ORCHARD & HERB GARDEN
Plants with Utility
The term ‘herb’ has been used for centuries to describe plants that are useful to the daily lives of humans. Whether for culinary use, medicinal use, perfume, dyes or cordage, our relationship with these plants spans thousands of years across continents and cultures. North America is home to many useful native plants, some of which can be found growing in this garden. Indigenous peoples use the prairie, meadows, wetlands, and woodlands as their pantry, pharmacy, hardware store, and fabric store, utilizing hundreds of native species throughout the year.
While ‘herb’ specifically refers to plants that do not produce wood, many woody plants have properties that are important to humans. From edible fruit to medicinal bark, to even ingredients for making perfume, trees and shrubs with useful qualities are worth recognition. The orchard that makes up the backbone of this garden includes many important woody plant species.
Designed as a flowering meadow, both native and non-native herb species are demonstrated growing together in a naturalistic style garden. With many seasons of interest, all of the plants are used in traditional or indigenous practices as an herb.
Medical Importance
Did you know that many North American native plants have become medically important? Hundreds of species have been found to boost our immune system, show promise of disease fighting chemicals, and impart behavior changing qualities like increased focus, better sleep, and calming effects.
Other medically important qualities found in native plants includes antiseptic chemicals, relief from irritation, and even repelling insects that carry disease. Plants have often been added to soaps to create a scent, but some plants add additional protection against pathogens and can help with safer wound healing. Indigenous peoples across the continent have been using native plants as a pharmacy and first aid kit for thousands of years, utilizing their medically important components.
Many native plants can be ground into salves for topical use on wounds, rashes, or to absorb through the skin. Herbal teas have many ingredients native to North America. Essential oils and tinctures made from native plants are also frequently used to cure ailments.
Dyes and Textiles
Over 500 native species have been used in traditional dye making by indigenous peoples. Fruit, flowers, sap, bark, pollen, leaves, roots, and tubers can all create rich and vibrant dyes for textiles and clothing. Usually created by muddling plant parts in water, fibers are then soaked or boiled in the dye until the desired color is achieved.
Many native plants are useful in making fiber or cordage too. Species with long, tall stems that have strong fibers running through them make the best candidates. The stems are dried, then soaked in water, then smashed until fibers pull apart. The individual fibers can then be braided or twisted together to make longer ropes. Fun fact: milkweed floss and fiber is still used to this day to make yarn, as insulation in clothing, and to fill floatation devices!
Some of the most commonly used plants for fiber include nettles, dogbane, milkweed, and tree bark. Practically any plant with enough cellulose (fiber) in the stem can be used.
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Plant Lists:
Herbaceous Plants:
Achillea millefolium – Common yarrow
Ageratina altissima – White snakeroot
Alchemilla mollis – Lady’s mantle
Allium cernuum – Nodding onion
Allium schoenoprasum ‘Alfredo’ – Alfredo chive
Allium schoenoprasum ‘Lesser Pink’ – Lesser pink chive
Allium schoenoprasum ‘Pinkish’ – Pinkish chive
Allium schoenoprasum ‘Pank’ – Pank chive
Allium x ‘Millenium’ – Millenium ornamental onion
Amsonia hubrichtii – Thread-leaf bluestar
Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Short Stack’ – Short stack bluestar
Amsonia tabernaemontana – Eastern bluestar
Anemone canadensis – Canada anemone
Angelica atropurpurea – Great angelica
Armorica rusticana – Horseradish
Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Garden Ghost’ – Garden ghost sage
Asclepias tuberosa ‘Oh Deer’ – Oh deer butterfly milkweed
Baptisia x ‘Solar Flare’ – Solar flare false indigo
Baptisia australis – False indigo
Baptisia x ‘Grape Escape’ – Grape escape false indigo
Bergenia cordifolia – Pigsqueak
