Natural Remedies and Medicinal Herbs Advice

From your experience - what are the most important natural remedies and medicinal herbs to stockpile, what are they for, and how to use them?

This is not going to answer your question exactly.

This is what I have been doing first is identifying what I already have in the way of plants growing already.

Then I need to make a journal of these and what their medicinal qualities and what ailments they are for.  I did this in a word document that is lost to my computer so having a paper journal in case there is no electricity is a good thing.

Then figure out what ailments are most likely to happen and plan for those.

I hope this helps somewhat.

Anne Miller wrote:This is not going to answer your question exactly.

This is what I have been doing first is identifying what I already have in the way of plants growing already.

Then I need to make a journal of these and what their medicinal qualities and what ailments they are for.  I did this in a word document that is lost to my computer so having a paper journal in case there is no electricity is a good thing.

Then figure out what ailments are most likely to happen and plan for those.

I hope this helps somewhat.

This is an excellent idea, Anne…
Thank you for that.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any medicinal plants growing naturally here…

We do grow abundance of lavender (English, French and Canarian endemic), calendula, rosemary, all sorts of mint and sage, and a few others that I know have medicinal properties, and we use most of them.

However, my question was more focused on what natural remedies and medicinal herbs we (and maybe all of us) should stockpile for in case of SHTF, when medical treatment might not be as available as it is now…

Unfortunately, we don’t have any medicinal plants growing naturally here…

When I first got some books and started learning about medicinal plants, I quickly learned that pretty much every plant is medicinal in some way or another.

Jordan Holland wrote:

Unfortunately, we don’t have any medicinal plants growing naturally here…

When I first got some books and started learning about medicinal plants, I quickly learned that pretty much every plant is medicinal in some way or another.

I agree with Jordan in that you may have medicinal plants growing there that you do not know the plants have medicinal values.

What did the people who lived where you live do for healing wounds, stomach aches, etc before modern medicines?

Here in the US, we learn from what our native Indians used and also from what pioneer families used.

These plants do not need to be stockpiled because you may have an abundance of them.  Fresh herbs are much better than dried.

I asked Mr. Google about native medicinal plants and he said:

Commonly Used Herbal Medicines in the Mediterranean

Melissa officinalis, Lemon Balm (Melissa) Salvia fruticosa, Common Sage (Mairamia) Portulaca oleracea, Purslane (Farfahena) Ammi visnaga, Khella (Khella)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470944363.ch8

Some of these I recognize and some I have never heard of.

I am sure that others will tell you what medicials they are stockpiling.

N. Neta wrote:
Unfortunately, we don’t have any medicinal plants growing naturally here…

Hmmm... I suspect you just have not identified any yet. Perhaps you could take a trip to Tejeda’s Medicinal Plants Centre and luxury hotel Parador Cruz de Tejada.  Have fun for me when you go.

For Spain, the Canary Islands were an important destination for these new specimens, which would have never survived in the frigid north. Today, the Centro de Plantas Medicinales de Tejeda, or Tejeda Medicinal Plants Interpretation Centre, continues to grow the plants that have played a key role in human health. Built in a valley near the Pozo de las Nieves—the highest point in all of Gran Canaria—the centre is divided into a number of different halls that document mankind’s interaction with plants; a lab in which visitors can see how the important elements of a plant are extracted; and a salon in which tea and coffee samples made with the plants are served. Outside, a series of gardens feature native medicinal plants including balsam (used to prevent poison ivy rashes), epazote (used to combat malaria and cholera) and berberis (now being used in experimental test treatments for diabetes).

Oooh, Ooooh! And a book about the herbs of Canary Islands, no traveling needed!     Found here. Medicinal Plants of Canary Islands By: David Bramwell

Personal selection of Canarian medicinal plants showing their value and, by analysing their chemical constituents, demonstrating why they work and why many of them have been in traditional use for so long.

