Herb Garden
The herbs are a collection of plants that have
medicinal and culinary value. Some
of the plants in our garden are typical weeds found in your front lawn
while others can be found as perennials grown in commercial greenhouses.
In full bloom this section of the garden has been stunning.
Many visitors are attracted to the display and walk away learning
how important herbs are. Some
easily recognizable herbs are Purple coneflower Echinacea pallida, this
herb can be found in stores today to help fight colds.
But did you know that it was used as an antidote for snakebite
and other venomous bites and stings.
We have a wide variety of coneflowers, yarrow, mint, sorrel,
violets, mallow, and daises.
Information about the following herbs includes the genus and
family that each plant belongs to and a small narrative of the significant
role the plant has played and which tribes have traditional used them.
Click
here if you would like to hear Dorothy Decorah talk about gathering
herbs/medicines. Click
here for a transcript. You will need a player to listen to the
MP3 files. Click
here if you want to download a free version of RealPlayer.
Note:
We encourage you to grow your own herb garden, but for the most part,
centuries of experience has shown herbalists what dosages are safe and
effective, and which plants can be hazardous. Be sure you know the
potential dangers of any herbs you are or plan to take for medicinally remedies. We are not licensed herbalists or doctors.
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Herb Processing
In the early morning, after the dew evaporated, the herbs were
picked. This is usually the best time of the day. The plants
were shaken to expel little critters, next the herbs were separated and
the lower leaves were removed. Each bunch of herbs was tied and hung
upside down.
From left to right
1) Goldenrod Solidago sp.
2)
Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta L.
3) Aster Aster sp.
4)
Prairie Coneflower Ratibida pinnata
5) Marsh Mallow Althaea
Officinalis
6) Purple Coneflower Echinacea pallida
7) Hyssop Hyssopus
officinalis
8) Queen Anne’s lace Daucus carota
9) Mint Mentha
piperita
10) Yarrow Achillea millefolium
11) Yellow Coneflower Rudbeckia
laciniata L.
 |
 |
| Close up of freshly picked herbs. |
Herbs separated, tied, and hung to dry. |
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Herbs
Aster (Aster sp.)
Tribes:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
Other:
- Consume with boiled fish
- Seasoning agent
Medicinally used by the Pawnee for skin irritations. The
stems were reduced to charcoal, then set on the skin over the affected
part. The Ojibwa used the leaves for seasoning. The leaves
were boiled with fish and then consumed together.
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Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta L.)
Tribes:
- Ojibwa
- Menominee
- Potawatomi
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Pediatric aid
- Increase the flow of urine
-
Colds
Other:
The Ojibwa used the blossoms of this plant as a pediatric
aid. The Menominee used it for its diuretic properties.
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Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
Among the Omaha children, violets were used in playing a
game. In springtime a group of children would gather a quantity of
violets; then, dividing into two equal parties, one party took the name
of their own nation and the other party took another, as for instance
Dakota. The two parties sat down facing each other, and each player
snapped violets with his or her opponent till one or the other had none
remaining. The party having the greater number of violets remaining was
the victor and playfully taunted the other as being poor fighters.
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Goldenrod
(Solidago sp.)
Tribes:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Cramps
-
Fever
- Stomach cramps
Other:
- This plant served as marker for corn ripening.
The Omaha used this plant as a mark or sign in the floral
calendar. When they were on the summer buffalo hunt, the sight indicated
to them that their corn was beginning to ripen at home. The Ojibwa made
a decoction of the root and applied it externally for cramps. A
decoction of dried leaves was taken for fever. A hot decoction of the
root was applied externally for stomach cramps.
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Prairie Ground Cherry (Physalis
virginiana)
Tribes:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Headaches
- Stomach trouble
- Wounds
Other:
-
Consume young greens
- Children's games
The Ho Chunk used the root for headaches and stomach
trouble. A decoction of the root was applied as a dressing for wounds.
The Dakota ate firm, young, green seedpods with boiled meat in the
spring. The children played games by striking the inflated blossoms on
the forehead or hand.
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Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Tribes:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Coughs
-
Fevers
-
Feeble stomach
-
Cuts
-
Bruises
-
Asthma
- Muscular rheumatism
-
Other lung and chest diseases
Other:
Syrup was made for coughs, asthma and other lung and chest diseases. Infusions were made for fevers. The leaves of this
plant were commonly used to make tea taken with meals. The tea was used
to improve the tone of a feeble stomach, being brewed with the green
tops of the herb. The green tops are also sometimes boiled in soup to be given for
asthma. It was also used as a sweetening flavor in cookery. An infusion
of the leaves was used externally for the relief of muscular rheumatism,
and also for bruises.
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Marsh Mallow (Althaea Officinalis)
Tribe:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Bruises
-
Sprains
-
Hemorrhages
- Muscular aches
- Diseases of the chest
-
Coughs
-
Bronchitis
-
Whooping cough
-
Inflammation and irritations
-
Urinary and respiratory organs
The root of the plant was primarily used for making
decoctions and thick pastes. A decoction was effective in curing
bruises, sprains or any ache in the muscles or sinews. In hemorrhages
from the urinary organs and in dysentery, it has been recommended to use
the powdered root boiled in milk Boiled in wine or milk, Marsh Mallow
was used to relieve diseases of the chest, such as coughs, bronchitis,
whooping cough, etc. It was generally used in combination with other
herbal remedies. It was frequently given in the form of syrup, which was
best adapted to infants and children.
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Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.)
