Rosaceae. Hardy Perennial 3'. Requires a humus-rich moist soil in semi-shade. Succeeds in full sun only soil is moist. Does well in marshy & heavy clay soils. Divide in Fall or Winter.
White flowers June to August.

Companions: Good bee plant. Not troubled by browsing deer. Scented flowers, pollinated by bees, flies and beetles. Noted for attracting wildlife.

Harvest: When in flower & can be dried for later use.

Uses: Young leaves -cooked in soups.
Young leaves, flowers and roots used for tea. Dried leaves used as a flavoring, especially as a sweetener in herb teas. Flowers used as flavoring in alcoholic beverages and in stewed fruits, added to wine or beer, make a syrup for drinks and fruit salads.

Medicinal: Strong, boiled root tea used externally for sores and ulcers.
Leaves and flowering stems are anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diuretic & tonic.
Flower head contains salicylic acid, protects the inner lining of the stomach & intestines, specific in the treatment of children's diarrhea, treats hyperacidity, heartburn, gastritis & peptic ulcers. Effective against diphtheria, dysentery and pneumonia. Not for people hypersensitive to aspirin.

Black dye (roots), yellow dye (plant tops).
Essential oil (flower buds) used in perfume. Strewing herb for almond-like fragrance in the room. Flowers and leaves in potpourri.

Origin: Britain, Spain, Turkey

Rosaceae. Perennial to 2'. Hardy to zone 3. Prefers a well-drained moisture retentive soil. Dislikes shade. Tolerates dry soils. Wintergreen scented ferny leaves. Clusters of tiny cream colored, almond scented flowers, May to August. Plants can be used as a ground cover when planted in masses. Division in autumn or winter. Clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions.

Companion: The scented flowers are pollinated by Bees, flies and beetles. The plant is also self-fertile & noted for attracting wildlife. Rarely troubled by browsing deer or rabbits.
Uses: Young leaves - raw or cooked- added to salads and soups. Root - raw or cooked-bitter & astringent.

According to Culpeper, root powder in white wine was a remedy for kidney afflictions. A root tea is used in the treatment of epilepsy, kidney and bladder stones, genital discharges and intestinal worms. Tea is expectorant.
The flowering tops and leaves contain Salicylic acid which works like aspirin.
Yellow, Blue and Black dyes are derived from the plant.

Origin: Europe

Umbelliferae. Self-Seeding annual to 6 feet. Full sun & well-drained loam, pH 5-6, avoid clay.

Companion: Let some plants flower and go to seed- their lacy blossoms attract beneficial insects. It also attracts butterfly caterpillars, so be sure of what caterpillars are your enemy!
Do not grow near dill, as seeds will cross-pollinate, or cilantro (coriander), as it reduces fennel's seed production.

Harvest: If seeds aren't desired, remove seed heads to get better leaf production. Pick leaves anytime, flower heads as seeds mature. Dig up bulbs in autumn.

Uses: Every part of this plant is edible, and tastes of licorice or anise. To preserve, dry seeds and leaves or infuse leaves in vinegar.
Seed: Use in sauces, fish dishes & bread. Seed is used to relieve intestinal gas- chewed and swallowed or crushed and steeped as tea. Leaf & Stems: Chop over salads & cooked vegetables, into salsa. Add to soups & stuffings.
Bulb: Slice or grate raw into sandwiches or salads. Cook as a root vegetable.

Origin: Mediterranean circa 1000 B.C. Used by the Greeks, Romans, and in monastery gardens throughout Europe. Medicinal use preceded culinary use by centuries.

Oleaceae. Deciduous shrub to 10'. An easily grown plant, it succeeds in all soil types and sun exposures, though it gets leggy in the shade of trees. The flowers are produced early in the year and are frost-resistant. Plants are medium to fast growing.
Flowers are produced on wood that is more than one year old. Any pruning is best done after the plant has finished flowering. Roots freely where the branches touch the ground. It makes a very good tall ground cover.

Different from the ornamental varieties. This is the Chinese forsythia used in the production of herbal medicines.