This thread has a list of plants the OP suggests:

we prepared for you this collection of medical plants, that should not miss in home apothecary.

https://permies.com/t/11669/kitchen/Medicinal-plants-herbs-healing-diseases

Here is a list of 13 herbs that suggested to stockpile and why, I have most of these stockpiled:

https://defiel.com/17-herbs-you-should-have/

Anne Miller wrote:This thread has a list of plants the OP suggests:
https://permies.com/t/11669/kitchen/Medicinal-plants-herbs-healing-diseases

Here is a list of 13 herbs that suggested to stockpile and why, I have most of these stockpiled:
https://defiel.com/17-herbs-you-should-have/

Brilliant, Anne.
Thank you so much.

There was a post earlier on what to plant in a Survival Garden. Maybe herbal remedies should have been included in that list. Mullein is a weed on my property it is very prolific, Feverfew has spread throughout the flower beds. Chamomile is what I broadcast between my raised beds. Elderberry both blue and red vaireties. Wild Lettuce is something I have purposely planted. Mints, lemonbalm, horehound, coneflower are here and there.

THere is no way I could answer that for another person.  Make a list of the health issues you deal with most often and the first aid issues you could reasonably foresee, then make sure you have the herbs on hand for those.  My book, Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People starts with that premise, but also helps folks learn about the plants all around them that can be used as needed.  Since I began my herbal apprenticeship when I was 15, I don't think there has ever been a time when I could not walk outside and spot a couple of plants for whatever I needed.    So, I think learning to identify plants is just as important as stocking up on dried herbs or herbal preparations.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Oooh, Ooooh! And a book about the herbs of Canary Islands, no traveling needed!     Found here. Medicinal Plants of Canary Islands By: David Bramwell

Wow… thank you so much, Joylynn…
I did a bit of extra research with your information and found out that the book’s publisher sells the book for a third of the price, and… delivers for free… so I ordered it…
Thanks a million for the tip.

What type of climate region are you in? I live in a temperate climate. If any land is left alone for a year, it grows forest. I love it. I don't know if my go to plants live where you are, but here goes...

These are my favorite medicinal plants, they are naturalized all over in my region, and just pop up unattended, no fuss. There are always some plants in my yard to harvest from every year.

Curley Dock and Yellow Dock-grows in full sun
The leaves are edible and good medicinal for:  anti inflammatory, antibacterial, heals bruising, helps move the lymphatic system.
The root is used topically to help heal wounds and as an antifungal.

Plantago-long leaf grows in full sun, broad leaf grows in mostly shade.
Plantain is also edible. Medicinaly they are antibaceterial, antimicrobial, anti inflamatory, relieves pain (such as a crushing blow from a well swung hammer), heals wounds, and bruises.

Mullien-grows best in full sun, I have seen them in full shade, struggling along.
How to ID the plant.
Leaves are expectorant, demulcent, antiinflamatory, also used for asthma.
Flowers are great infused in oil for ear aches.

Then there is the awesome peraculture plant called Comfrey. This one I planted, and I continue to propagate it.
Medicinal uses.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:What type of climate region are you in? I live in a temperate climate. If any land is left alone for a year, it grows forest. I love it. I don't know if my go to plants live where you are, but here goes...

I’m in a dry, hot, Mediterranean climate, Joylynn.
If any land is left alone for a year, it becomes a desert… well almost…
But I really appreciate the list you shared… gonna look for them or alternatives in our climate.

N. Neta wrote:

Anne Miller wrote:This is not going to answer your question exactly.

This is what I have been doing first is identifying what I already have in the way of plants growing already.

Then I need to make a journal of these and what their medicinal qualities and what ailments they are for.  I did this in a word document that is lost to my computer so having a paper journal in case there is no electricity is a good thing.

Then figure out what ailments are most likely to happen and plan for those.

I hope this helps somewhat.

This is an excellent idea, Anne…
Thank you for that.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any medicinal plants growing naturally here…

We do grow abundance of lavender (English, French and Canarian endemic), calendula, rosemary, all sorts of mint and sage, and a few others that I know have medicinal properties, and we use most of them.

However, my question was more focused on what natural remedies and medicinal herbs we (and maybe all of us) should stockpile for in case of SHTF, when medical treatment might not be as available as it is now…

Hello! I took up the art of herbal and natural medicine several years ago and I am very passionate about foraging and finding wild, useful, plants. While many "herbs" are used for curing various illnesses, many "weeds" can too. I have found that healing plants grow almost anywhere. I would suggest finding some weeds and identifying them and discovering what they are good for, because most have some amazing and unexpected sources of healing.

