BOT 3850: Medical Botany

About Florida Native Plants and their Medicinal Uses

Many of Florida's native plants have been used for the treatment of various medical conditions. Below are links to resources on the medical botany of several Florida native plant species. The links are organized by their source (USDA - PLANTS Database, NIH Database, or other sources).

50 Common Native Plants Important In Florida’s Ethnobotanical History (University of Florida IFAS [Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences] Extension)
Description of 50 Florida native plants and their ethnobotanical history, including uses for food and medicine.

USDA - PLANTS Database

USDA - PLANTS
Botanical database from the USDA. You can search for plants in the top left search bar. After selecting a plant entry in the database, you can click on the links to "Fact Sheet" and "Plant Guide" to view these informational documents about the plant species.
American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana L.)
Treatment for malarial fevers, rheumatism, dizziness, stomachaches, and other medical conditions.
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa L.)
Medicinal usage for respiratory conditions.

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana L.), from The natural history of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands... (1754) by Mark Catesby

NIH - National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Database

NIH - National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Database
Database providing information about plants and their effects on human health. You can search for plants in the search bar on the top right to find information about their medicinal properties.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Medicinal usage for colds, flus, and other medical conditions.
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)
Treatment for urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate gland (also called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH), migraines, hair loss, and pelvic pain, among other medical conditions.

Other Sources

American Botanical Council
Website providing information about plants and their medicinal properties. You can search for plants in the search bar at the top right.
American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana L.)
From the American Botanical Council, describing treatment for colds, fever, sore throat, tuberculosis, and pain, among other medical conditions.
Florida Native Plant Society - Search Feature
Website providing detailed botanical information. Enter the name of a plant into the search bar to find more information about it, including ethnobotanical usage.
Coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana)
From the Florida Native Plant Society, describing the medicinal use of the willow sap which contains salicylic acid, an ingredient in aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid).