FOOD FOREST MEDICINE Monograph #6: Wild Ginger

Common Name: Wild Ginger (Snake Root)

Latin Name: Asarum canadense

Brief Description: On a cold winter day there is no Carolinian plant species that can warm up your insides like wild ginger can.  It is a spicy and aromatic herb, which means that it is great for treating symptoms associated with cold and stagnation (or those associated with Canadian winters!), such as cold extremities, bloating, bad breath, gas and malaise. The name ‘wild ginger’ itself can be a bit misleading, since wild ginger and common ginger (Zingiber officinalis) are not related plant species.  However, one sniff of wild ginger root will have you convinced that they are of the same family.  Some wild food foragers claim that wild ginger rhizomes can be used as a substitute for Zingiber in cooking. Wild ginger is also diaphoretic, which means that it can be used to maximize fever.  Adding a couple of table spoons of powdered ginger root to a bath can help speed recovery from the common cold. Wild ginger is an erect perennial, growing up to 4-12 inches high. Each plant bears a pair of large velvety, heart-shaped leaves. Growing at ground level in the crotch between 2 leafstalks is a single darkish, red-brown to green-brown flower. The flower is usually hidden at ground level in solitary below the leaves.

Parts Used: Root

Edible Uses: Carminative to flavour stir fries, soups etc..  Candied ginger root was traditionally used on long journeys to combat digestive upset from eating spoiled foods.

Medicinal Uses: Used in the treatment of nausea and digestive upset.  Native Americans and traditional herbalists use wild ginger rhizome to regulate menstruation and irregular heartbeat. (in other words, to treat a “damp-cold uterus”).   Wild ginger is also known to be diaphoretic (inducing, and maximize fevers).

Body System’s Treated: Digestive tract, female reproductive tract, cardiovascular system, immune system.

Harvesting Notes: Pick without destroying the perennial, and push back any loose soil once done. You can harvest many times a year, but autumn is best.  Dry/crush the root to maximize its flavour.

Safety/Cautions/Interactions: Leaves may be poisonous and cause dermatitis in some people (skin irritation).

Sources: http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Asarum+canadense The Complete Natural Guide to the 50 Most Common Medicinal Herbs http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASCA http://www.ehow.com/video_4757295_grow-wild-ginger-asarum.html motherearthliving.com Christine Dennis, Registered Herbalist.  2010 Herbal Field Experience. Course notes. Rosalee de la Foret. Learning Herbs.  Taste of Herbs Course Notes, 2013. Richard Vuskinic, ND. Clinical Pearls, 2015.

FOOD FOREST MEDICINE Monograph #5: Hazelnut

Common Name:   Hazelnut

Latin Name:  Corylus americana

Brief Description:  Corylus americana is a deciduous Tree growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant, and are pollinated by wind. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate strong winds but not maritime exposure. The common name reflects its being native to North America and “hazel” is from the Old English name for filbert. According to Mark Shepard, hazelnuts represent an excellent candidate for a staple food crop in permaculture design systems.  Not only is it a good source of oil, protein and biofuel, the nut shells burn at 2 x the BTU of many types of fuel wood!  Great for keeping things warm in the winter!

Parts Used/ Edible Uses:   The nuts are edible and ripen in late fall.  Other edible parts are the oil and seeds. Seed - raw or cooked in soups, bread, biscuits, sweets etc. The nuts have a thick shell with a small sweet kernel, they make an excellent dessert. Although smaller than the seeds of cultivated species, the seed is of the same general quality. Nuts at the 'milk' stage (before they are fully ripe) are softer and sweeter. The seed is rich in oil. The seed ripens in mid to late autumn and will probably need to be protected from squirrels. When kept in a cool place, and not shelled, the seed should store for at least 12 months. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.  When the oil is pressed from the seed, the remaining meal is a 30% protein concentrate food.

Medicinal Uses:  A tea made from the bark is astringent. It was used in the treatment of hives and fevers. A poultice made from the bark is used to close cuts and wounds, old sores etc. 50-75% oil by weight, mostly mono and polyunsaturated fats.  Very high in Vitamin E, which shows some evidence in treating liver disease, macular degeneration, prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease

Other Uses:  The plant makes a good screening hedge.

Safety/Cautions/Interactions:   Allergy to tree nuts or their products. Use caution in patients with known allergy to peanuts.

Sources: http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Corylus+americana  plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_coam3.pdf http://www.treetopics.com/corylus_americana/index.htm http://www.drugs.com/npp/hazel.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11358108 https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/v/vitamin-e/professional.aspx Shepard, Mark.  Restoration Agriculture.  Acres USA, pp 87-92. Austin, TX, 2013.