Figure 9: Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
(Photo by author)
Higher up the inclined landscape of Skeena Trail I ventured off the well-worn path in a quest for flowers. Although it was late autumn, I was determined to add some colour and character to my roster of species photography. I immediately spotted this alfalfa herb by being draw to its purple blossoms, despite their being shriveled from the cooler weather. My immediate thought was to brighten the collage of photos I had been collecting with the presence of a (somewhat meager) flower, but my research into the alfalfa plant surprised me with its variety of uses. I learned that there was a plethora of medicinal uses for alfalfa such as, but not limited to, the detoxification of the body during the recovery of substance dependency, the elimination of bad breath, removal of plaque along artery walls, and strengthening the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells (Ageless 2011). My first interest may have been its colour and shape, but the uses behind it were the most fascinating to me out of all the species I chose to document. The potential usefulness of alfalfa brought to mind the importance of protecting natural ecosystems, where medicinal remedies and cures may still be hidden, waiting to be discovered.
Location (North America): across North America Habitat: adaptability makes it a common find; fields, poor-quality soils (Reader's Digest 1982:394) Size: 1-3ft. tall with approximately 1in. flower (Reader's Digest 1982:394) Characteristics: In bloom May through October (Reader's Digest 1982:394); purplish flowers in "bunches" at top of stem; leaves grow in groups of three (Reader's Digest 1982:394). Notes: The alfalfa plant was brought to North America for use as a crop plant, but now grow freely across Canada and the USA. The origin of "alfalfa" is Arabic and it translates roughly to "best fodder" (Reader's Digest 1982:394). It is foraged by an assortment of wildlife as well as ranch herds. It is well-known to improve soil quality by returning nutrients to damaged areas (Fowler 2011). The herb has many naturally medicinal qualities and has been noted to cleanse the body of toxins, control bleeding, and regulate cholesterol (Ageless 2011). It is even stated that alfalfa is useful in contributing to the management of heart disease, strokes, cancer and diabetes (Ageless 2011). |
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