Hieroglyphics of the Angels

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Hieroglyphics of the Angels

Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)

“Flowers have spoken to me

More than I can tell in written words,

They are the hieroglyphics of angels…”

Lydia M. Child

Color: Greenish white

Height: Up to 2 feet

Blooms: May- July

Habitat: Dry, open woods

Properties: Aromatic

Native

To encounter this plant in the woods is a delight! Its three, usually greenish-white flower clusters nod gracefully below a long, umbrella-like leaf, which is divided into three parts. Each leaf part is then divided into 3-5 finely toothed leaflets. The leaflets are a pale, yellow-green on top, and whitish-green below.

The three umbels are made up of tiny (1/4 inch wide) individual flowers, which consist of five white, folded back petals, and five green stamens. The flowers mature into black, or dark purple berries. The flowers and leaves are on separate stalks, but they actually are from the same stem, which branches close to the ground. The leaves are divided into 3-5 leaflets, 8-15 inches long. Sometimes there are as many as seven branches, with flower clusters on each stem, but most often, the flower stems and clusters appear in threes.

The plant has long, fibrous and fleshy roots that have been traditionally used as a substitute for genuine sarsaparilla (tropical Smilax) to make beverages.

The name sarsaparilla comes from the Spanish: zara, meaning “shrub”, and parilla, meaning, “little vine”.

Folk History

During the 1800s the roots of this plant were widely used as a blood purifier, and as a general tonic. In addition, it was also used as a poultice for sores, boils, burns, and itching.

An account written in 1785 by Rev. Manasseh Cutler, in a book about plants and their uses, describes Native Americans subsisting on the roots of this plant when on long hunting expeditions.

The Cherokee, Shawnee, and Menominee tribes all used the plant medicinally; it was used as a tea for back pain, for gas and flatulence, and for coughs and asthma, respectively. The Menominee tribe also used it as a remedy for blood poisoning.

Current Use

Many of its current uses were inspired by the wisdom passed on to early settlers by Native Americans, and almost all of its original uses are still employed today. The plant is a diaphoretic, which means that it encourages sweating, thereby being useful in treating fever. It is also detoxifying, and is used as a general tonic. It is an effective treatment for asthma, and coughs. In addition, it is typically used to treat rheumatism. Also, the plant’s historical use as a treatment for problems with the skin, such as eczema, continues today.
Caution: Do not take if pregnant.