For the benefit of the plant communities, wild animals, harvesters, farmers, consumers, manufacturers, retailers and practitioners, we offer this list of wild medicinal plants which we feel are currently most sensitive to the impact of human activities.
Our intent is to assure the increasing abundance of the medicinal plants which are currently in decline due to expanding popularity and shrinking habitat and range. UpS is not asking for a moratorium on the use of these herbs. Rather, we are initiating programs designed to preserve these important wild medicinal plants.
(Overall at-risk scores are indicated in parentheses.)
Sandalwood – Santalum spp. (Hawaii only) (75)
Kava Kava – Piper methysticum (Hawaii only) (68)
American Ginseng – Panax quinquefolius (63)
Venus Fly Trap – Dionaea muscipula (61)
Sundew – Drosera spp. (58)
Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum pedatum (52)
Cascara Sagrada – Frangula purshiana (Rhamnus) (51)
Squirrel Corn – Dicentra canadensis (51)
Goldenseal – Hydrastis canadensis (50)
Lady’s Slipper Orchid – Cypripedium spp. (50)
Ramps - Allium tricoccum (recently added) (50)
Lomatium – Lomatium dissectum (50)
False Unicorn Root – Chamaelirium luteum (49)
Peyote – Lophophora williamsii (49)
Stream Orchid – Epipactis gigantea (49)
White Sage – Salvia apiana (49)
Osha – Ligusticum porteri, L. spp. (48)
Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis (47)
Virginia Snakeroot – Aristolochia serpentaria (47)
Trillium, Beth Root - Trillium spp. (46)
True Unicorn – Aletris farinosa (46)
Blue Cohosh – Caulophyllum thalictroides (45)
Echinacea – Echinacea spp. (44)
Elephant Tree – Bursera microphylla (44)
Wild Indigo – Baptisia tinctoria (42)
Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa (41)
Stone Root – Collinsonia canadensis (41)
Wild Yam – Dioscorea villosa, D. spp. (41)
Yerba Mansa – Anemopsis californica (41)
Black Cohosh – Actaea racemosa L. (40)
Eyebright – Euphrasia spp. (40)
Pipsissewa – Chimaphila umbellata (40)
Chaparro – Castela emoryi (39)
Pink Root – Spigelia marilandica (35)
Mayapple – Podophyllum peltatum (34)
Slippery Elm – Ulmus rubra (34)
Lobelia – Lobelia spp.
Arnica – Arnica spp.
Gentian – Gentiana spp.
Goldthread – Coptis spp.