Herb library · Herb · Chimaphila umbellata
Pipsissewa
A small evergreen of dry northern woods with glossy, toothed leaves, once official in the US Pharmacopeia as a urinary herb. It has not been studied on its own in people.
Traditional use
King's American Dispensatory (1898) records that Eclectic physicians gave the leaf infusion for bladder and kidney complaints, preferring it to uva ursi and buchu because it was easier on the stomach, and used it on skin sores; the fresh bruised leaves raise a blister on the skin.
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
Urinary and bladder complaints: no study of pipsissewa on its own in people was found. Its research is lab work on its compounds.
Be careful of
Cautions
- AllergyThe fresh leaves irritate and can blister the skin, and its main pigment, chimaphilin, has been shown to sensitize skin, with reports of dermatitis going back to 1887.
- ConditionUrinary pain, blood in the urine or fever needs a clinician, not a home remedy: these can be signs of infection or kidney disease.
- PregnancyNo safety information for pregnancy or breastfeeding was found; avoid it then.
- 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.
“In urinary disorders, it may be used as a substitute for uva ursi and buchu, to which it is preferable on account of being less obnoxious to the stomach.”
Sources
- The sensitizing capacity of chimaphilin, a naturally-occurring quinone (Contact Dermatitis, 1988) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Chimaphila umbellata; a biotechnological perspective on the coming-of-age prince's pine (2023) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.