Damiana (Turnera diffusa)

Turnera diffusa, known as damiana, is a shrub native to southwestern Texas in the United States, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. It belongs to the family Passifloraceae.

Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 through 11. This evergreen plant sports small yellow flower buds and, with proper care, reaches heights between 2 and 6 feet. The sweet-smelling and disease-resistant damiana makes for a low-maintenance ornamental shrub or a fragrant addition to herb gardens.

                                                   

 The Effects of Damiana as an herb have been used in Latin America and throughout the Caribbean for many years. In Mexico, it was once used as an aphrodisiac. And when you read about what it can do, you’ll see why. If you’re a male suffering from impotence or premature ejaculation, you’ll find that damiana can help to improve your sexual potency. You’ll have better circulation to your sex organs and you’ll have a more satisfying sex life for both you and your partner. While men have traditionally used this herb for this purpose, women may find that they have a better sexual experience from using damiana as well. Women will also benefit from using damiana during their menses. Damiana works to help relieve painful periods and it can relieve other symptoms of the menstrual cycle such as back pain and irritability. If you suffer from mild depression, you may want to consider making damiana a part of your routine. It works to help relieve stress and anxiety. And unlike many pharmaceutical antidepressants, it won’t decrease your sex drive. If you’re having problems with your urinary tract, damiana can be a powerful antiseptic. It will help to fight the infection and allow you to have less pain during urination. You’ll also find that you’ll need to urinate less. If you’re struggling with the pain and discomfort from constipation, you’ll find that damiana can bring relief to you. Damiana actually works to tone the intestines and allow you to go the bathroom more regularly. While damiana works to treat health problems, it can also be used on a daily basis to help keep you healthy and strong. It’s considered a cure-all for people in Latin America to this day, and you may find that it works for you, too. Damiana can be taken in many different ways. Some people prefer to take it in convenient tablet form. For others tinctures, teas, or as a tonic infusion.

In the state of Louisiana, Damiana is considered a "prohibited plant" along with 39 other plants by Louisiana State Act 159, effective 8 August 2005. Any combination of any of the parts, leaves, stems, stalks, seeds, materials, compounds, salts, derivatives, mixtures, preparations, or any resin extracted from any part of the plant is illegal to possess or distribute for human consumption in the state of Louisiana. This was due in part to an increase in the number of synthetic cannabis overdoses from a variety of chemically-infused plant material formulations, most of which contained Damiana as a primary ingredient.

Mullein (Verbascum)

They are biennial or perennial plants, rarely annuals or subshrubs, growing to 0.5–3 m tall. The plants first form a dense rosette of leaves at ground level, subsequently sending up a tall flowering stem. Biennial plants form the rosette the first year and the stem the following season. The leaves are spirally arranged, often densely hairy, though glabrous (hairless) in some species. The flowers have five symmetrical petals; petal colours in different species include yellow (most common), orange, red-brown, purple, blue, or white. The fruit is a capsule containing numerous minute seeds.

An infused oil of Mullein flowers is perhaps one of the first remedies to think of in treating an ear infection, easing pain and speeding recovery time. The oil is simple to prepare: Find an abundance of flowering Mullein, pick the flowers and let them wilt for a few hours to reduce their moisture content, put them in a small mason jar and fill to the brim with oil... you may need to top it off again the next day. Set the jar, tightly capped, in the sun for a month or two, and then strain the oil into clean bottles. Because the flowers are quite tiny, about the size of a kernel of corn, you'll need to have access to plenty of them, and use a small jar so you're able to fill it. This oil can be applied with a Q-tip and allowed to work its magic. Mullein flower oil is often combined with infused Garlic oil (which is antibacterial and antiviral), and there are few remedies as effective for ear infections... I've also used it to treat infected piercings (not mine... so don't go trying to figure out where I'm pierced:)! The flower oil also has an old reputation for deafness, though this assertion refers to problems arising from the accumulation of wax, in which the oil helps to clear the obstruction. It can be used to treat ear mites in animals. Prepared as a tincture, Mullein flowers act to resolve swellings and ease the accompanying pain. I used a combination of Red Root and Mullein flowers once to treat an abscess in the ear canal, and the pain and swelling were quickly resolved (I was pretty impressed). I've used the same combination, along with ground ivy, to successfully resolve Meniere's Disease that was just beginning to manifest. The flower tincture used internally is also of aid in treating swellings, and acts as a local anesthetic. It can also be mildly or even strongly relaxant; I haven't quite figured out why it affects some people strongly.

