The secrets of wildflowers : a delightful feast of little-known facts, folklore, and history

519 Pages·2003·10.67 MB·English

by  Sanders

The Secrets of Wildflowers
The Secrets of Wildflowers
A Delightful Feast of Little-Known Facts, Folklore, and
History
JACK SANDERS
with photographs by the author
LYONS PRESS
Guilford, Connecticut
An imprint of Globe Pequot Press
Copyright © 2003, 2014 by Jack Sanders ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part
of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted
in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to
Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480,
Guilford, CT 06437.
Lyons Press is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press
Book design by Casey Shain
Spot images: www.clipart.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sanders, Jack, 1944—
The secrets of wildflowers / by Jack Sanders.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-58574-668-1 (hc : alk. paper) 1. Wild flowers—North America. I.
Title.
QK110.S26 2003
582.13'097—dc21
ISBN 978-1-4930-0616-8
2002154440
Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
AUTHOR’S WARNING : While this book contains many descriptions of herbal
uses of plants, the author does not endorse any of these plants as medicines.
Except for spreading jewelweed on his poison ivy rashes, he does not
practice herbal medicine and does not recommend herbal treatments to
others unless a licensed medical doctor prescribes them. Some widely used
herbs are, in fact, dangerous. By using them, you could wind up among the
dearly departed. Descriptions of medicinal uses are included in the book to
tell the history of the plants and their relationship with people, to note
species that are under study as possible medicines (and there are many of
those), and to explain the origins of some often obscure folk names.
To my wife, Sally, who helped me with this project in countless ways over many
years; to Betty Grace Nash, who encouraged me to keep at it; to Jim Hodgins,
who published many of my essays in the pages of Wildflower magazine; and to
Tom McCarthy, the editor who believed in the book, The Secrets of Wildflowers
is dedicated.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
(Arranged approximately by blooming seasons)
Spring
Skunk Cabbage: First Flower of Winter
Hepatica: Gem of the Woods
Spring-Beauty: A Pink Potato
Anemones: Flowers of the Wind
Coltsfoot: Roadside Cough Medicine
Bloodroot: A Bloody Early Bloomer
Dandelion: Our Tulip in the Grass
American Columbine: An Elfin Beauty
Dutchman’s Breeches: Rude Little Trousers
Garlic Mustard: A Tasty Foe
Trout Lily: A Lily by Any Other Name
Ginsengs: The Man-Plants
Violets: Love in the Springtime
Trilliums: Dead Meat
Speedwells: Diamonds in the Rough
Pussytoes: The Feet in the Lawn
Buttercups: Bitter Beauties
Celandine: A Golden Poppy
Marsh Marigold: Friend of the Farmer
Blue Flag: Born to the Purple
Solomon’s Seals: The Several Seals of Solomon
Wild Ginger: An Overlooked Crank
Jack-in-the-Pulpit: The Silent Preacher
Saxifrages: Rock Crushers?
Lady’s Slippers: The Secretive Slippers
May Apples: The Green Umbrellas
Daisy: A Flower Loved and Hated
Wild Geranium: The Catapulted Crawler
Baneberries: Two-Season Treats
Summer
Goatsbeard: The Geodesic Clock
Bedstraws: Creepers for Runners
Cinquefoil: A Rose by Another Name
Forget-Me-Nots: Legendary Flowers
Chickweeds: For the Birds
Black-Eyed Susan: A Pretty Face
Bindweeds: The Pretty Stranglers
Deptford Pink: Tiny but Divine
Milkweed: A Sweet Grabber
Butterflyweed: A Neglected Beauty
Clovers: Ubiquitous and Useful
Jewelweed: Nature’s Salve and Toy
Black Cohosh: Candles of the Fairies
Chicory: The Roadside Peasant
Bergamots: The Monster Mints
Nightshades: Beautiful, but Deadly?
Pokeweed: Bounty for Man and Bird
Sundews: The Carnivores
Purple Loosestrife: Summer’s Deadly Glow
Yarrow: The First-Aid Kit
Queen Anne’s Lace: The Royal Carrot
Dayflowers: An Embarrassing Memorial
Late Summer & Fall
Knotweeds: Knots Underfoot
Indian Pipes: Ghosts of Summer’s Woods
Mulleins: The Bearded Weeds
St. Johnsworts: Chasing the Blues with Yellows
Avens: Both Blessed and Cursed
Mints: Old and Lively Scents
Cardinal Flower: America’s Favorite
Bouncing Bet: Soap with Bounce
Evening-Primrose: An Owl-Like Sweet
Toadflax: Old Toad Face
Goldenrods: The All-Americans
Ragweeds: The Season for Sneezin’
Joe-Pye Weed: A Noble Lummox
Boneset: A Bitter Tea for the Ailing
Sunflowers: Beauty and Bounty
Turtleheads: The Talking Heads
Vervain: A Favorite of Priests and Witches
Groundnut: Sweet from Tip to Toe
Ladies’-Tresses: Orchids of Autumn
Dogbane: A Fly’s Worst Friend
Thistles: Watch Your Step!
Asters: The Stars of Autumn
Gentians: The Royal Family
Websites
A Brief Glossary
Bibliography