Goldenseal (seeds)

Hydrastis canadensis
Family: Ranunculaceae
Woodland herbaceous perennial. Native to the central and eastern hardwood forests
of America, Goldenseal shoulders much responsibility for such an unassuming little
plant, with its unpretentious flowers and its habit of avoiding humans. onic agent for
treating any and all afflictions of the mucous membranes, including sinusitis and
con!unctivitis. Goldenseal habitat is shrin"ing, and given the increasing demand from
an ever more needy population of herb users, the plant is fast disappearing from our
forests. herefore, organic cultivation of this plant is a high priority. Cultivation:
#hallenging. he seed was pic"ed at the pea" of ripeness and washed out of the fruit,
then stored in cold, moist sand. his conditioned seed must be planted into shady
beds in the woods in the fall or very early spring. $pace rows %& inches apart. $ow
seed at appro'imately ( inch spacing in the rows. Allow to grow close together for
the first & years, then transplant over)crowded plants to achieve a final spacing of *
inches between plants. he plants re+uire , years to mature a full si-ed rhi-ome, but
in the meantime you can use the renewably harvested leaves, pic"ed in the late
summer and dried, for the same indications as the root.
Return to .erb $eed /nde'