Uses for Yellow Root

Geography

• Yellow root is native to the eastern seaboard states but grows in Texas, Louisiana and all states east of the Mississippi River except Vermont and New Hampshire. It is considered an endangered species in Florida.

Identification

• Yellow root grows mainly near creek beds and in shady spaces. Plants are 1 1/2 to 3 feet tall with glossy, green, feather-like leaves. The wildflowers bloom during midspring in clusters of purplish-brown starlets. As the name suggests, the roots are bright yellow as are the creeping stems.

Benefits

• Teas, salves and powders made from dried stems and roots are used to relieve ailments, including cold and flu symptoms, mouth sores and denture pain, dry skin, eczema and chapped lips, cuts and abrasions, indigestion, and the miseries of PMS and menopause. This medicinal herb is also said to aid in the treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Misconceptions

• Yellow root has been mistaken to be the same plant as goldenseal. Both are falsely rumored to produce negative drug test results.

Warnings

• When taken orally, the root can cause premature delivery in pregnant women, interfere with blood clotting medications and can quicken the heartbeat.