The Herb Book

Yeah! I just purchased my first real herb book called “The Herb Book” by John Lust. I knew it was a decent book because not only was it mentioned on herbalist Susun Weed’s site as part of her course materials, I found it mentioned by one of the magick author’s works that I am studying right now.

It has a ton of information. I have more info from other sources on some plants but this is a really good beginning and covers health, some beauty, also what is poisonous, etc. I have been looking through it and finding something “native to northeastern US” plants that I haven’t heard of and then using their Latin or scientific names to Google images so I might ID them on future walks.

This is an important step. Say I wanted to know what “American Ivy” looks like, by using that name alone I get all kinds of Ivy plant pics and not specifically the one plant I want. However, by searching “Ampelopsis quinquefolia” and I find a familliar plant. So other than mentioning and recommending the above mentioned book, I recommend using the Latin names to make sure you have the right plant.

Note: If this plant was used by Native Americans internally as a medicine, and the leaves can be used for making a black dye, did they have a black tongue after using it? Just kidding. But it was a thought that crossed my mind.

Chelidonium majus

A great moment arrived this fine Autumn morning. While walking in the woods in the back, I found this sweet little bit of green growing from under a Rhododendron. Determined to ID the little thing, I plucked a small leaf. Right away I noticed the bright yellow/orange juice coming from the stem where I cut it. The juice had a bit of a smell to it, although the leaf itself had no scent. “AHHHH,” I thought. Something more to go on than “green leaf, multi lobed, pinnate, winged at stalk, etc,” since there was no flower at this time and I didn’t even know if it HAD a flower or was just a green leafy thing.

All in all, it was that liquid that guided me to an answer. I began looking for “dye plants” but after getting nowhere, searched “yellow juice plants” and it was the third one I looked at.

According to “Class-Book Of Botany USA&Canada”, by Alphonso Wood:

CHELIDONIUM, L. Celandine. (Gr. Xελíδωv, the swallow; being supposed to flower with the arrival of that bird, and to perish with its departure.) Sepals 2, suborbicular; petals 4, suborbicular, contracted at base; stamens 24 – 32, shorter than the petals; stigma 1, small, sessile, bifid; capsule silique-form, linear, 2-valved, 1-celled; seeds crested.-Jupitarian. Fragile, pale green, with saffron yellow juice.

C. majus L. Lvs. pinnate; lfts. lobed, segments rounded; fls. in umbels. – By roadsides, fences, etc., arising 1 – 2f high. Lvs. smooth, glaucous, spreading, consisting of 2-4 pairs of leaflets with an odd one. Lfts. 1 1/2 -2 1/2′ long, § as broad, irregularly dentate and lobed, the partial stalks winged at base. Umbels thin, axillary, pedunculate. Petals elliptical, entire, yellow, and very fugacious, like every other part of the flower. The abundant bright yellow juice is used to cure itch and destroy warts. May – Oct. § Eur.

Hello world!

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been out and about collecting and trying to identify the plants and herbs around me. As I walk through my favorite forest, I see trees with these yellow flowers. It was not until later I realized just how many WITCH HAZEL trees are there. (Hope I can remember which ones they are next time I go back!)

Anyway, along the pond there are Cat tails and also this odd plant which I have now identified. No good uses for it that I can see at this time but who knows:

Bur-Reed, Sparganium americanum

I also found several large patches of the following two herbs which are very useful:

Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens

Squaw Vine (Partridge berry), Mitchella repens

 

Lastly, I found a small plant that I have not been able to identify. Anyone with any ideas, PLEASE drop me a line.