Plants in Oregon That You Can Use to Make Tea

Native Indians have traditionally used wild herbs to effectively treat illnesses and pain. They simply added plant parts to water to make an early type of tea preparation. Today we are rediscovering the medicinal properties of wild growing plants and herbs. Quite a few variety of plants are native to Oregon that can be used to make medicinal and soothing teas.

Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea )

• Red-Osier Dogwood is a fast-growing shrub whose flowers can be used to make tea. This species' leaves and twigs turn dark red in fall, and the branches remain that way throughout winter. In spring, flat clusters of small white flowers form, which then develop into blue and white berries. This plant grows in Oregon and most other states in the Northern U.S.

Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii )

• Yerba buena grows in the forests and desert areas of Oregon. It develops tiny white to light purple flowers from late spring to fall. The vivid green leaves of this plant emit a spearmint aroma when ground up and can be made into a tea. It is used as a remedy for pain and has even been approved for use in alternative medicine by the U.S. Department of Health. It has also been attributed antibacterial, cancer-fighting, detoxifying, antispasmodic and stimulant properties.

Coastal, Wood and Wild Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensa, f. vesca, f. virginiana)

• Humans are not the only ones that can appreciate wild strawberries!

  These wild-growing strawberry varieties sport green to red tinted leaves with a leathery texture. The plants develop large white blossoms in spring and grow red berries in summer. Both the fresh and dried fruit of this plant, which thrives in poor soil conditions all across the U.S. including Oregon, can be utilized to make tea. It contains a substantial amount of vitamin C.

Laborador Tea (Ledum glandulosum )

• Labrador tea is a species of evergreen that loves acidic and poor soil as found in bog lands in the Pacific Northwest of the US. This plant develops white flower clusters in summer and has a spicy aroma. Its leaves have a unique red-brown cover on the underside, resembling fur. A tea made from the smashed green leaves of this shrub provides many nutrients and vitamins. Beware of poisonous plants that resemble true Laborador tea.

Bald-hip (Rosa gymnocarpa, r. nutkana, r. pisocarpa, r. woodsii )

• Bald-hip, also called Nootka, pea-fruit and wood's roses, are used to make a tea that contains a lot of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and pectin, which makes it a great vitamin supplement. The recommended method of brewing is to boil 2 tbsp. of hips for each pint of water in a covered pot for roughly 10 minutes until they pop open.

Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium)

• Oregon grape has impressive medicinal properties.

  The Oregon grape is a type of barberry native to North America. Native Indians used the dried peeled root to prepare a tea meant stop diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Nowadays, Oregon grape root tea has been employed, according to Planet Botanic, to remedy frequent fever attacks, liver problems, joint inflammation, bronchitis, carcinoma, gall disease, infective diseases, skin problems, malignant growths and to aid with digestion.