Big Sagebrush

Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)

Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is the Nevada state flower and one the most abundant woody plants found throughout the Great Basin and is an icon of the American west.

Big Sagebrush can grow up to 10 feet in height, but tend to average less than 3 feet. It is considered an evergreen, although its leaves are more of a grey/silvery color. The leaves are wedge shaped and tend to have three lobes at the end. They also have a distinctive odor when crushed--an odor that is emblematic of the the wild west. The flowers are inconspicuous and yellow, they bloom in late summer--1 plant can produce up to 1 million seeds. The plants prefer dry plains, mesas or rocky areas with deep, well drained soils. They tend to be found at elevations between 3,000 and 10,000 feet.

Three lobed and wedge shaped leaves of the Big Sagebrush

Big sagebrush communities are vital to the Great Basin because they provide an important winter food source for wildlife, including deer and pronghorn, although it tends to be avoided by horses and cattle. Sagebrush also provides nesting cover for sage grouse and other birds, it helps prevent soil erosion and protects animals against harsh environmental conditions such as wind, rain and intense sun. The importance of big sagebrush communities for wildlife habitat is widely recognized. Species of concern that rely upon sagebrush communities include the Greater Sage-Grouse and Pygmy Rabbits.

Sagebrush community in the Pine Forest Range

Big sagebrush was considered an important medicinal plant by some Native Americans, and teas made from the leaves were used to cure a great variety of ailments from stomach disorders to eye soreness. Big Sagebrush was also used as a cold and cough remedy.

Sources:
- Online Nevada Encyclopedia: Big Sagebrush website, accessed January 10, 2012, http://onlinenevada.org/big_sagebrush
- Weeds of the West, 5th E.. Western Society of Weed Science. 1996.
- Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland: Timber Press, 1998.

Clasping Pepperweed

Clasping Pepperweed (Lepidium perfoliatum), also known as Shield peppergrass, is blooming like crazy around the ranch right now. Clasping pepperweed belongs to the mustard (Brassicaceae) family. It is considered a weed and is a native of Europe, but now grows in much of the western United States. It's an easy plant to identify with its uniquely shaped leaves. The leaves along most of the stem are heart shaped and look as if they are clasping at the stem, they also look like little shields surrounding the stem, hence the common names. The leaves on the lower part of the stem look quite different they are fine and pinnatly lobed. The flowers are little yellow tufts located at the end of the stem.

As with all mustards, clasping pepperweed is edible. The seeds can be dried or used fresh as a substitute for black pepper. The greens can be used in salads and have a pleasant taste. Typically, younger plants taste better and are more nutritious, older plants tend to taste bitter, but taste better if boiled. Mustards, in general, contain a good amount vitamins A, B, and C.

In addition, mustard seeds have been used to aid in digestion and can be made into a paste and used as a poultice to the chest to relieve bronchial congestion, however this has been known to cause burning and blisters if the poultice is left on the skin for too long.

As always, before you ingest any wild plant material or use any wild plant material as a remedy please be sure you consult an expert or are an expert yourself.

Yarrow Tea, Yummy For My Tummy

Way back in July I harvested--sustainably of course--a bunch of yarrow (Achillea millefolium) from the meadows above the Ranch. I dried it by placing it in a brown paper bag until it became brittle. Even after drying it, it kept it's characteristic smell. It's important for the dried to plant to smell strong, similar to that of the fresh plant, if it doesn't there's a good chance that it has lost quite a bit of it's medicinal properties and has become relatively useless.

Over the past couple of weeks I have developed irritation in my digestive tract. Yarrow has many medicinal properties, one property being a digestive remedy. Its bitter taste can help stimulate digestion. In addition, it can help reduce inflammation in the lining of the digestive tract.