Tribes:
- Ho Chunk
-
Ojibwa
- Menominee
-
Potawatomi
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Chest discomfort
-
Increases milk flow
- Warts
- Stomach trouble
- An appetite increaser
- Snakebites and the bites of venomous insects
Other:
-
Making cordage
Consume young green seedpods, sprouts, and buds
It has a very milky juice, which is used as a domestic
application to warts. The juice has a faint smell and sub-acid taste.
The root can be eaten raw as a remedy for stomach trouble. Other
remedies are for treating snakebites and the bites of venomous insects.
The Menominee ate the buds or made a decoction of the root for chest
discomfort. They also used this plant as a fiber in making cordage. The
Ojibwa made a decoction of the root for women in order to increase milk
flow after childbirth. It also served as an appetizer before feasts to
increase the appetite. Young green seedpods, sprouts, and tops were
cooked as greens.
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Mint (Mentha piperita)
Tribes:
- Dakota
-
Menominee
- Omaha
- Pawnee
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Pneumonia
- Local pain
- Antacid
-
Gas relief
Other:
Wild mint was used by all the nations as an aid in
digestion. It was steeped in water for the patient to drink. Sometimes
this infusion was used as a beverage, like tea, not alone for its
medicinal property but for its pleasing aromatic flavor. The Menominee
made a compound infusion and a poultice applied to the chest for
pneumonia. Crushed fresh leaves were applied to relieve local pain.
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Ox Eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.)
Tribe:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Fever
-
Night sweats
-
Chronic coughs
- Bronchial inflammation
- Pulmonary consumption
Other:
- Drink sweetened with honey
As a tonic, it acts similarly to Chamomile, it calms and
soothes. It has been recommended for night sweats. The flowers are
balsamic and make a useful infusion for relieving chronic coughs and for
bronchial inflammation. The leaves and stalks are boiled and sweetened
with honey, they make an excellent drink for the same purpose. The root
can be used for pulmonary consumption. The Menominee used this as a
fever medicine.
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Purple Coneflower (Echinacea
pupurea)
Tribes:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Snakebite
-
Stings
-
Burns
-
Toothache
-
Poisonous conditions
This plant was universally used as an antidote for
snakebite, stings and other poisonous conditions. It was employed in the
smoke treatment for headaches. It was used also as a remedy for
toothache, a piece being kept on the painful tooth until there was
relief. Burns were bathed with the juices to give relief from the pain.
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Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus
carota)
Tribes:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
- Colic
-
Liver
-
Kidney
-
Bladder
- Painful urination
-
Ulcers
- Abscesses
- Sores
-
Wounds
-
Increase the menstrual flow
- Expel worms from the bowels
Queen Anne’s lace blossoms were used as a tea; the root
and seeds were often ground and used for colic, liver, kidney and
bladder, painful urination, to increase the menstrual flow, and in
expelling worms from the bowels. Grated root made into a poultice was
recommended for ulcers, abscesses, sores, and bad wounds.
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Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Tribe:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
Other:
- The tough elastic stems were used to make brooms to sweep the
lodges.
The leaves were sometimes used to make a drink similar to
tea,
for a sore and inflamed throat. According to the Pawnee, the tough elastic
stems were used to make brooms to sweep the lodges. The plant was also
used to prevent disease.
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Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana Duchesne)
Tribes:
- Dakota
-
Ho Chunk
-
Ojibwa
- Omaha
- Pawnee
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Stomach trouble
-
Cholera
-
Urinary functions
Other:
- Fruit eaten raw
- Tea made from leaves
Many tribes ate the berries fresh from the plant. A tea could be made from the
leaves. The Ojibwa used this plant to treat cholera and stomach trouble.
Click
here if you would like to hear Merlin Red Cloud Jr. talk about the
use of strawberries and other berries. Click
here for a transcript. You will need a player to listen to the
MP3 files. Click
here if you want to download a free version of RealPlayer.
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Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Tribes:
- Ho Chunk
-
Lakota
-
Ojibwa
-
Potawatomi
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Swellings
-
A stimulant
- Headache
-
Dermatological aid
-
Earache
-
Severe colds
-
Fevers
-
Opens the pores
-
Purifies the blood
-
Measles
-
Other eruptive diseases
-
Recommended in the early stages of childrens colds
Other:
An infusion of this herb was used by the Ho Chunk to bathe
swellings. For an earache, a wad of the leaves, and the infusion was put
into the ear. Yarrow tea was a good remedy for severe colds, to reduce
fevers, and in cases of obstructed perspiration. It opens the pores
freely and purifies the blood. It was recommended in the early stages of
children's colds, in measles, and other eruptive diseases.
The Ojibwa placed florets on coals and used the smoke to break
fevers. Sometimes flowers were burned for ceremonial purposes. A
decoction of leaves were steamed and inhaled for headaches. The root was
applied to the skin for dermatological aid. As a stimulant, a dried root
was chewed and spit onto the limbs.
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Yellow Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.)
Tribe:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
The Ojibwa made a compound poultice of blossoms and
applied it to burns. A compound infusion of the root was taken for
indigestion.
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Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)
Tribes:
Traditional Medicinal Usage:
-
Cooling agent
-
High fever
-
Quench thirst
-
Ulcers in the mouth
-
Heal wounds
- Stanch bleeding
- Cure or prevent scurvy
- Increase the secretion of urine
- Reduction of swellings and inflammation
Other:
A decoction made from its pleasant acid leaves was given
for high fevers, both to quench thirst and to allay the fever. The juice
of the leaves was made into a fine, clear syrup, which was considered as
effectual as an infusion. The juice was used as a gargle for curing ulcers in the mouth, and
to heal wounds and to stanch bleeding.
Sponges and linen cloths saturated with the juice and applied to the
body were held
to be effective in the reduction of swellings and inflammation. Other
uses are by the Menominee, they boiled the whole plant as a yellow dye.
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