As for herbs that I stockpile for first aid, colds, etc. Yarrow is the first I take. It grows wild in my woods and fields and it's healing properties are marvelous! As a poultice, fresh or dried, it can stop bleeding, kill germs, and encourage faster healing of cuts, burns, scrapes, skin irritations, you name it! As a tea (warning it will taste bitter alone) it can help with cramps, upset tummies, and menstrual bleeding. I have read that the steam can help with headaches, though I have never tried it.

I enjoy storing rosemary and sage for skin, hair, and nail health. I often use hair rinses after I wash my hair, I just make a large batch of tea in a quart jar  and let it steep for at least ten minutes then pour it on to my hair, scalp and ends, and let my hair air dry with the rinse. I have also done oil infusions with these herbs for skin irritations and nail infections or fungus. The oil paired with some tea tree essential oil kicks anything trying to grow and helps heal what has been hurt.

I would highly recommend comfrey, though I have not had the opportunity to work with it much. From what I have heard it is the best thing to heal skin and wounds. It is mostly used as a poultice or wash. But the one thing you have to be careful of is it's strength, if there is bacteria or germs still in the wound, the comfrey can make the skin grow over it and can cause an infection, so it is good to pair it with a yarrow poultice before the comfrey.

I hope this was helpful. Please, please, do the necessary research and identification before working the remedies, I would hate to be the cause of someone further injuring themselves.

Take care!

Bethany, thank you for sharing.

I also use rosemary as a mouthwash.  Now that you have suggested a hair rinse, I may just try that.

And yes, your post was very helpful.

Happy to share!

Hmmm, the herbs I "stockpile" are the things we use already:

- Mint (for my husband's Crohn's. For boiling to make it easier to breath while sick)

- Turmeric (anti-inflammatory for Crohn's, sickness, etc)

- Ginger (anti-inflammatory for Crohn's, use in cooking, upset stomach, acid reflux, for when sick, etc)

- Quercetin (anti-inflammatory that slows ulcer growth, helps with my husband's Crohn's, helps with normal colds)

- Licorice root (for my low blood pressure, helps prevent cancer, good for colds, helps with psoriasis)

- Burdock root (cancer prevention, helps with psoriasis)

- Green Tea (for energy, for reducing inflammation)

These are all things we already use, and so buy extra in bulk so we never run out.

Pardon my disorganization, this week is the week we harvest our summer stuff and plant our fall/winter stuff.  I'm pooped!  But I thought I would share my top performers.

Plants that I use constantly in a medicinal way:

-calendula (sensitive skin irritations, bug bites - growing it also helps my garden plants)
-plantain!!  (this one is probably my most used -  wounds, bug bites, scratches, rashes, itchiness, pretty much anything dealing with skin that is not super serious)
-yarrow (bug bites and wounds)
-mullein (especially this time of year to help with the wildfire smoke)
-motherwort (menstrual cramps, mood)
-parsely (diuretic)
-dandelion (food stuffs, coffee alternative, diuretic)
-comfrey (injuries/bruises)
-nettles (food stuffs, nutritious tea)
-mandragora (headaches, neck aches, back aches)
-belladonna (headaches, all the aches)
...basically all nightshades
-mint (tea for tummy)

Some plants that I use constantly that i can't successfully grow here at this time (i'd like to experiment with manufacturing microclimates):

-meadowsweet (has salicylic acid - basically aspirin substitute so great for pain or as a low dose aspiring substitute)
-arnica (all those aches and pains)
-kava kava (amazing topical analgesic, especially when combined with meadowsweet.  kava also does wonders for mouth pain if you swish an infusion)

elderberry is a great one to grow. you can make elderberry syrup to store it.
I also grow chamomile and lemon balm to make a tea to help me sleep

@Jordan Holland,

Look at the weeds in your area.

