- Region
- North America
- Origin
- Forests of the southern Appalachians, from Virginia and Kentucky to northern Georgia, with scattered sites as far as Massachusetts
- Traditions
- Cherokee medicine
North America · Herb · № 1000
Galax urceolata
Herb · North America
Galax
Galax urceolata
A low evergreen herb of the Diapensia family with glossy, round, toothed leaves that turn bronze to wine red in winter, and in spring a slender spike of tiny white flowers. Plants in flower smell sharp, almost like a skunk. Its effect has not been studied.
Safety notes
Effect and safety are unknown. Kidney complaints need a doctor. Do not pick the plant in the wild; picking is forbidden in the national parks. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.
Cautions by tradition (1)
- Cherokee (Tsalagi) medicine: Effect and safety unknown; do not pick it in the wild.
Preparation
Traditionally a tea of the root.
Use in traditions
According to Hamel and Chiltoskey the Cherokee drank an infusion of the root for the kidneys and an infusion for the nerves. The glossy leaves have been picked in the mountains for florists for more than a century, and in towns such as Galax in Virginia it was long a livelihood. So much was picked that the forest service introduced permits.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Cherokee (Tsalagi) medicine
Attributed effects
For the kidneys and for the nerves.
Preparation and amount
Traditionally a tea of the root.
Caution: Effect and safety unknown; do not pick it in the wild.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Tea (infusion)