For the benefit of the plant communities, wild animals, harvesters, farmers, consumers, manufacturers, retailers, and practitioners, we offer this list of wild medicinals of North America to bring awareness to these sensitive species. Our intent is to assure the increasing abundance of medicinal plants and fungi which are presently in decline due to expanding popularity and shrinking habitat and range.
“Critical”
- Elephant Tree – Bursera microphylla
- False Unicorn – Chamaelirium luteum
- Lady’s Slipper Orchid – Cypripedium spp.
- Peyote – Lophophora williamsii
- Sandalwood – Santalum spp. (Hawaii only)
- Sundew – Drosera spp.
- Trillium, Beth Root – Trillium spp.
- Venus Fly Trap – Dionaea muscipula
“At-Risk”
- American Ginseng – Panax quinquefolius
- Black Cohosh – Actaea racemosa
- Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis
- Blue Cohosh – Caulophyllum thalictroides
- Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa
- Cascara Sagrada – Frangula purshiana
- Chaparro – Castela emoryi
- Echinacea – Echinacea spp.
- Gentian – Gentiana spp.
- Goldenseal – Hydrastis canadensis
- Goldthread – Coptis spp.
- Kava – Piper methysticum (Hawaii only)
- Lomatium – Lomatium dissectum
- Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum pedatum
- Mayapple – Podophyllum peltatum
- Oregon Root – Berberis spp.
- Osha – Ligusticum porteri
- Partridge Berry – Mitchella repens
- Pink Root – Spigelia marilandica
- Pipsissewa – Chimaphila umbellata
- Ramps – Allium tricoccum
- Slippery Elm – Ulmus rubra
- Squirrel Corn – Dicentra canadensis
- Stone Root – Collinsonia canadensis
- Stream Orchid – Epipactis gigantea
- True Unicorn – Aletris farinosa
- Virginia Snakeroot – Aristolochia serpentaria
- White Sage – Salvia apiana
- Wild Indigo – Baptisia tinctoria
- Wild Yam – Dioscorea villosa
- Yerba Mansa – Anemopsis californica
“In Review”
Analog List for At-Risk and To-Watch Herbs
Compiled by Jane Bothwell, March 2000, revised 2006
After introduction to the United Plant Savers list of “At-Risk” plants, students always ask, “Well, what can we use in its place?” Often times the choice is simple: choose a cultivated species rather than one harvested from the wild. When cultivated species are not available, then it is best to find a plant analog. An analog is something having an analogy or similarity to something else. For our purposes, this indicates parallels in function or end results between two or more medicinal herbs.
Following is an alphabetical list of most of the United Plant Savers “At-Risk” and “To-Watch” lists, accompanied by suggested analogs. This list is compiled by the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of UpS.
Download the Species At Risk List
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.
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