I found this for you:  
https://www.preen.com/learn/weed-id/

https://forages.ca.uky.edu/weedid

https://www.louisvillewater.com/sites/louisvillewater.com/files/user_uploads/Water%20Quality/Wellhead%20Protection/SRAG%20300%20Pocket%20Field%20Guide%20to%20Weeds.pdf

Bet you have plantain, chickweed, dandelion, mallow--all are medicinal and edible.

Cayenne--tincture or dry powder, sprinkled on wounds to stop bleeding; taken internally to "wake up" someone with a stroke, heart attack, or to stop internal bleeding (as Dr. Patrick Jones, Homegrown Herbal School of Medicine, vet has used on multiple animals hit by a car and almost dead.)

Honey--burns, wound cover, sore throat tea, in a potent tea to fight off colds (with fresh or frozen ginger, cayenne, citrus juice)

Plantain--ubiquitous weed, use a spit poultice on wounds, bites, and stings; my neighbor has asked for some to make tea for her urinary tract infections.

Ginger--I make sure to always have a lot, in case I start to feel a cold coming on.  Then I make a tea and drink 6 cups per day.  

It's prevented me getting sick for years (until that very strange "cold" I got in 2022, very fast acting, whipped through me in less than a day, what normally takes 3-7 days as a regular cold...)

Garlic--supposed to be good for your heart; can put it in fire cider; and it tastes good, so a cheap thing to use to improve the taste of food, when you want to.

Honey study, as found here:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188068/

Ann Burns Fire Disasters. 2007 Sep 30; 20(3): 137–139.
Published online 2007 Sep 30.
PMCID: PMC3188068
PMID: 21991084
Language: English | French

Topical Application of Honey for Burn Wound Treatment - an Overview
M. Subrahmanyam
Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer
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Summary
The use of honey in the treatment of burn wounds is discussed and an attempt is made to assess honey's current status as a burn wound dressing. Various kinds of honey are considered, as also the history of its use for this purpose since ancient times. The scientific reasons for honey's appropriateness in burns treatment are reviewed and an account is provided of the main benefits of such treatment.

Keywords: TOPICAL, APPLICATION, HONEY, BURN, WOUND, TREATMENT, OVERVIEW
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Introduction
The use of natural products to enhance wound healing is a common practice in many parts of the world. A survey conducted by Hermans1 in 1998 to review worldwide use of different treatment options for burns found that honey was used in 5.5% of instances, while 1% silver sulphadiazine was the preferred treatment for partial-thickness and mixed burns. Since that time, a number of scientific research papers have testified to the beneficial effects of honey in controlling infection and promoting burn wound healing. This paper makes an attempt to assess the current status of honey as a dressing in burn wounds.

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What is honey?
Honey is a mixture of sugars prepared by honey bees from the natural sugar solutions - called nectar - obtained from flowers or other plant secretions. By inverting the sucrose in the nectar, the bee increases the attainable density of the final product, and thus raises the efficiency of the process in terms of caloric density. By the addition of enzymes and the evaporation of water contained in it, honey bees transform it into a sweet liquid.

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Types of honey
Honey is either unifloral or multifloral, depending whether the honey collected is from the same plant source or from plant sources of various types. The colour and thickness of honey depend on the source - thus honey may be dark-brown, black, etc. The contents of all honey are more or less the same: sugars, e.g. sucrose, fructose, minerals, and vitamins in addition to various enzymes such as catalase, invertase, and diastase.

There are two main types of honey, apiary honey and forest honey. Honeys produced by the Indian hive bee, Apis cerana indica, and the European bee, Apis millifera, in apiaries and collected by the modern extraction method are called apiary honey. These are transparent and free from foreign materials. Honeys produced by the rock bee, Apis dorsata, or from wild nests of Apis cerana indica in forests and collected by the crude method of squeezing the comb are known as forest honeys. These honeys are turbid owing to the abundant presence of pollen, wax, brood (bee larvae), parts of bees, and plant materials. Extra filtration of the honey is necessary to separate the suspended particles. Granulation is a natural process of the crystallization of honey's glucose content, and granulated honey can be made liquid by slight warming.

