“Hands were to work and hearts were to God”
Each of the Shaker sects grew, built, and performed different services as a communal group. All ages participated in the sowing, care, and harvesting of crops. Shakers came to be known for their high standards in practical and medicinal herbs, for medicine production, and for the growing and selling of high-quality packaged herbs and seeds mostly between the 1820s through 1870s.
The New Lebanon Shaker Sect published a list of 356 medicinal herbs, 4 common culinary herbs, and 181 fluid extracts and powders. The “common culinary herbs” were Summer Savory, Sweet Marjoram, Sage, and Thyme. Parsley was also in high demand but proved difficult to dry well.
This garden at Genesee Country Village & Museum is in no way representative of the volume that would have been grown here, but is meant to show the kinds of plants and plant materials they grew in a neat and orderly way as the Shakers would have grown them. The information used in the displays is derived from “Shaker Medicinal Herbs: A Compendium of History, Lore, and Uses” by Amy Bess Miller in association with Shaker Hancock Village. This book was used when the garden for Genesee Country Village & Museum was originally set out by Jessie Woodward. As we the gardeners care for it now, plant choices change sometimes during the growing season due to seasonality, weather, or animal activity.
The Shakers compressed herbs into brick shapes and then dried them; hung them to dry; packaged them loose; and dried roots, seeds and blossoms depending on its use. They also bottled many liquid forms as medicines, cleaning agents, or for self-care.
Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)
Used as a soothing tonic, or laxative. Thought to be strong as a tonic in treating jaundice. Berries are used as a wash for sores or cankers. Bark and berries can be used as a mouth wash or gargle for sores. Also used as a purgative.
Sweet Basil
To stop excessive vomiting, as a calming tea and can be used in cooking.
Borage (Borage officianalis)
Used for a build up of excessive mucus, aches and pains (rheumatism) and diseases of the skin. Used in drink form like a cordial.
Castor Oil Plant, Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
The seeds were considered cathartic meaning that they lead to the release of pent up emotions, and were cold pressed into castor oil. Castor oil was a common remedy as a purgative to cleanse the body of toxins. All parts of this plant are poisonous.
Sweet Cicely “Anise Root”
Found in shade garden on far side of building.
Useful in coughs or flatulence. Thought to be soothing to upset stomachs. The seeds were rubbed on furniture as a polish for their oils.
Clary Sage (Salvia sclarrea)
Used for upset stomachs, night sweats, fevers and flatulence. Also flowers used in the making of wine and beer, and for sachets and potpourri.
Comfrey (Symphytum officianale)
Used for upset stomachs, night sweats, fevers and flatulence. Also flowers used in the making of wine and beer, and for sachets and potpourri.
Pot Marigold, Calendula (Calendula officialis)
Valuable for treating skin rashes and eruptions. The tincture is used for cuts, bruises, sprains, wounds,and is unequaled in preventing gangrene. Flowers are edible, and dyes for food or fabric can be derived and depend on the color of the blossom.
Sweet Marjoram (Origanum marjorana)
A stimulant or tonic, it promotes perspiration, promotes menstruation when recently stopped, and relieves sudden break outs of rashes or lesions.
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
Used for flatulence, fainting, headaches, to arrest vomiting, and was usually combined with other medicines. An important flavoring for confections along with rose.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Stimulant, expectorant, diuretic, and a tonic. Used for asthma, coughs, excessive mucus, and hoarseness. Used externally to sooth pulmonary issues.
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Causes flatulence, settles the stomach, aromatic, for colic, stops hiccups, wards off witches, and used in cooking.
Apothecary Rose (Rosa gallica officianalis)
Aromatic, soothing tonic. Mildly astringent. Used extensively for making rosewater, flavoring confections, it was also used for treating hemorrhages, excessive mucus discharges and bowel complaints.
Sage (Salvia officianalis)
Most used herb of the time.
From whitening teeth to darkening hair, it was also used as an expectorant, astringent, for coughs, colds, night sweats, worms, ulcerated sore throats, and to produce perspiration. Helped with healing, soothing and settling stomachs.
Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis)
The oil is used for toothaches. Used for colic, nervous headache, as a tonic after fevers, and suppressing menstruation.
Southernwood (Artemesia abortanum)
Valuable in obstructions and to remove worms.
Tansy (Tanecetum vulgare)
Used for fevers, hysterics, swelling, for worms, swellings,tumors,and inflamation. A yellow dye from flowers, green from the leaves.
Aconite, Monkshood, Wolfsbane (Aconitum napellus)
Used for scarlett fever, as a narcotic, sedative, fevers, neuralgia. All parts are poisonous.
Feverfew (Chrysan-themum parthenium)
Tea for recent colds, flatulence, worms, irregular mentstruation, hysterics, and the suppression of urine.
Orris Root Iris (Iris florentina)
Mostly used for sachets or potpourri for its violet fragrance and for holding onto other scents. A strong cathartic, it was also used to treat swelling ( although we found that some are sensitive to it and it caused swelling in hands after handling.
Bergamot Monarda, Oswego Tea (Monarda didyma)
Tea is used for flatulence, nausea, vomiting, and suppression of urine and menstruation.
Peony (Peonia lactifolia)
Epilepsy, warding off nightmares, spasms, nervous diseases and whooping cough, and worms.
Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberosa)
Used in treating pleurisy, fevers, flatulence, indigestion, rheumatism aches, dysentary, coughs, inflamed lungs, to induce perspiration and expectoration.
Poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Source of morphine for the Civil War, used to promote rest, as a poultice or wrap for painful swellings, the syrup given to restless children to promote sleep.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Used for weak stomach, flatulence, colic, headaches, to produce perspiration, hysteria, indigestion.
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Valuable for diarrhea, dysentary, and excessive mucus discharges. Used as a wash for painful swellings, as a gargle for throat sores, and as an astringent.