PLEURISY ROOT

Latin Name: Asclepias tuberosa

Alternate Names: Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Milkweed, Immortal, Canada Root, Wind Root, Swallow Wort

Family: ASCLEPIADACEAE

Parts Used: Root.

Properties: Anodyne, Antispasmodic, Bronchial Dilator, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Expectorant, Febrifuge, Sudorific.

Internal Uses: Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Emphysema, Fever, Flu, Indigestion, Measles, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, Typhoid

Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules.

Named after its ability to help reduce the pain and inflammation of the disease pleurisy. It also helps improve lymphatic drainage and relaxes the capillaries. Pleurisy Root is a relaxing diaphoretic that works gradually.

Topical Uses: Wounds

Topical Applications: Poultice on wounds.

Culinary uses: Young shoots, immature seed pods and roots can be cooked as a vegetable. 

Energetics: Bitter, Cool.

Chemical Constituents: Glycosides (asclepiadin), bitters (asclepione), resin, sterol (phytoestrogen), cardenolides, flavonoids (kaempferol, quercitin, rutin).

Contraindications: Do not use during pregnancy. Use only dried root. Large doses or uncooked plant may cause vomiting and diarrhea. A large dose may be emetic and cathartic. Do not use if one has a heart condition.

Comments: The beautiful orange flowers have been made into a yellow dye. Bowstrings were once made from the stalks by some tribal people. Monarch butterflies feed upon this plant, which causes birds that eat the butterflies to vomit afterwards, thus discouraging birds from eating the butterflies. This herb has been listed by United Plant Savers as an 'at risk' plant, so please avoid buying products harvested from the wild. Only use the cultivated herb.