I’m sure you’ve heard the US has experienced the hottest July on record, and over half of the country is in drought. Corn farmers are plowing their crops under as they shrivel in the dry soil and intense sun. Food prices are expected to rise. I was not comforted as I hiked through our horse…
Tag: Medicinal Plant
Wild Bergamot, A Showy Native Mint
Monarda fistulosa is commonly called Horsemint, Wild Bergamot, and Bee Balm. As with many native plants found in the Rocky Mountains and Western Plains, it was used by Native Americans to treat a variety of ailments, from headaches to bronchitis. Even today it is used as a component in some herbal tea mixes, and the…
Pricklypear Cactus; Look But Don’t Touch
Lewis probably said it best when he referred to Pricklypear as “one of the beauties as well as the greatest pests of the plains.”1 I usually see it with a pale yellow bloom, so this beautiful apricot colored version caught my attention. Opuntia polyacantha, Prickly Pear cactus, or Plains Pricklypear, is a common plant of…
Amelanchier alnifolia Research to Help Diabetes
Well I have said here before, the native tree commonly called Serviceberry, Saskatoon berry, or June berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), is a small to mid sized, graceful, airy native tree of Wyoming. I think it would make a great specimen tree in the landscape, especially under areas with large, towering trees. Over at Home Made Wilderness…
Wyoming Life 