Medicinal Herbs

[hs]

Medicinal herbs will probably be our next big adventure in gardening. There are many online sources, some seem less credible than others, but very few seem geared to our Ozark weather. I would appreciate hearing from other members on this subject. Personal experiences and what/how the herb is used

[macmex]

Wormwood is really good for dealing with diarrhea and stomach cramps. It also kills a lot of parasites. Generally it is applied by making and then drinking a tea from its leaves. It, of course,... is bitter as wormwood. But it works. At least one medication for dealing with Lymes disease is derived wormwood.

We brought wormwood with us, when we first moved to Oklahoma. After several years, losing it during the heat of the summer and then having to find another start, I realized that the most common type of wormwood sold, is not well suited for our heat.

Dorothy (mulberryknob) gave us a start of another wormwood, which looks suspiciously like ragweed. But it does the job and it multiplies in the garden ... like ragweed! We are glad to have it and you are welcome to a start.

George

[ross]

I have quite a few medicinal herbs as ye know. If ye want starts I'd be glad to share with ye.

[herbgardener]

There are a lot of common herbs that people do not know can be use for medicinal purposes. It's always fun to try to get some new herbs for the garden and they are generally very low maintenance.

[macmex]

Indeed. Some are very low maintenance. Someone gave me a really hardy type of wormwood and it spreads like ragweed! I'm not too concerned, as I can weed out the excess. But I can honestly say I would not want to be without wormwood. Whenever someone in my family has the runs or stomach cramps, we make a tea of it, and it almost always helps!

I think mint and oregano are two more which are exceedingly easy to grow and useful. There are others on our site which know more of this than do I.

George

[Heavy Hitter Okra]

George,

I just now came across this list of dried herbs and their uses in our hen house nest boxes.

They are all herbs easily grown in Oklahoma, and I always have an over abundance of many of them around the yard. I thought it would be nice to find a way to use them to the benefit of some of my animals.

Wild garlic is an especially aggravating nuance weed/herb growing in my yard, and has many uses against parasites, fleas, ticks, mites, etc.

Here is a basic listing of herbs and their uses for chickens:


Basil
Used for mucus membrane health and has antibacterial properties

Catnip
Repels insects and used as a sedative/relaxant

Cilantro
Helps keep fungus at bay, antioxidant properties, bone health, high in Vitamin A for eye health and Vitamin K for blood clotting

Dill
Respiratory health, antioxidant properties, sedative/relaxant

Fennel
Enhances reproductive health (egg laying)

Garlic
Enhances reproductive health (egg laying) / helps control parasites

Lavender
Smells wonderful, lowers stress, circulatory health, , insect repellent

Lemon Balm
Smells nice in the coop, lowers stress, antibacterial, repels rodents

Marigold
Enhances reproductive health (egg laying)

Marjoram
Enhances reproductive health (egg laying)

Mint
Used in nest/coop -(all kinds) - insecticide and rodent repellent

Nasturtium
Enhances reproductive health (egg laying), antiseptic, antibiotic, insecticide, de-wormer

Oregano
Contains antibiotic properties which may help prevent avian flu, blackhead, coccidia, e-coli, infectious bronchitis and salmonella

Parsley
Promotes circulatory system development, enhances reproductive health (egg laying), rich in vitamins

Peppermint
helps control parasites, insect repellent,

Pineapple Sage
Promotes nervous system health, smells wonderful

Rose Petals
Highly aromatic, high in Vitamin C

Rosemary
Pain relief, respiratory health, insect repellent

Sage
Antioxidant, helps control parasites,

Spearmint
Antiseptic, insecticide, stimulates nervous system, circulatory and brain functions

Tarragon
Antioxidant properties

Thyme
Promotes respiratory health, antioxidant, has antibacterial properties, helps control parasites

[Heavy Hitter Okra]

George,

I have some ragweed that looks suspiciously like worm wood... Do you need some?... Just kidding; but I do have some hard to find, rabbit tobacco seed. (The kind that is good for treating respiratory problems, not the yellow flowered mullein).

I also have a location on some really good sheep sorrel. (The kind that looks like a sheep's head, not the shamrock kind kids like to eat on the schoolhouse play ground).

I have some really good blue/purple spearmint too. We dry 6 or 8 bushels of it every year for tea. I got the start for it 24 years ago, from Bixby, while I was up there wiring a paper machine for Kimberly Clark.

[philagardener]

The scientific name of common ragweed is Ambrosia artemisiifolia in reference to the similarity of their leaves. 

[heavyhitterokra]

I went driving the backroads tonight at dusk and found enough Rabbit Tobacco (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium) to fill a cardboard box the size of a 27 cubic foot refrigerator. I've made a couple tinctures from the Rabbit Tobacco I found last month. I'm making pillows for asthma out of the Rabbit Tobacco I found tonight.

[oldhack]

www.livestrong.com/article/135724-what-side-effects-wormwood-herb/ One time someone at a nursery gave me a free plant, it turned out to be wormwood. I,d like to know at what density the threshold level to damage is commonly. But now I'm pretty sure as long you make tea and not take a lot of pure oil you should be ok, I,d stopped using it for medical fears but it seems our gov thinks it's ok at correct amounts. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20542104

[macmex]

I don't know much about dosage, though, in over a decade of observing "little Mexican grandma's" use wormwood for all sorts digestive disorders, I never saw anyone have an adverse reaction ot a cup of wormwood tea.  However, I have also never seen anyone take more than a cup of wormwood tea at a time. 

One of my daughters has Lymes disease. The doctor has it controlled with a form of wormwood, processed into tablets. She only takes that treatment with it flares up.  Those tablets are measured doses. I don't know how to bridge between the dose of a tablet and the dose of a cup of wormwood tea.