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Joe Pye Weed

Thu, 02/14/2008 - 15:25 — kitchenwitch
Botanical Name:

Eupatorium spp.

Zones:
3-7
Other Names:
Queen of the Meadow, gravel root, kidney root, mist-flower, snakeroot, purple boneset, eupatorium, Sweet Joe-Pye Weed, Hempweed, Joe-Pie, Jopi Weed, Trmpet Weed,

Joe Pye Weed is a Native American perennial member of the family asteraceae found in all parts of the US with the exception of the deep south and the far north.

Propagation:

Joe Pye Weed can be grown from seed, plant six weeks before the last frost and cover lightly so that sunlight can reach the seeds. Keep moist.
Or it can be grown from cuttings.

Joe Pye Weed generally prefers full sun and moist soil. Some varieties such as E. purpureum can tolerate less moisture and part shade conditions.

History and Folklore:

It is said that the plant was named after a Native American healer who used it to treat typhus.

The name Eupatorium comes from the name of King Mithridates Eupator who lived in Parthis from 120 to 63 BCE who is said to have discovered the medical effectiveness of the Eupatorium family, which includes the European native Boneset.

Joe Pye Weed was used by many Native American tribes for healing and magic. It was used as a diuretic, to treat colds and fevers, as a love medicine, as a poultice for wounds, as a wash to strengthen children and for joint pain and the flowers were used as good luck charms.

Harvesting & Storage:

Gather leaves anytime. Dig the root after a frost. Joe Pye Weed dries well.

Household Use:

Joe Pye Weed is suitable for butterfly gardens. It attracts Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Great Spangled Fritillaries, Pearl Crescents, Monarchs, and Tawny-edged Skippers

Magical Attributes:

Joe Pye Weed can be used in spells for love or respect. A leaf can be tucked into your cheek to ensure that words spoken to the opposite sex will be well-received. Gamblers can carry the plant on them to help bring them good luck. Carrying the plant with you will also encourage others to look upon you with respect.

Healing Attributes:

The entire plant can be used, with the root having the strongest effect. It can be made into a diuretic tea to stimulate the bladder and kidneys and to encourage sweating to break a fever. It is also useful for influenza.

Simmer 1 once dried root in 1 pint water for 30 minutes, strain and cool, take 1/2 cup 4-5 times per day
OR
Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 tsp leaves and flowers. Steep for 10 minutes, strain and drink 1-3 times per day.

WARNING: This herb can cause liver and kidney damage and severe intestinal problems if overdosed or used for long periods of time.

Culinary Use:

None

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

Joe Pye Weed is supertall, so it makes a great privacy hedge.

Mayapple

Mon, 01/07/2008 - 21:24 — DawnBlack
Botanical Name:

Podophyllum peltatum

Zones:
3-9
Other Names:
may apple, may-apple, American mandrake, umbrella plant, Devil's apple, hog apple, Indian apple, wild lemon, may flower

Mayapple is an American native member of the plant family Berberidaceae common to woodland clearings in the Northern and Eastern United States and Southern Canada.

Propagation:

Mayapple spreads from underground rhizomes to quickly form a colony that shades out smaller plants. It makes an excellent groundcover for unused areas and grows well in dappled shade. It likes light, loamy soil, shade, but not deep shade and plenty of space to spread out. You can gather seeds or rhizomes to plant or you might find a transplant in a native plant nursery. (I got mine from the local plant conservancy- they gather wild plants from construction sites and then sell them to the public.)

It's good to keep them moist, not wet, and free of weeds until established. Once they are established, they will spread like crazy and crowd out weaker plants. Remember that it will take a few years before they starti producing fruits.

History and Folklore:

According to lore, Native Americans used this plant for its healing attributes but also to commit suicide.

The botanical name Podophyllum peltatum comes from the greek "podos" and "phyllon" meaning "foot-shaped leaves" and "Peltatum" meaning "shield".

Harvesting & Storage:

The root (which is extremely dangerous to handle or ingest) should be dried away from sunlight. The effective constituents are not water soluble and must be dissolved in alcohol.

The fruit may be made into jelly or sliced thin and dried or dried whole for use in spells.

Make sure to wear gloves while handling the foilage or roots of this plant and wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face or eyes.

Household Use:

The poisonous rhizome can be boiled and used to kill insects on crop plants, especially potatoes. Make sure that the resulting potion is only sprinkled on the inedible (to humans) parts of the plants, such as tomato leaves and the aerial parts of potato plants.

