5 Native Southern Plants to Forage for Healing: A Beginner’s Guide
Reconnect with the land, your health, and the spirit of plants
Why forage for native plants?
Foraging for native plants provides us with food, medicine, and materials—as well as companionship with the ecosystems we live in.
With every plant you meet, get to know, and work with, you will deepen your bond to the land, and to your ancestors who developed relationships with these very same plants. Native plants have so much to teach and offer us. They are resilient; they’ve evolved with the land, thriving in local conditions and nourishing all forms of life for countless ages.
Plants are the connectors, facilitating the relationships of soil, water, and sky through fungi, bacteria, and other soil organisms. They provide nourishment to and are provided reproduction by insects, birds, and mammals. Humans are animals, and thus our position in this beautiful, big web of life is one we should not neglect. Plants are our family. By stepping out of the industrial food system, which has been forced on us and the rest of the world through colonialism, and returning to local food, we empower ourselves and our communities with the skills and sacred relationships needed for the future.
Redeveloping our knowledge of indigenous food and medicine is extremely vital as climate change causes increased difficulty in conventional agriculture. Native plants often offer stronger climate change tolerance, as they have adapted to the often severe weather conditions we will be seeing more of.
Wild foods and medicines are also free, so restoring and working with them pries power away from wage slavery and capitalism - and not only that, they also contain so many more nutrients and are holistically healing - in contrast to conventional “food” and pharmaceuticals.
By foraging responsibly and ethically, we not only care for ourselves and our loved ones, but also play a role in healing and supporting the earth through mending these broken relationships, reigniting our ancestral lifeways, and resisting colonialism.
This beginner’s guide highlights five medicinal plants native to Texas and the Southern U.S., chosen for their abundance, beginner-friendly identification, and versatility.
Foraging Safety, Ethics, and Beginner Tips
Safety First
Learn the look-alikes: Mistaking plants or harvesting or preparing them incorrectly can be dangerous. Always cross-reference guides and pay special attention to plants with toxic twins. For example:
Poison Hemlock (deadly!) looks similar to Queen Anne’s Lace.
Jack o' Lantern: looks similar to Chanterelle mushrooms.
Pokeweed: While young greens are edible when prepared properly, and the berries can be used culinarily and medicinally with care, the seeds within the fruit as well as the older greens can be very toxic.
After finding an initial identification, I recommend always searching online “<presumed species> look-a-likes”
Familiarize yourself with the most poisonous plants in your area to build confidence. This is a great way to get more comfortable with snakes or spiders as well; and is a serious improvement in wilderness safety, as you will be able to quickly determine the level of emergency or medical care needed for a bite or poisoning!
Check for (and eventually memorize) contraindications: Medicinal plants are powerful allies, but they aren’t always safe for everyone. Check for contraindications with health conditions or medications. When sharing herbs, inform others about safety too (you never know someone else's complete health status, history, or medication usage!)—this is non-negotiable for responsible herbalists!
Always, ESPECIALLY AS A BEGINNER or with something you are not 100% sure of, start slow and low. This is especially important in a survival situation when you may be unable to confirm the identity of a plant or mushroom.
Touch the plant to your inner arm or inner elbow, then to your neck, then to your lip, then your tongue, then chew some for a bit and spit out, and finally eat only a small amount - each time waiting 20 minutes before continuing.
Particularly for consumption, eat a small amount and wait 20–30 minutes, eat another small amount, and continue after an hour, ensuring what you've eaten is not poisonous as it moves through your gastrointestinal organs.
This knowledge will become second nature after some experience, but it is absolutely vital to be thorough with these precautions when you're starting!
Care and due diligence are not to be neglected!
Foraging Ethically
Foraging should not be just taking; it should be a relationship of reciprocity. Respect the plant, the land, and the ecological community around it.
Ask for permission: Pause and connect with the plant. Take a seat, close your eyes and meditate with the plant. Try to see it in your mind's eye - who is this individual? What has its life been like? Open your eyes and look upon the plant and your surroundings. Observe its health and wellbeing. Is it abundant and doing well? Does it have enough to share? Does it feel willing to share?
The land speaks through the plant, but sometimes other beings will have something to say too - You may notice birds or insects foraging in the area when you approach, or that the creek nearby requires filtration and stability provided by the plants and their roots. It may feel silly at first, but these moments of stillness and observation will teach you how to listen deeply and understand over time.
