It’s summer and that means camping and hiking and getting out in the great outdoors where some of us are prone to getting poison oak or poison ivy or irritating insect bites!!

Manzanita to the rescue!

This native Californian plant (it’s also found in Nevada, Arizona, Utah) is a wonder for treating poison oak, rashes, urinary tract infections, heavy menses, and postpartum vaginal and cervical injuries.

And the berries are edible!! They are high in vitamin C and contain more than 3X the antioxidants of blueberries! They can be eaten raw (but beware they are tart!!) and ground into mashes or flour for baking.

Oh, and good to note, all varieties have edible berries and leaves you can even just chew and apply directly onto an infected poison oak or poison ivy patch

Discover Manzanita (Manzanita) and other herbs by visiting our Herb Directory.