Birch - To 80' (24m)
DESCRIPTION: Tree or shrub. Some have bark that peel off in sheets. Oval toothed leaves to 5" (13cm) long. Cone-like oval fruits are up to 4" (10cm) long and disintegrate when ripe.

HABITAT: Wet areas

REMEDY: Strong tea made from bark, twigs or leaves is used as a wash. Gargling tea soothes sore mouth and throat.
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Jewelweed - To 8' (2.4m)
DESCRIPTION: Bushy plant has slender stems. Spotted orange-yellow flowers are horn-shaped.

HABITAT: Wet areas, clearings

REMEDY: Rubbing crushed stems and leaves on skin eases irritation of nettle stings ad poison ivy rashes.
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Alder - To 60' (18m)
DESCRIPTION: Groups of shrubs and trees have distinctive cone-like fruits that do not disintegrate when ripe. Alternate leaves have short stems.

HABITAT: Moist Soils

REMEDY: Strong bark tea is used as a wash. The tea also induces vomiting.
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Burdock - To 9' (2.7m)
DESCRIPTION: Large brushy plant with reddish, celery-like stems. Lower leaves are heart-shaped and hairy beneath. Red-purple flowers are succeeded by spiny, burr-like fruits.

HABITAT: Waste areas

REMEDY: Apply poultice of leaves to irritated area. CAUTION! DO NOT confuse leaves with the toxic leaves of rhubarb.
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Thistle - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Leaves are scalloped and prickly. Flowers are purplish, red or cream.

HABITAT: Waste areas

REMEDY: Strong tea used as wash for stings, boils and poison ivy rash.
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Pipsissewa - To 12' (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Shiny leaves grow in whorls. Waxy flowers bloom in nodding clusters.

HABITAT: Dry woods

REMEDY: Tea is good antiseptic wash for wounds. Also can be used as a diuretic.
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Milkweed - To 6' (1.8m)
DESCRIPTION: Stout hairy plant has sticky stems and leaves and milky sap. Purplish, star-shaped flowers bloom in rounded clusters.

HABITAT: Moist & dry soils

REMEDY: Use tea as wash. Milky sap helps sores heal and removes warts and corns. CAUTION! DO NOT ingest sap.
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Common Evening Primrose - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Leafy plant has terminal spike of yellow, 4-petaled flowers that bloom after sunset. Leaves are lance-shaped and lemon scented.

HABITAT: Fields & roadsides

REMEDY: Tea is an astringent wash.
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Canada Violet - To 18" (45cm)
DESCRIPTION: Leaves are heart-shaped or oval. White flower petals have yellowish bases that turn to violet with age.

HABITAT: Woodlands & stream banks

REMEDY: Use poultice on sores.
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Wintergreen - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Rounded, leathery leaves are clustered at the plant base. Nodding, waxy white flowers bloom along stalk.

HABITAT: Woodlands & clearings

REMEDY: Use poultice on sores, bruises and insect bites.
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Heal-all - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Opposite oval leaves are lance-shaped. Blossoms have a fringed lower lip.

HABITAT: Waste areas, lawns, fields

REMEDY: Use tea as a wash on wounds and sores. Gargling tea will help relieve sore throat.
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Cleaver - To 2' (60cm)
DESCRIPTION: Drooping plant has prickly stems and lance-shaped leaves growing in whorls of 6-8. Small white flowers are succeeded by bristly fruits.

HABITAT: Waste areas & thickets

REMEDY: Use tea as a wash to treat cuts. Is also a strong diuretic. CAUTION! Juice can cause contact dermatitis.
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Coneflowers - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Lance-shaped leaves are slightly hairy. Purple to pinkish flower rays droop around large central disk.

HABITAT: Dry soils

REMEDY: Root or leaf tea is highly antiseptic and used to clean sores and insect bites.
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Common Juniper - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Evergreen shrub or small tree usually grows close to the ground Needle-like leaves grow in whorls of 3. Berries turn bluish-black when ripe.

