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In the United States Wild Cherry is a common species. It has many close relations, all of which can be similarly used. The cherries themselves are edible and formed part of the original Native American ‘power bar’, made of dried ground meat, nuts, fat as well as dried berries and cherries. Wild Cherry has beautiful wood and a fine grain, which has earned it its marketing claim as ‘North American Mahogany’. It has been cultivated in Central Europe as a superior timber tree for fine wood working.

Medicinal:
Herbalists use the inner bark as an antispasmodic to soothe the smooth muscles of the upper respiratory tract. It calms the nerves and reduces the cough reflex, making it especially helpful in cases of asthma, whooping cough and bronchitis.
However, Cherry Bark should be combined with other herbs that are better able to deal with the underlying infection.
The soothing and relaxant properties make it a very helpful adjunct remedy in other cases of cramping, tension and irritability, especially where these stand in the way of recovery. The inner bark also has a mild bitter quality that aids sluggish digestion and dyspepsia. Cherokee women used it to alleviate labor pains.
In combination with other herbs it can assist recovery from many conditions, such as hepatitis, urinary irritation, inflammatory febrile diseases, pleurisy, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

If making a tea: Add Licorice root, Orange Peel or Peppermint leaf to improve the taste and to enhance Wild Cherry's effect

Magical:
The wood can be used for making storage boxes for ritual tools or for carving ornaments.
Cherry is a threshold plant. It helps one face unconscious fears and deal with whatever ‘monsters’ are lurking in the inner shadow world and prevent one from moving forward on their soul journey.
Burn as an incense while performing divination to enhance the results, or while performing love spells to find a partner.

Wild Lettuce, a relative of our common garden lettuce, once played an interesting role in ritual and medicine in ancient Egypt and Greece. In Egypt it was associated with the God Min, a fertility deity who has sometimes been compared with lusty Pan. During his festival a statue of the God was placed in a small patch of wild lettuce and carried around as part of the procession. The Egyptians used Wild Lettuce as an aphrodisiac, but warned that excessive use would dull the brain. The Greeks on the other hand used it as an anaphrodisiac and it was part of the staple diet for priests, presumably to cool their carnal appetites. Wild Lettuce was brought to the US early on and in 1792 a doctor from Philadelphia first wrote about the opium-like qualities of dried lettuce latex. At the time opium was still commonly used as medicine and henceforth dried lettuce juice has often been used to adulterate opium and opium containing medicines. More recently the herb has become popular as 'not-pot', a legal Marijuana substitute.

Medicinal:
Today, Wild Lettuce is rarely used in herbal medicine, but in ancient times it was commonly employed as a relaxant sedative. It was said to be useful for insomnia, nervousness and anxiety. It is sometimes used to calm overexcited and restless children. It soothes a spasmodic cough and acts as a mild pain reliever. In ancient Greece it was regarded as an anaphrodisiac, while in Egypt it was used as an aphrodisiac. It was also used to treat sexual problems such as premature ejaculation and to prevent nocturnal emissions.

Magical:
Wild Lettuce may be used in fertility rituals to honor the ancient Egyptian God Min or added to love potions. It may also be used as a meditation aid to help calm and center the mind and to assist the practitioner on astral journeys and path workings.