from Seed

Typically sow seed about 6 weeks before last frost in a warm spot to grow a good sized transplant Use a soil-less mix to reduce losing seeds to fungus Need to stratify, or give a cold treatment to some northern medicinals; put in a cold, moist environment for at least 6 weeks. Like put shallow pot with soil mix and seed in refrigerator, or plant them in soil mix in Feb, then put in cold frame.

Once plants show true leaves, pot up into larger size pot.

Taking Cuttings
Hardwood cuttings often taken from dormant wood Herbaceous perennials need to have intermediate stem, not too juvenile, (soft) and not too woody or hard Put in moist, sterile medium. My favorite rooting medium is 2 parts perlite and 1 part peat moss. Keep at 100%

Dividing perennials
This is done in spring or fall, when the plant is near dormancy Lift plant out of soil and separate with shovel, knife or fingers especially in obvious spots, where it looks like it could be separated without damaging the herb

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