Yellow Root

[Peanut]

Xanthorhiza simplicissima – It grows in the Appalachia. Its plentiful from West Virginia/Virginia south to Alabama. The USDA says it grows in a few places in NY and Maine.

It has a well-known cousin called Golden Seal (Hydrastis canadensis). The southern yellow root if far gentler as a medicine than Golden Seal. Both are in a group of medicinal plants referred to as the “Berberines”. Barberry in the genus “Berberis” is another member of that group as well as the common landscaping shrub Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium). All 4 plants contain “Berberine”.

The words of Tommie Bass… “Why partner, if I had to pick just one herb in the word good for the ulcers, it would be the yellow root. It’s the most wonderful thing in the world for stomach ulcers, ulcers in the mouth, and even those hernias you get in the chest. There just isn’t anything that it isn’t good for.”

Yellow root was the corner stone of Tommie’s medicines. He used it to treat “a wide range of ailments such as liver disorders, blood pressure problems, diabetes and, of course, stomach ulcers. There were very few ailments for which yellow root was not the cure and at the very least it was an important ingredient in a variety of other tonics.”

A close second to yellow root is the inner bark of the american persimmon tree (Diospyros virginiana). Not many folks know about all the uses for persimmon bark.

I harvest yellow root in late summer/early fall. I don’t harvest the whole plant, no point, that kills the plant. I cut it off about an inch above the ground and it will put back up the next spring.

I took these pics today. Yellow root is already blooming, a bit early I think.

 

[Peanut]

Here is a collection of yellowroot photos I’ve taken over the last few years and even today. They are from early spring to late fall. It should give everyone a good grasp of what the plant looks like during its yearly growth cycle.

In the 4th pic (2nd one on the tailgate) I scraped the bark on the stems for a reason… You can see the yellow inner bark clearly, an indicator of its identity. Most of the leaves in pic 2 are yellowroot but a few aren't and not the white blooms. See the first post in this thread to see yellowroot blooms.

Last is yellowroot tea I made. These days I make tincture (I will post photos next time I make some). The year I first used yellowroot I needed it quickly, didn’t have a month to wait on a tincture. So I made tea the same day I harvested it.

My first mistake was not adding honey to the tea. The tea is extremely astringent, meaning so bitter it curled my nose hair, just joking but not about how bitter it is.

I make tea in a 2 quart pot… water and a full measuring cup of chopped yellowroot, stems, and leaves (I toss out dead leaves). I bring it to a boil then let it simmer slowly about 20 to 25 minutes. As soon as I bring it off the stove and the tea is still hot I add 2 to 4 tablespoons of honey, 2 is usually enough for me but I'm used to it… (honey to taste for you).

I drink a big cup as soon as it’s cool enough and put the rest in the fridge. I have a cup a day until it’s gone… It’s really good for upper GI issues.

Yellowroot will kill “H. pylori” which many in modern medicine say causes stomach ulcers…

Yellowroot is actually much more complicated than that. It’s good for the whole GI tract, clears up many issues. It’s also excellent on upper respiratory problems, bronchitis, sinus infections, colds & flu. Its excellent of skin issues like boils, fantastic for gum blisters and ulcers.

It's actually one of the most versatile medicinal plants in North America. The list of things it can help with seems endless.

The books I posted here cover all of it…

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/herbal-medicine-books-peanut-recommends.6745/

*Caution - it can cause uterine constrictions* It's not recommended for pregnant ladies.

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

Another interesting property of yellowroot is the berberine content, which has been shown to be a valuable adjunct therapy to antibiotics in the treatment of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus). Yellowroot has considerably more berberine than goldenseal and unlike goldenseal, it contains no hydrastine which is good news for those who are on high blood pressure meds. (Hydrastine is vasoconstrictive and may interfere with antihypertensive drugs).


By the way, berberine in yellowroot and goldenseal will inhibit the anticoagulant effects of heparin and possibly other similar drugs that prevent blood clotting. So if you are on "blood thinner" meds you may want to go easy on these herbs.

 

[phideaux]

Can you give us a close up picture of yellow root?
I may have some on the farm.

