Clara Barton Redbud and a garden of medicinal herbs

Clara Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912) was an American teacher, nurse and humanitarian. During the American Civil War she established a group that helped to obtain supplies for soldiers and then distribute them among the wounded. She rode in ambulances to give comfort to the wounded being transported for medical care and eventually was put in charge of hospitals for a large portion of the Union Army.

At the end of the war, Clara Barton was tasked with identifying the missing men from the Union Army. Barton worked with a soldier named Dorence Atwater who had been imprisoned at the grim Andersonville prison and had kept a list of nearly 13,000 dead Union soldiers from the prison camp. Atwater and Barton went to Andersonville where they marked the mass graves of the Union Soldiers and planted magnolia trees in their memory.

American Red Cross:
While visiting Europe, Clara Barton saw the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the humanitarian aid they provided during the Franco-Prussian war. When she returned to America Barton worked tirelessly to establish an American branch of the Red Cross. During the administration of President James Garfield, Barton received the funds and support that she needed. Established in 1881 the American Red Cross was designed to provide humanitarian aid during wars and also in times of any national crisis. Clara Barton became president of the American Red Cross and remained its head until she retired in 1904.

During the early years of the American red Cross volunteers responded to many disasters such as the Sea Island Hurricane and also provided relief to refugees and prisoners of war during the Spanish-American War.

Clara Barton's Red Bud:
The tree in our Richard T. Bowers Historic Tree Grove dedicated to Clara Barton is a Red Bud. The Clara Barton Redbud can be found at her home in Glen Echo, Maryland in which Clara spent the last 15 years of her life. From 1897 until 1904 the house was not only her residence but also the headquarters of the American Red Cross. Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) are deciduous trees that bloom with showy pinkish purple blossoms each spring before they put on leaves.

A Garden for Medicine:
As a tribute to Clara Barton and her establishment of the American Red Cross we chose to plant a garden of plants that have a long history of being used for medicine. Throughout history, medicines have been derived from flowers and herbs and many of the compounds upon which our modern medicines are based come originally from compounds found in plants.

The herbs have been planted into "socks" made of a plastic outer mesh and filled with compost. The "socks" as well as the mulch and compost used for all of these gardens were donated by a great local humus farm Mother's Organics. Mother's Organics also set us up with drip tape irrigation for the medicinal herb and edible gardens. What a great local Tampa company!

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a drought-tolerant perennial native to the Southeast United States that is often used in herbal remedies as an imunostilulator to boost the immune system and help ward off infections. Echinacea extracts are found in more than 200 herbal medications in Europe. Although they will die back entirely in the winter, coneflowers will burst back to life in the spring and soon be putting on their showy purple blooms.

• Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) extracts have been used in the treatment of heart conditions since 1785. Digitalis extracts are used to help regulate irregular heartbeats. Digitalis should not be eaten as it is toxic if used improperly. Foxglove flowers on tall stiff stalks with buds down most of their length. The flowering season for this plant isn't overly long so it was been located to the extreme edges of this garden so that it will not detract when not in flower.

• Pink Skullcap (Scutellaria suffrutescens) is often used in modern Chinese practice for treatment of viral infections and even cancer. Skullcaps have also been used as a female medicinal herb among several Native American tribes. Pink skullcap is a low-growing and spreading plant that is located in the center of the medicinal plant bed.

• French Lavender (Lavandula x intermedia) is process for its essential oils which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. This oil was used in WWII for the cleaning of hospital walls and floors to prepare them for new patients. Infusions of lavender have also been used for the soothing of insect bites and headaches. The lavender plants have a feathery grey-green foliage that is very soft to the touch.