Looking into the most popular Native American herbs and Native American herbal medicine? Continue reading.
For thousands of years, the Native Americans of North America have harnessed the rich gifts of nature around them, not only as food but also as remedies for healing both body and soul. These practices were often intertwined with spiritual rituals to enhance their potency. With the arrival of European settlers, Native American herbs spread and gained recognition worldwide. From the abundant Native American herbal medicine, we’ve selected a list of herbs that are readily available today in health stores, pharmacies, and herbal shops, as teas, tinctures, extracts, powders, syrups, and oils.
In This Article You Will Find:
7 Powerful Native American Herbs and Their Healing Benefits
1. American Ginseng
(Panax quinquefolius)
Just as renowned and potent as Asian ginseng, American ginseng, one of the most prized Native American herbs, thrives primarily in the Appalachian Mountains, the Ozarks, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and southeastern Canada. Due to its overharvesting for its remarkable properties, it is now relatively rare in the wild and is commonly cultivated on plantations.
In Native American herbal medicine, tribes like the Cherokee, Mohegan, and Potawatomi relied on dried American ginseng leaves and roots as a key ingredient in their traditional remedies.
Healing Benefits of American Ginseng
- American ginseng was commonly used in Native American herbal medicine to prevent and treat colds and flu, lower fevers, reduce inflammation, stimulate digestion, and detoxify the digestive tract.
- Recent research has uncovered additional benefits of American ginseng, a staple in Native American herbal medicine. It has been found to help prevent and alleviate cancer and diabetes, boost immunity, and enhance mental clarity.
American ginseng is used in the form of extracts, powders, and tinctures, following the recommendations of a healthcare professional and the instructions on the product label.
2. Bee Balm
(Monarda didyma)
Bee balm is a plant with beautifully colored and fragrant flowers, native to the eastern and southern parts of North America, where it was a highly valued medicinal plant with a long history of use. Bee balm has powerful antibacterial properties, making it useful in treating infections, especially those related to the digestive tract.
In Native American herbal medicine, the Oswego Native American tribe used bee balm tea especially for intestinal issues.
Healing Benefits of Bee Balm
- Native Americans were well aware of bee balm’s medicinal properties and used it in the form of tea as a general stimulant for the body, particularly to treat bloating, digestive infections, and throat and mouth infections.
- Topically, they used it to make poultices for skin infections and wounds.
Nowadays, bee balm remedies are available in health stores as tea (Oswego tea), tincture, extract, essential oil, and powder.
3. Goldenseal
(Hydrastis canadensis)
Goldenseal is a perennial plant, native to the forests of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and was mainly used by Native American tribes as a general tonic. Due to its powerful healing properties, goldenseal was quickly adopted by the settlers as well.
Known as the “universal remedy”, goldenseal has a wide range of applications in Native American herbal medicine, including antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal.
Healing Benefits of Goldenseal
Goldenseal is available in health stores as extract, powder, tincture, and tea.
- Goldenseal was traditionally used as a protector and regenerating agent for mucous membranes (such as those in the stomach, intestines, trachea, and nasal passages), a diuretic, and a liver detoxifier.
- Native Americans used to drink goldenseal root decoction to treat gastritis, gastric ulcers, and jaundice.
- The powdered goldenseal root was mixed with bear fat to make a salve with rapid effects, which Native Americans would apply all over their bodies.
4. Corn Silk
(Stigma maydis)
Corn silk is a panacea in Native American herbal medicine, mainly due to its diuretic properties, which made it a powerful medicine for kidney conditions by many tribes, including the Iroquois, Pawnee, Navajo, and Sioux.
The Cherokee used corn silk as a natural remedy for urinary tract issues, brewing it into a tea to treat bladder infections, kidney problems, and to help with urinary retention.
Healing Benefits of Corn Silk
- Corn silk was typically used as tea or infusion and sometimes used topically for certain skin conditions.
- Corn silk has been traditionally used to help manage high blood pressure in Native American herbal medicine.
Today, corn silk is still used in herbal medicine for its diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties and is sold as tea.
5. Echinacea
(Echinacea purpurea)
Echinacea, also known as purple coneflower, is one of the most powerful Native American herbs, known as the most powerful herb for the immune system. It thrives in prairies and forest clearings. For centuries, echinacea has been used in Native American herbal medicine as a cure for throat infections and respiratory tract ailments.
Tribes such as the Lakota (Sioux) and the Cheyenne used echinacea to treat various ailments, particularly infections, and wounds, but also for pain relief and to treat colds.
