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Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) Non-Native

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)

Parts used: aerial parts, root

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) Native

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Parts used: flowering tops

Medicinal uses: Acts as a tonic for the nervous system and can be used for nervous exhaustion, long term anxiety, sleep difficulties, as well as depression. It may also be helpful in treating addictions. It may also relieve the lowered vitality experienced in menopause. The infused oil stimulates tissue repair and is applied to burns and wounds. It can also relieve nerve pain and can be massaged into the skin in toothache, sciatica, and joint pain. Internally it can be taken to heal peptic ulcers (Chevallier 108).

Additional uses: Yellows and reds can be obtained from the flower tops and stems depending on the mordant used (Kowalchik 448).

Cautions: Can cause sensitivity to sunlight. Due to possible interactions, seek professional advice if taking a prescribed medicine (Chevallier 108).

St. John's Wort Hypericum perforatum

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

Sphagnum moss (Sphagnum recurvum) Native

Sphagnum moss (Sphagnum recurvum)

Parts used: above ground portions

Medicinal and other uses: The dried moss is light and absorbent; it contains preservatives, an antibiotic, and possibly iodine. A close relative (S. cymbifolium), has been used for centuries to dress wounds and aid healing

Cautions: None known (Bremness 292).   

Sphagnum moss Sphagnum recurvum

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) Native

Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum multiflorum)

Parts used: rhizome

Medicinal uses: This plant is believed to prevent excess bruising and to stimulate tissue repair. It is used mainly as a poultice which helps the application of the plant’s astringent and demulcent properties to speed healing.

Cautions: Do not take Solomon’s seal internally except under professional advice. The aerial parts, especially the berries, are harmful if eaten (Chevallier 252).

Solomon’s seal Polygonatum multiflorum

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) Native

Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)

Parts used: root, rhizome

Medicinal uses: Primarily used as an expectorant, treating cases of whooping cough, asthma, and bronchitis; also taken for upper respiratory problems such as nasal congestion and hay fever; less commonly it is used in the treatment of epilepsy, headaches, vertigo, and rheumatic problems and as a means to stop bleeding.

Cautions: Handling fresh skunk cabbage may cause the skin to blister. Excessive doses can cause nausea and dizziness (Chevallier 274).

Skunk cabbage Symplocarpus foetidus

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) Native

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Parts used: aerial portions

Medicinal uses: Taken today mainly as a nerve tonic and for its restorative properties. It helps to nourish and support the nervous system and calms and relieves stress and anxiety. Its antispasmodic action makes it useful for conditions where stress and worry cause muscular tension. It can be combined with other sedative herbs to treat insomnia and to relieve menstrual pain. Thought by some to cure rabies, giving rise to the common name “mad dog skullcap.”

Cautions: None known (Chevallier 135).

Skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

Scouring rush (Equisetum hyemale) Native

Scouring rush (Equisetum hyemale)

Parts used: stems, rhizomes

Additional uses: The cell walls of Equisetum species are impregnated with silicon dioxide. They were used by native populations on the coast primarily as abrasives for polishing wooden objects including canoes, dishes, and arrow shafts. Various tribes used the rhizomes to decorate baskets. In Europe the scouring rush was used to hone the reeds of woodwind instruments (Pojar 431).

Scouring rush Equisetum hyemale

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

Salal (Gaultheria shallon) Native

Salal (Gaultheria shallon)

Parts used: berries, young leaves

Other uses: A plentiful and important fruit in the Pacific NW, it was eaten fresh and dried and also mixed with other berries. The berries were dried into cakes for preservation and used to sweeten other foods as well as to thicken salmon eggs. The young leaves were chewed as an appetite suppressant. The leafy branches were used in pit-cooking and cooked as a flavoring for fish soups. A tiny cup can be made by shaping a salal leaf into a cone

Cautions: None stated (Pojar 53).

Salal Gaultheria shallon

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

Sage, White (Salvia apiana) Native

Sage, White (Salvia apiana)
This species is native!

Parts used: leaves, seeds

Medicinal uses: It can be made into a tea, which decreases sweating, salivation, and mucous secretions in the sinuses, throat, and lungs. Cold tea can be a good stomach tonic, while a lukewarm tea is good for treating sore throats. The leaves can also be used as a uterine hemostatic tea for heavy menstruation; however, since it can also decrease lactation, nursing mothers are advised not to use it.

Additional uses: Native Americans used white sage in the following ways: seeds were ground into a flour and used for mush; leaves were used for flavoring in cooking; leaves were also eaten, smoked or used in a sweathouse as a remedy for colds; seeds were dropped into the eye and permitted to roll around under the eyelids in order to cleanse the eyes; and leaves were crushed and mixed with water to create a hair shampoo, dye and straightener. The leaves and stems are also used in traditional “smudge” sticks that are used ceremonially to cleanse an area of negative energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_sage).

Sage White Salvia apiana

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

Sage, Garden (Salvia officinalis) and Purple (Salvia off. var. purpurascens) Non-Native

Sage (Garden (Salvia officinalis) and Purple (Salvia off. var. purpurascens))
Both species are non-native to Portland OR

Parts used: aerial portions

Medicinal uses: Remedy against gingivitis and mucosal inflammation of the mouth and throat. Also used as a digestive medicine to treat upset stomachs, flatulence and diarrhea. Also treats night sweats and excessive perspiration. Used as an anti-diabetic and as a culinary herb.

Additional uses: This plant is well known for its culinary uses. Traditionally this plant has been used as an ingredient in perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics. It is also used as an insect repellent. The plant attracts bees and makes a splendid honey. The dried leaves can be used in flower and herb arrangements. Sage tops yield a yellow-buff color to wool mordanted with alum, yellow with a chrome mordant and a green-gray color with an iron mordant (Kowalchik 441-2).

Cautions: Do not take essential oil internally. Best if avoided by nursing mothers as it can dry up the milk supply.

Sage Garden-Salvia-officinalis and Purple-Salvia-purpurascens

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plant Guide (Check out all plants growing in Tryon Farm's medicinal garden!)
 

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