Botanical Name: Caulophyllus thalictroides | Family: Berberidaceae

Common name(s): Blue Cohosh, Squawroot, Papoose Root

GROWING

• Perennial; herbaceous | Zone 3-8 | 1-3 feet tall | Leaves dark purple when they emerge then they turn green. Greenish-brown or yellow-brown flowers mid to late spring, turn into waxy yellow flowers that hang below the foliage.
• Partial to full shade| Moist, hummus-rich, acidic soil | Grows in woods

HARVESTING

Harvest the root/rhizome in Autumn

PREPARATION / DOSAGE

Decoction: Put 1 tsp of the dried root into 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drink 3x/day.

Tincture: 1-2ml 3x/day

MEDICAL

Constituents: Alkaloids, glycosides, gum, minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, silicon, phosphorus), salts, starch, steroidal saponins, resin

Actions: Anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, anthelmintic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, uterine tonic

Uses: Menstrual irregularities (including cramping), genito-urinary disorders, worms, colic, easing childbirth

Cautions: Do not take during the first two trimesters of pregnancy

CHINESE MEDICINE

Acrid, bitter, warm, mildly toxic

SOURCES 

• The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra
• Holistic Herbal, David Hoffmann
• Indian Herbology of North America
• Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Andrew Chevallier
• Fine Gardening
• photo credit:  Kerry Woods via Flickr cc (flowering) and by carol (carol) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 1.0], via Wikimedia Commons (leafy plant)

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This herb may be growing down by my stream. I’ll be looking for it!