Many herbs have been introduced into Australia and because they are not native plants, they have often few competitors for resources such as water, soil nutrients and light and have few predators. Subsequently, these plants can grow and spread unchecked, endangering native vegetation and even various animal species such as birds and insects.
Weeds certainly can be a real threat to native flora, fauna, rain forests and even aquatic ecosystems. Recalcitrant herbs are targeted by the authorities for eradication or sprayed on an ongoing basis, in an attempt to control their spread and protect sensitive ecosystems.
You don't need to go to exotic places like the rain forests to find medicinal plants, they usually grow right at your feed; on footpaths, roadsides, garbage dumps, even in your garden.
Given that most medicinal plants are weeds and because weeds grow as prolifically as they do, they are often easy to cultivate ? you will actually have more of a problem keeping them in a designated area, rather than a problem growing them.
Wildcrafted herbs are herbs gathered from the wild. The advantage of wildcrafted herbs is that these generally are very healthy and full of the desired medicinal properties. Wildcrafted herbs are usually native to an area and thus are not weeds. They often occur in clusters and grow in 'ideal' conditions under which they can attain their full medicinal potential.
A problem with wildcrafting medicinal plants occurs where there is little or no control over the amount that can be harvested at any one time or by any one person, at least this is the case in Australia. This can decimate a local population of wild medicinal plants. Taking of any vegetation is illegal without authorisation in Australian National Parks and protected areas for this reason.
Some medicinal plants are actually becoming rare and endangered and the harvesting of these species should at the very least be regulated. Better still, organic farming of such herbs should be encouraged and promoted. This would provide struggling farmers with alternative cash crops during times when their primary sources of income are not performing well.
Weeds or Treasures - it really does not matter what you call them, the fact remains they are often very powerful medicinal plants that have the potential to address many of today's major health problems and they have done so for thousands of years...
About The Author
Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.
Wildcrafted Herbal Products' natural skin care range is suitable for men and women and contains only pure, natural ingredients, formulated according to Naturopathic and Aromatherapy principles.
Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter ? it's fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
© Copyright: Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2005
Most of us are all too familiar with that "dreaded"... Read More
As we age facial muscles weaken, and skin begins to... Read More
When you shop for an anti-aging cream at your department... Read More
Don't let the name fool you. Nonprescription contacts do require... Read More
If you are a sunless tanner, your skin's health is... Read More
The same stress in our daily lives that makes us... Read More
Sleep is a "natural, temporary loss of consciousness" (Robinson, 1941)... Read More
Tanning beds were brought to North America by German scientist... Read More
Freckles, age spots, pregnancy mask - these harmless skin defects... Read More
First, the bad news: waxing hurts. Think of it as... Read More
Do you want your life story to be a long... Read More
With the huge range of beauty products on the shelves,... Read More
From the beginning of time, women have cared for their... Read More
1. Healthy Food: Keep your skin fresh and glowing by... Read More
Do you want to improve the quality of your life?... Read More
Chemical peeling is a process whereby the skin (usually of... Read More
People can spend years searching for their perfect skin care... Read More
Your wedding day is one of the most important days... Read More
After rhinoplasty surgery, your doctor will send you home with... Read More
Beauty SleepThe health and beauty of a good night's sleep... Read More
With summer approaching, it's time to pull out the tanning... Read More
Apply a tanning bed lotion an hour before and immediately... Read More
Shea HEALING butter is a high performance lotion, and cream... Read More
Lip augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures.... Read More
Before putting on those sexy, comfortable open toe shoes make... Read More
Have you ever considered how difficult it is to look... Read More
If you're like many women you are confused about how... Read More
If you wear your hair natural, you are probably familiar... Read More
A tanning bed produces UV rays and thus just like... Read More
If your teenage daughter wants to wear contact lenses, you... Read More
The Internet has provided an ideal forum for discovering cheap... Read More
Choosing to have plastic surgery on any area of your... Read More
When the weather starts to warm up and the days... Read More
Before putting on those sexy, comfortable open toe shoes make... Read More
Choosing the perfect colored contact lens can be a daunting... Read More
Many people are burdened by what society has deemed "unsightly"... Read More
I must admit that putting contact lenses in for the... Read More
Because of the exposure it receives, the skin on your... Read More
Did you know that there are multiple types of lens... Read More
We all have a favourite myth about hair care ?... Read More
The history of the Celtic peoples goes back thousands of... Read More
It is estimated that about 95% of all women have... Read More
The age of your skin has no bearing on whether... Read More
Lip augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures.... Read More
Do you know how and where to moisturize? Here are... Read More
With so many glass lens technologies out there designed to... Read More
Beautiful skin care starts with what people notice first. Eyes... Read More
So often we take our feet for granted as they... Read More
Maintaining great skin can be a challenge if you don't... Read More
Remember the last time you were on a plain vanilla... Read More
How To Apply Your MakeupSTEP 1: FOUNDATION: After Cleansing, Toning... Read More
You've done your research, had several consultations, selected your surgeon... Read More
Collagen injection is a type of cosmetic procedure that augments... Read More
When temperatures drop it is time to think of how... Read More
Recent research into the purification of Hyaluronic acid (HA) from... Read More
When Anderson wrote "The Ugly Duckling", he was imagining a... Read More
When it comes to getting a tan in a tanning... Read More
The main problem is that of abundance. Finding an Orange... Read More
According to the medical dictionary of Medline Plus, liposuction is... Read More
If you have teenagers, then you will encounter this end-of-the-world... Read More
Our skin is a two way membrane. During perspiration toxins... Read More
This is a common condition which proves to be the... Read More
Save money and give yourself a break from the chemicals... Read More
Unless your skin is absolutely flawless, concealer is a must.... Read More
"Every person is born perfect. Inferiority is a mistake of... Read More
As we begin to fully understand the serious consequences of... Read More
Beauty |