Medicinal Plants – Learn Your Land

No, This Is Not Wild Ginseng

Adam Haritan — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:33:25 +0000

*Not American ginseng. This is Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). Recently, I thought about a forest I visited 8 years ago, and I wondered if two American ginseng plants were still growing there. To get an answer, I decided to visit the forest and see for myself. The only problem was that I never dropped a […]

Source

If This Isn’t Good Medicine, I Don’t Know What Is

Adam Haritan — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 14:55:39 +0000

To find good medicine, look in a forest. In a forest, you’ll encounter plants that have the ability to heal human ailments. Many years ago, I learned about the medicinal properties of a particular woody plant. This woody plant, when applied to my face as an extract, improved my poor complexion. Over the years, I’ve […]

Source

How Do I Treat Seasonal Allergies?

Adam Haritan — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 21:06:46 +0000

Late spring is an excellent time of year to sharpen our tree identification skills. It’s also a time of year when pollen counts are high. If there’s one thing that will stop us from learning trees, it’s seasonal allergies. Tree identification isn’t so fun when a runny nose and itchy eyes are part of the […]

Source

Wild Blueberry — North America’s Great Superfood

Adam Haritan — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 19:04:53 +0000

When many people think of the word “superfood,” images of expensive powders, fancy juices, and exotic herbs come to mind. When I think of the word “superfood,” images of local plants, backyard weeds, and brambly fruits come to mind. As nature would have it, North America (and every habitable continent!) is replete with a cornucopia […]

Source

Stalking The Wild Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

Adam Haritan — Thu, 17 May 2018 18:25:17 +0000

Perhaps you’re familiar with this plant in supplement form. Several immune-boosting formulas contain Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) as the primary ingredient, and it’s one of the top-selling herbs in the world today. Goldenseal is not an exotic plant. This understory species is native to North America and can be found in rich, deciduous woodlands… usually in […]

Source

Nature’s Most Amazing Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers

Adam Haritan — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 10:17:45 +0000

If you’re a wildflower enthusiast like me, perhaps you’ll agree that the spring ephemeral wildflower season is one of the best times of year to explore the woods. What’s not to love about a hillside teeming with White Trillium? Or a vernal pool speckled with Marsh Marigold? Or a floodplain loaded with Virginia Bluebells? Personally, […]

Source

Stinging Nettle For Breast Cancer, Wounds, & Vitamin C

Adam Haritan — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 19:12:33 +0000

Some people love it, and some people dislike it, though there’s no denying Stinging Nettle’s potential role in treating serious illnesses. Last year, I filmed a video in which I discussed this plant’s ability to treat type 2 diabetes, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and allergies. Since then, many more scientific studies have been published on Stinging […]

Source

4 Things You Didn’t Know About Garlic Mustard

Adam Haritan — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 21:45:29 +0000

If your back yard isn’t full of it, then your local park is. We’re talking about Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) — a plant considered to be one of the most persistent and aggressive non-native plants here in North America. While many of us are familiar with its appearance, perhaps we’re not familiar with its origins […]

Source

Self Heal — The Little Weed With POWERFUL Benefits

Adam Haritan — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 20:36:40 +0000

Let’s talk about medicinal plants in your backyard. There’s one plant in particular that we’re very likely to overlook during the summer months. However, we’d actually be wise to pay more attention to this little weed… especially if we’re interested in experiencing the best health ever. This plant goes by the name Self-Heal, and some […]

Source

4 Convincing Reasons To Eat Dandelion Flowers

Adam Haritan — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 16:47:00 +0000

Dandelion requires no introduction — both verbally and ecologically. We all know how to properly identify Dandelion. We all know that Dandelion possesses a resilient disposition, and we’re probably aware that Dandelion is edible. What new things, then, can be said about the world’s most familiar plant — one that greets us every single morning… […]

Source

Stinging Nettle — The Most Nutritious Plant On Earth?

Adam Haritan — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 17:57:16 +0000

Some people love it. Some people hate it. And others are unfamiliar. Today we’re talking about Stinging Nettle — a wild plant that’ll make its presence known even before you see it. When many people hear the two words “Stinging Nettle,” the image that comes to mind is a plant that’s best to be avoided. […]

Source

Using Birch Bark To Heal Wounds Faster

Adam Haritan — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 21:43:40 +0000

At this point in my life, I really enjoy researching the healing effects of wild plants and mushrooms, and today I’d like to share with you some new information regarding the birch tree (genus Betula). Many of us are very familiar with the peeling bark of birch trees, represented in various shades of whites, grays, […]

Source