To make the tea I placed a few of the dried flower heads and a few of the dried leaves into my tea ball. I brought a small pot of water to a boil, then lowered it to a simmer. I then added my tea ball and let it simmer for five minutes. As the yarrow infused with the water the aroma became wonderful and soothing. It smelled so good, taking me back to that summer day when I harvested the plants from the high meadow. Once the infusion was complete, the tea had a beautiful golden color, with a pleasant, yet bitter scent. The tea did taste bitter, but adding a bit of honey can help the bitter taste immensely. I did, however, find that the tea was not as bitter as I had thought it would be, it tasted quite agreeable, even without the honey.

Not long after drinking my cup of yarrow tea I noticed a calming sensation in my digestive tract, the irritation that had been there seemed to relax and I was much more comfortable than I had been earlier. The tea appears to work rather well. This is only the second herbal remedy I have tried, my first being ginger tea, which I tend to use for menstrual cramps. I love learning about plants and how they can help keep us healthy.

Yummy, Yummy Blackberries

The inspiration for this post came a couple of weeks ago on a beautiful, sunny August day.

Our giant cup of freshly picked blackberries, yum!

I don't know if there is anything better than picking blackberries on a warm, beautiful, summer day. Nature provides us with such sweet fruit and getting the opportunity to pluck the fruit straight from the vine yourself - rather than purchasing a pre-picked, prepackaged box from the grocery - is a sweet, heavenly experience. Although...picking blackberries can be a painful experience as well, the vines and leaves are covered with sharp spines and without the proper clothing, can leave complex trails of blood and scratches along your arms and legs.

One of the two blackberry bushes at the Ranch.

Blackberries (Rubus spp.) are in the rose family; they are both edible and medicinal. In Nevada we have Rubus armeniacus, commonly known as the Himalayan Blackberry. Himalayan Blackberries were introduced to the United States in 1885 and are now considered a noxious weed in 46 states, although you don't see many of the plants here in Nevada.

Blackberries can be eaten raw or baked into desserts such as pies and tarts. They are also wonderful for preserving and being made into jams and jellies. The leaves and roots are commonly used for their medicinal properties. Native Americans have used an infusion of the root or leaf to help with diarrhea, dysentery, and hemorrhoids. The root has also been used as an oral aid to sooth sore throats, mouth ulcers, and problematic gums. A syrup made from honey and a mixture of the fruit and roots has been used as a cough remedy.

Fruits on the vine, yummy! If you look closely you can see some of the sharp spines on the vines, ouch!

What a sweet treat mother nature has provided us with!

References:
Moerman, Daniel E. (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, OR: Timber Press.

Little Devils, Little Devils

One of bicyclists greatest enemies is puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris), more commonly known as goatheads. This little plant has caused many a flat tire. They get the name puncturevine because the sharp pointed spikes on the seeds are infamous for puncturing tubes in bicycle tires causing flats. They get the name goatheads because the seeds look very much like a goat's head complete with horns and goatee.

Goathead seeds: picture from: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRTE

In it's early stages of development it looks quite harmless. It grows along the ground forming a mat with steams and leaves radiating out from a central point. The leaves are pinnately compound with small leaflets. They have pretty little five petaled yellow flowers. It's not until the flowers bare their fruit that plant becomes dangerous to bicycle tires and bare feet. The fruit seeds or nutlets turn hard, fall from the plant and are then ready to wreak havoc on world. Puncturevine is considered a noxious weed here in Nevada and is problematic in several states throughout the west, including Arizona, California, Oregon and Idaho.

Pinnately compound leaves of the puncturevine

With all the negative hype surrounding puncturevine, most people are oblivious to the more positive qualities that the plant has. It has been used as an aphrodisiac, boosting hormone production in men and women. It has also been used for urinary tract problems, itchy skin and blood purification. In addition, tea made from the steams, leaves and flowers of the plant has been said to be good for arthritis.

The yellow flower of the puncturevine

Yarrow, My Friend

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is in heavy bloom in the meadows around the ranch. When many yarrow plants bloom in a meadow it looks to me as if a fine sheet of lace has been placed gently over the meadow. Yarrow has a very recognizable, pungent smell. When lying in a field of yarrow the smell will surround you and swallow you up. The smell, I think, could be described as medicinal and it's very strong especially if you crush up the leaves or steams.

