A Day In The Desert

The other day my boyfriend and I went out on search for some resources for medical plants that we might find in our area, I don't know how may herb dealers are around the US but finding things in nature is both fun, exciting, and a useful alternative to buying them, it also helps you understand how to identify them.

Most of the herbs that I use I do have to buy at my locale herb dealer because most of them don't grow near me and the weather is unfavorable to grow them myself, I also have a problem keeping plants in the house because I have 5 cats and one overparticular likes to uproot them and I haven't figured out a way to keep them off! If you have any handy tips that would be awesome!

Anyways so we walked for about an hour to see if we find a few that the reference said where in and around our area. We found four of them, I'm sure there is a lot more but I need a book with color photos to help ID them. We have two bushes that both look like the Mesquite so color pictures is next on my list. The Id on the Mesquite is still a bit in the dark but we did manage to successful identify 4, and one with rather nicely tasting fruit. 

The desert plants we did find, are the Cypress tree, The Desert Willow, Octillo, and The Pricly Pear.

I read up on what these plants can do and I am currently working on a tincture out of one for fungus, always handlyb  to have around the house.. lol.

  Desert plants can be used to treat a lot of problems, for instance those plant's we collected I'll go over each ones uses for now and when I get some treatment recipes made I'll add them to the blog as well for you to try.

So the First one we found was the

 Cypress Tree

This tree is a medium size ever green, the trunk is strait, and their leaves are scales.

The cones are clustered on little stalks around the circumference of the larger branches, but not out in the foliage like Juniper.

Tincture from fress twigs is effective on all skin fungus infections, including ring worm, jock itch, athletes foot,and other tineas.

you would apply this several times a day for several weeks and you can use this same procedure on your pets!

(this is the one I am currently working on)

You can also use it in tea for things like urinary tract bacteria,urethritis, and cystitis.

 Its also been used to repel insects

The next one is

The Desert Willow

I really enjoy the willow trees I think they are very pretty and my cats love to eat the leaves.

The Desert willow is a water indicate in the desert and it frequents desert washes, grasslands, and valleys.

You can use this plant for hectic coughing, on your scratches and  scrapes, anti fungus,and it can aid in the side effects of antibiotic treatments.

This was not hard to ID

Ocotillo

I call this plant the lier because when you walk up to it your first thought is don't touch me because it looks like its armored to attack you. Octillo is actually pretty soft when you have to touch it or hold it, but if you get smacked with it expect some pain. One of the cats that I have likes to play with these.

You can use this plant medical in tincture for pelvic fluid congestion, frequent need to urinate, and most hemorrhoids are helped by this plant as well.

I have to admit the

Prickly Pear

Isn't the nices looking plant and I strongly recommend protecting your hands they have needles and prickly hair all over them. This plant makes fruit that you can actually eat! I know it sounds a bit nuts, I'm from the north originally and I didn't know you could eat a Cati but you can enjoy the fruit.

When you collect these you can use the pattys medical but for just the fruit you would pick the purple pods off the top, don't just stick them in your mouth though they have hairs on them and they bite back!

Collect a few if you have never tryed them and take them home.
To eat the Pear when you get home skewer them and roast over an open flame (the pear will start to juice from what looks likes pores this indicates you got all the hairs) and cut them open remove the seeds and enjoy, they are also the most beautiful shade of pink red.
The patties you fillet and wrap around injured areas  effectively drawing out any poultices.

Though for most of these plants I would be careful and use gloves to collect them due to the desert nature of the plants. But we have a really good time find them our self and look forward to getting to know more of our native desert plants.