The Civil War, Reconstruction and Westward Expansion (1820-1865)
About This Garden
In the early to mid- nineteenth century, plants remained essential to nutrition and healthcare, especially in rural areas where stores and trained physicians were scarce. Families maintained kitchen gardens producing staples such as corn, beans, and sweet potatoes, alongside fruit trees and herbs for food and home remedies. Traditional medicinal plants like ginseng, goldenseal, and echinacea were harvested from the wild or cultivated for healing properties, while sassafras tea was consumed as both a tonic and seasonal beverage. African American communities preserved and adapted African botanical knowledge, using plants such as okra for food and pokeweed or garlic for medicinal purposes. Patent medicines were becoming more available in cities, but plant-based remedies—from elderberry syrup to willow bark—remained primary treatments. Doctors often turned to indigenous plants for treatments, and this was even more the case in areas affected by conflict. This garden will include medicinal plants such as Georgia fever tree, industrial-value plants like Osage orange, and culturally significant plants such as red cedar.