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Native to the high Andes Mountains. The radish like root is highly nutritious while enhancing fertility. It is also reported to be an aphrodisiac. The plant flowers in early spring after over wintering. The creeping rosette plants prefer cool, heavier soil and require very little water.This cultivar is better suited to low altitude cultivation. Easy to grow and very sturdy plant. Perennial. Hardy to zone 3.
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Red Maca, Lepidium Peruvianum. This Maca variety is better adapted to higher altitudes and has a the reputation of being the most potent of the various Maca varieties. It has performed quite well here at 500 feet, but would probably thrive at higher elevations. All Maca varieties will go dormant during the extreme heat of summer, so mark their spot well. Hardy perennial. Hardy to Zone 5.
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This classic herb is an immune enhancing demulcent which soothes sore throats, respiratory problems, the digestive tract and the urinary tract. Excellent for healing the common cold along with ulcers and urinary infections. It acts as a diuretic as well. Has no known side effects and enhances immune function. The leaves and flowers, when dried, make a healing tea although usually the root is dug in the fall. An herbaceous perennial that forms a mound of pretty scalloped green leaves with tall flower spikes covered with delicate pinkish white blossoms. Essential addition to any herb garden. Hardy to zone 4.
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American mandrake. Traditionally used by Native Americans to treat syphilis, hepatitis, fevers and constipation. A derivative of mayapple has proven effective against certain types of cancers. These plants are quite striking in the landscape with waxy white flowers, which are quite fragrant and can tolerate full sun. Hardy to zone 5.
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Traditional use: The leaves and flowers of this plant are high in salicylic acid. It has been used as a pain reliever for muscle aches with the flu and as an anti-inflammatory. It is also used to treat gout, rheumatism and arthritis. Sweet little plant forms a pretty rosette. Enjoys plenty of moisture and a bit of shade in hot summer climates. Perennial. Hardy to zone 3.
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Psychoactive Marigold. An intresting herbaceous perennial in warm climates, an annual in very cold areas. Native to Mexico and Central America. Huichol is a smokable euphoric and stronger than Wild Dagga. The flowering plant is featured in very early magiko-religious art. The part used is the very aromatic bright green dried leaf and the golden flower. The hot tea of the dried plant is harmless. The dried herb has a spicy flavor reminiscent of tarragon. Easy to grow with sweet yellow/orange flowers. Hardy to zone 9.
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Traditional use: This plant is used as a tonic for the liver. The seed of the milk thistle when chewed or ground up and eaten or tinctured can actually heal damaged liver cells and aid in regeneration. Milk thistle also protects the liver from toxins . Helpful for those suffering from Hepatitis C and for those recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. This plant can be invasive if allowed to disperse its seed. Be aware and harvest the seed heads before they burst. Beautiful plant with striking foliage and gnarly thorns. Hardy annual to zone 6.
Not for sale to Washington State
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This mint has a delicious "Double Mint" chewing gum taste and smell. An excellent tea plant. Hardy to zone 5.
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As a refreshing tea and to sniff... if you are a discriminating chocoholic.
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Huo-xiang, Indian Mint, Purple giant Hyssop, Wrinkled Giant Hyssop. Native to Korea, this hardy plant has large, showy, purple spike flowers which are striking in the garden and very attractive to butterflies and beneficial insects. The purple tinged leaves and flowers have a strong licorice flavor. Used in Chinese medicine for summer colds and flu, it has also been used for stomach flu, digestive troubles and combines well with skullcap for morning sickness. Used externally, Korean mint has a strong anti-fungal effect as well. Very lovely addition to the herb garden and will produce a good amount of harvestable leaves and flowers the first year. Likes full sun or part shade. Quite drought tolerant once established but enjoys a rich garden location. Perennial. Hardy to zone 6.
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This mint has a strong citrus scent that is wonderful in mint tea blends.
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Mitcham Black. Plant in a moist rich soil. Likes part shade in hot summer temps. Hardy to zone 5.
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Pineapple mint. Mentha suaveolens variegata. This is a lovely variegated mint with a nice pineapple/spearmint flavor. The plant grows to a foot tall when blooming and makes a colorful mound in the garden. Pineapple Mint is tasty as a dried tea as well. Prefers afternoon shade in hot climates. Perennial. Hardy to Zone 6.
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A good mild tea plant used for upset stomachs. Especially good for children.
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Spearmint is native to parts of Europe and the Mediterranean. Traditionally used to calm the stomach. Pretty plant with textured leaves and lilac flowers. Delicious mild taste for tea and culinary use. Hardy to 3.
