Yellowroot
StarXanthorhiza simplicissima
Synonyms: Zanthorhiza apiifolia, Zanthorhiza apiifolia var. ternata, Actaea xanthorhiza, Xanthorhiza tinctoria
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
The bright yellow, berberine-rich roots and stems of yellowroot were widely used in Native American and Appalachian medicine. The Cherokee employed it for a wide range of complaints, including stomach and digestive trouble, liver ailments, colds, sore throat and mouth, sore eyes, hemorrhoids, nerves and as a general tonic, and the Catawba likewise used it as a medicine (Hamel & Chiltoskey, 1975; Speck, 1937). It was also valued as a source of yellow dye. The bitter root entered Appalachian and Eclectic herbal practice as a bitter tonic and remedy for the stomach and mucous membranes, the macerated root being a recognised domestic medicine of the southern mountains (King's American Dispensatory).
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Botanical Description
Xanthorhiza simplicissima, commonly called yellowroot, is a low, colony-forming deciduous shrub of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), the only species in its genus. It grows 0.3 to 0.9 metres tall from spreading underground stems, with slender, upright woody stems that are bright yellow inside, the inner bark and roots being intensely yellow from the alkaloid berberine. The leaves are clustered near the stem tips and are pinnately compound with toothed, lobed leaflets, turning yellow to bronze in autumn. In early spring, before or as the leaves expand, the plant produces drooping, branched racemes of small, star-shaped, brownish-purple flowers, followed by tiny yellowish follicles. Native to the eastern United States, yellowroot ranges through the Appalachian region and adjacent Coastal Plain from New York and Pennsylvania south to Florida and west to Texas, forming dense patches along shaded streambanks, on moist wooded slopes and in ravines, where it stabilises the soil.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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