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Bee Pollen – Used for centuries by different cultures around the world, it is one of the oldest health foods utilized as a dietary supplement & physical rejuvenator.
Beeswax – Taken from the honeycomb of bees, Beeswax has been used for centuries. Honey bees were introduced to North America in the early 17C & Native Americans called them “white man’s flies.” However, the indigenous people of the Americas had utilized wild bees in their products for many hundreds of years.
Blackberry – Officially called Rubus Fruticosus, its root-bark & leaves, was used in the healing of a number of medical problems. Making a tea from the root is often used to sooth stomach problems, dysentery, & diarrhea.
Black Gum – Scientifically known as Nyssa Sylvatica, this tree is native to eastern North America, from New England & southern Ontario south to central Florida & eastern Texas. It is also commonly known as Black Tupelo, Pepperide, or simply Gum or Tupelo. Its fruit, bark, & roots have been used by Native Americans as a bath, as well as in decoctions to induce vomiting, eliminate worms in children, & treat eye problems. Cherokee healers used a mild tea made from small pieces of the bark & twigs to relieve chest pain.
Black Raspberry – Formally known as Rubus Occidentalis, it is also known as wild black raspberry, black caps, black cap raspberry, thimbleberry, & scotch cap. Roots of the shrub, which are boiled into tea or chewed, have been found to be cathartic, & effective in the treatment of gonorrhea, cough, & toothache. They have also been used as a wash for sore eyes, ulcers, boils, & sores. The Pawnee, Omaha, & Dakota tribes boiled the root bark to treat dysentery.
Black Cohosh – Officially known as Cimicifuga Racemosa, this white-blooming plant from the buttercup family is native to the woodlands throughout Eastern North America. Also called black bugbane, black snakeroot, rattle weed, & fairy candle. Native Americans, including the Winnebago, Dakota, & the Oklahoma Delaware, were known to have used the root of the plant in teas to heal various problems including gynecological, sore throats,cough, headache, kidney problems & depression. The Cherokee, on the other hand, used the roots to make an alcoholic beverage.
Black Elderberry – See Elder.
Bloodroot – Officially known as Sanguinaria Canadensis, it has also been called bloodwort, red puccoon root, Indian plant, pauson, & tetterwort. Indigenous to the hardwood forests of the eastern part of North America, the roots of the flowering plant have long been used in Native American medicinal remedies to treat respiratory & digestive problems, diphtheria, sore throat, bronchial problems, rheumatism, & used as a pain reliever & sedative. Externally, it was used for ringworm, burns, & as an insect repellent. Fresh roots were made into washes, poultices, snuffs, dental powders, & salves. In the past, the red sap of the root were also used as a dye by many tribes & the Appalachia Indians were known to have carried as a charm to ward off evil spirits.
Blue Cohosh – Formally called Caulophyllum Thalictroides, & also known as squaw root & papoose root, this flowering plant is found in hardwood forests from Manitoba, Canada & Oklahoma east to the Atlantic Ocean. Native Americans used the root in teas & tonics to treat rheumatism, dropsy, colic, cramps, hiccough, epilepsy, female reproductive issues, uterine problems, & to induce labor, & ease the pain of childbirth. Many Native American tribes & later, European herbologists & mid-wives, used Blue Cohosh in conjunction with other herbs & remedies for abortive & contraceptive purposes.
Blue Spruce – The Colorado blue spruce was discovered on Pikes Peak in 1862 & its fame spread quickly & has long been used by Native Americans for healing purposes. The Navajo & Keres tribes used this tree as a traditional medicinal plant & a ceremonial item, & twigs are given as gifts to bring good fortune. They also chewed the balsam of spruce as a chewing gum & spread it as caulking or glue.
Boneset – Officially called Eupatorium Perfoliatum, is part of the aster family & contains up to 60 species. Native to temperate regions of North America, it has also been called ague weed, feverwort, thoroughwort or snakeroot. Though it has been found to be poisonous, it was used by the Iroquois, Delaware, Cherokee, Mohegan, & Menominee to treat colds & fever. The Alabama used it for stomach aches & the Cherokee, as a laxative.
