It should come as no great surprise that I will reach for an herb before a pill. While I have nothing against modern medicine, doctors or their vast knowledge, I still prefer to know exactly what I am putting in my mouth or applying to my body. I will, however, listen to my doctor and take what he prescribes if he fully explains why I am to do this and if I fully agree that it is needed. It has long been my thinking that the patients never ask enough questions about their health care. I have been known to fully refuse to take some medicines that were prescribed as they were merely given to me to shut me up. Nope, I want to know why I hurt, what is causing it, what the medicines are going to do to my body, how long it will take and if it is a permanent fix. But, at the same time, I am leery of some of the so-called herbal remedies. If you do not study enough, you are just liable to make things a whole lot worse. With today's readily available "credible" information via the Internet, a lot of things are tossed out there that can cause major problems. As I always say, check with your doctor BEFORE trying any herbal cure. A lot of the information that is thrown at us is not accurate by far.
Just today, I made a discovery that probably should be tossed out there in the mix. I have Gloriosa Lilies growing everywhere. Staying true to the lore behind them, those things will take over the place if allowed. The plants, though beautiful, are highly invasive and since I have been concentrating on the remodeling job, I have rather neglected the yard. This afternoon as I strolled through the gardens, I was greeted by hundreds of the lilies in bloom. Granted they were a bit battered by the rainstorm of the day but their bright blooms still brought a smile. They always make me think of Pop and his gorgeous flower gardens that filled the yard. Then a memory from Pop's great wisdom..."Don't eat any part of those lilies. They are poisonous and could kill you." Pop passed along all sorts of things that have come in extremely handy in my later years. Not that I had an itching to munch a lily but it is good to know.
Curious, I did a bit of research on the Gloriosa Lily. To my surprise, I am finding article after article that refers to the lily's ability to cure just about everything but baldness. A lot of the sites claimed that "extract from the stems can kill lice"....alright, that may be ok if applied topically. "The root heals snakebite"....huh? I guess if you die, it was the snake's fault and not a poisonous tuber. "The tuber heals cancer, cures leprosy and eases constipation." Wow! Why has the medical field not jumped on this one??? Then, one article claims that it has "great medicinal uses such as abortion, suicide and homicide." Can any of those be filed under great medicinal uses? Sounds sort of like just the opposite to me.
I had to giggle when, in one article, a huge disclaimer banner rolled across the screen."This site is not to be held responsible if death occurs while following some of the remedies recommended here." WAIT???? WHAT????? Well, at least they covered themselves, I guess.
So, it sounds like Pop was right about this lily. DON"T EAT ANY PART OF IT!!! Enjoy the beauty of the flame colored blooms and the delicate whorls of leaves but do NOT ingest any of it....and make sure you follow the advice of your doctor not some Internet wannabe herbalist. Never..ever go out and grab a plant thinking that it is perfectly safe because you read about it somewhere. (And I am sure there are those who will contradict me but so be it. My whole point here is to warn folks to use herbs and plants wisely, knowledgeably and carefully. Reread that other site's disclaimer before taking a bite. That should be warning enough!) Thanks, Pop. You are a lifesaver!
Years and years ago, I convinced Mark to drag himself through some heavy underbrush to dig up a buckeye tree that was growing in the woods. With shovel in hand, he beat his way through the thick undergrowth to where I had seen the small sapling. What a husband! To this day, that small tree is growing in the yard. It gathers a good bit of interest although, I am not sure it was the brightest move to plant it here. It seems that most parts of the tree are pretty poisonous to humans, some animals and even some insects. Why is that darn tree so pretty??? This morning as I was out preparing for winter (or at least a bit of cold weather), I noticed that the buckeye seeds were dropping to the ground. I made a mental note to gather the seeds soon. It did not happen today...won't tomorrow...probably not the next day but, hopefully, will once this rain stops. I gather the nuts, not to eat but so they will not sprout and make a bunch more of the trees. I wanted one...not a dozen.
One interesting little legend attached to the buckeye seed was told to me by Granddad. Whether this tidbit of information is true or not remains to be seen but it is quite curious. It seems that Native Americans used to gather the buckeye nuts by the basketful and dump them in creeks or ponds. The saponins that make the nuts poisonous, would leach into the water and cause the fish to die. The hunters would then gather the dead fish to use as food. It never dawned on me as kid but, today, I am not sure that I would want to eat a fish that was poisoned!
The toxicity of the nuts or seeds changes from one "professional" to the next. Some say they are safe to eat if leached through water, others say that the nuts will surely kill you! Personally, if there is any uncertainty at all, it is best not to ingest any and I am sure not going to kill fish with them! That just does not seem right at all!
Buckeyes...just what good are they? Who knows? Not me. Other than being a small shrub that has showy blooms once a year, I can see no other use than to take up space in the garden. Yep, I begged Mark for this bush. When "Ms. Twin", a sweet elderly lady that used to live down the road from us (God rest her soul) offered one from her woods, I jumped at the chance. Well, Mark sort of begrudgingly trudged through the brambles to dig the shrub but I was elated. (Him? Perhaps not nearly so much but being the good hubby he is, he dug my bush.) That was some twenty years ago. The Red Buckeye Shrub has not failed to please me during the spring with its bright red and yellow blooms. It has thrilled me as a hummingbird attraction and even provided some lovely "nuts" in the fall. Right now, the seeds are contained in rough brown husks but in a few days, these will split and reveal a most lovely nuts. The problem is....those nuts are poisonous. Yep, pretty much every thing avoids the glossy brown nuts hiding inside those husks. So what good is this tree?
Here lately, I have been on a mission to eliminate yardwork from the get-go. If something does not provide a service, then it is pretty much a goner. I have clipped the wisteria into one foot pieces to burn in the woodstove and have been chopping out or mowing down vines, plants and bushes. The only things on the safe list are plants that provide food. I am not sure just what prompted this idea other than the fact that since Son hurt his knee, the entire yard has been my project. It is a tremendous lot of work when you consider my yard is nigh on four acres. The remaining four are woods and marsh and require little to no work. Those first four, though, have run me ragged!
But, back to that Buckeye Shrub. Do I want to keep something that I literally pleaded to get? Do I ignore the fact that poor Mark struggled through the brambles, braved the Sumac and toiled digging the bush from the midst of oak roots? Perhaps this one will stay a bit longer....at least until after the next arbor is devoid of wisteria and the roses have been clipped of their sharp thorns. After all, what good is a Buckeye...other than being a name of a college football team. Now that is pretty cool...name your team after a poisonous seed!
One bit of trivia is connected to the Buckeye nut/seed! Folklore tells us that obtaining a seed will bring good luck. Supposedly, if you carry one with you, it will bring you luck and protect you from misfortune. Hmmm? There you go.! Buckeyes....the "Good Luck Charm of College Footballers in Ohio", We all knew they were good for something. Actually, I am being facetious there. I still have no idea but I do have a good crop of poisonous seeds!
