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Medicinal Plants

Medicinal Plants in North Carolina

"The garden is the poor man's apothecary"

–German Proverb

The popularity of medicinal plants across the world is rapidly increasing. In Asian cultures, in particular China, herbal medicines have been common for thousands of years. For Americans, "natural" remedies are relatively new and exciting. The more intrigued the United States becomes with medicinal plants, the more the rest of the world needs to worry about the preservation of them. Plants have been used for their healing powers for at least 5000 years (China). It is probable that for as long as humans had the capacity to understand that nature could heal, they took advantage of it. Having the capacity to understand that a plant can heal and knowing for what it can heal are two separate ideas. Much of the world, in particular the United States, has misinterpreted, misused and/or abused plants and their medicinal forms. In this paper, I will strive to educate you on the importance of several medicinal plants found in North Carolina. My goal is to equip you with the knowledge needed to obtain the benefits of plants, while heightening your awareness of the dangers they face. So sit back, grab a glass of fermented grape juice (great "medicinal" fruit) and enjoy reading.
There are several plant families known for their medicinal properties that are found in North Carolina. I will provide a thorough examination of three species from the Ranunculaceae and Araliaceae. To start, the Ranunculaceae, or Buttercup family, has both poisonous and medicinal species contained in it. One of the medicinal plants found in this family is Cimicifuga americana, named by Michaux in 1803. Its genus was changed to Actaea and the species name to podocarpa, however its classification is still not agreed upon. It has several common names with "Mountain Bugbane," "American Bugbane"and "Yellow Cohosh" being the most widely used. C. Americana is...