Leave enough behind: A good place to start is to follow the 1/3 rule—take no more than a third of what you see, leaving plenty for wildlife, other foragers, and the plant’s survival or reproduction. With more understanding of local ecology, you will be able to better determine if a plant if in danger or being wiped out. For instance, one really important factor to consider if a plant is an annual, biennial, or perennial - or if it’s local or regional population is at risk or endangered. (link out to extensive doc on foraging ethics)
Give back: Offer gratitude through words, a song, gentle touch, or a small gift (leaves from a plant you cultivated, native seeds, a strand of your hair, or a little fertilizer). Even better—pick up trash or scatter seeds to support the plant’s growth.
Start with invasives: Foraging invasive plants helps restore balance to ecosystems while still yielding nourishment. Just make sure you aren’t disturbing the soil too much - most invasives thrive in disturbed environments!
Respect the plant by actually USING its offering! Process the plant as soon as you get home, properly preserve anything you won’t use immediately, and share the abundance with others.❤️
Beginner Tips
Always be ready: Keep a basket, bag, gloves, a knife, and small pruners in your car or handbag for spontaneous foraging.
Process immediately: Freshly harvested plants lose their potency over time- or may need to be chopped before drying, such as with bark, roots, or mushrooms. Dedicate a space in your home for drying herbs or prepping them into tinctures, teas, or juices.
Take it slow: Start one plant at a time, and learn each one deeply—how it looks in all seasons, where it thrives, its many uses or ways to prepare or consume it, its family, its look-a-likes, and its contraindications.
Beginner-Friendly Native Medicinal Southern Plants to Forage
These five plants are perfect for beginners because they are widely available, relatively easy to identify, and versatile in their medicinal uses. Whether you’re interested in making teas, tinctures, salves, or emergency medicine, these plants are a fantastic introduction to healing with native flora.
1. Prickly Pear Cactus
(Opuntia spp.)
Identification & Habitat: Thick, flat green pads with spines and colorful fruit (tunas) in summer.
Look for thick, green, flat pads covered in small spines and glochids (tiny barbed hairs). The cactus may bloom vibrant yellow, pink, or red flowers depending on the species and season. The fruits (called tunas) are purple-red or yellow-orange when ripe.
Common in many locations with dry, sunny conditions such as arid landscapes, prairies, disturbed soils, and even forest breaks across Texas and the Southwest.
Medicinal Uses: Anti-inflammatory, blood sugar regulator, and soothing for burns or skin irritations. The fruit is rich in antioxidants and vitamins.
Anti-inflammatory: Prickly pear pads (nopal) have been traditionally used to soothe joint pain and inflammation. The mucilaginous (gel-like) interior can also cool burns, stings, and sunburns when applied topically.
Blood Sugar Support: Consuming cooked or juiced pads may help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, making it a supportive food for those with diabetes.
Gut Health: The mucilage supports digestion by soothing the gastrointestinal tract and relieving constipation.
Immune Support: The fruit is rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and betalains, which reduce oxidative stress and boost immune function.
Preparation & Use: Pads (nopalitos) can be cleaned and cooked; fruit can be juiced, eaten raw, or made into jams. The slimy inner gel can be applied topically for first aid.
Pads: Remove spines and glochids carefully, peel the skin, and cook the inner flesh. Use it in teas, soups, or salves for burns.
Fruit: Juice the ripe fruits for syrup, jam, or beverages.
First Aid/Survival
Emergency Hydration: In survival situations, the cactus pads provide a water-rich source of hydration when peeled and chewed. Avoid glochids!
Burn & Bite Relief: Apply the gel-like interior directly to burns, insect bites, or stings to reduce pain and swelling.
Field Dressing for Wounds: The pads can act as an emergency “bandage” to cover wounds. Clean and remove spines first.
Ecological Role:
Prickly pear provides food for pollinators, small mammals, and birds. It stabilizes soil and thrives in degraded habitats, and is crucial for arid ecosystems.
Contraindications: Avoid excessive consumption, as it may cause mild gastrointestinal upset. Handle carefully; glochids can irritate skin and eyes.
Survival/Bushcraft Use: The pads' moisture content made them a lifesaver in arid conditions, with the gel providing hydration when water was scarce.