Yarrow has many medicinal properties. A poultice of the leaves can be used to help heal and disinfect wounds such as cuts and scrapes. It is also good for normalizing the digestive and circulatory systems. In addition it has been used in remedies for for fevers and colds. It is often taken in the form of a tea. You can use fresh or dried plant parts to make a tea.

Yarrow plant

The fine, feathery leaves of the yarrow plant.

Yarrow blossoms

A bouquet of yarrow blossoms

A Pleasant Surprise

Oh... the joy of seeing an unexpected treasure can bring such pleasure. Last week Dan and I camped at Chicken Creek, an old hunting camp with a creek and a beautiful meadow. The meadow is currently filled with wild flowers. The flowers in the meadow were ones that I expected to see, Wild Irises (Iris missouriensis), Slender Penstomen (Penstonmen gracilentus), Wild Geranium (Geranium caespitosum), blue-eyed Marys (Collinsia parviflora) among others. When I wandered over by the stream I got an extremely pleasant surprise... mountain bluebells (Mertensia ciliata). Mountain bluebells are in my Great Basin plant book, but I didn't think there were many of them around and I didn't think they would be in the Pine Forest range, but there they were, so pretty and delicate.

Mountain Bluebell flower

Mountain Bluebell flower

Bluebells are amazing plants. The flowers and leaves can both be eaten. Both can be eaten raw, however the leaves are covered with small hairs so they are more palatable when cooked. Since there were so few bluebells along chicken creek I decided against tasting them. When I was in Alaska in 2006 we found thousands of them and I ate a few flowers, they really are quite tasty. Medicinally, an infusion of the leaves has been used for smallpox and measles and an infusion of the whole plant has been used by women to increase milk flow after childbirth.

Mountain Bluebell leaf

Mountain Bluebell whole plant

Special Edition: Eagles and Monkeys!

Yesterday was such a fun and amazing day. Dan and I went to Bog Hot, a natural hot spring not too far from the Ranch. We ended up not getting in because the nice pool was warm, not hot and the weather was windy and cold, getting out would have been miserable so we decided to leave it for a warmer day. On the way to the hot springs we saw two immature Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). They were right along side the road. We were about ten feet away from them when they decided to fly off. Eagles are magnificent, it really is amazing how big and powerful they are. Watching them fly off was very cool, "so much beauty it could make you cry."

At the springs my favorite flowers were blooming, monkey flowers (Mimulus guttatus). Monkey flowers are in the figwart family (Scrophulariaceae) and can be found in moist areas along stream banks and ponds. They have beautiful, yellow, bilaterally symmetrical flowers with tiny red spots near their center openings. The wonderful little monkey flower even has medicinal properties, it has been used as an anti-depressant (it lifts my spirits just seeing it)and for pain relief. I love this little flower, so it will be hard for me to harvest, but I am excited to start working with it and can't wait to learn more about it's healing properties. Yay monkey flowers!!!

Special Edition: Dear Little Buttercup

Today (2/27/09) I saw my first wildflower of the season, it was the Sagebrush Buttercup; Ranunculus glaberrimus of the Ranunculaceae or Buttercup family. I really wish I would have taken a picture of it but we were on horseback chasing some cows out of the mountains, so it was hard to stop and take a picture. The flower of the Sagebrush buttercup, as with all buttercups, is yellow... my favorite color!

In the words of the Three Amigos:

Dear little buttercup
Sweet little buttercup,
My little buttercup
I love you!

Ranunculus glaberrimus, this picture is from the USDA Plant Database.

A little about Ranunculus glaberrimus:

It is perennial, with the leaves being mostly basal. The flowers are on stalks up to 10 cm long and typically have five yellow petals. It is usually found in ponderosa pine woodlands and in sagebrush deserts. Being one of the first plants to bloom in the spring, it's not strange that it's the first wildflower I've seen this season.

