Plant Family: Asteraceae (Aster)
Botanical Name: Eupatorium perfoliatum
Also called: Common Boneset
Duration: Perennial
Blooms: July – September
Location: MacNider Entrance (2005 – present)
Medicinal Uses: This plant is currently used in herbal medicine to treat fevers and colds. There is also evidence of anti-inflammatory properties as well as effects against the parasite that causes malaria. Other uses include assistance with constipation, fluid retention, muscle aches, inflammation, and stimulation of the immune system.
Folklore/History: Used by Indians to break fevers by inducing an intense sweat. This was also often used as protection to ward off illnesses and as a ritual cleansing body scrub. People believed in using it to ward of curses, hexes, and jinxes, as well as in exorcisms.
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