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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.
Caution: Do not take if pregnant.
