| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| countrymommy85 |
Posted - Nov 24 2014 : 2:44:35 PM
We have tons of this growing outside. I have heard that Oregon Grape is useful, but how and for what? Thanks!
Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee. ~Author Unknown
http://countryrenaissance.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SunflowersAndHoney |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Mountain Girl |
Posted - Feb 27 2015 : 07:59:44 AM
Jim makes a jelly from the berries and has made wine with them. I would like to try to use it as a dye. |
| traildancer |
Posted - Feb 26 2015 : 12:24:10 PM
A good resource book is Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar and McKinnon. It has color photos and for each plant (tree, flower, lichen) it tells what the indigenous peoples used it for. Very interesting to read. For instance, the Tough-leaved Iris was used to make snares for ELK!! I hope I remembered that right.
I live in OR and there are actually three types of Oregon Grape--creeping, low and tall.
The trail is the thing.... Louis L'Amour |
| edlund33 |
Posted - Nov 28 2014 : 08:45:17 AM
The pacific coastal native Americans used Mahonia aquifolium and Mahonia nervosa bark and berries to treat various ailments of the liver, gall bladder, eyes, skin and digestive system. They also used the bark and stems to make a yellow dye for basketry, and I am pretty sure the berries were used for this as well. I have heard of people making wine from the berries. My only personal experience with using the plant for human purposes is making jelly from the berries. Tall Oregon Grape is one of my very favorite native plants because it looks nice year round and the prolific display of spring flowers and summer berries attracts a variety of birds including hummingbirds. It is prickly however.
Cheers! ~ Marilyn
Farm Girl No. 1100
http://blueskyanddaisies.blogspot.com
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson |
