Warning: Do not attempt to use native plants for any medical purpose without the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner. Careless use of any native or garden plants can be TOXIC, especially for children, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) – The large shrub with whitish-yellow flowers in spring and purple berries in summer. Many tribes in California, including the Tongva, use a tea made from flowers to treat colds and fevers.
California-Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) – The low growing plant with red flowers in late summer and fall is loved by the hummingbirds. The Northern California tribes make a tea from the leaves for kidney and bladder ailments. The dried, powdered leaves were applied to the skin for sores, cuts, wounds, and poison oak rashes.
Woolly Blue Curls (Trichostema lanatum)—This low-growing plant in the foreground has fuzzy blue flowers. The Cahuilla use a tea of the flowers and leaves to cure stomach aches. Chumash women use a tea of the leaves after childbirth to help expel the placenta.
Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) - The colony of plants with lobed leaves dark green on top and white on the bottom. The Tongva, Chumash, and other tribes use it to treat a variety of ailments, including toothache, menopause, colds, and urinary problems. The juice of the fresh leaves or a tea of the boiled leaves is used by the Chumash to treat poison oak rash.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – The white flowers next to the path. Yarrow grows all over California, and many tribes use a tea made from the flowers to treat inflammation and as a pain reliever for toothache, arthritis, headache, and colds. The dried stems and leaves are used to stop bleeding and swelling.
Buckwheat (Eriogonum giganteum) “St. Catherine’s Lace” – This buckwheat from Catalina Island has large flower heads. The Island Chumash made tea from the leaves and stems to treat colds, headaches, and urinary infections. Tea from flowers of other Buckwheat species is used by several tribes as a laxative and mouthwash.
Cottonwood Tree (Populus fremontii) – Many tribes use the leaves and bark in a poultice for cuts and bruises. Unopened flower buds are used to make an ointment to treat burns.
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)—The official State Flower, it grows wild all over California. The Tongva apply the mashed roots to toothaches and also use them to induce sleep. A boiled tea of the flowers is used to kill hair lice.
Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica) - The low growing herb along the path with cone-shaped white flowers. A tea made from the roots is used as a cleansing wash for cuts and sores and as a tea for coughs.
Manzanita (Arctostaphylos species ‘Luis Edmunds’) - The large shrub with smooth reddish-brown bark in the background. The leaves of some of its many species are known to relieve urinary tract infections. Another is used to control diarrhea, and others are used to treat skin sores, rashes, bronchial problems, and headaches.
Redberry (Rhamnus ilicifolia) - The large shrub in the background with shiny leaves and small red berries. The roots and bark are used mainly as a laxative
California Sunflower (Encelia californica) - The shrub on the hill with many small yellow sunflowers. The leaves, flowers, and stems are mashed and boiled by the Tongva to be applied as a poultice for pain or a paste for toothaches.
California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) - The large shrub with thin grayish-green leaves and inconspicuous flowers in late summer. Tea from the leaves is important as a woman’s medicine for the Tongva, Chumash, Cahuilla, and other tribes. A liniment for pain is made with the leaves.
Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon crassifolium) - The dark green shrub at the top of the hill with small, fuzzy purple flowers. The leaves are used in tea and as a steam inhalation for coughs, colds, sore throats, and asthma. The leaves are also applied to the skin to stop bleeding.
Scouring Rush (Equisetum hyemale) - The medium-sized, leafless, wetland plant is in the background. The Tongva called it popoot and used the whole plant as a decoction to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Tea is used for kidney and bladder disorders.
Basket Rush (Juncus textilis) -The tall, leafless clump with small clusters of seeds at the tips. The Tongva, Chumash, and most California tribes use stems to make coiled baskets to store medicinal herbs and other foods.
Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchum bellum) - The small grass-like plant in the foreground with blue flowers is in the Iris family. The Tongva tribe makes a decoction of the entire plant to treat stomachaches and cramps. It is called ‘tupukar ahen’ in their language.
Scarlet Bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius) -The plants in the foreground with red tubular flowers. The Tongva is made of wash from this plant to treat burns. A poultice from the roots and flowers treats sores and swollen limbs.
Mountain Lilac (Ceanothus species) - The large shrub in the rear with small shiny leaves and blue flowers in the spring. The flowers and young seedpods make a lather for soap to wash off poison oak oils or cleanse wounds. A wash made from the entire plant is applied for itches, sores, and skin irritations.
Wild Rose (Rosa californica) - The large shrub with prickly stems, pink flowers and red rose hips. The petals are used for colic and teething in babies. The roots are used for colds, and the rose hips are used to treat pain, fevers, and sore throat.
Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus) is a small shrub with orange-yellow flowers resembling a monkey’s mouth. California tribes use the leaves, stems, and flowers to treat kidney and urinary problems, diarrhea, and fevers.
*Do not harvest any plants from the garden or the wild – this is poaching and illegal.
