Notable Native Herbs

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Goldenrod and Gentian. Photo by Susan Betz.
​​The definition of a native herb. for purposes of the Native Herb Conservation Committee, follows:
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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.

Notable Native 2012
Lindera benzoin

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)  is primarily an understory species found in the wild in open forests and along forest edges in rich, moderately moist soil and can also be found
along stream banks. It has a wide growing range across the country, subject to winter kill only at the northern extreme
of its range. This is an excellent landscape shrub with multiple season interest. It is most spectacular in group plantings rather than as a specimen.

Notable Native
2013
Monarda fistulosa

Wild bergamot is found in open woods, prairies, fields and roadsides. It ranges
across most of North America, including all of the United States except Alaska,
California and Florida. Of the different varieties of M. fistulosa, some are found
only in limited areas, while others such as M. fistulosa var. fistulosa are widespread.

This Monarda can be grown in gardens throughout the U. S. (in some areas as an annual). Full to partial sun is preferred by wild bergamot. It will tolerate a range of soils, with well-drained loam the best.
Clumps of spreading rhizomes can be divided every few years to enhance plant

Notable Native
2014
Asclepias variegata

Redring milkweed’s habitat includes sandy or rocky open woodlands, thickets, open slopes and ridges, savannas, and rocky streambanks. Native distribution extends through areas of Connecticut and New York south to Florida, and west to Illinois extending to Texas.
Although it is not widely grown in a gar-den setting, placement would be best in part shade to sun in a well-drained soil ranging from sand to loam or clay-loam. Once established, this milkweed should be quite drought tolerant.

Notable Native
2015
Cunila
​Origanoides

Cunila is a branched subshrub with square, erect, wiry stems, appearing woody at the base. Leaves are opposite, pointed-oval, nearly stalkless and slightly serrated, and 1 to 1.5 inches long. The purplish lavender to rarely white tubular flowers appear in clusters at the tip of the stems and in the leaf axils, generally beginning in August and blooming through September. The entire plant is pleasantly fragrant.

Beyond the thyme-like fragrance is the habit of​ Cunila to form frost flowers--thin, undulating eruptions of ice crystals in bands or ribbons in early winter when the ground is not yet frozen but the air temperature has quickly fallen below freezing. In C. origanoides, these formations look like white flowers emerging near the base of the stems of the plant on an early morning under frost conditions. As the sun rises and the day warms, they melt and disappear.

Notable Native
2016
Pycnanthemum

Mountain mint’s common name can be deceiving in telling us about where it grows naturally and how we should cultivate it in our own gardens. As a group, you will find the mountain mints in open, mesic meadows, thickets and on the edges of woods. Their preferred soil type ranges from sandy and freely draining in coastal flatlands to gritty loam on the upper to middle part of a slopes.

In the garden this translates to “no wet feet” in an area that is full to part sun. The species that prefer wetter soils are more drought-tolerant once they are established. During the first year in the garden, keep the soil moist, but not wet around the plant. By the second year, mountain mint will not need to be watered unless there is an extended dry period – more than four weeks.
Some species will grow into large clumps and have been called weedy, but mountain mint is easily kept in a reasonable size through division.

Notable Native
2017
Solidago

There are a number of Solidago species with herbal uses, past and present. “Love it or hate it” describes the history of goldenrod, having been regarded as a medicinal herb, a beautiful plant in the perennial garden, an autumn source of nectar for bees, a wonderful addition to the pollinator garden, a dye herb, and..... as a weed mistakenly blamed for hay fever, a weed problematic for Christmas tree farms, a seriously invasive weed exported to China from the New
World.

Whatever your position on the attributes of goldenrod, it is worthy of proper placement in a garden setting, and of study for the many herbal uses.

ADDITIONAL NATIVE HERBS

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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