Rabbit tobacco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rabbit tobacco
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Pseudognaphalium
Species:	P. obtusifolium
Binomial name
Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium (L.) Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
Synonyms
Gnaphalium obtusifolium L.

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, also known as Rabbit Tobacco, is a fascinating plant found across Eastern North America. You might also hear it called old field balsam or sweet everlasting. It belongs to the Asteraceae family, which includes many well-known flowers like daisies and sunflowers. If you gently crush its leaves, you'll notice a unique smell, often described as smelling like maple syrup! This plant usually grows in open, dry, and sandy areas.

What Does Rabbit Tobacco Look Like?

Rabbit Tobacco is a plant that lives for two years, meaning it's a biennial herb. It can grow quite tall, sometimes reaching up to one meter (about 3 feet).

First Year Growth

In its first year, the plant stays close to the ground. It forms a tight cluster of leaves called a rosette. These leaves are covered in soft, woolly hairs, making them feel fuzzy to the touch.

Second Year Growth and Life Cycle

During its second year, Rabbit Tobacco sends up a tall, straight stem. Along this stem, you'll find leaves that grow in an alternating pattern. At the top of the stem, you'll see clusters of small, yellow, peg-shaped flowers. These flowers produce tiny seeds. When the seeds are ready, the wind helps to spread them, allowing new plants to grow in other places.

How Native Americans Used Rabbit Tobacco

For hundreds of years, various Native American tribes have used Rabbit Tobacco in many different ways. They used it for traditional medicine and other cultural practices.

Alabama Tribe Uses

The Alabama tribe used Rabbit Tobacco to help with feeling nervous or sleepy. They made a special tea from the plant that they would drink. They also used a wash for their face to help with nervousness and trouble sleeping.

Cherokee Tribe Uses

The Cherokee people had many uses for this plant.

• They used it to help with muscle cramps, local pains, and twitching. They would rub a liquid made from the plant over scratches on the skin where the pain was.
• For rheumatism (joint pain), they mixed it with another plant called Carolina Vetch and took it internally.
• A tea made from the plant was used for colds.
• They also made a cough syrup from Rabbit Tobacco.
• The plant was used in a sweat bath to help treat different illnesses.
• For a clogged or sore throat, they would blow a warm liquid made from the plant down the throat.
• Chewing the plant helped with a sore mouth or sore throat.
• Sometimes, people would smoke the dried plant for asthma.

Choctaw Tribe Uses

The Choctaw tribe made a tea from the leaves and blossoms of Rabbit Tobacco. They drank this tea to help with lung pain and colds.

Creek Tribe Uses

The Creek people used Rabbit Tobacco in several interesting ways.

• They added the leaves to other medicines to give them a pleasant smell.
• A tea from the plant was used to treat vomiting.
• They used it as a throat wash for mumps.
• It was also used as a wash for people who felt restless or wanted to leave.
• For older people who had trouble sleeping, a tea made from the plant tops was used as a wash.
• They also inhaled steam from a tea made of the plant tops to help with colds.
• For mumps, they would put a soft, moist pack (called a poultice) of the plant's leaves on the throat.

Koasati Tribe Uses

The Koasati tribe used a tea made from the leaves of Rabbit Tobacco for fevers. They also used this tea to bathe people who had a fever.

Menominee Tribe Uses

The Menominee people used dried Rabbit Tobacco leaves in a special way.

• They would steam the dried leaves and inhale the vapor to help with headaches.
• They also used it to help with feelings of confusion or being unwell.
• The Menominee would burn the leaves (a practice called smudging) to clear spaces and help people who felt confused or had fainted. The smoke was sometimes blown into the nostrils of unconscious patients to revive them.

Montagnais Tribe Uses

The Montagnais tribe used a tea made from Rabbit Tobacco to help with coughing and tuberculosis.

Rappahannock Tribe Uses

The Rappahannock Tribe used Rabbit Tobacco in a few different ways.

• They drank a tea made from the roots to help with chills.
• For asthma, they would smoke a tea made from dried leaves or stems in a pipe.
• Sometimes, they would simply chew the leaves for enjoyment.