Magical Attributes:

The powdered root is used in powerful protective magic. Mayapple is extremely irritating to the eyes and Mayapple root is used in spells to keep things (like diaries, books of shadows, etc.) hidden from prying eyes. The powder can be sprinkled around the storage area or on the object itself, or around the perimeter of an area where you do not wish to be disturbed. (Remember that Mayapple is a topical poison while doing this. Take care not to let the powder sit on your skin or come in contact with your eyes.)

The dried fruit can also be added to sachets and mojo bags to similar purpose, that is to allow the bearer to work in secret, or to allow his or her actions to not be revealed too soon.

The whole root can be tucked under the mattress to ensure the fertility and verility of the couple who sleep upon it.

Kept in a high place in the home, Mayapple root is said to draw prosperity to the home and protect it from bad luck.

This herb is commonly used as a substitution in spells calling for Mandrake (Atropa mandragora)

Healing Attributes:

Mayapple is listed as "unsafe" by the FDA and most experts agree that its action is too strong for self-medication even by experienced herbalists. Every part, excepting the ripe fruit, is deadly poison and can kill an adult human within 24 hours.

It was used by Native American tribes, who dried and powdered the root, as a laxitive and to remove worms and as a topical treatment for warts and skin cancer.

Modern medicine has found compounds in the rhizome that are useful against cancer and it is used in the treatment of genital warts and skin cancers in Asia. It is also under study for use against dropsy, dispepsia, biliousness, and various liver conditions.

Symptoms of mayapple poisoning are salviation, vomiting, diarrhea, excitement, fever, headache, coma, and death.

Culinary Use:

Only the ripe fruit or "apple" of the mayapple is edible. The fruit is ripe when it is yellow and slightly soft. Dispite its name, the flavor is more like lemon than apple. Mayapples may be eaten raw, but they are best cooked or made into jelly. They may also be juiced and mixed with sugar and water to make a beverage similar to lemonade(remove all seeds before juicing). These fruits should be eaten only in moderation and only when perfectly ripe. It has been known to cause technicolor diarrhea.

Here's an article from Mother Earth News about cooking with Mayapples. An excellent idea for your Beltane celebrations (assuming you've got some ripe, if not, hold off till Midsummer)

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

If you're using an old European spelli that calls for Mandrake, you can use this plant instead. But remember, both plants are very poisonous and substitutions of dangerous plants should never be made with other dangerous plants when you are making things that are to be administerd topically or ingested. I suggest using the fruit instead of the root as a much safer alternative. It is slower to action and not as intense, but it is still effective.

False Solomon's Seal

Mon, 01/07/2008 - 19:15 — DawnBlack
Botanical Name:

Smilacina spp

Zones:
3-9
Other Names:
Solomon's Seal, False Solomon's Seal, Bog False Solomon's Seal, Star-Flowered Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume, Starry Smilac, Spikenard, Scurvey berry

As its name would imply, False Solomon's Seal looks quite a bit like True Solomon's Seal.

Propagation:

False Solomon's Seal enjoys a moist shady location with well-drained soil, neutral to slightly acidic. It will do well alongside a stream or pond and will tolerate some sun, but not full sun. It prefers a cooler situation and will benefit from mulching to keep the roots cool during hot summers. It can be grown from rhizomes or from seed, though the seed may take as much as 18 months to germinate. Plants can be divided in spring or early autumn.

History and Folklore:
Harvesting & Storage:
Household Use:
Magical Attributes:

This plant is a true survivor and often the first to return after a forest fire. Use it to help you get through hard times and to rebuild after your world has come crashing down.

Healing Attributes:

The smoke of the root has been used to calm hysterics.

An infusioni of the root has been used for constipation, rheumatism, as a general stomach tonic, and to regular women's cycles. An infusion of the leaf has been used as birth control- 1/2 cup per day for no more than a week is said to prevent conception. A decoction of the leaf is said to be useful for colds and rheumatism, 1 cup 2-3 times per day.

Externally, the root relieves pain, has antiseptic qualities and stops bleeding. The dried powdered root is a useful thing to have on hand for first aid. The crushed, fresh root makes a soothing poultice for strains, sprains, boils, arthritis and swellings.

An infusion of the root has been used for inflamed eyes.

Culinary Use:

The berries are edible and bittersweet but large quantities have a laxitive affect. This is removed by cooking. Young leaves may be eaten raw or cooked and the young shoots may be eaten like asparagus. The root should be soaked in a bowl of water with a few teaspoons of baking soda added for several hours before cooking.

Practical Kitchen Witchery:

This plant is fabulous in the garden, just its presence is calming. Plant it a a quiet area where you go to relax when things get to be just too much.

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