Fun Fact: Prickly pear fruit can also be used as a natural dye.
2. Oak
(Quercus spp.)
Identification & Habitat: Look for lobed leaves, acorns, and sturdy bark.
Oaks are distinguished by their lobed leaves and acorns. There are two main categories: white oaks (rounded leaf lobes) and red oaks (pointed leaf lobes).
Habitat: Forests, grasslands, parks, and naturalized urban areas across the Southern U.S.
Medicinal Uses:
Astringent & Antimicrobial: Oak bark is rich in tannins, making it excellent for tightening tissues and reducing inflammation. Use as a wash for wounds, rashes, and sores.
Diarrhea Relief: A tea made from the inner bark is a classic remedy for diarrhea and dysentery.
Sore Throat: Gargling oak bark tea soothes sore throats and mouth ulcers by reducing inflammation and killing bacteria.
First Aid Uses: Use as a styptic (to stop bleeding) and for skin infections when boiled into a strong decoction.
Preparation & Use:
Harvest: Ethically gather small strips of bark from branches (not the trunk). Boil fresh or dried inner bark in water to make a strong tea for topical and internal uses.
Tip: Harvest bark from fallen branches to avoid harming the tree.
Other Uses: Acorns (when leached of tannins) provide nutrient-dense food, rich in fats and carbohydrates. Ground acorn flour can be used to make porridge or flatbreads.
First Aid/Survival
Wound Care: Oak bark’s astringent tannins tighten tissue and reduce bleeding. Use a strong bark tea as a field antiseptic wash.
Natural Cordage: Oak’s fibrous inner bark can be stripped and twisted into basic rope for survival situations.
Ecological Role: Oaks support an astonishing diversity of life—over 500 species of butterflies and moths rely on oaks as host plants. Oaks support the highest diversity of caterpillars, insects, and birds in North America. Acorns provide food for deer, squirrels, and other wildlife.
Contraindications: Avoid prolonged internal use, as tannins can irritate the stomach. Not recommended for those with severe constipation.
Survival/Bushcraft Use: Oak bark decoctions made a dependable antiseptic wash in the wild. Acorns were vital during lean seasons as a calorie-dense, survival food.
3. Boneset
(Eupatorium perfoliatum)
Identification & Habitat: Clusters of white flowers and distinctive leaves that appear fused around the stem.
Habitat: Grows near wetlands, riverbanks, and damp meadows.
Boneset is a tall plant (2–4 feet) with distinctive opposite leaves that wrap around the stem. White clusters of small flowers bloom in late summer and early fall. Common in damp meadows, riverbanks, and wet woodlands.
Medicinal Uses:
Powerful Antiviral & Immune Boost: Historically used to treat fevers, colds, and flu. Boneset stimulates sweating to help “break” a fever.
Pain Relief: It relieves deep, aching pain associated with viral infections (hence its name, as early settlers used it for “breakbone fever” caused by dengue).
Respiratory Health: Boneset tea or tincture helps clear mucus and congestion. It’s especially useful for persistent coughs.
Injuries & Sprains: Poultices of boneset leaves were applied topically to reduce swelling and pain.
Preparation & Use: Boneset tea can boost immunity during viral infections. Make a tea or tincture from the dried aerial parts (leaves and flowers). Combine with honey for a palatable flavor.
Ecological Role: Vital late-season nectar source for pollinators.
Contraindications: Avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Boneset contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), so it should only be used short-term.
Caution: Boneset can cause nausea in high doses.
4. Goldenrod
(Solidago spp.)
Identification & Habitat: Tall, slender stems topped with bright yellow flowering stalks that appear in late summer and fall.
Habitat: Roadsides, meadows, forest edges, and disturbed areas—extremely abundant!
Its botanical name, Solidago, is Latin for solidus, meaning "to make whole."
Medicinal Uses:
Allergy Relief: a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory that helps reduce seasonal allergy symptoms.
Urinary Tract Support: Goldenrod acts as a diuretic, supporting kidney and bladder health. It’s useful for UTIs and kidney stones.
Wound Healing: Use goldenrod-infused oil or poultices to soothe minor cuts, bites, and rashes. Use goldenrod tea to treat inflammation of the mouth and throat.
