Bloodroot in Monastic Medicine

Bloodroot (Potentilla erecta), also known as snake root, red root, and tormentil, is a rose family plant that is mainly distributed in Europe. It prefers boreal and temperate zones. In Southern Europe, bloodroot can only be found in the mountains, and it is rarer in northern Asian countries and Greenland.

The plant, which prefers to grow on heaths, indicates nitrogen-poor soils. You can also find it in moist meadows, at forest edges, and in clearings. It loves partial shade and prefers lean soil that is moist and rich in humus.

In the Middle Ages, when the plague and other epidemics were at their peak, bloodroot was one of the most important medicinal plants. Among other things, Paracelsus recommended a mixture of it and burnet to treat bleeding and wounds. A few centuries later, even Sebastian Kneipp advocated for bloodroot.

Today, we drink bloodroot in the form of tea to benefit our digestive tract. Pour boiling water over the dried roots and let them steep for about ten minutes. For each cup (250 ml), use one to two teaspoons of bloodroot. Alternatively, you can use a bloodroot tincture for gargling to care for your gums and oral mucosa.

Bloodroot is considered one of the plants with the highest tannin content. About 20 percent of it consists of valuable substances. Tannins are among the most important components of medicinal plants. They have a astringent and antimicrobial effect, relieve gastrointestinal complaints, and promote wound healing. Bloodroot tastes earthy and bitter due to them.

The herbaceous plant has a slightly hairy stem with slender, branched shoots. It grows to about 15 to 50 centimeters tall. Characteristic are the coarsely toothed leaves, which are dark green on top and silvery underneath. From May to September, it produces bright yellow cup-shaped flowers.

The name bloodroot comes from the fact that the roots of the plants exude a red sap.