Endangered Herbs

Endangered in the UK

Chamomile, Wild (Chamaemelum nobile)
Chickweed, Scottish (Cerastium fontanum subsp. scoticum)
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
Eyebrights Euphrasia sp. (endemic) – Euphrasia officinalis seems to be OK still.
Juniper, Wild (Juniperus communis)
Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. ochroleuca)
Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
Pheasant’s Eye (Adonis annua)

Wild Asparagus (Asparagus prostratus)
Wild Caraway (Carum carvi)

IUCN Red List Category citations

Extinct, EX
Extinct in the Wild, EW
Critically Endangered, CR
Endangered, EN
Vulnerable, VU
Near Threatened, NT
Least Concern, LC
Data Deficient, DD
Not Evaluated, NE

Norwegian Red list

Arnica, Wolf’s Bane (Arnica montana) – LC. However, critically endangered in Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia and Luxembourg; endangered in Belarus and the Netherlands; vulnerable in Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania; and near threatened in Denmark and Norway. Most medicinal Arnica (around 300 tonnes of flowers per year) is harvested in the Balkans, Spain and Switzerland.

CITES List

Cape Aloes (Aloe ferox) – Appendix II
False Hellebore (Adonis vernalis) – Appendix II
Ginseng, American (Panax quinquefolius) – only cultivated allowed, Appendix II
Ginseng, Russian (Panax ginseng) – from Russia, only wild populations left, Appendix II
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) – Appendix II
Guaiacum spp. – Appendix II
Hoodia spp. – Appendix II

Snakeroot (Rauvolfia serpentina) – Appendix II

United Plant Savers “At Risk” List contains the following herbs:

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) – source from commercial growers only.
Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) – source from commercial growers only.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) – source from commercial growers only.
Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) 
 – Echinacea purpurea is commercially grown now.
Eyebright (Euphrasia spp.)
False unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum) – source from commercial growers only.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) – source from commercial growers only.
Lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium spp.)
Lomatium (Lomatium dissectum)
Osha (Ligusticum porteri, L. spp.) – Can often be substituted with thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and elecampane (Inula helenium).
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii)
Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) – Ensure collector uses only twig not trunk bark. Can sometimes be substituted with marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis).
Sundew (Drosera spp.)
Trillium (Trillium spp.)
True unicorn (Aletris farinosa)
Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Virginia snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria)

United Plant Savers “At Risk” List contains the following herbs:

Arnica (Arnica spp.) – Species used montana, source from commercial growers only.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Cascara Sagrada (Frangula purshiana) (Rhamnus)
Chaparro (Casatela emoryi)
Elephant Tree (Bursera microphylla)
Gentian (Gentiana spp.) – Species used lutea, source from commercial growers only.
Goldthread (Coptis spp.)
Kava Kava (Piper methysticum) (Hawaii only)
Lobelia (Lobelia spp.) – Species used inflata, source from commercial growers only.
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pendatum)
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
Oregon Grape (Mahonia spp.) – Species used aquifolium, source from commercial growers only.
Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens)
Pink Root (Spigelia marilandica)
Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata)
Spikenard (Aralia racemosa, A. californica)
Stone Root (Collinsonia canadensis)
Stream Orchid (Epipactis gigantea)
Turkey Corn (Dicentra canadensis)
White Sage (Salvia apiana)
Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) – source from commercial growers only.
Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)

Also of concern but not on UpS lists:

Calamus (Acorus calamus)
Agnus castus (Vitex agnus castus)
Scullcap, Large-flowered skullcap (Scutellaria montana)

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