Rich in Minerals: As a nutrient-dense herb, goldenrod supports iron levels and overall vitality.
Preparation & Use: Dried flowers and leaves make a lovely tea or infused oil for sore muscles.
First Aid/Survival Use:
Wound Wash: Brew goldenrod into a quick tea to wash wounds, or use crushed leaves directly as a poultice to slow bleeding and promote healing.
Emergency Insect Repellent: Burning dried goldenrod can help repel insects and mosquitoes in camp.
Improvised Cordage: Goldenrod stems can be stripped for short-term plant fiber cordage in a pinch.
Ecological Role: Goldenrod is a vital late-season nectar source for pollinators, particularly for bees, butterflies, and wasps. Multiple bee species are goldenrod specialists and require this plant in their diet. It is also host to around 50 species of insects, including flies, moths, and midges.
Read more about the ecology of goldenrod.
Contraindications: Avoid with kidney disease or during dehydration, as it increases urination.
Bonus: It can also be used to create a natural yellow dye.
Indigenous Knowledge:
The Cherokee, Navajo, and Kiowa tribes widely used goldenrod for its versatility. Medicinally, goldenrod tea was brewed for respiratory issues, colds, sore throats, and seasonal allergies.
The flowers were sometimes chewed to relieve toothaches, while external poultices helped soothe wounds and rashes.
Survival Use: Goldenrod served as a natural antihistamine for allergy symptoms and a quick remedy for bites or stings in the wild.
5. Hercules Club / Prickly Ash
(Zanthoxylum clava-herculis)
Identification & Habitat:
Hercules club is a small tree with distinctive spiny bark and compound leaves with a spicy, citrusy smell. Look for its knobby, corky protrusions. Found in woodlands, thickets, and near riverbanks across the southern U.S.
Medicinal Uses: Known as the “toothache tree” for its numbing properties. Excellent for circulation, nerve pain, and fatigue.
Circulation Support: Hercules club bark stimulates blood flow, making it useful for poor circulation, Raynaud’s syndrome, and conditions like POTS.
Toothache Relief: Chewing the bark or leaves produces a numbing effect.
Pain & Muscle Relief: Used topically, it can ease sore muscles and joint pain.
Digestive Aid: Traditionally, it stimulates digestion and relieves bloating.
Preparation: Bark or leaves can be made into tinctures or teas.
Harvest small amounts of bark or leaves sustainably. Chew for toothache relief, or prepare a tincture or salve for circulation support.
Survival Use:
Fishing Aid: Historically, some Indigenous groups used powdered bark as a fish “stunner” when scattered in slow-moving water.
Ecological Role: Supports wildlife with its dense foliage and aromatic properties. Prickly ash supports various wildlife species and provides valuable cover for small animals and birds.
Contraindications: Avoid during pregnancy, as it can stimulate uterine contractions.
Indigenous Knowledge
Infusions or poultices of the bark were applied for joint pain, poor circulation, and even paralysis-like symptoms.
Hercules Club was considered a circulatory stimulant, particularly valuable for lethargy and recovery from illness.
Tools and Resources to Get Started
Field Guides:
Apps:
iNaturalist for plant ID and community support. You can identify everything on here - fossils, burrows, bones, scat, tracks, anything! And your observations contribute to citizen science. Data from iNaturalist is used to analyze wildlife populations. Stories of folks identifying never-described species on iNat and scientists naming it after them have occurred locally!
Websites:
Foraging Texas - based in South Texas
Paleo Foraging - based in South Texas
HerbRally - abundance of herbal monographs
Foraging Workshops in North Texas:
Facebook Communities:
Get Started and Share the Magic
Start small, be thorough, forage ethically, and focus on your relationship with the land. When you harvest a plant, learn its story—its ecological role, its healing properties, and the ancestors who knew it well. Share your harvests and remedies with friends and loved ones.
Happy foraging!
Quick Recap of Survival Uses
Prickly Pear
Emergency hydration, burn/bug bite gel, wound dressing.
Oak
Bleeding control, wound wash, acorn food, cordage from bark.
Boneset
Fever management, mild viral pain relief.
Goldenrod
Wound wash, insect repellent (burned plant), cordage from stems.
Hercules Club
Toothache relief, localized numbing for cuts, traditional fishing aid.