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WALLACE W HANSENNative Plants of the Northwest
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Updated June 16, 2010Practical Uses of Native PlantsEdible, Household, Medicinal, Personal Care |
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Although in modern times, we usually
think of Northwest Native plants in terms of beautifying our gardens and
landscapes, many have been used for hundreds of years for practical
purposes such as food, herbal medicines, household uses. Here are some of
the ways these plants can be used to enhance our daily lives.
We do urge greatest care in identifying any plant that is to be used as food or medicine. There is often more than one plant with similar characteristics and a mistaken identity can be deadly! Also, be sure the plants you harvest for any use in the home are free of pesticides and harmful chemicals. Just as with any plant that is brought into your living space, remove any uninvited hitch-hiking bugs. This site has been written by Jennifer Rehm, Webmaster and Chief Staff Writer for my nursery. Information shared here is based mainly in research and not necessarily on personal experience. We provide it to you as a way to understand the historical significance of the Northwest Native plants we grow and offer for sale in our nursery. We do not recommend these uses, we merely give them for your information. Thanks! |
Indian Plum (Amelanchier alnifolia) Photo by JoAnn Onstott |
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Most of the ways to use Northwest Native plants that we list on these
pages have been handed down from Native Peoples who were the first to discover which plants could
be used for which purposes. They shared what they had learned with early
settlers, and in fact still hold the keys to bringing the beneficial
qualities of native trees, shrubs and perennials into our lives. Some
plants have historically been used in day-to-day living, some have been
held sacred for ceremonial values. Always, the Original People have been
careful to preserve the wellspring of each plant that is used so their
origins are not depleted. We must share this care for our earth.
It must be understood that, in today's large populations, plants to be harvested should be grown for that purpose. Plants should not be gathered in the wild. Those wild plants are for the enjoyment of us all. Plants we take for our own uses should be grown and nurtured, as are other crops. When you choose a site and prepare the planting place for your Northwest Native huckleberry or your Salmonberry, consider how delightful it will be to pick those berries and put them on your cereal in the morning or bake them in your pie. Tend them carefully and teach your children to enjoy them as well. What a luxurious feeling to pick a few Northwest Native strawberries on an early summer afternoon right in your own garden! |
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