The leaves are the most commonly used part of the plant, and among the first remedies to be thought of in treating congestion and dry coughs, as they are an excellent expectorant. An expectorant aids the lungs in expelling mucous and phlegm by loosening it from the walls of the lungs and allowing it to be coughed up; thus, Mullein will stimulate coughing, even though that's the symptom being treated. What Mullein is really doing is assisting the body's natural response to congestion - coughing - to be more effective. A strong tea, the tincture, and even smoking the dried leaves can achieve this end. Mullein is especially good for treating dry coughs that shake the frame of the body, and should be thought of whenever there is "wheezing". I used a blend of Mullein and Plantain when I inhaled a bunch of plaster dust while cleaning it out of my house after the drywall was put in. It coated my lungs, and I got quite sick, with difficult wheezy breathing. The Mullein and Plantain started working immediately, and resolved the condition quickly. Mullein combines well with myriad other herbs; New England Aster for quivering, reactive lungs, a bit of Lobelia for asthma, Wild Lettuce if the uppermost reaches of the lungs feel dry and tight... I could go on and on.

Few people know, though, that Mullein is also an excellent remedy for the lymphatic system. Folk herbalist Tommie Bass says it can be applied as a compress to any instance of glandular swelling. The physiomedicalist Dr. William Cook called Mullein an "absorbent" of "peculiar and reliable power." He recommended Mullein leaves be made into a strong decoction, then that water used to wet more leaves that were then applied externally over the swelling. To further increase the efficacy of the preparation, Mullein root would be taken internally. The use of Mullein flower tincture to relieve swellings is also due to its lymphatic actions, and among the various parts that can be used, I think it offers the most pain relieving qualities.

If few people know about using Mullein leaves for swellings, even fewer know about using Mullein Root for anything. Yet, it is an incredibly useful remedy. In addition to its effects on the lymphatic system, it is an excellent remedy for treating urinary incontinence and loss of urinary control due to a swollen prostate because it tones and strengthens the trigone sphincter at the base of the bladder. Northern California herbalist Christa Sinadinos elaborates: "Mullein root is valuable as a bladder tonifying agent for the treatment of urinary incontinence (loss of urine with out warning.) It strengthens and improves the tone the trigone muscle (a triangular area at the base of the bladder) and significantly enhances bladder function. It has soothing diuretic properties; it increases the volume of urination, while decreasing the frequency of urination. Mullein root also has mild astringent properties which reduce inflammation in the mucosa of the bladder. It does not irritate or over stimulate bladder or kidney function. Mullein root can be used as a long term tonic for individuals with urinary incontinence, recurring bladder infections, interstitial cystitis, and benign prostatic hypertrophy." Christa offers flat out exceptional insights on this usage here (please note that pages 2 & 3 are mixed up). One of my students used an infusion of Mullein root to treat Bell's Palsy that occurred as a complication of Lyme's disease, and it resolved the problem completely. Years after that David Winston told me he'd been using it for Bell's Palsy for well over a decade, and considered it useful in other cases of facial nerve pain, along with other useful herbs for facial neuralgia like Saint John's Wort and Jamaican Dogwood.

---Synonyms---

White Mullein. Torches. Mullein Dock. Our Lady's Flannel. Velvet Dock. Blanket Herb. Velvet Plant. Woollen. Rag Paper. Candlewick Plant. Wild Ice Leaf. Clown's Lungwort. Bullock's Lungwort. Aaron's Rod. Jupiter's Staff. Jacob's Staff. Peter's Staff. Shepherd's Staff. Shepherd's Clubs. Beggar's Stalk. Golden Rod. Adam's Flannel. Beggar's Blanket. Clot. Cuddy's Lungs. Duffle. Feltwort. Fluffweed. Hare's Beard. Old Man's Flannel. Hag's Taper.

