Herb library · Herb · Collinsonia canadensis
Stone root
A lemon-scented woodland mint of eastern North America with a rock-hard root. It was a household remedy and an Eclectic physicians' medicine in the 1800s; it has not been studied in people.
Traditional use
Grows in damp woods from Canada to Florida. King's American Dispensatory (1898) calls it a long-standing popular domestic remedy: the bruised leaves were put on burns, bruises, sores and sprains as a poultice, and the root was used for piles, urinary complaints and stomach and bowel troubles. Eclectic physicians used the fresh root, especially for hoarseness and sore throat. The name comes from how hard the root is.
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
Piles, urinary complaints and sore throat: no study of stone root in people was found. Its published research is limited to chemistry and lab work on cells.
Be careful of
Cautions
- NoteThere is no modern safety information for stone root. King's American Dispensatory noted that small doses of the fresh green plant cause vomiting.
- 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.
“It has long been a popular domestic remedy for various disorders. The bruised leaves were applied as a poultice in burns, bruises, wounds, ulcers, sores, sprains, contusions, and for internal abdominal ailments.”
Sources
- A novel 2-hydroxyflavanone from Collinsonia canadensis (J Nat Prod, 1999) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.