Harvest: The fruit is harvested when fully ripe and is dried for use in decoctions

Uses: Young leaves - cooked. Caution is advised due to the presence of a glycoside. The leaves are rich in rutin. This plant has been used in Chinese herbalism for over 4,000 years and is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs.
The fruit is a bitter astringent herb that stimulates the heart, nervous system and gallbladder. It contains vitamin P, which is used to strengthen capillaries.
Used internally in the treatment of acute infectious diseases such as mumps, also for tonsillitis, urinary tract infection,s allergic rashes etc. The leaves are poulticed onto ulcerated glands and hemorrhoids.
A decoction of the leaves and twigs is used in the homeopathic treatment of breast cancer.
The root is used in the treatment of cancer, colds, fever and jaundice.
Warning: Leaves contain the glycoside Phillyrin, its potency is unknown.
Origin: E. Asia - E. China.

Hardy groundcover. Well-drained, moisture retentive soil in a sun. Plants spread rapidly by runners.

Companion: Flowers pollinated by Bees, Flies, Moths & Butterflies.

Harvest: Leaves harvested in summer, dried for later use. Fruits when red. Roots harvested in Fall-dried for later use.

Uses : Fruit - raw, cooked or made into preserves. Rich in iron & potassium, an excellent addition to the diet of people suffering from anemia.
Young leaves - raw or cooked, added to salads. Fresh or dried leaves used as a tea. A delicious drink
The root has been used as a coffee substitute in India.

Medicinal Uses: Leaves & fruit are mildly astringent, diuretic, laxative & tonic.
Fruits-excellent food when feverish & in treating rheumatism. A slice of strawberry is applied externally to sunburnt skin.
Tea from leaves is a blood tonic & used for diarrhea in adults & children. Poultice made from powdered leaves mixed in oil used to treat open sores.
Fruits contain salicylic acid- beneficial in the treatment of liver & kidney complaints, rheumatism & gout.
Roots are astringent & diuretic. Root tea used internally to treat diarrhea and dysentery, throat gargle.

Fresh fruit removes stains from teeth in about 5 minutes; used in skin-care creams, tones & whitens the skin, combats wrinkles, lightens freckles, soothes sunburn.

Rubiaceae. Perennial groundcover to 6 inches. Prefers partial shade and damp soil, but can be drought tolerant. Plant forms a dense mat of star-shaped leaf-sets, down the stems.
Leaves smell of vanilla and sweet hay. Tiny white, star shaped, vanilla scented flowers in Spring. A charming grass-substitute, fills in spaces under taller plants. The scent is strongest in the spring as flowers burst into bloom. More fragrant dried than fresh.

Companion: attracts butterflies.

Harvest: clip in the spring as it blooms, dry in dark, cool spot. Leaves are crushed to bring out heavier scent.

Uses:Add fresh or dried crushed leaves in May wine or other drinks. Place in closets to scent clothes and linens. Scent lasts for a long time, use in potpourri & sachets. Historically used as a strewing herb in monasteries, churches, public houses.

Origin: Forests of Asia and S. Europe, Black Forest in Germany.

Rubiaceae. Perennial to 2'. Prefers a loose moist leafy soil in some shade, but it tolerates a position in full sun. Plants are drought tolerant. They dislike very acid soils, so add lime in Spring and Fall. An invasive plant, though it is low-growing and mixes without harm with most garden plants. Yellow flowers in Summer. Naturalizes in waste ground, roadsides, Summer meadows, on all but the most acid soils.

Companion Use: Flea repellant. A food plant for the larvae of several species of butterflies.

Harvest: The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and is dried for later use.

Uses:The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. The chopped up plant can be used as a rennet to coagulate plant milks. The flowering tops are distilled in water to make a refreshing acidic beverage.

Plant contains asperuloside, a substance that produces coumarin and gives the scent of new-mown hay as the plant dries. Formerly used as a strewing herb and for stuffing mattresses etc.

A sprig in a shoe is said to prevent blisters.
A powder made from the fresh plant is used to soothe reddened skin and reduce inflammation, the plant is also used as a poultice on cuts, skin infections, slow-healing wounds etc.

A red dye is obtained from the root. A yellow dye from the flowering stems is used as a food coloring. The dye is obtained from the foliage when it is boiled with alum.

