The Medicinal Herb Info site was created to help educate visitors about the often forgotten wisdom of the old ways of treating illnesses. Many of today's drugs and medicines were originally derived from natural ingredients, combinations of plants and other items found in nature.

We are not suggesting that you ignore the help of trained medical professionals, simply that you have additional options available for treating illnesses. Often the most effective treatment involves a responsible blend of both modern and traditional treatments.

We wish you peace and health!

Rock-Rose

Scientific Names

Rock Rose

  • Helianthemum canadense L.
  • Cistaceae
  • Rock-rose family

Common Names

  • Frost plant
  • Frost weed
  • Frostwort
  • Scrofula plant
  • Sun rose

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Parts Usually Used

The whole plant, oil of the plant
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Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Rock-rose is a native North American perennial plant, 6-20 inches tall; the unbranched, downy stem bears alternate, linear-oblong, toothless leaves, 1/2 to 1 inch long and about 1/4 as wide, which are dark green above and downy white beneath. The plant flowers twice in a season: the first solitary flowers with many stamens are bright yellow and have large petals that drop a day or so after opening; later another set of inconspicuous flowers develop, without petals and few stamens, growing in axillary clusters. Blooms May to July. The whole plant has a slight aromatic odor, and an astringent and bitter taste.
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Where Found

Found in dry, sandy soils and rocky woods in the United States can be found as far south as North Carolina and Mississippi and as far west as Illinois and Wisconsin. Also found in Quebec.
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Medicinal Properties

Alterative, aromatic, astringent, tonic
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Uses

Used relatively little, at least alone. Can be used for diarrhea, mouth, scarlatina, and throat irritations, and skin problems. Has been used at times as an eyewash. In large doses it acts as an emetic.

Native Americans used leaf tea for kidney ailments, sore throats. Patients were covered with a blanket “tent” to hold steam; feet soaked in hot tea for arthritis, muscular swellings, and rheumatism. Historically, physicians once used a strong tea for scrofula(tuberculous swelling of lymph nodes), for which it was reported to produce astonishing cures; also diarrhea, dysentery, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Externally, used as a wash for skin diseases such as prurigo, and eye infections; gargled for throat infections. Leaves poulticed on scrofulous tumors, sores, and ulcers; said to be helpful in treatment of some forms of cancer.
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Formulas or Dosages

Infusion: steep 1 tsp. herb in 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes. Take 1 tbsp. 3 to 6 times per day.

Tincture: a dose is from 5 to 10 drops
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Bibliography

Buy It! Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke., Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000

Buy It! The Herb Book, by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974.

Buy It! Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss; Back to Eden Publishing Co., Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994

Buy It! Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, Shambala Publications, Inc., Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973

Buy It! Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, Victoria Neufeldt, Editor in Chief, New World Dictionaries: A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023

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