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Common Name: Stone Root

General Information

Collinsonia canadensis is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.80 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..

Known Hazards

Minute doses of the fresh leaves can cause vomiting[], though the root is well-tolerated by the body[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern N. America - Ontario and Vermont to Florida, west to Wisconsin.

Habitat

Rich damp woods[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.80 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sandy peat in a moist situation but it is easily grown in ordinary garden soils[] so long as they are not dry[]. Prefers dappled shade[].
The whole plant has a strong disagreeable odour and a pungent spicy taste[]. Another report says that the foliage is strongly aromatic, with a lemon scent[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The whole plant, but especially the fresh root, is alterative, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, diuretic, sedative, tonic, vasodilator and vulnerary[, , , , ]. A tea made from the roots is strongly diuretic, it is valuable in the treatment of all complaints of the urinary system and the rectum and is used in the treatment of piles, indigestion, diarrhoea, kidney complaints etc[, ]. It has proved of benefit in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, mucous colitis and varicose veins[]. The root is seldom used on its own but is contained in remedies with other herbs, especially Aphanes arvensis, Eupatorium purpureum and Hydrangea arborescens[].
The roots contain more than 13,000 parts per million of rosmarinic acid, the same anti-oxidant that is found in rosemary[].
The fresh leaves are strongly emetic[]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity[].
A poultice of the leaves or roots is applied to burns, bruises, sores, sprains etc[, , ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can also be sown in the spring, though it might be slower to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame. Plant them out in spring or early summer of their second year.
Division in spring[].