Pipsissewa

Western Bulk Herbs – Pipsissewa

Pipsissewa is primarily used to treat urinary problems but can be used to remove waste from the body. It can also help with gout and rheumatism. The fresh leaves applied to rheumatic joints will ease their pain. Pipsissewa is used to flush out infections and as an astringent to heal the skin and prevent infections.

Latin Name:
Chimaphila umbellata

Common Names:
Prince’s pine, Ground Holly, Bitter Wintergreen, Ground Ivy, Rheumatism Weed, Striped Prince’s Pine, Dragon’s Tongue, and Spotted Wintergreen.

Parts Used:
Dried leaf

Properties:
Astringent, tonic, and diuretic

Traditional Uses:
Teas and tinctures.

Topical Uses / Applications:

Culinary Uses:
Not used in cooking.

Chemical Properties:
Arbutin, chimaphilin, resins, oil.

Folk Lore:
Pipsissewa was often used by Native American people as a treatment for fevers and typhus. Later, Pipsissewa was used to treat urinary system problems and rheumatism by the European settlers.

Cautions:
GRAS: Generally Recognized as Safe. This herb can be safely consumed when used appropriately.

*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Resources:
PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2000. Medical Economics Company, Montvale, New Jersey.

The New Holistic Herbal. David Hoffmann, 1990. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.

A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Grieve, (Dover Publications, New York, 1971)

Major Herbs of Ayurvedic.Compiled by Dahur Research Foundation and Dahur Ayurvet Limited, Ghaziabad, India., 2002. Churchill Livingstone, London, England.

Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition, Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, 1986. Eastland Press, Seattle, WA.