Jim

 

[phideaux]

Never mind, the pics just now loaded.


Jim

 

[Peanut]

Here are a few pics of harvesting yellowroot and one of processed yellowroot ready for tincture. I use what ever tool processes plant material the best. In this case kitchen meat sheers was fine for leaves and small branches as well as cutting the stems while harvesting. A pair of dikes or side cutters is perfect for cutting the tougher stems into small pieces. Dikes come in different sizes. I've used bolt cutters on big tough roots like poke sallet. Note * the box cutters are there for size reference only.

The amount of processed yellowroot was 12.2 ounces, just over 1 and a half pints. The books I've posted in the library are written by experts in this field. They have written in great detail the many and various ways to make tinctures. I highly recommend purchasing one or several of the books if you wish to learn to make your own tinctures.

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

Question: can I tincture yellowroot from dried material, or does it have to be fresh?

 

[Peanut]

I've made tincture and tea this late in the year... can still taste the medicine in the browning leaves. If they get much dryer the flavor is gone. That said the stem stays viable through the winter.

I can't answer your question directly because I've never made tincture or tea from completely dried stem and leaf.

But I know who to ask!

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

Yes, please do ask. If possible, I would like to be able to harvest the green material and carefully dry it for tincturing later. (I didn't mean dried on the plant, but to harvest it green, then dry it.)

 

[Peanut]

@Grizzleyette___Adams Gotcha! I need to give Darryl a call anyway. I feel so much better than I have in 2 or 3 years... I want to do some mushroom hunting with darryl this winter. I never studied mushrooms though I take loins mane tincture almost daily...

Mushroom season is at the door!

 

[Peanut]

@Grizzleyette___Adams Talked to Darryl today... caught him trying to fix leaky chimney flashing in a rain storm... Too funny... Maybe my pointing out that the leak would stop when the rain did was over the top...

He said because of the drought mushroom hunting will be later this year like everything else this fall... Probably January.

Oh... treat dried yellowroot just like any dry plant/root tincture is fine, no difference.

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

@Peanut, that's good to know about the yellowroot, thanks. I just found it odd that such a useful plant is not more widely available for sale, dried (or in any form)! I really, really want to grow this on my property. There is a spot that I think it will be very happy to live in. Moist rich soil, too.

LOL @ your funny observations about leaky flashings.

Mushrooms...I love a good fresh flush of Oyster mushrooms! One of my favorites.

 

[Peanut]

@Peanut, that's good to know about the yellowroot, thanks. I just found it odd that such a useful plant is not more widely available for sale, dried (or in any form)! I really, really want to grow this on my property. There is a spot that I think it will be very happy to live in. Moist rich soil, too.

Another yellowroot with berberine, Golden Seal aka Hydrastis canadensis, has been hunted to the point of extinction in the wild. It's only grown commercially now, mostly by the Chinese.

For the most part folks in Appalachia carefully guard the locations of Xanthorhiza simplicissima. I cleaned any gps or other info from any photo I've posted of it. We don't want to see what happened to it what happened to the other yellowroot. I've never seen it for sale and don't expect to. There are actually only a few people who really understand how different it is from the other berberines and how best to use it. So the market is actually tiny and they have their own personal sources.

It's really easy to transplant, a very hardy plant. A neighbor was with me several years ago. He just ripped a plant out of the ground and stuck it in a pot on his porch. Now he has a porch full! No fuss, no muss!

The trick is the atmosphere/humidity and temperature range. Dry climates like the Rockies or other places out west... I don't see it growing naturally.

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

Although my thumb is pretty green, and I would baby my lil' yaller roots if needed, I am SO glad to learn that it is not fussy to transplant.

I daresay that by the time I croak, my property will be like a botanical museum for all the transplants that I've brought in and naturalized here over the past two decades.

 

[joel]

Peanut, do you know this nursery?
https://www.mailordernatives.com/xanthorhiza-simplissima-yellowroot/

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

Peanut, do you know this nursery?
https://www.mailordernatives.com/xanthorhiza-simplissima-yellowroot/

Nice find! I am heartbroken, though....they are out of stock on nearly everything that I would like to have!

