Uses of Plants In and Around the Forest by Candice Cantin
Packard Native use of plants as medicine is often looked upon as
something of the past which has little relevance to our current
needs. However, as a professional Herbalist and Member of the
American Herbalist Guild I would like to share with you many of
the plants that are still in use by herbalists like myself.
These plants have pertinence to our times because of their long
history of safe use as applied to many ailments and conditions.
I will discuss some of the plants that are familiar to most
people and that grow in the Sierras. The manzanita
(Arctostaphylos spp.) can be found all over California. The name
manzanita means "little apple" as it has small reddish berries
which are ripe late in the summer. The tea or alcohol extract of
the leaves is used for cystitis (bladder infections) which is
due many times to an over-alkaline urine from improper eating
habits. The glycosides in manzanita, especially arbutin, are
metabolized and excreted in the ur