Boltonia decurrens – Decurrent false aster
Calamintha nepeta – Lesser catmint
Carex sp. – Sedge
Carex albicans – Whitetinge sedge
Carex muskingumensis – Palm sedge
Carex muskingumensis ‘Oehme’ – Variegated palm sedge
Chelone lyonii – Pink turtlehead
Coreopsis tripteris – Tall coreopsis
Echinacea purpurea – Purple coneflower
Eryngium yuccifolium – Rattlesnake master
Eutrochium dubium ‘Little Joe’ – Little Joe pye weed
Eutrochium maculatum – Joe pye weed
Filipendula rubra – Queen of the Prairie
Fragaria virginiana – Wild strawberry
Gillenia trifoliata – Bowman’s root
Helianthus maximiliani – Maximilian sunflower
Heuchera x ‘Cherries Jubilee’ – Cherries jubilee coralbells
Iris spuria ‘Fontanelle’ – Fontanelle iris
Liatris ligulistylus – Rocky Mountain gayfeather
Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’ – Variegated apple mint
Monarda didyma ‘Raspberry Wine’ – Raspberry wine beebalm
Oligoneuron riddellii – Riddell’s Goldenrod
Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen’ – Herrenhausen showy oregano
Parthenium integrifolium – Wild quinine
Penstemon digitalis – Beardtongue penstemon
Phlox paniculata ‘Forever Pink’ – Forever pink phlox
Phlox paniculata ‘Forever Blue’ – Forever blue
Physostegia virginiana – Obedient plant
Prunella vulgaris – Self-heal
Prunella vulgaris subsp. lanceolata – Cutleaf self-heal
Prunella vulgaris ‘Magdelena’ – Magdelena self-heal
Prunella grandiflora ‘Rubra’ – Red self-heal
Prunella grandiflora ‘White’ – White self-heal
Prunella grandiflora ‘Violet’ – Violet self-heal
Pycnanthemum virginianum – Virginia mountain mint
Pycnanthemum muticum – Clustered mountain mint
Ratibida pinnata – Prairie coneflower
Rheum rhabarbarum – Rhubarb
Ruellia humilis – Wild petunia
Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’ – Henry Eilers sweet coneflower
Rudbeckia x ‘American Gold Rush’ – American gold rush black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba – Brown eyed Susan
Rudbeckia maxima – Giant coneflower
Ruta graveolens – Rue
Salvia x ‘Rosenwein’ – Rosenwein sage
Sedum x ‘Autumn Joy’ – Autumn joy sedum
Senna hebecarpa – Wild senna
Silphium laciniatum – Compass plant
Solidago speciosa – Showy goldenrod
Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ – Fireworks goldenrod
Solidago rigida – Stiff goldenrod
Sporobolus heterolepis – Prairie dropseed
Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears’ – Big ears lamb ears
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ – Raydon’s favorite aromatic aster
Tanacetum parthenium – Feverfew
Thymus vulgaris – Thyme
Tradescantia ohiensis – Ohio spiderwort
Verbena hastata – Blue vervain
Verbena hastata ‘White Spires’ – White spires vervain
Verbena hastata ‘Pink Spires’ – Pink spires vervain
Verbena hastata ‘Blue Spires’ – Blue spires vervain
Verbena stricta – Hoary vervain
Vernonia x ‘Iron Butterfly’ – Iron butterfly ironweed
Vernonia baldwenii – Baldwin’s ironweed
Vernonia novaboracensis – New York ironweed
Veronicastrum virginicum – Culver’s root
Viola sororia – Common blue violet
Woody Plants:
Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’ – Red sunset maple
Acer saccharinum – Silver maple
Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Standing Ovation’ – Standing ovation serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea – Serviceberry
Aronia melanocarpa ‘Ground Hug’ – Ground hug chokeberry
Asimina triloba ‘Pennsylvania Gold’ – Pennsylvania gold pawpaw
Asimina triloba ‘Wells’ – Wells pawpaw
Betula nigra – River birch
Forsythia x ‘Show Off’ – Show off forsythia
Hibiscus syriacus ‘Lil’ Kim’ – Lil’ Kim hibiscus
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Invincibelle Sublime’ – Invincibelle sublime hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bobo’ – Bobo panicle hydrangea
Magnolia acuminata – Cucumber magnolia
Malus ioensis – Prairie crabapple
Malus x – Domesticated apple
Malus x ‘Delicious’ – Hawkeye Delicious apple
Malus x ‘Freedom’ – Freedom apple
Malus x ‘Golden Bell’ – Golden bell apple
Malus x ‘Snow’ – Snow apple
Malus x ‘Whitney’ – Whitney apple
Philadelphus coronarius – Mock orange
Pinus strobus – Eastern White Pine
Prunus x ‘Compass’ – Compass cherry
Rosa rugosa ‘Wild Spice’ – Wild spice rose
Salix candida ‘Ames 34431’ – Sageleaf willow
Salix candida ‘Ames 34432’ – Sageleaf willow
Viburnum trilobum – Cranberrybush viburnum