Healing Plants of Springfield

Introduction

Plants. They are incredible. Life's existence depends on them. Food, shelter, medicine and so much more come from plants. Yet, it's the medicinal qualities of plants that many people don't know about. The bothersome dandelions, the prickly blackberry and the allergy inducing Scotch broom amazingly all have important medicinal qualities. It's these medicinal qualities that save and comfort so many lives. From treating cancer to treating colds, these growing wonders have innumerable remedies that have been used for thousands of years.

 Many types of medicinal plants can be found in the Springfield area. It's astonishing how there is so much healing power growing all around us, even under out own feet. Located in the lush Willamette valley, Springfield, as well as the other areas of the valley, grows an abundance of healing plants. Written below are some common healing plants that can be found all around the Springfield area.

 WARNING: This information is not meant for anyone to go out and try preparing the medicine for one's self. It is meant to be an informer of treatments, tried and true, using medicinal plants. Anyone who wishes to try and herbal medicine should first consult a physician.

wild strawberry	pacific yew	pansy	californian poppy	garlic	dandelion	gingko biloba	blackberry	scotch broom

Related sites:

www.plants.com	www.herbs.org/
www.healthy.net

A weed? Well, think twice before pulling this plant out of the yard. We've all seen dandelions and they are everywhere. The bright yellow flowers open during good weather all day and close at night or during bad weather. The stems, roots, and leaves all are dark green and contain a milky juice. From these shoots flowers the parachute-like seeds.

• Taraxin
• Ceryl alcohol
• Lactucerol
• Tannin
• Traces of essential oil
• Inulin
• Choline
• Sugar
• Resin
• Acids
• Vitamins A and B

Recipe

Tea-Take 1 to 2 teaspoons of shredded root or a combination of root and leaves and put in a cup of cold water. Bring this water to a boil for one minute. Cover it and let it sit for about 15 minutes. It is recommended to take this tea morning and evenings for 4-6 weeks or more.

back to top

Garlic is not only used for flavoring in cooking but is used in medicine for its medicinal qualities. The bulb of the garlic plant contains many smaller cloves. The bulb part of the garlic plant is used because the pressed juice contains numerous active principles.

• Arteriosclerosis
• High blood pressure
• Dyspepsia
• Worms
• Low immune system

• Essential oil
• Allicin
• Alliin
• Vitamins A and C
• Nicotinic acid

Recipe

Crush one clove of fresh garlic and spread on bread or stir into lukewarm milk. It's best to take several times daily for several weeks, months or even longer.

back to top

California Poppy-Eschscholzia California

The bright orange to pale yellow flowers of the Californian poppy can be seen all over the Springfield area. The annual or perennial plant produces flowers with four wide petals. The stems and wisp-like leaves are both pale green. The California poppy starts out as a small plant but given time and a sheltered but sunny spot, it will spread and grow quite big.

• Insomnia
• Restlessness
• Over-Excitability
• Nervousness
• Bedwetting

Contains:

• Alkaloids
• Protopine
• Allocytopine
• Flavone glycosides

• Soporific
• Antispasmodic
• Analgesic

back to top

Gingko Biloba

When gingko is thought of we think of a plant from the Far East, but actually it can be found in the Springfield area. The tree usually grows to a height of 30 to 40 meters. The wide, pale green, hairless leaves grow from the broad crown-like branches. The fruits formed on this tree are yellow edible fruits shaped like plums.

• Cerebral circulatory disorders
• Peripheral arterial circulatory disorders
• Alzheimer's disease
• Tinnitus
• Phlebitis
• Leg ulcers
• Cerebral atherosclereosis
• Raynaud's disease
• Headaches
• Clotting disorders

• Flavanoid
• Camphor oil
• Quercetin
• Luteolin
• Catechin tannins
• Resin
• Essential oil
• Fatty oil

Recipe

Tea-Over 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried leaves pour a cup of boiling water and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then drink this a couple of times a day. The longer the tea is drunk the more results can be seen.

back to top

Blackberry-Rubus Fructicosus

The blackberry grows all over and everywhere in the Springfield area. Often it is seen as a nuisance but has principle medicinal qualities. It is a wild and very prickly plant that harbors long sprawling branches with hundreds of sharp thorns. During the summer it becomes black and glossy. A tea can be made from the fermented leaves and the berries can be eaten when ripe.

• Indigestion
• Diarrhea
• Vitamin C deficiency

• Tannins
• Flavones
• Vitamin C
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  back to top

Pacific Yew

The Pacific yew tree is famous to many including those with cancer. The tree is native to the Springfield area but is rarely seen. It is an understory tree found in the shadows of towering trees. It is usually under 50 feet tall and smaller than two feet in diameter. These misshapen trees grow towards light sources giving them no definite form. The green needles have a soft point. The bark is gray and scaly on the outside but bright purple on the inside. The berries that this tree produces are red and highly poisonous to humans.

Naturally produces a chemical called Taxol which is used to treat cancer.

 

back to top

Pansy- Viola Tricolor

The pansy, an annual or biennial herb, can grow in dry or damp conditions. Long stalks bearing beautiful three-colored flowers grow from the leafed base of the plant. The flowers have five petals two of which are usually dark violet and stand up at the top. The lower petal is usually blue or yellow. The two side petals are bent back and range in many colors.

• Skin disorders
• Eczema
• Bronchitis

Saponins Flavonoids Salicylic compounds Tannin Mucilage

Recipe

For eczema:

Tea Take two tablespoons of the dries herb and pour 1 cup of boiling water on it. Wait five minutes before drinking the tea. Best results occur when drunk in the morning or in the evening.

back to top

Scotch Broom- Cytisus Scoparius

The long slim branches of this plant are very tough and woody from which grows many bright yellow flowers and small leaves. Overall, the Scotch broom grows to about 2 meters tall and its roots grow deep. The dark brown pods, containing seeds, are the fruit of this plant. The medicinal parts of this plant are the seeds, flowers and the younger tips of the branches. Scotch broom is used to treat disorders of cardiac rhythm and dropsy.

• Alkaloids
• Secondary alkaloid
• Tannin bitter principle
• Traces of essential oil

• Sparteine
• Tannin
• Flavone glycoside
• Traces of essential oil

Recipe

Tea- Gather blossoms from May to June and dry in the heat or sun. Then, over 1 teaspoon of the dried blossoms, pour boiling water and let it sit for 15 minutes. Drink 1 cup tea twice daily. Gather the rest of the plant form February to March or in October. Dry them in the heat or sun

back to top

Wild Strawberry-Fragaria Vesca

This common wild strawberry can be found covering forest floors or anyplace its shallow woody rootstock touches the preferable humus rich soil. When it does take root it send out numerous hairy runners each with three leaves. Throughout the summer into Autumn the small plant produces white flowers with five small petals, which develop into edible sweet strawberries.

Used to treat:

• Bladder stones
• Kidney stones
• Diarrhea

Leaves contain:

• Tannin
• Vitamin C
• Essential oil
• Silicic acid
• Flavone

Fruit contains:

• Sugar
• Pectin
• Vitamin C
• Acids
• Iron compounds
• Aromatics

Recipe

George Artandi. The Medical Advisor. Alexandria: Time Life Books, 1996.

Thomas William. Medicines From the Earth. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978.