Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) is the first herb to emerge from the earth at the National Center for the Preservation of Medicinal Herbs, located in the Ohio River Valley. By the end of March, its blue-violet stems are joined by the delicate white flowers of bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), whose buds appear before its leaves have unfurled. Gold thread (Coptis species) and partridge berry (Mitchella repens) are soon visible as well. Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is the last woodland herb to appear.
While the plants are beginning their cycle of growth, land manager Tim Blakley and assistant land manager Heather McNeill emerge from their winter tasks to tend the center’s greenhouse and woodland areas. Located in Meigs County, Ohio, among the foothills of the Appalachian Plateau, the center occupies sixty-eight herb-rich acres of both open rolling hills and thick woodlands, hosting a variety of wild medicinal herbs. In the greenhouse, workers tend seedlings of Echinacea tennesseensis, yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica), Baptisia tinctoria, Arnica montana and A. chamissonis. Outdoors, they clear winter debris from the beds. They move aside mulch and pull early weeds. If the weather permits, they may even do some early planting.
The National Center for the Preservation of Medicinal Herbs was founded by Frontier Natural Products Co-op in spring of 1998. Its mission is "to determine successful cultivation methods of‘critical to cultivate’ medicinal herbs in order to curb the need to harvest these plants from the wild, and to thus ensure their future viability." According to a 1987 study from the Center for Plant Conservation in St. Louis, about 25 percent of American plant species are in danger of extinction. A 1997 international study by the World Conservation Union confirmed that at least that many species are at risk; their figures found approximately 29 percent of the United States plant species to be endangered.
Many native plant species that have medicinal qualities are wildcrafted — harvested from their native habitats — to supply commercial demands for herbal remedies. As more consumers are turning to herbs, the demand for plant material is growing. Concurrently, the number of native plants available is shrinking due to land development and overharvesting. Increased demand can drive up the price for specific herbs, providing a financial incentive for unscrupulous wildcrafting practices that decimate plant populations. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is one example of a plant that was nearly picked to death.
In addition to research on how to best cultivate at-risk herbs, Blakley and McNeill keep close tabs on the variables that affect the medicinal properties of the herbs. High Performance Liquid Chromotography (HPLC) is used to break each herb down into its constituents, which provides a way to assess the impact of various growing conditions. Disseminating research results to growers, farmers, and woodland owners and encouraging them to cultivate these medicinal herbs is another critical aspect of Blakley and McNeill’s work. The region around the center, one of the poorest in the United States, is ideal for the organic cultivation of herbs. Not only are many of the endangered species native to this area, but there is great potential to improve economic conditions while protecting the native woodland areas from clear-cutting by local loggers. The natural woodland settings are essential to growing most of the herbs on the center’s "critical to cultivate" list.
Blakley believes increasing people’s awareness about the precarious position of black cohosh was one of the center’s major successes in 1999. According to Blakley, there is currently no large-scale cultivation of black cohosh, and use has increased by more than 500 percent in each of the last two years. Black cohosh is an attractive perennial herb, suitable for the home landscape. It is a popular herb among women, often used to treat menopause and PMS. Intensive efforts have resulted in a successful publicity campaign and many educated potential growers. "People realize the black cohosh is an issue," says Blakley. "Now, hopefully, we can correct the imbalance before it reaches the critical situation we saw with goldenseal."
Plans for the year 2000 include new areas of focus. While goldenseal is still a priority, false unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum), black cohosh, stoneroot (Collinsonia canadensis), yerba mansa, and Echinacea tennesseensis will be moving to the forefront of the center’s work. Prices are rising for false unicorn root, and it is a difficult plant to cultivate. Black cohosh is more easily established, but the center is trying to determine the range of acceptable light requirements. This will be the first year of field trials for yerba mansa, which has been a success in propagation trials over the past year. Other herbs that will continue to receive attention as "critical to cultivate" are: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) and wild yam (dioscorea villosa).
The center suggests several ways consumers can protect herbs from extinction. Purchasing certified organic herbs is one way to ensure that the herbs have been cultivated rather than harvested from the wild. While most people are familiar with Echinacea, many do not know that there are several species of the plant. E. purpurea is almost always certified organic, while E. angustifolia is usually wildcrafted. Both have similar medicinal properties. It is also important to let store managers and manufacturers know that you are interested in purchasing certified organic herbs.
You can also become a supporter of the National Center for Preservation of Medicinal Herbs. With a $25 donation you will receive the center’s semiannual newsletter, visiting privileges at the center, and a guided tour (by appointment). A $50 donation adds the incentive of a T-shirt and answers to your herb-growing questions. If you can donate $100, you will receive Tim Blakley’s book Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field, and Marketplace as well as a selection of at-risk herb roots to grow at home.
For those who are truly inspired, the center offers an apprentice program. Apprenticeships are available for eight weeks in the spring and four weeks in the fall. Requirements include a desire to learn and the ability to work outdoors and get along well with other people. Individuals can commit a week or two, or a month or two, depending on their availability. Blakley says that apprentices are essential to the center’s operations. As the center’s goal is to become self-sustaining, volunteers provide necessary labor at crucial points in the growing season. The apprentice program also provides an opportunity to educate individuals who can then spread the word about growing and protecting endangered herbs.
DISCLAIMER: Choosing a holistic approach to medicine means choosing personal responsibility for your health care. Herbs for Health offers a doorway through which to enter the realm of herbal healing, an invitation to further investigation on the part of the reader. It is in no way intended as a substitute for advice from a health care practitioner.