Foxfire 11: Wild Plant Uses, Gardening, Wit, Wisdom, Recipes, Beekeeping, Toolmaking, Fishing, and More Affairs of Plain Living

by Lacy Hunter;Foxfire Students Kaye Carver Collins

  “The [tea from trailing arbutus] enlarges the tubes from your kidney to the bladder. It lets those little ol’ stones pass through. I don’t reckon there’s anything that dissolves one of ’em totally. But a [stone] you can hardly see will just nearly kill you. I don’t know how many people I’ve recommended that to [who] stayed out of the hospital. They said they was gonna have to go in [the hospital and have the stones surgically removed], and when they drank that tea, they didn’t have to go. It’s a herb that I [really believe in] as a medicine.

  “It grows wild in the woods. You could find it right now [in December], but a little later on when the leaves settle down in the winter, it’ll be hard to find. Next spring, it’ll have a sweet-smelling flower on it, and that’s a good time to gather it. I can find it, break the leaves off, and pull it out of the ground. I can get plenty of it up on the mountain. It looks different from most other plants. Anybody that’s seen it [would know it]. It has green leaves, and it’s very easy [to get confused] with poison ivy. You want to be very careful when you’re gathering it to not get ivy.”

  Turtlehead (Chelone) grows in swampy areas and along water banks. It can grow up to four feet tall and has a stem that is angled four ways at the base. Toothy leaves are about four or five inches long with flower clusters that bloom in late summer to early fall. Rarely do more than two or three flowers open at once. The blooms are almost always white, very rarely pink. It gets the name “turtlehead” from the shape of its flower.

  This herb is gathered either in its entirety or for the leaves while flowering. If a turtle bit you, you used this plant for a poultice.

  Umbrella Leaf (Diphylleia cymosa) grows from eight to thirty-six inches tall. Its leaves are umbrella-like. A perennial, it produces white flowers, followed by blue berries, from May through August.

  The Cherokees used the root of this plant to induce sweating. It was also considered useful for smallpox.

  PLATE 86 Umbrella Leaf

  Violet (Viola) plants come in many varieties of violets. Some of these are the common blue violet, the bird’s-foot violet, the eastern dog violet, the downy yellow violet, and the green violet. These small plants have flowers that are singular and symmetrical. Most grow well in moist, shady places and bloom in the spring and summer. Flowers have five petals and are bearded. (For a drawing of the violet, see Foxfire 2, page 82.)

  Ada Crone says, “And when we had a fever back then, they’d go out and get blue violet roots and make a tea out of that, and that’d take your fever down.”

  White Ash (Fraxinus americanus) often grows to one hundred feet tall in rich wooded areas. It flowers from April until June. The seeds are winged, flat, and about two inches long.

  This tree is used for the bark from the root and the trunk. Native Americans used inner-bark tea as a strong laxative. The seeds are thought to be an aphrodisiac.

  White Baneberry (Actaea) “is another sang-sign plant of the rich, humusy mountain slopes, the ‘doll’s-eyes’ of the mountain healers,” according to Marie Meilinger. “This is a handsome plant with finely cut foliage and aromatic yellow-green flowers, followed by a cluster of waxy-white berries with red eyes and pink stems. The berries are very poisonous. The roots are potent and dangerous if used in quantity as they contain a substance that can cause marked irritation to the stomach and intestines. It is a violent purgative. It can affect the heart or increase the pulse rate. The roots have a strong aromatic odor, and a small pinch of Actaea supposedly adds potency to other medicines. It is also called the ‘herb Christopher,’ and the ground-up roots are used to poultice snakebite.”

  Wild Garlic (Allium canadense) is not native to the Southern Appalachian region. It grows well in sheltered meadows and wooded areas. The leaves resemble blades of grass. The flowers are small and sit on green stems above several small bulbs. (For a drawing of wild garlic, see Foxfire 2, page 57.) The entire plant has the smell and taste of onion. Numerous Marcus said, “Garlic is good to eat. It’s similar to an onion. You can eat it raw if you want to or you can fry it. It’s good to put on your chest if you’ve got a bad cold or are choked up with the croup. That’ll break it up.”

  Wild garlic can be used fresh. It is sliced and put in with food, especially meats, while they are cooking. To preserve it for later use, just dry it, powder it, and store it in a closed container.

  Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) blooms from April through June. The stem is hairy and grows one to two feet tall. The flowers have five pink or purplish petals. As the leaves get older they are often spotted with white.

  The wild geranium was much treasured for its medicinal values. A treatment for sore throats and mouth ulcers was made from the boiled roots. A tea made from the leaves was used as a treatment for dysentery. Native Americans used it as a tonic and as an astringent.

  Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) is found in rich soil in wooded areas and reaches a height of four to five inches. It creeps along the ground. It has only two kidney-shaped leaves on soft hairy stems. The leaves are dark green on top and lighter green underneath. A single brown flower is produced between the leaves. The root is yellow and has a spicy taste and scent. The entire plant, especially the root, smells like ginger.

  PLATE 87 Wild Ginger

  In fall, the root is gathered. People make an aromatic tea from it for crying babies and for stomachaches. As a remedy for colds, make a tea from powdered ginger or ground-up ginger roots. Do not boil the tea, but add the powdered root to a cup of hot water and drink. Add honey and whiskey if desired.

  Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) is a shrub reaching up to five feet in height and has green-white flowers in round flat clusters in summer. Its common name is sevenbark, and it grows in rocky areas and valleys. It has slim stems and heart-shaped, toothy leaves. The bark sometimes peels back several times to reveal different colors. Native Americans chewed the bark for stomach problems or heart trouble. However, this plant has caused painful gastroenteritis and cyanide-like poisoning. Because this plant is dangerous, readers are asked not to gather it.

  PLATE 88 Wild Hydrangea

  The fresh root is juicy, yet very tough when dry. This shrub is collected for the root which can be used as a diuretic, for kidney stones, or for bladder problems. It is cut into small pieces before drying.

  Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis) grows in damp, woody areas and can be twenty-five feet tall. It has smooth brown bark and produces four-inch leaves. The yellow thready flowers do not bloom until late fall or early winter. The seed nut does not mature and open until the next season.

  This shrub is gathered in the fall for the leaves, sticks, and bark, which contain a potent oil. Native Americans took leaf tea for colds and sore throats. Twig tea was rubbed on athletes’ legs to keep muscles limber and relieve lameness. The twigs were favored for dowsing—searching with a divining rod—for water.

  PLATE 89 Witch-Hazel

  Yarrow (Achillea) is common to the Appalachians and is easily found in open areas such as fields, pastures, roadsides, and meadows. It can be almost two feet tall. Yarrow is a soft, fragrant perennial with lacy leaves. The flowers are white or, less frequently, pink. Flat clusters bloom from May through October. (For a photo of yarrow, see Foxfire 3, page 341.)

  This naturalized weed is gathered in summer for its flowering tops. Herbal tea from this plant was used for colds, fevers, indigestion, anorexia, and internal bleeding.

  Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus octandra) is not edible, but carrying the fruit, or buckeye, of this poisonous tree was thought to be good luck. Buckeyes were also thought to keep rheumatism away.

  PLATE 90 Buckeye tree with fruit

  Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypnpedium calceolarus) grows well in wet, shady places deep in wooded areas. It is easily identified by the showy flower, which looks like a small air-filled bag. It blooms in the spring, and the flowers can be varying shades of yellow to striped or grossly spotted with shades of purple. This plant grows to two feet in height and can have leaves as large as six inches in length
. The root runs horizontal and is fleshy with a foul odor and bittersweet taste. This unusual flower is gathered in the fall for its root.

  Marie Mellinger wrote, “The yellow ladyslipper is a rare beauty of the mountains that once grew with ginseng but has been gathered too extensively by both herbalists and ‘flower lovers.’ The yellow blossoms appear only after the plants are seven years old, and digging the roots destroys the plants. Ladyslipper roots were used by pioneer doctors such as Samuel Thomson and Dr. Hales of Troy, New York, and Dr. Tully of Albany. It was sold under the name ‘nervine-root’ or ‘umbilroot,’ and roots were gathered in late autumn. The roots have a barbiturate effect, and powdered root was used in a teaspoon of sugar-water or added to chamomile or basswood blossom tea. The roots were also a favorite medicine for female troubles.”