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Purity of honey
Visual observation and layman tests are not reliable for the ascertainment of the purity of honey. A simple test to detect adulteration of honey is to heat 10 g of it with sodium bisulphite and barium. If barium sulphate is precipitated, sugar or jaggery is present in the honey.

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Honey as a medicine
The medicinal properties of honey have been known over the years. The Indian medicine system Ayurveda describes honey as the nectar of life and recommends its use in the treatment of various ailments such as diarrhoea, ulcers, etc.4 Honey is used as a nutritious food, recommended to be taken along with lemon juice and hot water early in the morning.3 It was used as a component of beauty creams and for embalming the dead in Egypt.

Honey has been used as an adjuvant for accelerating wound healing in ulcers, infected wounds, and burns. It has also been used for storing skin grafts. In 1933 Philips6 mentioned the use of honey in burns and described it as the best natural dressing. In 1937 Voigtlander7 used honey to treat scalds and stressed the relief of pain and honey's soothing action.

Studies in animal models have demonstrated that honey leads to faster healing and reduced inflammation than controls in infection-free superficial burns and full-thickness wounds and in wounds experimentally infected with Staphylococcus aureus.8 There are case reports describing burn wounds not responding to conventional treatment which healed when honey dressings were used.9 A retrospective study of 156 burn patients treated in a hospital over a 5-yr period (1988 to 1992) found that 13 patients treated with honey had a similar outcome to those treated with silver sulphadiazine.

Prospective randomized controlled clinical trials have proved that honey treatment leads to significantly more rapid healing of superficial and partial-thickness burns than that achieved with silver sulphadiazine, polyurethane film, amniotic membrane, and potato peel.2,11-20 However, in full-thickness burns, early tangential excision and skin grafting were found to be superior to honey dressing.

In superficial and partial-thickness burns, honey treatment of burns has resulted in an effective control of infection that is much better than that achieved with current standard treatment, silver sulphadiazine, and other substances.21-23 Thermal injury is an oxidative injury. There is increased free radical activity at the site, resulting in increased lipid peroxidation, which is responsible for scarring and contractures. In burns the early application of honey mops up the free radicals and reduces such scarring and contractures. This may also explain the reduced depigmentation after honey treatment compared to silver sulphadiazine and other methods of treatment. Decreased pain during dressing changes, decreased inflammation, and the promotion of healthy granulation have been shown to be further benefits of honey. Wound swabs taken before and after honey treatment and conventional treatment have shown significantly reduced rates of infection, indicating that honey sterilizes wounds and promotes early granulation.

The components and features of honey that are relevant to wound healing are as follows: viscosity, water content, sugars (primarily glucose and fructose), antioxidants, a wide range of amino acids, vitamins and minerals, glucose oxidase, which produces hydrogen peroxide, and gluconic acid, which gives honey an acidic pH of 3.2 to 4.5. Hydrogen peroxide is produced only when honey is diluted, as glucose oxidase is inhibited in undiluted honey - this provides most of the antibacterial activity of diluted honey (in undiluted honey the high osmolarity prevents bacterial growth) and improves local nutrition, because of levulose and fructose.

This results in early wound healing and decreased hospital stay, thus contributing to honey treatment's cost-effectiveness. Honey is cheap, non-toxic, and non-allergenic, it does not stick to the wound, and it provides a moist environment conducive to rapid burn healing.

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How to use honey?
In minor burns, it is recommended to pour tap water immediately on burns, as this reduces the temperature. Afterwards, honey can be applied. Depending on the area, 15-30 ml of honey can be applied directly onto the burn wound or soaked in gauze before application. Occlusive or absorbent secondary dressings are applied to prevent honey from oozing out, and the frequency of dressing changes depends on how rapidly the honey is diluted by the exudate, which declines as treatment progresses.

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Which honey?
Honey obtained from both unifloral and multifloral sources is useful. Unprocessed, undiluted honey has been used in clinical studies and the response has been good. The floral origin of honey and its antibacterial potency appear to make no difference to the effectiveness of honey in the treatment of burns and wounds.

The free radical control by honey, due to its anti-oxidant effect, limits damage and subsequent multi-organ dysfunction. Honey's anti-bacterial action, low pH, high viscosity, hygroscopic effect, and its hydrogen peroxide content all play a combined role in honey's effectiveness in burns treatment. Honey provides a moist environment for optimum healing conditions.