Healing Benefits of Echinacea
- Native Americans used echinacea to treat colds, tonsillitis, throat pain and inflammation, coughs, and even snake bites.
- The Cree used echinacea to treat infections, wounds, and fevers. It was also used as a remedy for sore throats and to support the body during illness.
- The Shoshone used echinacea for its antibiotic properties, applying it to wounds and using it as a remedy for various infections.
Today, Echinacea root and flowers are used as extract, tincture, syrup, and tea.
6. Pokeweed
(Phytolacca Americana)
Native to the eastern United States, pokeweed grows in desert areas, pastures, clearings, and along roadways, and is one of the key plants in Native American herbal medicine for inflammation and infections.
Some Native American tribes boiled pokeweed berries and roots or made them into a tincture, to induce vomiting and treat constipation.
Healing Benefits of Pokeweed
- The Native Americans of Virginia would drink a decoction of the leaves and stems of pokeweed or eat small amounts of the dried and powdered root of the plant to treat rheumatic pain.
- Due to its strong anti-inflammatory effects, pokeweed root was used internally as a tincture or decoction, and externally as poultices to treat arthritis, tumors, and skin diseases.
- Some Native American tribes, particularly in the southeastern United States, used pokeweed in their traditional medicine for treating snakebites, although the exact method varied.
Pokeweed is toxic, especially if consumed improperly, as it contains toxic compounds such as saponins and alkaloids. Native Americans were highly skilled in using it cautiously, often preparing it in specific ways to reduce the risks. Today, pokeweed is sold as extract, syrup, powder, and tincture.
7. Witch Hazel
(Hamamelis virginiana)
As its name suggests, witch hazel was not only one of the most fantastic Native American herbs but also one with magical qualities. Perhaps this is due to the plant’s high content of flavonoids and tannins, giving it astringent and antioxidant effects, and thus the fantastic ability to protect and constrict blood vessels.
Witch hazel was the ultimate Native American herb for skin problems, similar to chamomile in the old continent.
Healing Benefits of Witch Hazel
- Native Americans commonly used witch hazel to treat skin irritations, cuts, bruises, and inflammations. They would apply poultices made from the bark and twigs to reduce swelling and speed up healing. The plant’s astringent properties helped tighten the skin and reduce bleeding.
- Witch hazel is used to treat varicose veins and hemorrhoids, various types of inflammation, psoriasis, and eczema, and to prevent and treat conditions like rosacea, acne, excess sebum, blisters, cracked skin, and excessive sweating.
- Some Native American tribes used witch hazel as a remedy for colds, coughs, and respiratory infections.
Witch hazel is available as an extract, tea, powder, tincture, and witch hazel water, which can be used on the face instead of cream.
Other Native American Herbs Worth Knowing
Native American Herbs for Digestive Disorders
- Native Americans used tea made from dandelion leaves or root as a digestive tonic and remedy for heartburn.
- The most commonly used remedy for diarrhea was tea made from blackberry root and leaves.
- To treat dysentery, Native Americans drank juice made from macerated black cherries.
- They consumed a decoction of white oak bark to heal hemorrhoids.
Native American Herbs for Colds and Respiratory Problems
- Native Americans used wild cherry bark or white pine bark decoctions for colds, coughs, and lung diseases.
- For bronchitis, they prepared tea from wormwood leaves.
- To combat asthma, they made tea from denseflower mullein flowers or inhaled the smoke from burning these flowers.
- Native Americans consumed a syrup made by boiling denseflower mullein roots and sweetening it with raw honey to treat asthma and other respiratory issues.
Native American Herbs for Pain & Inflammation
- For back pain, they applied poultices made from crushed arnica roots or warm compresses soaked in gentian root decoction to the painful area.
- Native Americans considered basil tea, sipped throughout the day in small amounts, a remedy for headaches.
- Native Americans drank concentrated tea made from willow bark or took baths in a decoction of willow bark and roots to treat fever.
To induce calm and sleep, Native Americans brewed hops and black cherry bark teas and ate lettuce, which they considered a calming herb that helped bring sleep.
Read Also: 10 Forgotten Native American Remedies & How to Use
Discover the powerful healing properties of these 7 must-know Native American herbs. From boosting immunity to soothing digestive issues, these time-tested remedies continue to offer natural solutions for modern wellness. Embrace the wisdom of Native American herbal medicine and incorporate these plants into your daily routine for a healthier life. Stay healthy, naturally!
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