How to Use this Website:

This website is designed to help you identify some of the many medicinal plants that can easily be found in the northeast. While this site does list several plants that can be used to treat various illnesses and maladies, I do not recommend that you try to use these plants' medicinal properties based solely on the information on this site. This site does not contain a complete list of all the medicinal plants in the area nor does it list some plants' similarities to poisonous species. Also, self-diagnosis and treatment can be very dangerous.

The bottom line: this site is designed to help you identify medicinal plants of the northeast, it is not intended to be a prescriptor. Only your doctor or other liscenced health care provider can prescribe an herb or other medicinal plant for you. I cannot and do not prescribe any of the plants listed in this site.

Anatomy of a Species page:

1) This is the Header that appears at the top of nearly every page. From this, you can return to the homepage, go to the help page (this one), or see the glossary of botanical and medicinal terms. You can also search the website for a particular species using 3 different criteria: Name, Uses, and Dichotomous Key.

2) Each species page contains information that can be used to identify that particular plant. Some of the topics covered are the average height of the plant, the environment in which it's most likely to be found, leaf and flower characteristics, and the plants historic and current medicinal uses.

3) One or more pictures of each species are also included to help you identify them more easily. Keep in mind that what you see in the field may not look exactly like my photos. There is a tremendous amount of variation in the botanical world.

Searching this site for Medicinal Plants

Search By Name: This allows you to browse the various plants by typing in their common or scientific name.

Search By Uses: Search this field guide by typing in an illness or disease. The search will return all the plants that can be used for its treatment.

Search With the Dichotomous Key: Have a plant on hand but don't know what it is? Use the dichotomous key to find its identity.