Echinacea purpurea ​ I first learned about purple coneflower while reading about immunity. I wanted to know how plants support the body against infection and this one kept coming up. At first, it was the petals that I noticed. A blaze of pink or purple around an orange cone, you’ve probably seen one somewhere in a field or garden. It’s native to the North American prairies and flowers feed bees during the hottest months of the year. The history runs deeper still. Well before

Achillea millefolium ​ Yarrow grows in meadows, roadsides, and open fields across much of the world. It has fine, feather-like leaves and flat clusters of small white or pink flowers. It blooms through summer and tolerates poor soil and dry conditions. The plant spreads easily and holds its ground where others fail. ​ Yarrow grows wild in meadows, roadsides, and open fields all over the world. The plant has delicate, feather-like leaves and flat clusters of tiny white or pink

Plantago major Common plantain can be found nearly anywhere humans inhabit. It springs up in lawns, meadows, sidewalks, and hiking trails. The broad leaves spread out in a flat rosette near the ground. They have distinct veins running from the base to the tip of each leaf. Thin green spikes shoot up from the center in summer and release hundreds of seeds. It grows well in compacted and otherwise disturbed soil. ​ Plantain has a long history of use in medicine. Fresh leaves ca

Sambucus canadensis Elderberry is a shrub that grows in hedgerows, on the edges of forests, and in open meadows. The plant creates large clusters of small white flowers in the spring. Late summer brings drooping clusters of dark purple berries where the flowers once were. The leaves are compound, with five to eleven serrated leaflets. The shrub can grow ten feet tall and spreads aggressively to form a thick patch. ​ Humans have long used elderberry as an immune system tonic. 

Sassafras albidum Sassafras is native to forests and fields of eastern North America. The tree is known for having three leaf shapes: oval, mitten-like, and three-lobed. All three leaf types can be present on a single branch. Crushed young leaves and twigs have a sweet, spicy aroma. The tree grows as high as sixty feet, and in fall exhibits bright orange and red leaves. ​ For generations, people have used sassafras for food and medicine. Native American tribes and early colon

Verbascum thapsus Mullein grows wild in many places along roads, in fields, and on open hillsides. The mullein plant is biennial. The first year, it creates a rosette of large, fuzzy leaves. The leaves are thick, felt like, and shaped and sized like a salad bowl. The second year, a stalk shoots up from the ground. Little groups of yellow flowers grow at intervals along the stalk, and they bloom all through the summer. ​ For generations, mullein has been used to help support t

Rhus typhina Staghorn sumac is native to eastern North America. It is a tall, wide-spreading shrub with antler-like branches. The branches are covered in fine, fuzzy hairs. Compound leaves grow over a foot (30 centimeters) long and turn bright red, orange, and gold in the fall. The upright clusters of deep red berries persist through the winter and are a food source for birds and small mammals [1]. ​ Sumac has a long history as both food and medicine. Native Americans and Fir

Actaea racemosa Black cohosh grows in the shaded forests of eastern North America. It is a six-foot tall perennial with divided green leaves and long spikes of white flowers in early summer [1]. The plant grows in rich moist soil [1]. ​ Native peoples used the plant to treat aches and pains in the joints and for fever and reproductive disorders [1][2]. In the 1800s, black cohosh became a staple herb in American medicine. It was used to support menstruation and painful cramps,

Rosa spp. Wild rose (Rosa spp.) can be found in meadows, woods, and along roads throughout much of the world. It creates prickly bushes, made of compound leaves and five-petaled flowers that are typically pink or white in color. Following flowering, rose produces red fruits called rose hips, which persist through winter and provide food for birds and other wildlife [1][2]. ​ The hips are high in vitamin C and contain antioxidants and carotenoids [2][3][4]. They have tradition

Verbena hastata Blue vervain is native to North America. It grows in wet meadows, prairies, and on streambanks. Blue vervain is a tall, slender plant. Branching spikes of small blue-violet flowers bloom in midsummer and last into early fall. Flowers on a spike open from the bottom of the spike upward, so that pollinators have weeks of nectar.  ​ Native Americans and early settlers used blue vervain as a nervine to soothe the body and steady the mind [1][2]. Leaves and flowers

Eupatorium perfoliatum Boneset is a plant that grows wild in eastern North America. You can find it in wet meadows, marshes, and by the banks of streams. It’s a tall perennial with opposite leaves that wrap around the stem as if the stem were going through the leaves, hence its Latin name perfoliatum. In late summer, boneset forms flat clusters of small white flowers that bees, butterflies, and other pollinators visit. ​ Native people and early settlers used boneset to treat

Pycnanthemum spp. Mountain mint is a North American wildflower that is native to many parts of the continent. Mountain mint is found growing in meadows, prairies, and woodland edges. It is a perennial herb that has square stems which are upright. Mountain mint has small, tubular flowers that are white or pale lavender and are clustered together. It has fragrant leaves that release a strong, minty scent when they are crushed. The leaves and stems often have a silvery cast whic

Digitalis purpurea Common foxglove thrives in woodlands, meadows, clearings, and gardens throughout Europe and North America. It is a biennial plant that can grow several feet tall with spikes of purple, pink, or white bell-shaped flowers. The flowers are attractive to bees, which crawl far inside to access the nectar. Its height and colors are among the most impressive summer wildflowers. ​ Foxglove is also a medicine and a poison. It has a series of compounds called cardiac

Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly weed grows naturally in meadows, prairies, and roadsides across North America. A perennial milkweed with slender leaves and clusters of bright orange flowers, butterfly weed flowers through midsummer. Although it does not exude milky sap like most milkweeds, it is still valuable to pollinators. Monarch butterflies, bees, and many other insects feed on its nectar and foliage. ​ Native people and early settlers made traditional use of butterfly weed

Vernonia noveboracensis New York ironweed (Veronia noveboracensis) is found in meadows, wetlands, and streambanks across eastern North America. A tall, stout perennial, it can grow six to eight feet tall. Dense clusters of bright purple flowers bloom in late summer when most other plants have finished flowering. The very sturdy, fibrous stems hold up well to wind and rain, which is how the plant got its common name [1]. ​ Ironweed was used by Native peoples and early settlers

Asclepias incarnata Swamp milkweed is a North American perennial found growing in swamps, along streams, and in moist meadows [1]. It reaches three to five feet in height and is topped with clusters of soft pink flowers that bloom through the middle of the summer. Swamp milkweed is a wetland plant that requires a moist or wet soil condition. Monarchs, swallowtails, bees, and many other pollinators are drawn to this plant for its sweet scent. ​ Swamp milkweed has been used by

Viburnum prunifolium Blackhaw viburnum is a shrub found in the eastern regions of North America, thriving at the edge of woods, in thickets, and on sunny glades [1]. It features a rounded crown with shiny green leaves that become a rich red and purple during the fall season. During the spring months, it is densely populated with clusters of small white flowers that adorn the branches, luring in bees and other pollinators. Later in the summer, the blooms are replaced with berr

Glycyrrhiza lepidota Wild licorice is native to much of North America, found along streams, prairies, and open woods. It is a perennial legume that can grow tall with compound leaves. It produces small cream to pale purple flowers in the summer that turn into sticky seedpods late in the season. Wild licorice has deep roots that can tap into groundwater, allowing the plant to survive even in dry years [1]. Wild licorice roots are the most used and valuable part of the plant. N

Apocynum cannabinum Common dogbane can be found growing wild in fields, thickets, and streambanks throughout North America. The perennial plant’s stems are smooth, reddish, and swollen at the joints, exuding a milky sap if broken. Dogbane grows two to five feet in height, with opposite oval leaves. Clusters of small white or pale green flowers appear in summer, and the plant produces long, narrow seed pods late in the season (1). These eventually split open, sending a cloud o

Eryngium yuccifolium Native to central and eastern North America, rattlesnake master inhabits tallgrass prairies and open fields. This perennial herb is easily identified by its stiff, yucca-like, sword-shaped foliage. By midsummer, tall branching stems rise from the leaves and culminate in round, spiny, silvery green flower heads. Attracting bees, wasps, butterflies, and beetles, the globes provide major pollinator resources in prairie systems [1]. ​ References to rattlesnak