International Herb Association's 2017 Thomas DeBaggio Book Award Winner
2016 Silver Nautilus Book Award Winner
History, literature, and botany meet in this charming tour of how humans have relied on plants to nourish, shelter, heal, clothe, and even entertain us. Did you know that during World War II, the US Navy paid kids to collect milkweed's fluffy white floss, which was then used as filling for life preservers? And Native Americans in the deserts of the Southwest traditionally crafted tattoo needles from prickly pear cactus spines. These are just two of the dozens of tidbits that Tammi Hartung highlights in the tales of 43 native North American flowers, herbs, and trees that have rescued and delighted us for centuries.
With curious facts and engaging visuals, Cattail Moonshine & Milkweed Medicine explores 43 North American plants that have helped shape our culture and traditions.
Some Ordinary Plants with Extraordinary Stories
The plants in your backyard have amazing stories to tell and fascinating uses you've never known about. For millennia, we humans have relied on these plants to nourish, shelter, heal, and clothe us. Through captivating tales and images that illuminate our lost wisdom, Tammi Hartung reveals the untold histories of 43 native North American plants and celebrates their modern versatility.
Table of Contents:
Foreword
Preface
The Wonder of Plants
Meet Our Plant Allies
Agave
Alder
Amaranth
Blueberry
California Bay
California Poppy
Cattail
Cottonwood
Cranberry
Echinacea
Elderberry
Gooseberry & Currants
Hawthorn
Hibiscus
Hickory
Horse Chestnut/Buckeye
Horsetail
Maple
Mesquite
Mexican Cacao/Chocolate Tree
Milkweed
Nettles
North American Mint
Oak
Panic Grass
Passionflower
Persimmon
Pine
Prickly Pear & Cholla
Raspberry & Blackberry
Saw Palmetto
Spruce
Squash
Sunflower
Valerian
Walnut
Wild Rice
Wild Rose
Wild Yam
Willow
Witch Hazel
Yew
Yucca
Credits
Index
"An unusual and fascinating compendium of history, herbal lore, and environmental concerns for some of our most precious plants. Tammi Hartung is a heartfelt ambassador of the plant kin-dom who has done us and the plants she loves a great service."
-- Dr. Rosita Arvigo, DN, founding director, Arvigo Institute
"Visually exquisite! The expansive information includes ethnobotanical aspects of how plants are integrated into the fabric of our lives. I have learned many new uses for some of my old herbal friends. Everyone should have this on their shelf."
-- Trish Flaster, executive director, Botanical Liaisons, LLC
"From agave to yucca, these wondrous stories tell of diverse uses for our most important wild plants."
-- Kelly Kindscher, Kansas Biological Survey senior scientist and author of Echinacea: Herbal Medicine with a Wild History
Storey Publishing
Pub. Date: September 20, 2016
0.8" H x 7.6" L x 7.1" W
256 pages
Hardcover