The Medicinal Uses of Sagebrush

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.


As we study medicinal plants, we (or maybe it's just I) find ourselves with a case of "the grass is always greener" envy, that whatever sounds like a really great herb to have doesn't grow well or at all in our area.  I kept wishing I had sweet annie growing here, bought some seeds and made a probably feeble attempt at germinating them.  And failed.  But other plants did well, so I focused on those.

Now that temperatures have dropped and we're in the midst of a Grand Solar Minimum, I'm spending more time indoors and researching and writing.  I'd read a few blurbs about the medicinal uses of sagebrush and it being in the same family as sweet annie, but not much in any detail.  Because, you know, I was bummed that I couldn't grow what I perceived to be the strongest herb in that family.

Come to find out, I had it all wrong.

I'm so happy!

Sagebrush, Artemesia tridentata, grows all over the Intermountain West.  And it's stronger than the best of the mugworts, which are closely related but grow in moister climates.  (It's even better than sweet annie.)  I've got it all over the property here.  Sagebrush is reportedly more effective than eucalyptus in treating some upper respiratory infections.  Score!

Unfortunately, it's not quite time to harvest it just yet. For medicinal purposes, sagebrush is harvested in the spring, before flowering.  Simply remove the last 8-10" of new growth from the branch ends and then dry them. 

Tincture:  Tincture the fresh leaves in a 1:2 ratio of leaves in 60% alcohol (120-proof).  Tincture the dried leaves in a 1:5 ratio in 60 percent alcohol (i.e., one ounce dried root by weight to five ounces of 120-proof alcohol).   Let macerate two weeks, remove the spent herbs, and pour into a dark glass bottle.  Use 30-90 drops, up to 4 times per day, for the following conditions:

• breaking a stubborn fever;
• food and water-borne illnesses, such as from Salmonella and Escherichia coli;
• diarrhea;
• pinworms and roundworms.

Liniment:  Prepare a liniment the same as for making a tincture, but substitute 50% or 70% rubbing alcohol (or an equal amount of both) for the drinking alcohol.  This is for topical use only.  Use as needed for rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.


Infusion:

• 1/2 teaspoon in 4 ounces hot water, steep 10 minutes, 1-2 times each day.  Use this for:
• breaking a stubborn fever;
• pneumonia and tuberculosis;[1]
• food and water-borne illnesses, such as from Salmonella and Escherichia coli;
• diarrhea;
• pinworms and roundworms. 
• 1/2 teaspoon in 4 ounces of cool water, 1-2 times each day.  Use this for:
• eliminating water from the body, as a diuretic;
• bloating (15 minutes before meals);
• indigestion (15 minutes before meals);
• stimulating the liver.

Steam inhalation:  Two to three times per day.  Use for:

• bronchitis;
• strep throat;
• sinusitis;
• thick lung mucus that is difficult to expectorate.

Poultice:  Prepare a warm poultice as above, 1/2 teaspoon sagebrush in 4 ounces of hot water and let steep 10 minutes.  Use for:

• Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and fungal infections;
• ringworm and athlete's foot;
• bruises and sprains;
• rheumatoid and osteoarthritis;
• old sports injuries;
• menstrual, intestinal, and stomach cramps.

Contraindications:  Do not use if pregnant or nursing.  Discontinue use if nausea, dizziness, or headache occurs. 

Cautions:  Sagebrush should only be used for one to two weeks at a time before taking a break.

For further reading:
Charles W Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States, pp 258-260.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3816656/
http://www.ethnoherbalist.com/southern-california-native-plants-medicinal/california-sagebrush-artimesia-uses/
https://medivetus.com/botanic/artemisia-tridentata-sagebrush-medicinal-uses/
http://www.herballegacy.com/Bergeson_Medicinal.html
[1]  https://arboretum.ucsc.edu/pdfs/ethnobotany-webversion.pdf

 1.13.20