HABITAT: Dry rocky soils

REMEDY: Strong tea of berries is a good antiseptic wash.
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PLANTS FOR BLEEDING

Oak - To 120' (36m)
DESCRIPTION: Tree produces acorn-like fruits. Alternate leaves come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

HABITAT: Woodlands

REMEDY: Boil acorns to produce an astringent wash that helps to relieve skin irritation and stop bleeding.
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Smooth Sumac - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Long leaves have 10-30 leaflets and turn red in autumn. Small whitish lowers boom in dense clusters and are succeeded by 'hairy' red fruits. Bark is gray and smooth.

HABITAT: Open woodlands & waste areas

REMEDY: Tea of bark and leaves creates an antiseptic wash that slows bleeding. Leaf poultice soothes poison ivy rash.
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Witch Hazel - To 20' (6m)
DESCRIPTION: Shrub or small tree. Leaves turn yellow in autumn and fall off before flowers bloom. Fruits are woody capsules with 4 sharp points.

HABITAT: Moist woods and meadows, primarily found in the east.

REMEDY: Poultice stops bleeding and alleviates itching.
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Horsetail - To 5' (1.5m)
DESCRIPTION: Plant has jointed stems. Branches grow in whorls at joints. Fertile stalk has cone-like head.

HABITAT: Wet areas, roadsides, fields

REMEDY: Tea of sterile stems used to clean wounds and help stop bleeding. Poultice makes a good bandage.
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Common Plantain - To 20" (50cm)
DESCRIPTION: Common weed has broad, rounded leaves. Greenish flowers have purplish anthers and bloom in long spikes.

HABITAT: Waste areas & lawns

REMEDY: Use poultice to stop bleeding and soothe infections and cuts.
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Shepherd's Purse - To 18" (45cm)
DESCRIPTION: Weed has basal rosette of lobed leaves. Small white flowers bloom on erect spikes. Fruits are heart-shaped pods.

HABITAT: Waste areas

REMEDY: Tea is used to clean wounds and stop bleeding.
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Silverwood - To 4' (1.2m) long
DESCRIPTION: Creeping plant has serrate leaves with 7-25 leaflets. Bright yellow flowers are long-stalked.

HABITAT: Moist soils, meadows

REMEDY: Poultice stops bleeding. Tea cures diarrhea.
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Storksbill - To 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Compound leaves have oblong leaflets. Named for its 'beaked' seed pods that point upward.

HABITAT: Waste areas

REMEDY: Tea helps stop bleeding, and is also used to induce sweating.
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PLANTS FOR BANDAGES


Sphagnum Moss - To 8" (20cm)
DESCRIPTION: Tassel-like plant heads are greenish to red in color. Forms peat bogs over time.

HABITAT: Mountainous and northern areas

REMEDY: Create a pad and apply to wound. Replace as needed. Used during both World Wars as expedient field bandage.
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Balsam Fir - To 70' (50cm)
DESCRIPTION: Steeple-shaped tree. Flattened needles grow around branches in 2 rows. Greenish flowers are succeeded by purplish to green cones that grow upright on twigs.

HABITAT: Wet, cool forests

REMEDY: Apply pitch externally to help wounds, burns and sores heal.
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Hemlock - To 75' (23m)
DESCRIPTION: Flat needles grow from 2 sides of twigs, parallel to the ground. Tip of the tree usually droops.

HABITAT: Rocky areas

REMEDY: Poultice of bark is an astringent, helps stop bleeding and speeds healing.
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Prickly Pear Cactus - Pads to 12" (30cm)
DESCRIPTION: Prickly pads grow in dense clusters. Large yellow flowers bloom in May - June.

HABITAT: Dry areas

REMEDY: Make a poultice of peeled pads.

Thanks for the great post. I am so sure that so many will be benefited by this post.
Excellent compilation.

That is a very good list. I have been searching for these type of lists before. Thank you for posting them. I just copied them and took a print out for future reference. Anyway thanks for posting them.

Do you have any pictures to help us identify these plants? I know what some look like, but most of them I am clueless.

Thanks for a great post.

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