 

[Peanut]

Never heard of them. I went through several pages of listings. There were a few things I'd be interested in, like Black Haw. They were out of stock of almost everything.

 

[Peanut]

For several years I searched for yellow root in my area. I only found a few pitiful little plants. Not enough to keep tincture on hand, but enough to use if I had great need. I was able to purchase tincture a friend had made so I kept some in the house.

One day I’d stopped to visit with an elderly neighbor who’d had health issues. He’d heard I was working with plant medicines and told me a story. His said dad used to harvest a plant called “yalleroot”. He definitely had my attention! Sadly, his dad never told anyone where the yellow root was located. Just the general area, maybe 25sq miles.

I took me 2 years to find the location and then it was by accident! I was driving on an old gravel road and stopped to take photos of a plant (Maryland black snake root). I pulled off the road and parked in a lane to a farmers field.

When I got out of the truck I realized I was standing in a patch of yellowroot. 1000’s of plants beside a particular creek

Fast forward to this spring… I got a call from a lady I’ve known since childhood. She was the daughter of my elderly neighbor. She told me she badly needed some yellowroot. Told me her grandfather harvested it for her when she was little. It was the only thing that helped her chronic issues. She’d heard I might know where to find some.

Dilemma… wildcrafters keep the locations of hard to find plants a secret. I do it all the time. Yet I wouldn’t have known about this yellow root but for the information her dad gave me about her grandfather. And she needed some... That’s always my number one priority. If someone needs a plant I get it for them and I never charge people for plants. Medicine is for everyone and it grows wild. Money is not why I do this.

We set up a day for her to come to my house. I took her to the creek her grandpa found. It was a joy to see her so excited, going to the place her grandpa got medicine for her 50yrs ago. Through the woods it’s only a couple miles from where her grandpa lived.

We harvested a couple plants despite the land being posted now. Then I took her to a much better place to harvest farther down the same creek. The water was too high so we couldn’t get as much as she needed.

As it happened a week before I’d found another great place to harvest. I’ve heard of yellowroot getting 3ft tall but I’d never seen it, still haven’t. I’d only seen it about 15”-20” tall. This new spot had plants 30” tall, biggest I’ve seen!

We took our harvest to my house and I showed her how to make tincture. Now she has all the yellowroot she’ll ever need and can make medicine on her own when she wants.

Random shots they took of me harvesting...

Big yellowroot 30" tall.

They were so excited about making tincture they didn't even wait for me to clean off the table!

 

[Magus]

I think I just discovered a new use for that herb grinder I got at the smoke shop!

 

[Peanut]

Today yellowroot was leafing out nicely... It's blooms are just developing. They sort of looked like the freeze the other night burned them slightly.

Below, yellowroot growing beside an elderberry sprout.

 

[Peanut]

What a difference a winter makes... First, a great patch of yellowroot i harvested heavily in '22. It was recovering nicely last year. Then today... the same patch from the other bank. It's gone!

The whole patch vanished. Sometime this winter the creek bank collapsed and got blown down stream.

This sort of thing happens quite often. 2 is one, 1 is none. I try to have as many locations as possible for the herbs i use often. Never know when a patch of some herb will be destroyed by a farmer, logging or nature itself.

 

[Patchouli]

@Peanut Honestly think I've seen a plant like that around here, don't recall where...but would think this area of Texas is too dry for such a plant.

 

[Peanut]

@Peanut Honestly think I've seen a plant like that around here, don't recall where...but would think this area of Texas is too dry for such a plant.

It grows by flowing streams, rarely more than 25ft from the water. Likes well drained soils on creek banks. Flowing is key, likes the humidity thrown up by the water. It won't grow in muddy/boggy ground or by standing water. Won't grow in full sunlight either, likes lots of shade, preferably old hardwood timber. Doesn't like activity by man, grows slowly and is easily disturbed. It grows best in places that don't see humans but once or twice a year, and then some hunter or hiker might wander thru. Got a place like that?

 

[Patchouli]

No, @Peanut but I wish I had some yellow root to use in my herbal medicinal toolbox.