The Medicinal Uses of Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)

Asteraceae family

My Christmas presents this past year included something of a rare herbal reference:  Medicinal Uses of Plants by Indian Tribes of Nevada, a 1957 reprint of a 1939 book by Percy Train, et al.  He was pretty proud of it and excited to give it to me; he found it among the free books and puzzles that locals drop off at the post office.  Of course, many of the books are trashy novels, but every once in a while, a true gem pops up. 

Only two of my other two dozen-plus references mentions rabbitbrush as being medicinal.  Other than the three months that we lived in an apartment following our return from the Midwest (and the Lake Tahoe condo in high school), every place I’ve ever lived in Nevada has had rabbitbrush.  It’s at least as common as dandelions and tumbleweeds. 

So I wanted to see what it was good for, medicinally.  Truth be told, it’s not a powerhouse.  It’s not something to go out foraging for.  But if you’ve got it around, may as well make use of it.  Unless you have influenza.  Then you might really want it.

Perusing the rabbitbrush pages in the afore-mentioned reference, I found that in treating the recent influenza (the 1918-1920 pandemic), rabbitbrush was recommended as an addition to Leptotaenia multifida in treating influenza.  What was this Leptotaenia multifida?!  I’d never heard of it.  Were it not for the internet, it likely would have taken a trip to a university to find out, and I might have gone nuts in the meantime.  Come to find out, Leptotaenia multifida is the old name for Lomatium dissectum, the herb local Indians employed in treating their people during the Spanish influenza pandemic.  And FYI, lomatium isn’t the only plant in this article that’s been renamed.  Rabbitbrush only recently received its new name; it was formerly known as Chrysothamnus nauseosus.

PREPARATIONS

Decoction.  Boil roots.

Infusion.  Steep the leaves in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Tea.  Boil roots and tops together.

Wash.  Use a leaf and stem tea topically.[1]

USAGE

• Dental
• Toothache
• Finely mashed leaves inserted into cavities[2] [3]
• Twig tea[4]
• Gastrointestinal
• Constipation
• Leaf tea[5]
• Dysentery
• 4 ounces tea[6]
• Root and plant top tea[7]
• Haemonchus contortus worms[8]
• Stomach problems
• Leaf tea[9]
• Leaf or flower tea[10]
• Musculoskeletal
• “Old internal injuries”
• Decoction[11]
• Rheumatism
• Poultice
• Crushed stems and leaves, moistened[12]
• Neurological
• Headache
• Wash 
• Respiratory
• Common cold
• Decoction[15]
• Infusion[16]
• Leaf or flower tea[17]
• Root tea[18]
• Cough
• Decoction[19]
• Tea
• Leaf and stem tea[20]
• Fever
• Root tea[21]
• Skin
• Eruptions
• Wash[22]
• Sores
• Wash[23]
• Urogenital
• Menstrual cramps
• Decoction[24]
• Root tea[25]
• Other
• Chewing gum[26]
• Bark of the lower stem and roots[27]
• General tonic
• Leaf or flower tea[28]

It’s gonna be a sad life if you’re relegated to using rabbitbrush for chewing gum.  It does not compare to Wrigley’s or Bubblelicious or anything else on the market.  Just buy real gum now.

Links to related posts:

Lomatium 

Influenza 

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[1] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[2] Percy Train, et al., Medicinal Uses of Plants by Indian Tribes of Nevada, 1957, 37. 

[3] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[4] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[5] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[6] Percy Train, et al., Medicinal Uses of Plants by Indian Tribes of Nevada, 1957, 37. 

[7] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[8] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304401714000351?via%3Dihub

[9] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[10] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[11] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[12] Percy Train, et al., Medicinal Uses of Plants by Indian Tribes of Nevada, 1957, 37. 

[13] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[14] Percy Train, et al., Medicinal Uses of Plants by Indian Tribes of Nevada, 1957, 37. 

[15] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[16] Percy Train, et al., Medicinal Uses of Plants by Indian Tribes of Nevada, 1957, 37. 

[17] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[18] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[19] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[20] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[21] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[22] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[23] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[24] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[25] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321

[26] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 88.

[27] https://houseofaromatics.com/rabbit-brush-plant-profile/

[28] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 321