Please join the Hanson Park Conservancy on Tuesday, January 14th at 7:00 PM at the Cranford Community Center as we welcome Garden Historian Lesley Parness for a very special presentation, “Medicinal Plants of the Civil War.” Could plants have played a role in the outcome of the Civil War? Learn how important plants were in every aspect of this conflict, on battlefields and home fronts of both the North and the South. Over 30 plants will be discussed and their medicinal properties noted. “Receipts,” or recipes are included for popular herbal remedies such as horehound lozenges and witch hazel tonic. Audiences are often surprised to learn how many “Civil War” plants they are already growing, and the haunting historic images create a compelling tale of interest to history buffs as well as gardeners alike!

Lesley Parness is the retired Superintendent of Horticultural Education at New Jersey’s Morris County Park Commission where she oversaw programming at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Willowwood Arboretum and Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center. She is a member of the Herb Society of America, The Council on Horticultural and Botanical Literature, and Garden State Gardens, a consortium of New Jersey’s public gardens of which she is a Founding Member.

The Cranford Community Center is located at 220 Walnut Ave. in Cranford, NJ. The program is free and open to the public. No registration is required, but seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. This presentation is sponsored by the Hanson Park Conservancy. To learn more please visit our website, www.hansonparkconservancy.com or like us on Facebook.

This history program is made possible in part by a 2019 HEART (History,Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.