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snakeroot

Scientific Name: Ageratina

Family: Asteraceae

Category: Dicot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

Ageratina altissima, commonly known as white snakeroot, is a perennial herb with a history of both medicinal and toxic properties. It has also been called richweed, white sanicle, or tall boneset.

Considerations for Pets and Livestock

  • White snakeroot contains the toxin tremetol, which can be poisonous if consumed directly.
  • Toxins can be passed through the milk of animals that have consumed the plant, posing a risk to livestock and potentially humans.

Considerations for Children

  • White snakeroot contains the toxin tremetol, which can be poisonous if consumed directly.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Ageratina altissima
  • Family: Asteraceae (also called Compositae)
  • Order: Asterales
  • Synonyms: Eupatorium rugosum Houtt (formerly), Eupatorium altissima, Ageratina altissima (L.) R.M. King &amp H. Rob. var. altissima

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to North America.
  • Naturalized throughout southern Canada and the eastern half of the United States.
  • Found in shaded environments, extending from the Rocky Mountains eastward.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Erect, branched, herbaceous perennial.
  • Typically 3 feet tall, but can vary from 1 to 5 feet.
  • Slender, round stems and branches.
  • Pointed, oval leaves.
  • Many 1 to 2-inch flat clusters of small white flower heads with no petals.
  • Grows from fibrous, matted roots with a fibrous root crown that may have short rhizomes.

Historical and Traditional Uses

  • Snakeroot has been cultivated for medicinal use since at least the Middle Ages.
  • Historically used as a birthing herb.
  • Used in early America for medicinal purposes.
  • Roots of various plants referred to as \"snakeroot\" have been used as remedies for snakebites.
  • Has medicinal value in bringing a person out of a faint or stupor.

Toxicity

  • Contains the toxin tremetol.
  • Responsible for \"milk sickness\" in humans when transmitted through the milk of livestock that have consumed the plant.
  • Poisonings typically occur in summer and late fall.