My name is Cynthia Johnston. I moved to the Smoky Mountains in 2003 to live closer to the land. I knew Ginseng grew here, but had no idea how many other endangered native species grow abundant on this small 5 acre bit of land! It contains such healing, I call it MedicineWoods.

Black and Blue Cohosh, Goldenseal, Trillium, Bloodroot, Mayapple, and more grow in abundance, not to mention Wild Yam, which I used extensively in my product line for MoonMaid Botanicals. It has been a wonderful journey to explore and learn, not only about these plants, but the many others that greet me on my meandering walks in the woods.

I came here to grow some or all of the herbs I use in my business. I have been able to cultivate comfrey, calendula, rosemary, roses, and lemon balm, but the idea of cultivating natives, or “forest farming” had not occurred to me until recently. Today, MedicineWoods is part of United Plant Savers and a dedicated botanical
sanctuary.

This site is a natural place for interested parties to learn to encourage growth in those native plants, but also to propagate ones like wild yam and goldenseal that are endangered, yet not so abundant. Explore a YouTube tutorial, take a look at the blog, or find a product that works for you!

Welcome to MedicineWoods. -Cynthia