Medicinal Desert Plants

It's easy to think of the desert as a dry place where nothing grows, but there are many plants that have adapted to the arid conditions. This includes many medicinal plants with a long history of use in herbal and alternative medicine. Some of these plants contain chemical compounds that are used in commercial medicines, like cough syrups and decongestants.

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

• Butterfly weed is a member of the milkweed family, although it doesn't have the milky sap normally associated with milkweed. It grows wild at the bottom of canyons or in prairie fields, and is also a popular garden plant because its bright orange flowers attract butterflies. Native Americans chewed the root to treat pulmonary illnesses, giving the plant its other nickname: pleurisy-root. Although it's not commonly used in alternative medicine today, it is an antispasmodic, expectorant and vasodilator. It has been used to treat not only lung ailments, but also to treat diarrhea and dysentery.

Mormon Tea (Ephedra viridis)

• Mormon tea got its nickname when early Mormon settlers in the West discovered its usefulness in treating colds. They collected the stems for use in an herbal tisane, used to treat nasal congestion and respiratory illnesses, as well as urinary tract infections. The active ingredient in Mormon tea is ephedrine, so caution is advised. Ephedrine can have cardiac side effects, including rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure, as well as confusion, convulsions, and in some cases, death. Do not use Mormon tea or other ephedrine-containing herbs without first consulting with your doctor.

Gumweed (Grindelia fastigiata)

• A member of the sunflower family, gumweed has a sticky floral head, giving it its common name. The plant contains grindelia, which is an antispasmodic and expectorant, as well as an anti-inflammatory. It helps thin mucus and reduces the muscle spasms involved in coughing, making it useful to treat bronchitis, emphysema and other pulmonary illnesses. Gumweed has also been used to treat skin irritations and minor burns.

Wild Licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota)

• Licorice has an intensely sweet flavor--familiar to most people from its use in candy--but its roots are also used in herbal medicine. It is an anti-inflammatory and expectorant, as well as a laxative and demulcent, and it is most commonly used to treat digestive ailments. As a demulcent, it soothes the lining of the stomach and is considered helpful for ulcers and indigestion. It also thins mucus, and is often found in commercial lozenges and syrups.