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Is it necessary to sterilize honey?
Honey can be sterilized by gamma irradiation without any loss of its anti-bacterial effect. Standard tests have proved honey to be sterile and so far no clinical study has shown any complication, such as allergy, after its use in wounds and burns - thus honey can be used unprocessed and undiluted.

In a systematic review of clinical trials of honey in burns and wounds, Moore et al.25 and Molan26 concluded that honey was superior to other treatments and suggested there was biological plausibility for this.

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Conclusion
With the increased number of reports on the use of honey in burns and wounds, honey as an alternative treatment for such injuries is gaining increased acceptance from clinicians. However, discussion about the type of honey to be used is still ongoing, as also about the need to sterilize the honey before use. Further prospective randomized studies using various types of honey with varied properties may help to standardize the particular type of honey to be used. Present evidence supports the finding that honey, thanks to its various modes of action, is useful in superficial and partial-thickness burns.

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References
1. Hermans M.H.E. Results of a survey on the use of different treatment options for partial and full-thickness burns. Burns. 1998;24:539–551. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
2. Subrahmanyam M. Honey dressing versus boiled potato peel in the treatment of burns. Burns. 1996;22:491–493. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
3. Subrahmanyam M. Honey, a nutritious food and valuable medicine. Science India. 2006;2:6–8. [Google Scholar]
4. Grover S.K., Prasad G.C. Uses of Madhu in Ayurveda. J. NIMA. 1985;10:7–10. [Google Scholar]
5. Subrahmanyam M. Storage of skin grafts in honey. Lancet. 1993;341:63–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
6. Philips C.E.E. Honey for burns. Gleanings in Bee Culture. 1933;61:284–284. [Google Scholar]
7. Voigtlander N. Honey for burns and scalds. The Bee World. 1937;18:128–128. [Google Scholar]
8. Postmes T., Bosch M.M.C., Butrireux R. et al. Speeding up the healing of burns with honey. An experimental study with histological assessment of wound biopsies. In: Marhi and Lensky, editor. Bee Products. New York: Plenum Press; 1997. pp. 57–63. [Google Scholar]
9. Effem S.E.E. Clinical observations on the wound healing properties of honey. Br. J. Surg. 1988;75:679–681. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
10. Adesunkamni K., Oleyan O.A. The pattern and outcome of burn injuries in West Guilds Hospital, Ilesha, Nigeria: A review of 156 cases. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 1994;97:108–112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
11. Bangroo A.K., Khatri R., Chauhan S. Honey dressing in paediatric burns. J. Indian Association Paediatric Surgeons. 2005;10:172–175. [Google Scholar]
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We have found that comfrey leaves work amazing for joint pain.  We pick fresh comfrey leaves and emulsified them along with whatever fresh fruit or veg we have to make a blended smoothie.  Every time we move we take the comfrey plants along.  

The houri houri knife would make weeding the plants much easier, but we haven’t gotten ours yet.

Oops, I posted links to herb in Kentucky.  Wrong person...
Should have posted herbs in Canary Islands...

@N. Neta:

https://wizzley.com/tenerife-and-canary-islands-herbs-st-john-s-wort/

https://hubpages.com/education/Tenerife-herbs-Canary-Island-Mint-or-Menta-Poleo

I'm guessing Mediterranean herbs will grow in your area.  When in doubt, go look for an old person growing stuff in their yard, and ask them...they will know.

Or just find a really old person in good health, and ask them what they used to pick for medicine when they were growing up in the area.

Traditional knowledge has, for the most part, been replaced by the belief that drugs are better.  Yet there is no "resistance" to herbs; pathogens do not adapt to them, as they do to antibiotics.

And plants often serve many purposes--both medicine and food, drink, fiber, cut flowers, insect attractors, etc.  No plastic bottles or packaging if you grow it/wild harvest it, either, fewer (if any) fuel for transportation.  

Once you know how to identify plants and use them, you won't need to rely on having them on hand all the time, if you can find them in the environment (depending on the weather, of course!)

