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Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Image ID: 2013/ahgh101

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·leaf
Native
Family: Berberidaceae (Barberry)
Height: 1 to 3 ft.
Blooms: April to June
Leaf Type: divided
Bloom Size:  0.5 in. (typical)
Flower Description: Individual flowers, Regular blooms, 6 parts
Location: Allegheny Highlands Trail
Date:  4/27/2013
Notes: Immature leaves are purple-black in color.
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Folklore, History, and Other Facts
Blue cohosh was used by Native American women as a contraceptive (http://www.sisterzeus.com/BlueCoh.htm).
The following information is taken from my great-grandmother's copy of The Herbalist (1918). This information is presented for historic purposes only, as many remedies recommended by this book are toxic!
page 1 page 2
We started out as wildflowers from the bicycle trails of western Pennsylvania, but we've grown!
Meyer, Joseph E. (1918). The Herbalist and Herb Doctor. Hammond, Ind.: Indiana Herb Gardens. 400 pp.

The Herbalist