Broom Snakeweed – Officially known as Gutierrezia Sarothrae, it is native to the west & southwest portions of the United States, & is also simply called snakeweed. Southwestern Indians & Mexicans used it for multiple treatments. The Blackfoot boiled the roots & inhaled the steam for respiratory ailments, the Comanche used the leaves in a decoction for whooping cough. The Sioux used it for colds, cough, & vertigo. Others used the fresh flowers or roots for diarrhea, as bath for fever, as a poultice for bruises, sores, rheumatism. It was probably most widely used by the Navajo, who used it for headache, on wounds, applied it to insect stings & snake bites, utilized a decoction of the root for painful urination, stomachache, colds, fever, & promote the expulsion of the placenta after childbirth. If was often used as an ingredient in sweat baths & sweat lodges.
Buck Brush – A common name for some 50-60 species of North American shrubs, it is officially called Ceanothus. The genus is confined to North America, the center of its distribution in California, with some species in the eastern United States, southeast Canada, & extending as far south as Guatemala. One species, Ceanothus Velutinus, was known as Red Root by many Native American tribes & was used for cysts, fibroid tumors, inflammation, & mouth & throat problems. Another called Hummingbird Blossoms by the Cherokee was used for a diuretic to stimulate kidney function. Ceanothus Integerrimus has been used by North American tribes to ease childbirth. The Miwok Indians of California were known to have made baskets from Ceanothus branches & early early pioneers used the plant as a substitute for black tea.
Buckthorn – A genus of shrubs or small trees in the Rhamnaceae family, they are native throughout the temperate & subtropical Northern Hemisphere, & also more locally in the subtropical Southern Hemisphere in parts of Africa & South America. Only the buckthorn bark is used for medicinal purposes. Known from the 14th century, Buckthorn is especially administrated as a laxative or purgative.
Buffaloberry – Officially called as Shepherdia, there are three species called Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia Argentea,) Canada Buffaloberry or Russet Buffaloberry (Shepherdia Canadensis,) & Round-leaf Buffaloberry Shepherdia Rotundifolia. These small shrubs with bitter tasting berries are native to northern & western North America. Also called soapberry, bullberry, rabbitberry, chaparral berry, silverleaf, & soopolallie, the berries & other parts of the plant have long been used as food, medicine, & dye.
Burdock – Officially called Arctium Lappa, this plant is a member of the sunflower family, & is also known as Cocklebur & Bardana. Though it originated in Eurasia, it was used by Native Americans for centuries. Its roots have long been eaten around the world as a vegetable & has many medicinal uses in treatment gastrointestinal ailments & respiratory problems. Native American uses included crushing the roots & leaves for skin care, including sores & ulcers, & treating rheumatism by the Cherokee, Maliseet, Menominee, Micmac, & Chippewa tribes. The Iroquois were known to use the roots to aid in circulation & & to purify the blood. The Potawatomi also used it as a blood purifier & general tonic in teas. Rich in chromium, iron, magnesium, thiamin, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, & zinc, the Indians also utilized it as food, drying the roots to add to soups, & using the young leaves as greens. Many tribes also utilized burdock in ceremonial uses.
Disclaimer: These herbs have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. Plants listed here must not be used to diagnose, treat, or heal medical conditions. Many are poisonous.
Baccharis sarothroides, used by the Seri people to make a decoction by cooking the twigs. This tea is used to treat colds, sinus headache, & general sore achy ailments. The same tea is also used as a rub for sore muscles.
Balsamorhiza sagittata, used as food & medicine by many Native American groups, such as the Nez Perce, Kootenai, Cheyenne, & Salish.
Baptisia australis – the Cherokee would use the roots in teas as a purgative or to treat tooth aches & nausea, while the Osage made an eyewash with the plant.
Betula occidentalis, used by some Plateau tribes to treat pimples & sores.
Blephilia ciliata, traditionally used by the Cherokee to make a poultice to treat headaches.