California poppy

An upright, compact annual or tender perennial native to California and the southwestern United States. Extremely drought tolerant, ideal for arid environments. The brilliant orange, cup-shaped flowers, are 2-4 inches in diameter, borne individually on long stalks. Prefers full sun in light to sandy soils. Remarkably uniform and neat in appearnce. A popular variety to press. Not hardy below 20F.
Average planting success with this species: 70%
Height: 12-18 inches
Germination: 15-30 days
Optimum soil temperature for germination: 60-70F
Sowing depth: 1/16"
Blooming period: April-August
Average seeds per pound: 293,000
Seeding rate: 8 lbs. per acre
Suggested use: Borders, rock gardens, meadows, mixes.
Miscellaneous: An excellent color accent to any wildflower planting. The state flower of California. Blooms close each night at sunset or on dull days. The finely divided foliage is bluish-green in color making identification easy prior to flowering.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a member of the poppy family of flowering plants found throughout the western U.S. It is particularly prolific in California, where the plant was designated the state flower in 1903 and subsequently celebrated each April 6th on California Poppy Day. The plant is also known as flame flower and copa de oro, which means “cup of gold.” Unlike many other state flowers, it is not illegal to harvest the plant, unless you were to pluck it from private property. In fact, the species is quite invasive and resistant to disease, although it has been displaced in certain areas by wild grasses.

Another misconception about California poppy is that the plant contains opium when it does not. The morphine-like drug is obtained from a completely different genus and species of plant called the opium poppy. However, California poppy does contain certain alkaloids that lend the plant mild sedative qualities.

Raspberry

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) shrub thrives in full sun but can also be grown in partial shade in a variety of soil types. They are however, fussy about neighbors and other perennial weeds will invade the harvest aggressively if not managed. Raspberry leaf is harvested between late spring and the middle of summer, typically before the fruit ripens. The raspberry fruit should be picked when they deepen in color and when they separate from the receptacle with ease.
Raspberries belong to the rose (Rosaceae) family of plants, which houses some of the world's most beloved fruits including apples, apricots, blackberries, cherries, loquats, peaches, pears, plums, and strawberries. Almonds also belong to this diverse family of plants. Among U.S. consumers, raspberries are the third most popular berry and follow right after strawberries and blueberries.

There are over 200 species of raspberries, all belonging to the scientific genus called Rubus. Fortunately, however, many of the raspberry species that are grown commercially can be placed into one of three basic groups: red raspberries, black raspberries, and purple raspberries.

Like their name implies, mature red raspberries can typically be identified by the shade of red in their color, although this red may veer toward the pinkish side. Among all commercially cultivated raspberries, Rubus idaeus or European red raspberry is among the most common.

Black raspberries may actually be dark enough to be indistinguishable from blackberries in terms of color. Here one of the most common commercially grown species is Rubus occidentalis, also sometimes referred to as thimbleberry, scotch cap, or black cap.

The third category of raspberry—purple raspberry—is a category in which reds and blacks have been hybridized (naturally combined). Over time, when red raspberries or black raspberries underwent naturally genetic mutations, yellow raspberries also developed. Even though naturally yellow or golden in color, yellow raspberries are actually special forms of red or black raspberries.

Raspberry leaf has a long history of use in botanical medicine and is widely available in the U.S. and other countries in tea form. While raspberry leaf has been used to support function in various body systems (including the digestive tract), it's best-known use has been in conjunction with pregnancy and childbirth.
The chemicals in red raspberry might have antioxidant effects and help relax blood vessels. They might also cause muscles to contract or relax, depending on the dose and the muscle involved. This is the theory behind red raspberry’s use in easing labor and delivery.