Medicinal Plant Hike in Lost Dutchman State Park

Medicinal Plant Hike in Lost Dutchman State Park

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.

Medicinal Plant Hike
Orientation

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 Plant Hike

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.

Medicinal Plant Hike
Creosote Bush

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.

Medicinal Plant Hike
Female Jojoba Plant

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.

Medicinal Plant Hike
Desert Mistletoe on a Palo Verde Tree

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.

Red Brome Grass

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 Sign
Lost Dutchman State Park

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

Hike, Lost Dutchman State Park, Map

Medicinal Plant Hike in Lost Dutchman State Park

Would you use a Desert Mistletoe as an excuse to kiss someone?

36 thoughts on “Medicinal Plant Hike in Lost Dutchman State Park
  1. 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!

  2. 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!

    1. 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.

  3. How awesome. It’s so neat to learn about new medicinal plants and what a great way to get outside.

  4. 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.

  5. 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!!

    1. I love hearing that people do use or have used the leaves from the plants we learned about.

  6. 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.

    1. You are right, that is exactly what has happened. As we take other hikes we are spotting plants from the educational hike.

  7. 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!

  8. 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!

    1. 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?

  9. I’m glad to know information like this is being shared. It’s valuable and on the verge of being lost.

  10. 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.

    1. It is good to take a class similar in areas that you hike or live in to understand the possibilities for first aid.

    1. Awesome that the vegetation is found in many places. What is your favorite spot in Joshua Tree National Park?

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