Rose Heath
Chaetopappa ericoides
A low white-flowered desert plant used by several Southwestern peoples for swelling, rheumatism, digestive troubles and toothache.
Safety at a glance
- PregnancyNothing recorded
- BreastfeedingNothing recorded
- MedicinesNothing recorded
- Who should avoid itNothing recorded
- AllergiesNothing recorded
- ToxicityNothing recorded
Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.
What is Rose Heath?
- Plant family
- Asteraceae, the daisy family
- Parts used
- The whole plant and root
- Where it grows
- The deserts and plains of the western United States and northern Mexico
- Genus
- Chaetopappa
- Species
- ericoides
Traditionally used for
- Swelling
- Rheumatism
- Digestive troubles
- Toothache (traditional)
Traditionally described as
- Whole plant and root
Traditions that use it
- Native American Ethnobotany
Used by the Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, Havasupai and Western Keres peoples.
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
Several Southwestern peoples used rose heath as medicine. The Zuni rubbed a tea of the plant on the body for swelling, rheumatism and aches from a cold. The Havasupai used it for digestive troubles, including in children. The Hopi used the root as an all-purpose remedy and for a sore nose.[1]Traditional text
The Ramah Navajo chewed the leaves for toothache, used the dried plant as snuff for nose trouble, and used it on snakebites. The Kayenta Navajo drank it with sumac berries for kidney and bladder disease.[1]Traditional text
In short
No lab, human or safety studies were found.
Sources
- [1] Native American Ethnobotany Database: Chaetopappa ericoides — Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT); compiled by Daniel E. MoermanTraditional text
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.