This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for more information. Thank you to Arizona State Parks & Trails for the passes to experience the Lost Dutchman State Park. All opinions, photographs, and videos of the area are ours.
Orientation
The medicinal plant hike started on a beautiful sunny day in Arizona as we joined a park volunteer and 31 additional attendees to be introduced to edible and healing plants of the Sonoran Desert.
The orientation shared what we would be learning about and the hike we would be taking that day. Then we set off to walk among the plants and discover what a significant role they play in their desert habitat.
Medicinal Plants
The list of medicinal plants we learned about was long and in this blog, I will not give away all the plants we learned about. That way you are enticed to come on a walk at Lost Dutchman State Park. Here are a few teasers for you.
If you have arthritis and see a Creosote Bush, then use the leaves to make tea. The leaves mixed with a lubricant is good to put on bug bites.
The Jojoba plant’s leaves are good for cuts and sores. There needs to be a male and a female plant to pollinate. The male plant has a cluster and the female plant has the nut.
Invasive Plants
While on our hike we saw invasive plants too. Here are a few that we learned about.
The Desert Mistletoe invades into another plant like the Pala Verde tree and gets into the DNA of the tree. Eventually, the Desert Mistletoe will kill the tree. Although this is not the Mistletoe seen in the stores during the holidays to “kiss” under, I still will grab Hunter and pull him under this invasive Desert Mistletoe and kiss him.
The Red Brome Grass was everywhere. Unfortunately I forgot to write down anything about the grass expect that it is invasive to the area.
Lost Dutchman State Park
Are you curious to learn more about the plants of the Sonoran Desert?
Maybe you would like to learn about which plants have medicinal qualities?
Here is the link for more information for future events at Lost Dutchman State Park
More information on future events at the Arizona State Parks visit AZ State Parks Events
Medicinal Plant Hike in Lost Dutchman State Park
Would you use a Desert Mistletoe as an excuse to kiss someone?
Wow – I didn’t even know hikes like this existed! I would love to find something similar in my area, but I also go to Arizona fairly often – I will have to check it out!
Awesome, let me know if you find one in your area.
Looks like an interesting hike premise. How long was it? Did you get to take some of the medicinal plants home with you? I’m on sabbatical for a year but I live in Canada and the weather is just getting nice. Your article makes me long for a long hike or camping trip this summer. Thanks for writing!
The class was about 2 hours. We did not get to take the plants home, as the plants were on a state park and in the ground. However, many of the plants are sold at the local plant store.
How awesome. It’s so neat to learn about new medicinal plants and what a great way to get outside.
It was awesome to learn about the plants that we see while hiking in AZ.
My husband has a great interest in plants every time we hike. He would love something like this! Thanks for sharing and I’ll be sure hubby reads the article too.
I trust he knows many plants and their uses too.
What a great hike for everyone to take. I love the smell of the creosote after a rain. My grandfather was a major advocate for creosote tea. When he & my grandma moved out to Arizona from Pennsylvania they talked with so many people as they traveled learning about the areas & native uses for plants and such. They were camp hosts every summer. The tea wasn’t the greatest tasting but it sure worked. Every time I smell it, it brings back great memories.
You always share great information. Thank you!!
I love hearing that people do use or have used the leaves from the plants we learned about.
I love this – how cool that you got to learn about what you see while hiking. I’m sure it made this trip more fun and now you’ll start looking for the plants on future hikes.
You are right, that is exactly what has happened. As we take other hikes we are spotting plants from the educational hike.
Such an amazing place to be hiking. I love the photos!
Thank you
I love this! We are always exploring and identifying plants and species. This is great.
What is your favorite plant?
I went to a pioneer park recently and they had a pharmacy like it would have been in the 1800’s. It was really cool to see all the herbs they used to heal certain sicknesses!
Did you go to Pioneer Park north of Phoenix?
Love educational hikes…this one sounds very interesting.
Yes, it was.
I’m not sure I would know what to do with actual medicinal plants! How fun that you got to learn how to use them!
We did have fun while learning.
A new friend we were boondocking with at Saddle Mountain in AZ introduced me to these hikes. We too found lots of creosote, and also some type of plant that had a mustard taste. I don’t remember what we ended up figuring out it was. Fun to learn and experience new things like this!
I will see if I can find out what the mustard taste plant was. Was it a cactus? Was it a low growing plant, a shrub or a tree?
I’m glad to know information like this is being shared. It’s valuable and on the verge of being lost.
Yes, I agree, we should keep sharing knowledge.
This is such an interesting hike! I love that you are learning about all of these great plants!
Plants are great to know, like those that can help with cuts.
How cool! I would love to take a class like this. I would also like to go to Arizona. I have spent very little time in that part of the country.
It is good to take a class similar in areas that you hike or live in to understand the possibilities for first aid.
What a cool experience! I love learning about nature and what it can do for us. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome. Nature is amazing.
I would love to do something like this!! I am all into using natural medicine!!
Us too. I like knowing what I can use if I am out in the desert.
Interesting post; and some of that vegetation can be found in Joshua Tree National Park
Awesome that the vegetation is found in many places. What is your favorite spot in Joshua Tree National Park?