Just thought to mention that calendula or marigold is not the ornamental variety most grow in their gardens. Most herbal books will discuss this herb by calling it Calendula. This fact is mentioned in the article Carla posted:
Note: This post refers only to
Pot Marigold or
Calendula Officinalis, not to be mistaken with the non-herb marigolds, dwarf French Marigolds and African Marigolds.
At bit more on this from the wiki write up:
Calendula (pronounced
/kəˈlɛndjuːlə/ Ca-lén-du-la),[1] pot marigold, is a genus of about 12-20 species of
annual or
perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family
Asteraceae, native to the area from
Macaronesia east through the
Mediterranean region to
Iran. Calendula should not be confused with other plants that are also known as
marigolds, such as plants of the genus
Tagetes,
corn marigolds or
marsh marigolds.
Calendula - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Plantain is also a very valuable plant as Carla also mentions. Here's an interesting bit of information the herbalist I took a course from shared:
"It is believed to be one of the first plants to reach
North America after European colonisation. Native Americans called the plant "white man's footprint" or "Englishman's foot" because it appeared wherever white men went."
From:
Plantago major - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This herbalist also told her herbal class that the bruised leaves could be used to stem the flow of blood from wounds. The wiki article also mentions this. Evidently this herbalist was very knowledgeable about plants, as perhaps not every source is aware of this property--this is a good plant to know about if you are in the woods camping. A sort of first aid kit growing in many areas (just don't use plants which grow near roads as they may have been sprayed).
"There is a contraindication that seems to be missing from most of the current literature, however. It is a potent coagulant. This can be tested easily by taking some water-based paint, making some plantain tea and mixing the two together. The paint particles will immediately permanently separate from the water. Because of this unique quality, plantain was used as a wound dressing on the battlefield (it was also called "Soldier's Herb"
[11] which referred to this use). Due to these properties, people who take blood thinners or those prone to blood clots should never use plantain internally."