Upstanding Medical Plant

1. Blackberry
Blackberry is a long-known remedy to the Cherokee Indians for calming an upset stomach, among other things.
Blackberry tea can be used to reduce swelling in the joints, while chewing on blackberry leaves can soothe sore gums.
Blackberry root mixed with honey or maple syrup makes an all-natural cough syrup. Blackberries are full of
antioxidants that promote heart health and boost the immune system.
2. Buckbrush
The roots of this plant have been used used by Cherokee Indians to improve kidney function and reduce inflammation.
Researchers still believe today that this herb is a great natural treatment for high blood pressure. To make a tea, simply
steep the leaves and flowers in boiling water for about five minutes, then drink.
3. Cattail
This plant has been used as a preventative medicine, rather than a healing plant. The cattail was eaten because it is
easily digestible, and the Cherokees believed it would help to prevent illness or assist in recovery.
4. Mint
In this case, mint is made into tea and used to soothe digestion problems and an upset stomach. The Cherokee crush
and bruise the leaves to use as a cold compress for pain or itching. Mint is also used as a remedy to help with nausea,
fatigue and allergies.
5. Greenbriar
The roots of this herb are high in starch and minerals, while the leaves provide vitamins and supplemental minerals. The
Cherokees have used greenbriar as a blood purifier and a mild diuretic to treat urinary infections. An ointment can be
made from the leaves and bark to be applied to minor sores and burns, and the berries can be eaten raw or made into
jam.
6. Wild Ginger
A tea made from the root of wild ginger is meant to stimulate better digestion. Ginger is known to help with intestinal
gas and an upset stomach. Native Americans also used crushed, steeped stems of wild ginger as a form of relief from
earaches.
7. Yarrow
Yarrow has historically been used to treat external wounds on the skin. Fresh, crushed leaves can be applied to open
wounds to stop excess bleeding and prevent infections. The leaves can also be used to make a tea in order to promote
proper digestion and help with kidney or gallbladder issues.
8. Wild Rose
The fruit of a rose is known as a rose hip. They are packed with Vitamin C to boost the immune system, and the
Cherokee have used them to make a tea in order to stimulate the bladder and kidney function. They also work great as a
natural cold and flu remedy.
9. Yellow Dock
The Cherokee Indians have historically used this herb in cooking, as it boasts vitamins and minerals from its long roots
that form deep underground. The leaves of yellow dock contain iron and can be used as a laxative, and the crushed
roots mixed with warm water provides antiseptic properties.
10. Sumac
Sumac (the non-poisonous kind) has antioxidants that promote healing. The berries are rich in Vitamin C and can be
made into a beverage, while tea from sumac leaves can be used to reduce fevers. Crushed sumac leaves can even be
made into an ointment to provide relief from a skin rash.
Compost Pit, (or trench composting) is about as basic as it comes: dig a hole, throw in your organic waste,
and cover it with soil. You're done!

Composting underground utilizes what is known as anaerobic decomposition to break down the organic matter.
Anaerobic decomposition works without oxygen, so there is no need for turning or aerating the matter. Anaerobic
decomposition works much slower than the aerobic process that takes place aboveground.
Vermicompost is the product of the composting process using various species of worms, usually red
wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food
waste, bedding materials, and vermicast, also called worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-
product of the breakdown of organic matter by an earthworm.[1] These castings have been shown to contain reduced
levels of contaminants and a higher saturation of nutrients than do organic materials before vermicomposting.

Indigenous PLant
California Lilac (Ceanothus) Sempervivum

Toyon (Hetermeles arbutifolia) Sunset Strain (Lewisia cotyledon)

Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus) Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea)

Fruit Bearing Plant

Pear
One of the best-known pear varieties is the Bartlett pear, which is often seen on the grocery store shelves. When planting
pear trees, be sure to research the variety first. Not all pear trees will be able to cross-pollinate each other. This varies
depending on the specific variety.

Plum
Like most fruit-bearing plants, plums also need at least two varieties planted within relatively close proximity to cross-
pollinate. If there are other types of plum trees in the neighborhood this should be sufficient. Plums that have been dried
become prunes.

Cherry
Cherries are closely related to plums and will often cross-pollinate them. The fruit is either sweet like Bing cherries or tart
like the Montmorency variety. Tart cherries will self-pollinate, sweet cherries do not.

Peach
Peaches are another longtime favorite because of their sweet, juicy flesh. The trees need a winter chill to set fruit and
properly grow new leaves and branches. This varies depending on the variety of peach being grown.

Nectarine
Nectarines are very similar to peaches and the care is almost the same. Nectarine fruit is slightly smaller and does not
have fuzz on the outside. They are tolerant of many types of soil but do not like to remain wet.

Avocado
Avocado is a subtropical plant that can resist some frost, but not freezing. There are many varieties, but the one most
commonly found in the grocery store is the Hass avocado. Technically, avocado is a berry. The fruit only ripens after it
has been removed from the tree.

Banana
Bananas are a tropical herb that only grow in areas that do not receive a frost like South Florida and Hawaii. The banana
most often sold on grocery store shelves is the Cavendish variety. Many varieties are available for the home and
greenhouse grower, including dwarf trees.

Mango
Mangoes are a tropical tree that only grow in areas that are frost-free all year. These trees can get quite large, up to 100
feet tall, but are very tough plants that produce fruit from even young trees.