Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a berry native to the Americas and parts of both Europe and Asia. Bilberry belongs to the same family as blueberries. Other members of the Vaccinium family include cranberries and huckleberries. Bilberry’s use goes back to Ancient Rome. The fruit was mentioned by both Pliny and …
Pokeweed is a leafy North American plant that was once widely used as medicine and as food by Native Americans. You can find it throughout the Eastern states and in parts of California as well. How it was used differed from tribe to tribe, the Rappahannock people made a fermented …
Bistort is native to Europe and parts of Asia but now grows all over the world. You can find it in the Eastern US, especially in the New England region. It is grown mainly as an ornamental plant but was used as medicine and food for much of history. Bistort …
Black cohosh is native to North America and can be found growing from Eastern Canada all the way down to Georgia in the United States. The herb was used by Native Americans for its medicinal benefits long before the European settlers’ arrival. The Delaware tribe was one of the Native …
Chickweed is a relative of the carnation that was originally native to Europe and has been uncovered in archaeological sites dating back before the Neolithic Era. It grows as far north as the Arctic Circle. This plant can now be found growing in North America and elsewhere in the world. …
Blue cohosh is an herb native to the Appalachian Mountains in North America. It is unrelated to black cohosh despite the word cohosh being in their respective names and the fact that they are both used to treat female medical issues. Blue cohosh belongs to the Berberidaceae family, not the …
Betony is also known as wood betony and is native to Europe as well as parts of Asia and Africa. The herb belongs to the mint family. The Ancient Egyptians used betony and according to their superstition, betony had magical properties that enabled it to protect people from evil. Betony …
The rhizome of the sarsaparilla plant is native to the Americas, including the West Indies. It belongs to the lily family. Sarsaparilla was not well known outside of the Americas until the 1400s. It was at this point in history that explorers took sarsaparilla root back to Europe from the …