Notable Native Herbs
The definition of a native herb. for purposes of the Herb Society of America's Native Herb Conservation Committee, follows:
The term ‘native herb' refers to mostly seed-bearing, generally fleshy annuals, biennials, and perennials, aromatic or useful shrubs, vines and trees that grew naturally in this country, without the influence, accidental or intentional, of man, prior to European settlement. The defining characteristic for these plants is their usefulness, past or present, including their value for flavoring, medicine, ornament, economic, industrial, or cosmetic purposes. Spices, traditionally defined as aromatic parts derived from the bark or seeds of a plant, are also included depending upon their history and uses. Excluded from this definition are crop vegetables and hardwood trees used for lumber.
And now, on to those native herbs selected as Notable Natives:
|
Notable Native 2022
Cratageus succulenta Fleshy Hawthorn 
Crataegus succulenta var. succulenta
fleshy hawthorn © Colin Chapman-Lam
CC-BY-NC iNaturalist.org
Mark the faire blooming of the
hawthorne tree, Who, finely clothed in a robe of white, Fills the wanton eye with May’s delight. Chaucer ~ 1300s This large genus of thorny shrubs and trees in the Rosaceae family originates from the northern temperate regions of the world and is found in Asia, Europe, and North America. Every state in the continental U.S. has at least one species of hawthorn growing naturally, with most having multiple species. Due to the complexity of the various forms and hybrids of Crataegus and the questionability of the many assigned names, hawthorns are especially hard to identify. The common names used to describe this plant refer to its notable characteristics and historical uses. “May” is from its time of flowering, “Quickset” from its use as a quick or living hedge, “ haws” refer to its red fruit, and “Bread and Cheese Tree” because the edible fresh young leaves were added to sandwiches. Notable Native Tree
|
Notable Native Herb 2022
Hydrastis canadensis Goldenseal 
Goldenseal in a cultivated setting.
© Katherine Schlosser
The genus name Hydrastis is from the Greek hydro for water and rheo meaning to flow. This may have been an indication of the diuretic properties of the plant. Another possible explanation is that the name was chosen by Linnaeus because of similarities in appearance to the leaves of Hydrophyllum species, or Waterleaf, also native to North America.
The common name goldenseal describes the annual scars left on the yellow rhizome by the plant’s flowering stem; these scars are said to resemble the imprint of an old-fashioned letter seal. Native to Canada and much of the eastern half of the United States, goldenseal has a long history of medicinal use among Indigenous people, particularly the Cherokees and Iroquois. Early arriving settlers quickly discovered the virtues of goldenseal from Indigenous people, who showed them how to use the root for medicine, dye and as an insect repellent. 
Notable Native
2019 Equisetum hyemale Horsetails Equisetum spp., or horsetails, are related to a similar plant growing 350 million years ago, at which time, based on the fossil record, they reached heights of 16 to 60 feet. Today, most US species are in the range of 1 to 4 feet tall.
Rather than producing flowers and seeds, Equisetum spp. reproduce in the sporophyte stage in which a stem with vertical ridges is topped with a cone-like tip that produces spores for the next generation. The dark green stems are whorled at nodes with dark brown scale-like microphylls (single leaf veins) fused at the base and that lack chlorophyll; they bleach out with age. Photosynthesis takes place in the stems. Support for the stem is from the epidermal cells or outer layer of cells on the stem. These cells contain silica, from which comes the plants use for “scouring.” 
Notable Native
|
Notable Native 2019
Ceanothus americanus New Jersey Tea 
Ceanothus species have foamy, white, greenish or blue sprays of flowers. The shrubs or small trees have simple, usually serrated, alternate or opposite leaves and thorns depending on species. There are 54 species and 10 hybrids in the US. Of those species, 46 appear only in the state of CA.
Ceanothus americanus is native in the eastern half of US and CA. It is an upright, rounding deciduous shrub growing to 3.5’ with gray-green, oblong, serrate, somewhat glossy leaves with puckering along the veins. Tiny white, fragrant flowers open May–July in rounded panicles visited by bees, beetles, hummingbirds and butterflies. It has a sturdy, deep taproot adapted to fire. The dried leaves are used as a caffeine-free tea substitute. 
Notable Native
|
Notable Native
|
Notable Native
|
Notable Native
|
ADDITIONAL NATIVE HERBS
Yellow root, Xanthorhiza simplissima
Grows up to 3' tall in full sun to partial shade. Often found growing on steam banks, it will actually tolerate drought and dry soil too.
Beautiful dark maroon flowers with yellow center. Pale green leaves.
The roots are a deep, bright yellow and very bitter. The root has been used as an astringent and blood tonic. A tea made from the roots is used to treat mouth ulcers, stomach ulcers, colds, jaundice and more. Caution is advised in the use of this plant as large does can be toxic (check to determine what "large doses" means before consuming!). The root contains the alkaloid 'berberine' which is anti-inflammatory, astringent, antispasmodic, immuno-stimulant, uterine tonic and antimicrobial.
The NC Unit of The Herb Society of America, Inc. does not recommend consuming plants from the wild, nor from your garden if you cannot absolutely identify the plant to genus and species. Also, many reported uses are historic and reflect a time when little was known about toxicity.
Photo: c.Katherine Schlosser