Origin: Britain

Rosaceae. Hardy Perennial. Full to partial shade, tolerated heavy soils, even better with humus or organic matter added. Aromatic. Self-sowing. Divide in Spring or Fall of every 3rd year.
Scented Flowers June-August

Companion: Bees

Harvest: Young leaves anytime; aromatic roots in Spring. Dry roots whole, quickly but not with dehydrator, in utility room, or other dark, warm room with fan. Then store in dark, air-tight container. Don't slice or powder roots until ready to use- to prevent loss of flavor and scent.

Uses: Young leaves & roots, cooked, used as a spice in soups, stews. Roots used to flavor ale, boiled to make a 'tea'; as substitute for cloves with a hint of cinnamon in the flavor.

All parts of plant are anti-inflammatory, astringent. Tea used as tonic for diarrhea, stomach and intestinal problems, irritable bowel; tea as gargle for mouth problems; tea as skin wash.
Clove-scented, crushed or powdered dried root in closets or sachets to repel moths.
Origin: Traditional 16th Century European herb.

Geraniaceae. Hardy Perennial to 2'. Any soil in a sunny position. Rose-purple Flowers Spring-Summer. Tolerates a wide range of soil types, including water-logged soils. Divide in Spring or Fall. Replant clumps direct into their permanent positions. Plants are suitable for ground cover when spaced about 8 apart.

Companions: Pollinated by insects. Rarely troubled by browsing deer or rabbits.

Harvest the roots as the plant comes into flower since it is then at its most active medicinally. Leaves are harvested as the plant comes into flower and are dried for later use

Uses: Entire plant, especially the root, is antiseptic, highly astringent, diuretic, styptic and tonic. Infusion of the whole plant, or roots alone, used to treat diarrhea (especially in children and the elderly), dysentery, irritable bowel syndrome, cholera, kidney complaints, bleeding, and a range of other ailments.
Often used in combination with other herbs. Externally applied to wounds, hemorrhoids., thrush, vaginal discharges and inflammations of the mouth. Leaves & roots rich in tannin, the root containing 10 - 20%.

A brown dye is obtained from the flowers.

Origin: N. America.

Ginkgoaceae. Ginkgo is a very ornamental plant. This species is the only surviving member of a family that was believed to be extinct until fairly recent times.
Hardy deciduous tree to 30'. Succeeds in most soil types if well-drained.
Prefers a dry loam in a position sheltered from strong winds. Plants flower and fruit more reliably after hot summers. Established plants are drought resistant & tolerate atmospheric pollution. Plants can grow in poor hard-packed soil, making them good candidates for street planting.
Slow growing, averaging less than 1' per year.

Plants are either male or female, one male plant can pollinate up to 5 females.
Female plants have almost horizontal branches and deeply incised leaves.
Males have branches at sharp angle to the trunk and their leaves are not so deeply lobed.
Branches of male trees can be grafted onto female frees in order to fertilize them.
The trees dislike pruning and may die back as a result.
The fruit contains butanoic acid, it has the aroma of rancid butter.

Ginkgo is a popular food and medicinal crop in China, the plants are often cultivated for this purpose and are commonly grown in and around temples.

Beneficial: Plants are not troubled by insects or diseases.

Harvest: The leaves are best harvested in the late summer or early autumn just before they begin to change color. They are dried for later use.

Uses: Seed - raw (in small quantities), or cooked. A soft and oily texture, the seed is sweet and tastes like a pine nut. The baked seed has a taste between potatoes and sweet chestnuts. The seed can be boiled and used in soups, stews, etc. An edible oil from the seed. The seed is rich in niacin, is a good source of starch and protein, but is low in fats. These fats are mostly unsaturated or monosaturated.
The raw seed has a fish-like flavor.

Ginkgo has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. Recent research into the plant identified a range of medicinally active compounds in the leaves, confirming the health-promoting potential of the plant.

The leaves stimulate blood circulation and have a tonic effect on the brain, reducing lethargy, improving memory and giving an improved sense of well-being. They have also been shown to be effective in improving peripheral arterial circulation and in treating hearing disorders such as tinnitus where these result from poor circulation or repairing damage by free radicals.

The leaves contain ginkgolides, compounds unknown in any other plant species. Ginkgolides inhibit allergic responses & treats asthma, is effective for eye disorders and senility.
The cooked seed is antitussive, astringent and sedative. It is used in the treatment of asthma, coughs with thick phlegm and urinary incontinence.
The raw seed is thought to have anticancer activity and also to be antivinous. Raw seed should be used with caution, due to reports of toxicity. The cooked seeds stabilize spermatogenesis.

