Herb library · Herb · Hydrangea arborescens
Hydrangea root
The root of the wild smooth hydrangea of the eastern United States, used by 19th-century American doctors to help pass small urinary stones. It has not been studied in people, and the modern lab research found is on other hydrangea species.
Traditional use
King's American Dispensatory credits Dr. S. W. Butler of Burlington, New Jersey, with introducing it to physicians for gravel (small urinary stones) and the pain of passing them; Eclectic doctors gave it as a syrup or a decoction of the root. The book also warns that overdoses caused dizziness and chest oppression.
What studies show
No studies in people of this herb on its own yet. What is known of it comes from the traditions that use it.
- Insufficient
Kidney and bladder stones: no studies in people were found, and no modern lab study of this species' root was found on PubMed either. Claims for it rest on 19th-century practice.
Be careful of
Cautions
- AmountOld texts report dizziness and a feeling of pressure in the chest from overdoses. There is no tested safe dose.
- ConditionKidney stones need a diagnosis. Fever with flank pain, blood in the urine or pain that will not settle needs urgent medical care.
- NoteHydrangeas contain hydrangenol, a skin allergen: nursery workers who handle hydrangea stems and leaves for long periods have developed chronic hand eczema. Whether the root of this species carries it was not established in the sources read. Stop using it on the skin if a rash appears.
- PregnancyNo safety information for pregnancy or breastfeeding was found in the sources used here.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“This plant was introduced to the profession by Dr. S. W. Butler, of Burlington, N. J., as a remedy for the removal of calculous or gravelly deposits in the bladder, and for relieving the excruciating pain attendant on the passing of a calculus through the ureter”
“If taken in overdoses it will produce some unpleasant symptoms, as dizziness of the head, oppression of the chest, etc.”
Sources
- Allergic contact dermatitis from hydrangea — is it so rare? (Contact Dermatitis, 2000) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.