Pretty much I wouldn't stockpile anything  as the most important remedies are right outside your door.  Yarrow is good for a plethora of things.  My 9 year old grandson looked it up yesterday because we used it after he cut his hand badly.  Besides wounds, menstrual woes and gastric distress which we already use it for it can be used in strokes, nosebleeds, and too many other uses to mention.  Dandelion is great for 'spring detox', gut and liver health.   Burdock root is also on the list of too many uses to list.  Personal favourites are red clover, goldenrod,  lobelia and ragweed!  I guess the only thing needed to stockpile would be calendula seeds and some alcohol, oil and beeswax to make medicinal preparations.

N. Neta wrote:
my question was more focused on what natural remedies and medicinal herbs we (and maybe all of us) should stockpile for in case of SHTF, when medical treatment might not be as available as it is now…

Decide what you might want to use them FOR...then work backwards.

For example, most people will die when the water supply is cut off because they drink untreated water, will get diarrhea, and die.

Herbs are unlikely to help; you'd want to know how to purify and sterilize/treat water....although clay or activated charcoal might be able to knock the diarrhea down, to help you.

If it's a lack of medical treatment, what sorts of things are you thinking...respiratory infections, cuts, broken bones, headaches?

I heard from someone who had lived through a shtf situation, that cuts and scrapes are also a big issue, because they can easily get infected, causing greater problems.  Of course, you need clean water as first aid, to clean that.  

But after that, learning about poulticing herbs can be useful...nettle, plantain, comfrey are a few good ones to start with.

It might not need to be herbs; trigger point massage does more for me for headaches than anything else I've tried.

Other than working backwards, I still suggest learning what plants, especially weeds and herbs, grow in your area.  Because they are often both food and medicine, are "hidden" in plain sight, so most people will go right pass them, and they are usually free to cheap.

Then grow some of them, and try them out.  Build on your knowledge.

All the stuff in the cupboard won't help you one bit, if you don't know what to do with it!  

Use our time to practice the skills we will, or may, need, when it gets bad...we think we're stressed now, but if we do have total collapse, we may be too freaked out to think clearly.  So practice NOW can pay off later...especially if the internet is shut down, as I think is likely to happen...we rely on it for so much information.  Unless you have a printed book or article, or have the information stored in your own brain and can recall it when necessary, all the info on the internet won't help, if you can't get to it when you need it most.

Lots of good suggestions here already.

Here are two presentations by Dr. Patrick Jones.  (love his stuff...practical, funny!)

10 Plants That Can Change Your Life: Herbal Medicines In Your Own Backyard!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD8HAX9ivus

Herbal First Aid! Live Stream With Doctor Jones!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y1JOvIHOX8

There are so many great herbs and wild "weed" medicinals. Even if they are not native to your area, they can frequently be grown there. One I am growing this year though it may grow wild here, I have just not found it would be wild lettuce, It has many uses but I am growing it for its pain relieving properties.

Also looking for stinging nettles and oregon grape root.

Might look for any herbal medicine groups either in your area, or a large enough group that is worldwide could have folks from or knowledgeable about your region.

Hi Janice again, I forgot to ask in my post earlier if anyone knows if you can use choke cherries medicinally? I have alot of them growing near my RV where were are planning to spend the winter and they are just going to waste as the deer don't seem interested in eating them.

Alina Green wrote:

N. Neta wrote:
my question was more focused on what natural remedies and medicinal herbs we (and maybe all of us) should stockpile for in case of SHTF, when medical treatment might not be as available as it is now…

Decide what you might want to use them FOR...then work backwards.

For example, most people will die when the water supply is cut off because they drink untreated water, will get diarrhea, and die.

Herbs are unlikely to help; you'd want to know how to purify and sterilize/treat water....although clay or activated charcoal might be able to knock the diarrhea down, to help you.

Alina is right on the money with their entire post. 1. Work backwards. 2. Know what’s near you. 3. Practice and build up your references.

