When a wild indigenous food all-of-a-sudden becomes internationally desired we are quick to overlook the hefty price tag but what else are we overlooking?
Deep in the jungle, a man is stripping the bark of a thick, climbing vine. An old pot boils over open fire and the steam hangs low in the humid rainforest. He is preparing for a sacred ceremony.
Ergot, a parasitic fungus responsible for hundreds of deaths throughout human history, is now one the most common drugs in modern medicine. How did we turn these deadly alkaloids into a cure all pharmaceutical?
“Solo sylvan-hued
Oregon Grape postures firmly;
Spring kisses blossoms golden.” Anthony O. Mitchell Jr.
There is a low lingering shrub that brightens the forested hills of the Pacific Northwest with its yellow flowers in the early summer. People local to Washington know it as the Dull Oregon Grape but this plant bears many names. It has been called Mountain Grape or Cascade Barberry and the scientific community recognizes it as Mahonia nervosa.
For having a relatively short evolutionary history, the common sunflower has found a place in many aspects of everyday life. From food, cosmetics, and even fuel, the sunflower is as versatile as they come.
Thujone is a terpene compound present in an infamous and well-used plant, Artemisia absinthium, or Wormwood, a source of medicine, drunkenness, and psychedelic experiences for centuries.
Fight the Patriarchy! In the era of Trump, this magical weed can help women fight the power and take control of their reproductive rights!
Sunburns, dry skin, dehydration, constipation; the answer to all these problems lies within the leaves of this prickly pal.
Is the famed plant, Wolfsbane actually poisonous? Find out what myths and chemical compounds have led to this plants mysterious history.
Peyote: A curious desert cactus with consciousness altering chemical compounds.
