Meadowsweet cream (Mesiangervo voide) - on offer in Finnish Lapland

Meadowsweet is renowned for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. It is offered as a remedy in form of cream and oil by several companies. 

Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed, willow herb) - flowering field on the roadside in Östersund, Sweden

Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed, willow herb) on the lakeside in Swedish Lapland

Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed, willow herb) - Vilhelmina, Swedish Lapland

Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed, willow herb, rosebay willow herb, French willow, great willowherb, Schmalblättriges Weidenröschen)

The plant is native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere. As a pioneer plant it grows in new open areas which may be generated after deforestations, fire and human intervening. Fireweed gets its name from the fact that it is often the first plant to start growing in forests after fires burn back all other vegetation. Fireweed was one of the first and most abundant colonizers of Mt. Saint Helens after it erupted. 

The plant reaches a height of 1 to 2 meters and flowers in July-August partly creating a delightful flowering ocean of brilliant purple in open, cleared landscapes and along roadsides. Plants grow and flower as long as there is open space and plenty of light, as trees and brush grow larger the plants die out, but the seeds remain viable in the soil seed bank for many years, when a new fire or disturbance occurs that opens up the ground to light again the seeds germinate.

Leaves and young shoot tips of fireweed are edible, raw or cooked. Very young leaves are used for salads and soups or steeped for use as a tonic tea for upset stomach. Mature leaves become tough and bitter and may cause nausea. The unopened flowerbuds are tasty for salads or in stir-fries. 

Fireweed has long been used as medicine and the herb is antispasmodic, hypnotic, laxative and tonic, and has agents that cause the tissue to contract (remedy against prostate enlargement) and that soften and sooth the skin when applied locally. A fiber obtained from the outer stems can be used to make cordage. The cottony seed hairs which serve for wind dispersal over long distances has been used as a stuffing material or as tinder.

Uses of Epilobium angustifolium 1 (YouTube video)

Uses of Epilobium angustifolium 2 (YouTube video)

   

Ceiba speciosa (formerly Chorisia speciosa, silk floss tree, toborochi tree, drunken tree) - Aspire Park in Doha, Qatar - photography by terp16 on Panoramio

The silk floss tree belongs to the same family as baobab and the kapok and is native to tropical and subtropical forests of South America. Its trunk is bottle-shaped, generally bulging in its lower third, measuring up to 2 meters in girth. The tree is also well known for the large spikes protecting the trunk and the limbs, however the spikes are prominent when the tree is young. 

The silk floss tree is rated among the most beautiful trees in the world due to its spectacular blooming with thousands of flowers in pink, white and purple. The tree is resistant to drought and moderate cold. It is cultivated for ornamental purposes. Outside gardens around the world, it is often planted along urban streets in subtropical areas such as in South Africa, Australia, northern New Zealand and southern USA.

Rumex acetosella (Acetosella vulgaris, sheep sorrel, red sorrel, sour weed, Sauerampfer) -  Baltic Sea coast in Germany

This perennial weed is native to Eurasia but have spread over the rest of the northern hemisphere. It favors moist soil, so it thrives in floodplains and near marshes. It is often one of the first species to take hold in disturbed areas, such as abandoned mining sites, especially if the soil is acidic.

There are several uses of sheep sorrel in the preparation of food including a garnish, a tart flavoring agent, a salad green, and a curdling agent for cheese. The leaves have a lemony, tangy and nicely tart flavor. Sheep sorrel taken as a cool drink may reduce a fever. As a tea it is good for diarrhea, a gargle for soar throats.

Medinilla magnificia (Pink lantern, Rose grape, Malaysian orchid)

This tropical shrub native to Philippines bears drooping clusters of rosy pink flowers. It is one of the most elegant plants which can be grown indoors, but needs high humidity. It grows up to 8 feet tall in its natural habitat in part shade locations out of soil pockets on rain forest trees  or in ground clearings with large, ovate to oblong, prominently veined, leathery green leaves to 8 - 12 inch long.

Taxodium distichum (Baldcypress, Sumpfzypresse) Rich - The Botanical Garden of the University of Basel

The baldcypress is a deciduous conifer native to the Southeast of the United States. The tree with a reddish brown trunk and a feathery foliage is generally found in wet swampy areas, often in standing water. It grows slowly and may reach heights of 25 - 40 m and trunk diameters of 2 - 5 meters. Ancient baldcypress  forests with some trees more than 1,700 years old, once dominated swamps in the southeast US.  The wood of the tree is known for its resistance to water and decay and is used for heavy construction, including docs, warehouses, boats, bridges, and interior trim. In colder climates, the trees are planted as ornamentals.

The feathery foliage of the Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum Rich.)

Verbascum olympicum (Greek mullein, Olympian mullein, Königskerze (German))

The plant grows 2 to 3 meters tall and bears an enormous candelabra of golden flowering spikes, easily up to 90 cm high. It takes two to three years for the plant to flower, usually it dies afterwards. However, they do self-seed copiously and, if possible, leave seedlings where they appear naturally as they are very drought-tolerant. The perfect dramatic plant for easy gardening as verbascums are not fussy about soil and water and are also snail proof.

Verbascum olympicum is native to the ancient Mt. Olympus in Turkey (now known as Uludag). Uludag is the most western extension of the Pontic mountains range. It is one of the highest peaks in the area and is rich in biological diversity, including an astonishing 104 endemic species of plants. 

Verbascum olympicum (Greek mullein, Olympian mullein)

Petasides hybridus

Petasides hybridus - Värmland, Sweden

Stachys byzantina (Lamb's Ears, Woolly Betony, synonyms: Stachys lanata, Stachys olympics)

Ground-covering perennial, popular for its soft, fluffy foliage, native to Turkey, Armenia and Iran. They are named Lamb's Ears because of the curved shape and white, soft, fur-like hair coating. The plant is cultivated over much of the temperate world as an ornamental plant, and is naturalized in some locations as an escape from gardens. The extract of it has shown antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to vancomycin.

Astilbe chinensis cultivar Pumila