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, typically the females are the only plants that produce seed although both the male and female plants flower. Commonly referred to as colic root, devil's bit, fairy wand, helonias root, star grub root or grub root, this species is often confused with true unicorn (Aletris farinosa). The rhizome of Chamaelirium curves upward at the tip giving it the appearance of having a horn and has been cited as the source for its common name; false unicorn. It is the rhizome of this plant that is sought after medicinally. Unfortunately; much like American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), harvesting the rhizome also kills the entire plant making this species critical to cultivate. Although false unicorn has been highly valued as one of the most reliable tonics available for women, many herbalists and herbal companies will not buy, sell or trade this species because it is currently sourced exclusively from the wild with no major cultivation of this plant taking place anywhere. This, along with an increase in usage, demand, and a higher monetary value being placed on the raw material create what may be a great opportunity for aspiring herb growers, especially those in the South.
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 propagated outdoors. It prefers a site in open woodlands or at the edge of the forest, where there is partial sun exposure, and where there are small trees and brush for the vines to climb.
American Ginseng
By Richo Cech
This is an excerpt from Richo’s book,Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs.
Notes on American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.)…As long as the minimum requirements of appropriate temperature, soil and shade are met, some success in cultivating ginseng outside its native range is a reasonable expectation. For example, west of the Rockies the states of Oregon and Washington have proven fertile ground for both home-based gardening and large-scale farming of ginseng. Canada, with its cold winters and dry climate rates third in world production of ginseng. Agriculture and Agri-food Canada reports that over 5,000 acres of American Ginseng were under shade cultivation in Canada in 1996, with production areas concentrated in southwestern Ontario and British Columbia. The majority of cultivated ginseng finds its way to Asian markets, but in a strange twist we have now begun to see Chinese-grown American ginseng entering the U.S. markets. Finally and perhaps most surprisingly, there is a solid and functional group of Australians that are growing Ginseng “down-under” and finding local markets for their products, both fresh and dried.
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, mat-forming plant growing at altitudes up to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) in the Sierra Nevada of the western states, and the wiregrass gentian (G. pennelliana) that is endemic to Florida and is listed as an endangered species. Despite the wide distribution of gentian as a whole, the individual species do not tend to migrate, but rather stay put in specific ecological niches where conditions are perfectly to their liking. This specificity of conditions (elevation, sun, soil and moisture) makes domestication of wild gentians very challenging.
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 a 13-foot by 15-foot area with over 100 flowering racemes.
"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.
Venus Fly Trap
Venus Fly Trap, Dionaea muscipula, Family–Droseraceae, is an endemic, perennial, insectivorous plant of the southeast coastal plain of North and South Carolina. The following information is condensed from “Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs” by Richo Cech.
- Range, hardiness and adaptability.
- Venus Fly Trap is native to a very localized range in the Outer Coastal Plain and Sandhill regions within a 100-mile radius of Wilmington, North Carolina. The largest extant concentration, probably comprising 50% of the remaining wild population, is located on Holly Shelter Game Reserve near Wilmington. The plant has been transplanted and naturalized to the wilds of the New Jersey pine barrens and also to the Appalachicola National Forest of the Florida panhandle.