All parts of this plant are at least mildly poisonous when fresh, but the toxin is unstable and can be decreased by boiling or drying. For medicinal purposes the poultice of mashed and dampened whole plants have been applied externally to relieve sore joint pains. As a poison, the plant has been used in meat as poisoned bait for coyotes and has been rubbed onto arrow points to create poisoned arrows. All parts of the plant are considered skin irritants.

References:

Spellenberg, Richard. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers: Western Region. New York: Knopf, 2001.

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, OR: 1998.

A Walk Along Leonard Creek

Leonard Creek

I went for a hike along Leonard Creek (the ranch’s namesake), which runs from north to south through the ranch. It has quite a bit of water running through right now. I walked north of the ranch for a couple of miles. I wanted to see if I could find any good herbal resources. Around the ranch we have Lombardi poplars – Populus nigra, white poplars – Populus alba, and black locust – Robinia psuedocacia which were planted as windbreaks around the main living area of the ranch. Also at the ranch are many willows – Salix spp.


As I walked upstream I found a few patches of wild rose – Rosa woodsii. They had no foliage or flowers, but they did have some withered rose hips clinging to them. They were located along the bank of the creek and in the small floodplains. Since there are so many of these plants around and they have such great properties for healing and nutrients I am looking forward to working with them.

Winter Wild Rose – Rosa woodsii - with Leonard Creek in the back ground.

Also as I walked along the creek I found many patches of mullein – Verbascum thapsus. I’m excited for spring and summer when this plant is blooming. I want to learn more about the properties of the plant and how to work with it. We have a lot of mullein, both in Reno and here at the ranch, it will be a plant that will get quite a bit of attention from me.

One of the many mullein - Verbascum thapsus - patches. They are kind of hard to see in this picture, but there are quite a few down there.

I can’t wait until spring to see what pops up from the earth. I’m sure there will be plants such as yarrow popping up, but I’m excited to see what others will bless me with their presence… I can’t wait!

Why I Want to Study Herbs and My First Herbal Remedy

Why do I want to study herbs?

• To become closer to nature and the natural world
• To gain knowledge of the natural resources within my habitat
  
• To have a more intimate relationship with plants
• To learn how plants can benefit us and how we can form a mutualistic relationship with them

This list is subject to change as I learn more, but this is what I'm starting with.

This weekend I made my first herbal remedy. I made a nice cup of ginger tea and used some honey as a sweetener. I prepared the tea to help ease some abdominal cramping I was experiencing, it seemed to work really well. To make the tea, I took a piece of ginger root, about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide, that I had bought from the local co-op, Great Basin Food Community Co-op, I peeled it and cut it up into long thin slices. I brought about 2 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan, I then added the ginger slices to the boiling water, reduced the heat and then let it simmer for about 15 minutes, finally I added honey to taste. The flavor turned out really nice, it had the spiciness associated with ginger, however, it was very smooth and not as harsh as the commercial ginger teas I have tried in the past. My boyfriend Dan even liked the taste and he usually does not like the flavor of ginger tea.

Here is some of what I learned about ginger.

Ginger*: Zingiber officinale - Energetics: warm - hot, dry, pungent

Ginger has been cultivated in Jamaica for quite some time. Its origin is uncertain, however, it is thought to be native to Asia growing in India and China. It can be easily grown as a house plant and can be sprouted from a rhizome purchased from your local grocery. Ginger is a classic remedy for colds, flu, fevers, nausea, menstrual cramps, motion sickness and hangovers. It is a mild stimulant which promotes circulation.

*Since I am new to herbology, I welcome corrections and/or additions to the material above.

Resources:

Wardwell, J.A. (1998) The Herbal Home Remedy Book: Simple Recipes For Tinctures, Teas, Salves, Tonics, and Syrups. Massachusetts: Storey Publishing.

Kowalchik, C. & Hylton, W.H. (Eds.) (1998) Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Pennsylvania: Rodale Press.

Wild Rose College of Natural Healing (1999) Ginger. Retrieved January 24, 2009, from http://www.wrc.net/wrcnet_content/herbalresources/materiamedica/materiamedica.aspx?mmid=13