Black Snakeroot
Actaea racemosa var. racemosa
Names : Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Rattleroot, Rattleweed, Squawroot.
Habitat : USA and Canada.
Collection : The roots are unearthed with the rhizome in autumn after the fruits have ripened. They should be cut lengthwise and dried carefully.
Part Used : Root and rhizome; dried, not fresh.
Modern herbalists also recommend Black Cohosh as a cough suppressant and expectorant, a diaphoretic for eliminating toxins, and consider it to be an excellent treatment for lowering high blood pressure.
Black Cohosh has an extensive history of safe use by Native Americans who revered it as a remedy for a host of common ailments. Native Americans employed Black Cohosh as an effective treatment for fatigue, neuralgia, rheumatism, sore throat, asthma, bronchial spasms, bronchitis, and whooping cough. Mixed with chamomile, ginger and raspberry leaf, Black Cohosh has been used for centuries by women to stimulate menstrual flow, ease the strains of childbirth, and confer relief from the symptoms of menopause.