The Gentians
By Richo Cech The root of gentian stimulates the salivary glands and the digestion, while the flowers of this fantastic plant have long excited the gardener and the alpine hiker. The genus Gentiana is extremely diverse, represented by over 200 distinct species worldwide. The plants are distributed globally, mainly occurring in alpine regions. In North America there are 33 recognized species. These include such diverse plants as alpine gentian (G. newberryi), a pale blue flowered, ...
Cultivation of American Wild Yam
By Richo Cech American wild yam (Dioscorea villosa or D. quaternata) is native to the Central and Eastern United States, from Minnesota south to Texas and across to the Atlantic States, excluding the states of northern New England. In northern areas, it can be grown very successfully in a greenhouse, as the plants prefer filtered light and warm, moist conditions. In southern states or on the western seaboard and California, wild yam may be readily ...
False Unicorn Cultivation
by Chip Carroll False Unicorn (Chamaelirium luteum) is a very unique perennial herb native to western Massachusetts to Michigan and eastern Canada, south to Florida and Mississippi (Newcomb 1977, USDA-NRCS 2005). Although the range is extensive, the occurrence of this elusive herb is rather limited and is most commonly found in the south. A member of the Liliaceae Family, false unicorn is somewhat nondescript when not in flower. Plants consist of both males and females, ...
Sustainable Smudge – Growing White Sage on the Canadian Border
By Michael Pilarski Most of us are familiar with the smell of burning white sage smudge sticks – a Native American tradition which has spread far and wide. What percentage of the smudge sticks are wild crafted and what percentage are from cultivated sources? How many people are growing white sage to relieve pressure on the wild stands? I don’t know the answer, but suspect that almost all of it is wild crafted. White sage ...
Black Cohosh
By Deb Soule In the early 1980's while studying the native medicinal plants of North Carolina, I first met Black Cohosh growing wild in the Appalachian Mountains. Its 4-5 foot tall white flowering spires (racemes) were stunning to come upon in the deciduous forests. I immediately took a liking to this plant. A few years later I transplanted two young plants into my garden. Fifteen years later these plants have spread by roots to fill ...