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Western Mugwort. This bitter, sharp flavored herb is used in South Western cooking and to make smudge sticks. Great for wreath making. Pretty finely cut silver foliage., Drought tolerant and hardy. Perennial. Hardy to zone 3.
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This herb is Known for its healing effect on the heart. It helps to calm the entire nervous system. Another great herbal ally for women at all stages of life. Can be very helpful for PMS, menopausal symptoms, postpartum stress and depression. Easy to grow. Plant that forms a large mound of pretty scalloped leaves sending up flower stalks to 5 feet with whitish/pink wooly flowers that bees adore. A motherwort plant should grow in every woman’s garden. Hardy perennial to zone 4.
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Syn Leonurus heterophyllus,Yi Mu Cao. This is the motherwort commonly used in Chinese medicine. It is among the 50 fundamental herbs of TCM and is found growing throughout China and other parts of Asia. The aerial parts of the plant are used as a diuretic, for stimulating blood circulation, regulating menstruation, and lowering blood pressure. The seeds are used as an aphrodesiac and as a remedy for conjunctivitis and night blindness. A tea of the leaves used as a wash has been reported to ease itching and pain from shingles. Not intended for use by Pregnant women. This variety of Motherwort is smaller, reaching 3 to 4 feet with very pretty reddish/purple blooms. Easy to grow and widely adaptable to many different soil types. Biennial or self seeding annual. Hardy to zone 8.
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An important plant in Chinese medicine. It has been used as an emmenagogue, diuretic and vasodilator. The entire plant is said to be useful for clearing the eyes, increasing vigor and stimulating circulation. Can be used interchangeably with regular Motherwort. This plant is even showier with finely scalloped leaves and pretty magenta/pink blossoms blooming on tall 5 foot stalks. Biennia.l Hardy to zone 4.
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U. S. Native. The leaves possess a wonderful menthol fragrance that may be used just like peppermint. Excellent bee plant. Perennial. Hardy to zone 4.
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Valued herb since ancient times. Chinese medicine highly values mugwort as the main ingredient in Moxa sticks used in moxabustion of acupuncture points.
In Europe, it was used to flavor beer before the cultivation of hops. Long used as a nervine tea, it can also help to relax and dry the milk supply of a weaning Mother. Traditionally an important ingredient in dream pillow. A strong tea at bedtime is sure to bring on some wild dreams. Can get over 5 feet tall. Mugwort is a graceful plant which make sa great hedge or back border. Will naturalize easily if allowed to set seed. The tops can be cut and dried as the flowers open. Very hardy and drought tolerant. Perennial. Hardy to zone 4.
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Moonwort, Kaat {Karuk Name}. One of my favorite local plants found growing from Northern Baja throughout California and much of the mountain west. Usually stands are found growing along the river bars in the gravelly soils and usually in the partial shade of Cottonwoods or Willows. This aromatic plant was an important medicinal for native peoples for easing flu symptoms, respiratory problems and easing labor pains. Herbalist, Michael Moore, hailed its effectiveness for treating gastric ulcers and biliousness from overeating fats. The hot tea promotes sweating for colds and flu relief and the flowers make an excellent salve that is both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. The tradition of using mugwort to induce wild dreams holds true for this species and it can be taken as a tea or slept on for this effect. Some people like to use it as an incense to purify an area for ritual and its aromatic, silver foliage can be dried and used in wreaths and bouquets. This plant does nicely in a domesticated setting but it requires well drained soil, minimal watering and partial shade particularly in hot summer climates. Plants can reach 3 to5 feet with pretty silver/green foliage and yellow tinged flowers. Perennial. Hardy to Zone 4.
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Greenthread, Dep’E Tewa (meaning Coyote Plant). This attractive plant with finely divided thread-like leaves and yellow coreopsis-like flowers. Native to the plains of the Central US. The leaves make a tasty tea, which has been used traditionally for mild urinary tract problems. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and beneficial insects. The plant is quite drought hardy once established. It prefers a sandy soil and full sun. Perennial. Hardy to zone 3.
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Lesser calamint. Famous as a culinary herb in Tuscany, Italy, where it’s unuusal minty flavor is a distinctive addition to the regional cuisine. Nepitella is a beautiful perennial for the herbal border forming a compact mound of shiny , green oregano-like leaves which become covered with lavender blue flowers to a height of 18 inches. Originating from Southern Europe, this plant was used medicinally during Medieval Times as a digestive aid, a de-wormer, to promote sweating, and for insomnia. The tea was a common remedy for stomach complaints. The fresh minty fragrance wafts through the garden whenever the plant is brushed and the blooms continue through most of the summer. Prefers a well drained sunny location. Perennial. Hardy to zone 5.