As a part of thinking backwards, I’d also think about what the most likely scenarios are for your area and what needs would come from that. A bad storm that knocks out power and/or travel is far more likely than global thermonuclear war, for example. In my area, wildfires are far more likely than hurricanes. Prepare for what’s likely, and then you’ll be that much farther ahead if something more terrible does happen.

Here’s an example of how that might work:
What’s a likely emergency in my area? Wildfire
What conditions might result from encountering a wildfire? Smoke inhalation and stress/panic are the most likely, burns and illness from polluted water are possible.
What plants allies do I have near me to help? (Choosing just one condition for the sake of example) For stress/panic, I have lemon balm, California poppy, and chamomile. Also mint for stress headaches and generally lifting spirits.

Anne Miller wrote:Bethany, thank you for sharing.

I also use rosemary as a mouthwash.  Now that you have suggested a hair rinse, I may just try that.

And yes, your post was very helpful.

Rosemary is amazing for a hair rinse!

Hmm I agree with everything others already have said, but does have a few to add.
First, remember that all culinary herbs also had Medicinal properties, so often we just have to look there for remedies.
I also understand about not thinking any of your weeds will work or that you don’t have any.
When we started our homestead the soil had been tamed to perfection (not a good thing), so no weeds grew. After we removed all of the plastic from roll on grass and as weed layers under rocks. We mulched and mulched, planted cover crops etc. as the ecosystem slowly recovered we started to see the weeds return. I made an effort to find out, which ones we useful and which ones were more of a pest, so we encouraged the ones we liked, like nettles, mallow and mustard. I now get all of those in abundance each year.
Also, you should divide your herbal cabinet into general and first aid.
For first aid I have:
Garlic, pure and fermented in honey. This is my antibiotic
Elderberries (antiviral)
Manukau honey ( antiseptic )
Vinegar (also cleaner and antiseptic)
Cannabis (pain relief mainly, but also oils for seizures)
Mallow (for airway infections)
Fermented pickled and sour kraut (immune boost, detox, bowel cleanser)
Active charcoal (detox)
Nettles (allergic reactions, hey fever)
Lemon balm and catnip (panic attacks, hysteria)
I also have aloe Vera and nopales in my garden for burns

Ooo, nopales for burns? Tell me more! I'm allergic to aloe, so finding an alternative for burns would be fabulous, especially as I have prickly pear in my yard.

Anne Miller wrote:Bethany, thank you for sharing.

I also use rosemary as a mouthwash.  Now that you have suggested a hair rinse, I may just try that.

And yes, your post was very helpful.

Rosemary is amazing for a hair rinse!
I sometimes Infuse rosemary - or add rosemary essential oil - into a light olive oil, macadamia nut oil, or other hair-friendly carrier oil, to use as a hot oil treatment, after my hair has experienced damage, like too much sun, wind, etc. It goes deep, and really helps my hair.

Shawn Foster wrote:Ooo, nopales for burns? Tell me more! I'm allergic to aloe, so finding an alternative for burns would be fabulous, especially as I have prickly pear in my yard.

I too have heard that the pad of the prickly pear can be used.

To get started I would try squeezing some juice out of the pad. Or cut the pad in half and put the juicy side on the burn.

Shawn Foster wrote:Ooo, nopales for burns? Tell me more! I'm allergic to aloe, so finding an alternative for burns would be fabulous, especially as I have prickly pear in my yard.

Yes, the inner slime of the paddle, can be used the same way you use aloe. I have a beautiful prickly pear here too.

Flax seed is one of the few plant foods to contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Flax seed beneficial for:

decreasing obesity
regulating blood pressure
preventing colon cancer
inflammation
hot flashes

I have wondered about prickly pear. I know it can be eaten, both fruit and patty. And thanks to you guys I now know it can be an aloe alternative. Is there anything else it does?

Prickly pear contains magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and calcium.

O. ficus-indica for human and animal consumption is valuable for its water content in an arid environment, containing about 85% water as a water source for wildlife ...

As the fruit contains vitamin C (containing 25–30 mg per 100 g), it was once used to mitigate scurvy. Opuntia contains selenium.

The red color of the fruit and juice is due to betalains, (betanin and indicaxanthin). The plant also contains flavonoids, such as quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia_ficus-indica