Just back from the beautiful Big Sur coast. Every time I venture out in my home state of California, it is a reminder that Ethnobotany starts at home!
We are so lucky to have a rich biodiverse environment here in California, but every place in the world has their own native flora just begging to be seen and understood…
This orange flower, Sticky Monkey Flower (Diplacus aurantiacus) is one of my favorites, as it is so common to the coastal mountains, coloring them orange with blossoms through the warm months, and now there are several tough and various beautiful garden cultivars available. Native Americans have had several uses for them, such as for eye irritations (decoction).
And behind me you can see the ever-present and very fragrant California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), also with a plethora of uses, including for coughs and colds, removing skunk odor, and “cowboy deodorant”.
But I am curious, I would like
to hear what are some of your favorite natives from your regions?
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