  You can make a tea from the leaves as a remedy for headache, and Gertrude Mull told us to use the root for “nerve trouble,” but we ask readers not to gather this plant due to its rarity.

  PLATE 91 Yellowroot

  Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima) grows well in wooded areas in the mountains. It is usually between one foot and two feet tall with a short basal stem topped with a cluster of slender leaves approximately six inches in length. These leaves have five sharp, unevenly toothed leaflets. In spring, purple to brown flowers grow either individually or in small clusters. The roots, which are fairly long, and the bark are bright yellow and are bitter to the taste. This plant is gathered for its roots.

  Marie Mellinger wrote, “True yellowroot, or shrub yellowroot, was also a jaundice medicine and a sang-sign plant. This is a small shrubby plant growing in colonies along streams—usually in valleys or coves. It was grown for medicine. It has finely divided leaves, and lacy racemes of yellow or pinkish-purple flowers in early spring. (For a photo of yellowroot, see The Foxfire Book, page 233.) The long, stringy yellow roots are very bitter tasting. These roots are used in a strong tea for sore throats or stomach disorders, or to lower high blood pressure. It is a favorite mouthwash said to cure sores or cankers of the mouth.”

  Ada Crone recalled, “For kidney ailments we’d go out and get rattleroot or yellowroot. Sometimes they’d be mixed up together or sometimes they’d make just a yellowroot tea. They’d make you drink that instead of water. Whenever you drank anything, it had to be that tea.”

  Gertrude Mull told us, “Yellowroot is good for infection too. That’s the best thing in the world for ulcerated stomach. A lot of people used to come to Grandpa, wanted him to fix them up a tea [of yellowroot].”

  Clarence Lusk said, “I can go down here on the creek and hunt me up some yellowroot. I use it when I get a little of ulcer on my tongue or on my lips sometimes. I generally just chew it. It’s bitter! It’s got the right name—it’s yellow.”

  Charles Thurmond added, “The yellowroot here has roots that are really good for dyeing things. It is also good for any kind of sores.”

  WILD PLANT FOOD USES

  American Beech (Fagus grandifolid) is a tall tree with smooth gray bark and coarse-toothed leaves. (For a photo of it, see Foxfire 3, page 350.) It produces small triangular edible nuts in a burr-like husk. These are good to eat if you can get to them before the animals do. It bears fruit in September and October.

  Bilberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a shrub that can be one foot to seven feet tall and grows in wet, shaded areas. Leaves are small, ovate, serrated, and veined. The berries resemble small blueberries or huckleberries, but they have white specks. (More information concerning this berry, including a drawing of the plant, can be found in Foxfire 3, pages 291-92.)

  Canada Violet (Viola canadensis) is found in bloom from April to July in rich deciduous woods. Its white petals, tinted purple on the back, are among the loveliest of spring flowers. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads, fried in butter, chopped for an omelet, or put in consommé. However, violet leaves should be used sparingly.

  Creases or Winter Cress (Barbarea Vulgaris) is a damp-soil lover, often growing in old cornfields, lowlands, and bottoms. Also called wild turnip greens, creases have lacy leaves and tiny yellow flowers when older. The root is a tiny bulb. (For a photo of creases, see Foxfire 2, page 78.)

  Pick the leaves when young, parboil them for about ten minutes, and then boil with a piece of fatback until tender. They can also be eaten fried. Chop them up fine, drop in hot lard, cover, and cook slowly until tender. They can be used raw in salads. They are much stronger than turnips.

  Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) can be found almost anywhere, but especially in lawns, fields, and most other open places. It produces a bright yellow flower followed by a fluffy, white ball of seeds. The entire plant is filled with a milky juice and has a large, deep-running root. (For photos of the dandelion, see Foxfire 2, pages 55 and 89.)

  In the spring, a dandelion’s young leaves are eaten uncooked in salads. The greens can be boiled about twenty minutes in water with fatback added, or they can be fried in grease until tender. Season with salt and pepper. In summer and fall, the root is used. At this time, the milky juice thickens and becomes bitter. After drying, the root should be used soon because age causes it to lose its medicinal potency. The root of the dandelion could be used as a substitute for coffee. To accomplish this, the roots were roasted until crisp and dark brown inside and then ground.

  Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) grows in rich, damp ground in low areas. It can reach ten feet tall and produces many light gray branches. Large leaves have as many as eleven leaflets and can be five inches long. Its fragrant white flowers grow in June and July. It also has purplish black fruit from July to September that is round and juicy. (For photos of this shrub, see Foxfire 3, pages 293–94.)

  Elderberry is gathered in summer for the fully bloomed flowers, which are dried, and for the ripe berries. The berries can also be dried if caution is used to avoid mold. The bark, roots, leaves, and unripe berries are toxic, but the flowers and ripe berries are edible. The older mountain people used to make fritters out of the blooms by dipping them in a thin batter and frying in grease. The berries are eaten plain or used for jelly, pie, and wine.

  Hawthorn (Crataegus) can reach thirty feet in height. Its flowers are white or pale pink. Some hawthorns have small edible fruits, or haws, that taste like apples and are used to make jam, jelly, and tea.

  Honey Locust (Gleditsia tnacanthos) is a small thorny tree with green flower spikes. Fall brings long, flat seedpods that are dark brown and rich when ripe. The seedpods may be eaten raw, used in making persimmon beer, or broken up and put into bread. The wood is often used for fence posts.

  Huckleberry (Gaylussacia) is a small shrub, usually only about a foot high, and bears round, blue berries. Leaves are leathery (For a photo of this shrub, see Foxfire 3, page 288.)

  Huckleberries, also called wild blueberries or buckberries, enjoy mountainous areas and are sought for the ripe berries produced in late spring to early summer. They are very similar to tame blueberries, but they are a little larger, darker, and more sour. They are eaten plain, with cream and sugar, or used in pie, preserves, jelly, or wine.

  Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is the fruit of a low, umbrella-shaped plant that grows on the forest floor in the Southern Appalachians. It has smooth, dark green leaves and stands about one foot high. The single flower, which appears in spring, is white and is followed by a lemon-shaped fruit. The fruit is yellow-orange in color when ripe, and it is about three-fourths of an inch in diameter. (For a photo of the mayapple, see Foxfire 3, page 298.)

  This plant is gathered for the ripe fruit. It tastes a little like an orange and is eaten plain. It can also be made into a delicious jam.

  Mint comes in many different varieties. These are some of the most common:

  Spearmint (Mentha spicata) grows in moist open places and has lance-shaped leaves with narrow flower spikes. It is gathered for the dried leaves and flower tops. Flowers are gathered before reaching full bloom. (For a drawing of spearmint, see Foxfire 3, page 339.)


  Peppermint (Mentha pipenta) grows in damp places and can reach three feet in height. It has long roots and pointed leaves of lengths up to two inches. In summer, purple blossoms appear in a circular pattern in thick spikes. (For a photo of peppermint, see Foxfire 3, page 339.) This plant is gathered for the leaves and tops just as the flowers start to open. In the summer or fall, gather the stems and leaves of peppermint, pour boiling water over them, and let stand for several minutes. Strain and sweeten with sugar or syrup.

  White Horse Mint (Monarda punctata) enjoys dry soil in open areas and has several brown stems topped with light yellow flower clusters. Leaves are narrow and are positioned at the base and the midpoint of each stem. (For a drawing and a photo of white horse mint, see Foxfire 3, pages 335—36.) Gather mint leaves in the summer when the plant is young, just before or just after blooming. Boil the leaves in water, strain, and sweeten with honey. It is used for an exceptionally pleasant tea and as a cold remedy. (More information on mints can be found in Foxfire 3, pages 333–42.)

  Mulberry (Morus rubra) is a small tree that enjoys fertile, well-drained soil. The leaves are hairy and ovate, and the female flowers become the fruits, which are commonly called berries. (For a photo of this tree, see Foxfire 3, page 277.)

  The berries of the mulberry tree were very popular in Southern Appalachia for pie, jam, jelly, and wine. Lawton Brooks said, “They’s a black old berry ’bout an inch and a half long, and they grow on a big of tree. Best berry I ever eat cold.”

  Mustard (Brassica) is described on page 137. The variety called turkey mustard is small and grows mainly along creek banks. The leaves are dark green on top and purplish underneath, and they taste very much like tame mustard. People eat the leaves raw, or they pour hot grease and a little vinegar over them. (For a photo of turkey mustard, see Foxfire 2, page 81.)