Birthwort
Parts Usually Used
Rootstock, flowers
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Birthwort is a perennial plant; the erect, yellow-green, somewhat sinuous stem grows 1-3 feet tall from a long, thin rootstock. The dark green leaves are kidney-shaped and short-petioled. The flowers occur in axillary clusters and feature a yellowish-green, curved, tubular calyx. Flowering time is May to June. Other varieties: Virginia snakeroot (A. serpentaria), Dutchman’s-pipe (A.
tomentosa).
Where Found
Found growing in fence rows, tickets, field edges, and vineyards.
Medicinal Properties
Diaphoretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, oxytocic, stimulant
Uses
Ancient Egyptians utilized birthwort as a treatment for snakebites. In traditional herbalism, it was employed to address indigestion, dysmenorrhea, and menstrual difficulties. Practitioners also applied decoctions of the plant externally to wounds, sores, and leg ulcers.
Warning
Birthwort contains a substance that acts similar to poisonous alkaloid colchicine. Use with care, preferably with medical supervision. Do not take during pregnancy, only during labor at childbirth. Use only under medical supervision.
Bibliography
Culpeper’s Complete Herbal & English Physician: Updated With 117 Modern Herbs , by Nicholas Culpeper, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1990, (reprint of 1814) Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY.
copyright 1974. Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973. Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974