~Herban Chica~

Monday, February 2, 2009

On my last post I mentioned a few herbs of the week... this is what I have learned about a few of them
Brittle brush is a mild stimulant, you can collect the twigs in the late fall and in the spring you can collect the flowers for a salve and use it for minor aches and pains. The leaves have been picked and used for tea, sitz bath and smudging. The leaves have also been used to ease tooth and gum pain in small children.

a picture of brittle bush or Encelia farinosa

Creosote Bush or Larrea tridentata
Uses: antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-microbial, hair tonic, arthritis, blood, skin, tumors, cysts.
used by Pima, Papago, Seri, Cahuilla
Creosote has very resinous leaves and is considered one of the best healing plants. Creosote could very well be one of the oldest plants on earth, in California one was carbon dated to 1300 years old. It was used by the Tohono oo dam people to treat the flu, colds and parasites, used for menstral cramps, skin sores and dandruff and its fresh leaves put into shoes to help with arthritis of the feet. Creosote was used for blessings by burning the leaves for incense or smudging.
The small resinous leaves slows down water loss in the plant and also protuects itself from the ultra violet rays and is a strong anti oxident.The resin acts as a sunscreen to protect the plant in the harsh dessert but can also be used as a sunscreen for humans too.