Eco Mural 15 ~ Wild Medicine: Mugwort, Mullein, & Mallow

The Wild Medicine: Mugwort, Mullein, and Mallow Eco Mural is #15 of the eco mural series and centers on local flora that provides medicinal benefits and sustenance. We are fortunate enough in Philadelphia to have a great variety of edible and medicinal plants and fungi. In addition, our neighborhoods provide a landscape for foraging natural treasures like the many fruit trees, nuts and berries, and wild plants – many mistaken as “useless weeds.”

Artist Kala Hagopian describes the work (taken from hagopianarts.com):

Nestled between tree roots, sprouting along riverbanks, and dotting wide open fields, a careful eye will find precious gifts of nature—wild medicine. Philadelphia is gifted with a great variety of edible and medicinal plants and fungi. Our neighborhoods provide a landscape for foraging natural treasures like fruit trees, nuts and berries, and wild plants—often mistaken for “useless weeds.” For centuries, local flora has provided medical benefits and sustenance that soothe maladies from ear infections to high blood pressure, and boost wellness by aiding sleep, relaxing muscles, and more.

In celebration of these useful natural tools, Hagopian Arts created Wild Medicine: Mugwort, Mullein, and Mallow as no. 15 of the eco mural series. Hagopian Arts Lead Artist Kala Hagopian honors and re-imagines the Armenian knot pattern, a nod to her heritage, by combining local medicinal plants and sacred geometric patterns. A symbol of interconnectedness that draws on the bond between our natural environment and the community, the Armenian knot’s ancient geometry has been adapted to embellish and strengthen goods from fishing nets to decorative rugs. Just as the imagery in the Mugwort, Mullein, and Mallow mural reflects the biodiversity and beauty of West Philadelphia, the richness is also mirrored in the diversity of our community. The hope of the project is to reconnect residents and passersby with local ecology and inspire the community to engage with plant life in a new and beneficial way.

Wild Medicine: Community Education and Engagement

For this mural project, Hagopian Arts extended its outreach into local elementary schools and community-based organizations to introduce ecological awareness to youth ages 3-18 within traditional and nontraditional learning settings. Hagopian Arts provided community partners with 20 coloring illustrations that depict the local flora represented in the Wild Medicine mural. Community partners led students through a lesson plan and coloring activity to promote understanding of the basic characteristics of local flora, safe foraging practices, and the various medicinal benefits to support health and wellbeing. Hagopian Arts created a foraging guide for community members with a selection of coloring pages from our youth participants. The foraging guide was disseminated during the mural unveiling to support the residents’ connection to wild plants within the ecosystem and empower safe consumption in their daily lifestyles.

Hagopian Arts partnered with local herbalist Melaney Gilchrist to host an interactive workshop during the mural unveiling. She engaged community members and expounded the content from the foraging guide to enhance understanding of the medicinal benefits of local flora. Focusing on two local plants, peppermint and mullein, she highlighted internal uses like a refreshing tea and herbal medicine. Gilchrist guided participants in hands-on medicine making or herbal preparations and connected community members with additional resources for continuous learning. Audiences learned how these plants can be used as safe and natural solutions for everyday uses. Overall, Gilchrist provided a safe space for community dialogue and peer-to-peer learning.