Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

Parts used: flowers (also edible)

Medicinal uses: Well known for its soothing and calming effect. It is commonly blended with other sedative herbs to relieve sleeplessness, irritability, headaches, and migraine. It also helps to alleviate depression. This plant soothes indigestions and colic and relieves gas and bloating. Its relaxing effect makes it helpful for some types of asthma especially where excessive nervousness is a feature. The essential oil is an exceptional first aid remedy. It is strongly antiseptic, helping to heal burns, wounds, and sores. It can be rubbed on insect stings and can be used to treat scabies and head lice. It relieves pain and inflammation. A few drops of the essential oil can be rubbed into the temples to relieve headache and to encourage sleep (Chevallier 110).

Additional uses: It’s exceptional fragrance and ease of drying make this plant an exceptional addition to dried flower arrangements and to potpourris. Vinegar steeped with lavender is reported to be very useful for oily skin (Kowalchik 351).

Cautions: Do not take essential oil internally (Chevallier 110).

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

Japanese banana (Musa basjoo)

Otherwise known as Japanese fiber bananas, they are cold hardy and can be grown in most any climate. Their fruit is inedible. The nectar of the flowers is sweet and drinkable.

Medicinal uses: The roots are diuretic, febrifuge and sialagogue. A decoction is used in the treatment of beriberi, constipation, jaundice, dropsy, restlessness due to heat, leucorrhoea and croton bean poisoning. The leaves are diuretic.

Other uses: A fiber is obtained from the leaf stems. Used for cloth, sails etc. The fiber can also be used for making paper. The leaves are harvested in summer and are soaked in water for 24 hours prior to cooking. The fibers are cooked for 2 hours with lye and then beaten in a ball mill for 4½ hours before being made into paper (www.ibiblio.org).

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

Huckleberry (Vaccinium spp.)

Parts used: fruit, leaves, bark

Medicinal uses: The juice of the berries was consumed as a beverage to stimulate the appetite or as a mouthwash. The leaves and bark were used in decoctions that were gargled for sore throats or inflamed gums (Pojar 57).

Other uses: The fruit was traditionally gathered by many Native American tribes in the Pacific NW. The fruit was an important source of vitamin C and was often dried and useful in trading. The foliage is relatively high in carotene and carbohydrates.
 (http://extension.oregonstate.edu/warmsprings/huck.php).

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

Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)

Parts used: flowers, leaves, bark

Medicinal uses: Bark is diuretic and may be taken to relieve gout, kidney stones, and liver problems; leaves are astringent, useful for as a gargle and mouthwash for sore throats and canker sores; flowers are an antispasmodic and relieve coughs, traditionally taken to relieve asthma

Cautions: Do not take the berries as they are toxic (Chevallier 229).

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