8/9/2019 Organic Gardening - Save Endangered Herbs in Your Own Backyard

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NOFA Notes Summer 2006Page 8

Save Endangered Herbs in Your Own BackyardBy Rebecca Snow, UVM student

Medicinal plants have been utilized by humans across the globe as a

primary source of medicine for thousands of years. With the

resurging popularity of traditional healing practices, herbal medicine

has been accelerating in the 1970s; our green healers (medicinal

plants) have both thrived and suffered. Every day, more and more

people are learning about the countless applications plant species

have for supporting human health and wellbeing. Unfortunately,as people learn about these beneficial attributes, many rare

botanicals have been harvested to the point of endangerment, a

phenomenon that has potentially radical ecological implications.

As the negative consequences of unsustainable harvest are

recognized, it is imperative to move forward and focus on how the

gardening community can collectively strive to replenish these

declining populations of vital medicinal plants, by incorporating

them in home or market gardens. According to the American

Herbal Products Association (AHPA), nearly 50% of Americans

use medicinal herbs, resulting in over-harvesting of plant material.

This ecosystem depletion is intimately tied to the lack of education

in many lay-people (non-certified or untrained herbalists), resultingin the removal of the most genetically strong and physically vital

plants. People harvest these plants, perhaps not out of malice or

ill-intention, but with the assumption that the smaller, developing

individuals would simply fill the voids. However, when the

biggest and healthiest individuals are removed, genetic diversity is

also removed. Subsequently, this has caused a decline in the

strength and vigor of wild populations. If threatened species can be

incorporated into garden space, amongst herbs, flowers and

vegetables, and others in the appropriate wild habitat on private

land, the increasing number of endangered and at-risk plants will

decline, and wild populations will resurge, providing future

generations with the opportunity to sustainably interact with these

plant healers.

Two wonderful things about incorporating medicinal herbs into the

landscape are their aesthetic benefits and ecological suitability for

beneficial insects. Many medicinal species such as black cohosh

(Cimicifuga racemosa), can be propagated easily by root cutting or direct

seeding, with plantings at 2ft. spacing. In just a few years, the plant

will produce shoots from the prolific rhizomes, large compound

leaves, and numerous tiny white flowers. This plant is a wonderful

addition to any garden, and much appreciated by pollinating insects.

Black cohosh is thought to provide relief from joint & muscle pain,

as well as increased hormonal balance and stability in older women.

Another plant with great medicinal qualities is the slippery elm, or

red elm (Ulmus rubra), whose inner bark is used as a soothingdemulcent for sore throats & gastrointestinal upset. This plant is

classified as endangered because its efficacy and global popularity has

resulted in over-harvesting. The unparalleled role trees play in the

natural world is remarkable. The far-reaching roots of this plant will

harness nutrients deep within the soil, prevent erosion, help

conserve soil water and nutrients and provide habitat for many

creatures.

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Page 9 NOFA Notes Summer 2006

At Risk Plants

American Ginseng - Panax quinquefolius

Black Cohosh - Actaea racemosa(Cimicifuga)

Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis

Blue Cohosh - Caulophyllum thalictroides

Echinacea - Echinacea spp.

Eyebright - Euphrasia spp.

False Unicorn Root - Chamaelirium luteum

Goldenseal - Hydrastis canadensis

Ladys Slipper Orchid - Cypripedium spp.Lomatium - Lomatium dissectum

Osha - Ligusticum porteri, L. spp.

Peyote - Lophophora williamsii

Slippery Elm - Ulmus rubra

Sundew- Drosera spp.

Trillium, Beth Root -Trillium spp.

True Unicorn -Aletris farinosa

Venus Fly Trap - Dionaea muscipula

Virginina Snakeroot - Aristolochia serpentaria

Wild Yam - Dioscorea villosa, D. spp.

By introducing medicinal species into ones garden, farm, orwoodlot, diversification is amplified in the growth habits, cycles, andproductivity of preexisting species, which works to create a more

vital, attractive, and resilient landscape. The growing herbal marketprovides yet another benefit of planting medicinal species. As manyof the most popular plants are now at risk and cannot be removedfrom the wild, the demand for organically and sustainably grownplant material is high. Depending on the specifications of oneslandscape, the potential for increasing the amount of threatenedplant stock incorporated into a setup can provide enough plant

material to replenish wild populations and generate an additionalsource of income.

However, it would be unjust to approach medicinal plants purely fortheir economic benefit to humans, as these amazing species offer somuch more to the natural world than mere human-health remedies.

We can enjoy the countless ways these plants help us in the healingof our own bodies and those of our friends, family, and communitymembers with great appreciation and sustainable production. Plantmedicines have innumerable applications in supporting human andanimal health and wellbeing- from relieving muscle ailments, toimmune and bronchial system support, to homemade anti-dandruff shampoos and bug-repellants.

If one is curious about acquiring planting stock in order to integratemedicinal plants into the landscape, several organizations can help.

As the beneficial properties of herbs have been recognized forthousands of years, committed herbalists and plant healers havebeen on the forefront of preserving this invaluable resource. Over adecade ago, a group of herbalists who shared a concern for theextermination of medicinal herbs that are disappearing fromtheir native habitats came together to unify their efforts. UnitedPlant Savers (UpS), a non-profit organization in Barre, VT,focuses on the preservation & conservation of medicinalspecies, by developing programs to maintain and increase nativespecies and their habitat, and promoting sustainable and organicproduction as a means of supplying the market with high

quality medicinal herbs.

Since its inception, UpS has provided thousands of goldenseal(Hydrastis Canadensis) rootstock to sustainable growers. A varietyof other roots and seeds are available, at a very low cost togrowers interested in interacting with the plant healingcommunity, by devoting their time and land to the stewardshipand resurrection of these amazing plant healers. Additionally, atthe bottom of this article is a list of at risk species, due to thethreat of over harvesting, habitat destruction, and poor loggingand agricultural practices. Many small seed companies offerstock through their mail order catalogs.

Incorporating threatened medicinal plants into the home ormarket garden, and thereby replenishing wild populations isessential. Our communities can collectively save these vitalmedicinal plant species from irreversible extinction, as we enjoythe beauty and productivity of our enhanced landscapes, andpotential economic opportunities. The alarming rate at whichmedicinal plants are disappearing from the wild is a clear signthat humans need to change the way the natural world is

viewed. Education is the most effective method for promotingharmonious interactions with the natural world. Please informothers about the risks associated with removing plant materialfrom its native habitat, and encourage your neighbors to joinyour efforts in the planting of threatened species.

Resources:

Horizon Herbs, LLC, Williams, OR: www.horizonherbs.comElixir Farm, specializing in Chinese and Indigenous medicinal

plants: www.elixirfarm.com

Richters Herb Specialists, Ontario, Canada: www.richters.com