Other Uses: An oil from the seed is used as a fuel in lighting.
A soap substitute is produced by mixing the pulp of the seed with oil or wine.
Wood has insect repelling qualities.

Origin: E. Asia - N. China.

WARNING:The seed contains 4'-methoxypyridoxine, which can destroy vitamin B6. It's unstable when heated, so it's best to cook the seed before eating, to be certain any toxicity is destroyed. It's more toxic for children, but the raw nuts would have to be eaten often over a period of time for the negative effects to appear.

Legumenosae. Perennial to 2 feet. Hardy to zone 5. Part to mostly shade, acidic soil, moderate water needs. Grows best in well-tilled bed with composted organic material. Don't let this plant dry out in Summer & Mulch well for winter.
Rhizomes are many-branched and may grow up to several
feet long. In addition to rhizomes, wild licorice has an extensive system of deep, fleshy roots. Flowers in the summer, seeds are good food for wild birds & waterfowl. Great for attracting wildlife. Commercially cultivated in Russia, Spain, Iran and India.

Harvest: Takes 2-3 years to develop root sizeable enough to harvest for medicinal use. The third Fall, dig plant up, divide it and place half the plant back in the soil for next year's harvest (fertilize this half with a weakened solution of liquid fertilizer for vegetables and vitamin B, to protect the plant from shock).
Wash harvested root, trim off all leaves, peel, shred and dry. When completely dry, store in dark, airtight bottle.

Uses: Root contains glycyrrhizn- many times sweeter than sugar. Add root to tea for a natural sweetener

Root contains glycyrrhizn- many times sweeter than sugar.

Common medical use for licorice is for treating upper respiratory ailments including coughs, hoarseness, sore throat and bronchitis.
use fresh crushed leaf in a poultice for earaches, chew root for a toothache.
Roots traditionally used to soothe stomach ulcers, asthma, bronchitis, coughs. Glycyrrhiza glabra is estrogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic and anti-bacterial. Tea is a gentle laxative for kids.

The second most prescribed herb in China followed by ginseng, for treatment of the spleen, liver and kidney. The Japanese use a licorice preparation to treat hepatitis. WARNING: Licorice can raise blood pressure.

Origin: Ancient. Native to Southern Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean, North America.
First recorded use by the Egyptians in the 3rd century BC.

middle left picture- GLYCYRRHIZA URALENSIS. 'gan cao' CHINESE LICORICE
a large clump about 4 feet tall. The clusters of small lilac flowers are followed by interesting reddish, bristly pods.
In research at Keimyung University in Daegu, Korea, results suggest that G. uralensis may have potent anti microbial activity and that this medicinal herb can be a suitable phytotherapeutic agent for treating MRSA (Staph) infections.

bottom left picture- GLYCYRRHIZA LEPIDOTA. AMERICAN LICORICE’ 'Wild Licorice'.
The Blackfoot Indians of the Dakotas steeped the leaves of wild licorice plants in hot water and used this infusion to treat earache. Wild licorice occurs in a variety of habitats but is most often found in prairie and other grassland communities or riparian areas.

below- GLYCYRRHIZA ECHINATA. ‘RUSSIAN LICORICE’.

Compositae. hardy Perennial to 2’.
Well-drained, average soil in full sun. Yellow flowers May to September.

Companion: Pollinated by Insects.

Uses: Leaves and flowering tops are antispasmodic, expectorant, sedative, a vascular tonic, & blood purifier. Applied externally as a compress on inflamed or irritated skin. Used internally, it slows down the heartbeat and reduces the stimulation of the nerve endings in the air passages that cause coughing - effective in the treatment of asthma.
Extract is prepared by placing the freshly gathered leaves and flowers in a small quantity of simmering water for about 15 minutes.
The plant is used to treat poison-ivy.
Yellow and green dyes are obtained from the flowering heads and pods.
A decoction of the aromatic roots, as a hair shampoo to kill lice

Origin: SW portion of N. America.

Very Hardy Perennial Groundcover. Great for attracting Bees & Butterflies, Full sun, average garden soil. Drought Tolerant once established. Mow when it gets too high.