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Nootka Rose, Rosa nutkana, Bristly Rose, Wild Rose. This lovely wild rose species was first identified in the Pacific Northwest, but actually ranges all along the west coast as well as a bit inland from Alaska all the way into central California. An important plant to the tribes of the Northwest, the rosehips were often collected during winter as famine food when stores ran low. The fresh spring shoots were eaten as well and the leaves and flowers were used externally for stings, scrapes and as an eyewash. The fresh spring rosebuds are lovely to string as a necklace, and the petals are quite fragrant once dried and delicious added to a tea or cordial. The blooms which are quite showy are a single petal and range from darker pink to pale pink. The Nootka Rose can eventually reach 10 feet in height and 4 feet across when grown unchecked. They prefer a moist location with full sun and are a great addition to a hedgerow or fence line. Hardy to Zone 3.
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Oca, New Zealand Yam.This delicious tuber is almost as widely grown as the potato in the Andes region of South America. Oca plants produce quantities of smaller tubers that are tasty, nutritious, and productive, even in northern gardens!! Rarely grown outside of the Andes bio-region, but highly adaptable. Oca tubers are an excellent addition to the perennial food garden. With clover–like leaves that form a rosette and eventually a ground cover. The tubers are tasty raw in salads for a lemony tang, or cooked. They are high in protein, vitamin C, potassium, iron and tryptophan, and richer than yams. Plant and hill like a potato, water heavily in Fall for larger tubers. Harvest after plants die back and don’t forget to save a few to plant for the next season. Hardy to Zone 7.
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Syrian Oregano, Origanum maru, Bible Hyssop, Egyptian Marjoram. Originating from the Mediterranean and the Middle East, this flavorful and striking type of oregano is one of the largest varieties with attractive green leaves, reddish stems and can reach up to 4 feet in height when in flower. The leaves and flowers have excellent culinary flavor and the same anti-fungal and anti-microbial medicinal qualities as the Greek Oregano, yet the plant is much prettier and less invasive in a garden situation. Syrian Oregano prefers a well drained alkaline soil and full sun and is very drought tolerant, once established. Hardy to Zone 8.
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A perennial evergreen shrub. Native to the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Grape has a bitter and cold energy that serves as a gentle stimulant to the liver while it helps to shrink and dry the mucous membranes. It has been used to treat psoriasis, poor appetite, indigestion, oral herpes and bronchitis. Considered a potential analog for Goldenseal. It has a high berberine content in the roots, which are dug in fall or early spring. The berries make a great purple dye. Plant can grow to 6 feet with shiny green leaves. Perennial. Hardy to zone 5.
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Niu xi. A traditional Chinese herb used to nourish the kidneys and liver, drain dampness and promote circulation. In Chinese medicine it is prescribed for difficult urination, painful urethritis and suppressed menstruation. Commonly used to treat traumatic injuries, stiffness and pain of the lower back and loins and for weakness in the legs and feet. Not to be used during pregnancy. Hardy to zone 8.
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The Paper Birch is a striking tree hailing from the Northerly latitudes. It's white bark that peels seasonally resembles a snake shedding it's skin. Birch trees usually grow in dense groves and can eventually reach up to 80 feet in height. In spring, the birch is covered with male and female catkins which are attractive and fragrant. They give way to a set of lush green leaves beautifully contrasted with the white bark. In the Fall, the leaves turn a bright yellow/gold, and as the leaves drop the bare birch tree in winter has a beauty all it's own. Historically, the birch leaves and twigs were used as a potent anti-inflammatory by native people and European settlers. The leaves and twigs also act as a bitter and as a skin wash for skin eruptions. Extracted in vinegar, the mineral rich anti-inflammatory properties are readily available and a tea can also be brewed for pain relief from the leaves and peeled twigs. The Paper Birch is a great tree for the yard or herbscape and can eventually be pruned to induce sucker growth, which can then be harvested for medicine making. Hardy. To Zone 2.
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![Oca, ”New Zealand Yam” [Oxalis tuberosa] - Product Image](http://www.crimson-sage.com/shop/images/Oca-New-Zealand-Yam-Oxalis-tuberosa-100291-463.jpg "Oca, ”New Zealand Yam” [Oxalis tuberosa]")
![Paper Birch [Betula papyrifera] - Product Image](http://www.crimson-sage.com/shop/images/Paper-Birch-Betula-papyrifera100279-451.jpg "Paper Birch [Betula papyrifera]")