Select Page

Spotlight on the NUHS Botanical Garden

by May 19, 2016

Home » News » Spotlight on the NUHS Botanical Garden

The 35-acre Illinois campus of National University is home to a wide variety of trees, flowers, and native plants. It also is home to the NUHS Botanical Garden, which is a project of the Naturopathic Medical Student Association.  The garden started with nuhs botanical garden20 plants and today is double its original size, boasting over 60 different botanicals.

The garden is maintained by National University’s naturopathic medicine students under the guidance of naturopathic medicine faculty member Dr. Lorinda Sorensen. Each plant nurtured in the garden has a valuable application in botanical medicine.

“The garden is a tool to enhance learning about botanicals,” explains Dr. Sorensen. “Students have many different ways of learning. The plants provide visual and even olfactory learning, as many of the plants are very aromatic. While most of my classes involve photographs of medicinal plants, in summer and fall we can visit the garden to see, smell and touch the actual plants.”

nd students working in botanical gardenIn extra-curricular sessions, students often use the garden plants to make herbal medicines and tinctures for their own personal use.  “It’s not only the medicines that are healing,” explains Dr. Sorensen. “Research shows that exposure to green space and nature is very important to our well-being.”

The garden has some unique specimens, including an Ashwagandha plant that overwinters at Dr. Sorensen’s house.  The garden also has a Dragon Fruit plant given as a gift from a University of Illinois greenhouse, which resides in the clinic during the winter and in the garden during the summer months.  While the fruit is delicious, it is the leaves of the dragon fruit that have medicinal qualities.

The NUHS Botanical Garden even has its own Facebook page, where Dr. Sorensen and students plan garden work parties or post photos of favorite medicinal herbs.

The botanical garden is part of a campus culture that supports the full traditional education in naturopathic medicine

Follow NUHS on Social Media

About the Author

Elizabeth Toth

Elizabeth Toth

Elizabeth Toth is Communications Coordinator at National University of Health Sciences. She helps promote the university via marketing and public relations efforts. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Arts in journalism and communications from Northern Illinois University.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

NMSA hosts guided nature walk during Naturopathic Medicine Week

NMSA hosts guided nature walk during Naturopathic Medicine Week

In celebration of Naturopathic Medicine Week from May 14-20, the NUHS chapter of the Naturopathic Medical Student Association hosted a guided nature walk around the Lombard Prairie Path near campus. The student club discussed local medicinal plants that can be found on the trail. 

read more
NUHS alum to join Michigan Board of Acupuncture

NUHS alum to join Michigan Board of Acupuncture

NUHS alumnus Brian Emrys, DC, LAc, MSOM, ‘21, was recently appointed to the Michigan Board of Acupuncture. The board, which includes seven acupuncturists, three physicians, and three public members, oversees the practice of licensed acupuncturists in the state.

read more

Defining the future of integrated health care.