What is Button Snake Root?

Button snake root is the dried root of Liatris spicata, a tall purple prairie flower. Gardeners know the same plant as gayfeather or blazing star. Folk healers in North America once used the root as a medicine.

The common name is shared with other plants. Eryngium yuccifolium is also called button snake root. Several other Liatris species carry the name as well.

That matters if you buy it. Look for the Latin name on the label. Without it, you cannot know which plant is in the jar.

Here is the honest verdict. There is almost no human research on this root. Long use in a tradition is not proof that it works, and it is not proof that it is safe.

How does Button Snake Root work?

Nobody has shown how button snake root works in a human body. The proposed actions come from old writing and lab tests, not from trials.

Writers in the 1800s called the root a diuretic (something that makes you pass more urine). They also described it as a sweat promoter and a throat soother. Those were bedside impressions, not measured results.

Lab work on Liatris plants has looked at their resins and their coumarin content. In test tubes, some Liatris extracts slow the growth of certain fungi and bacteria. Whether this happens in people has not been tested.

The root also holds inulin, a plant fibre. In lab and animal work, inulin feeds gut bacteria. That is true of inulin from any plant, and it has not been linked to any claimed use of this root.

So treat every mechanism you read for this plant as a theory. None of it has been checked in a controlled human trial.

What forms does Button Snake Root come in?

Button snake root is sold far more often as a garden plant than as a remedy.

Forms you may come across: - Dried, cut root, sold loose by herb suppliers. - Root tincture, an alcohol extract in a dropper bottle. - Powdered root in capsules, which is uncommon.

Corms, seeds and potted plants are also sold for the flower border.

Supply is patchy. Small herb sellers and online traders are the usual source. Quality checks are rare at that scale.

Garden stock is not grown or stored as food. Nursery plants may carry pesticide residue. They are not meant to be eaten.

Where it comes from:

Button snake root belonged to American folk medicine and later to the Eclectic doctors of the 1800s.

Settlers learned of Liatris roots from Native American neighbours. The snakebite use gave the plant its name. Chewed or mashed root was put on the bite, and that practice did not work.

Eclectic texts such as King's American Dispensatory listed the root for sore throat, kidney complaints and painful periods. Some writers also used it as a gargle. It never became a leading remedy in that school.

Use faded as the Eclectic colleges closed in the early 1900s. Today the plant is grown for its flowers far more than for its root.

What does Button Snake Root help with?

• Sore throat, used as a gargle: Eclectic writers used a root wash as a gargle for a raw throat. No human trial has tested this. Any soothing feel may come from the warm liquid itself. Plain salt water does the same job and is far better known. A sore throat with high fever, or trouble swallowing, needs a doctor rather than a herb.
• Low urine flow and fluid build-up: This was the main historical use. The root was called a diuretic, meaning it was thought to make you pass more urine. No study has measured urine output in people taking it. Swelling in the legs or belly can signal heart, kidney or liver trouble. That needs a medical check, not self-treatment.
• Kidney and bladder complaints: Folk use covered burning on passing urine and general kidney aches. There is no human evidence behind this. A urine infection can spread to the kidneys and become serious. Blood in the urine, back pain and fever all need prompt care. Herbs do not clear a bacterial infection.
• Painful periods: Some Eclectic sources listed the root for period pain and late periods. The claim rests on case notes from the 1800s. No modern trial has looked at this. Several better-studied options exist for period pain. Discuss them with a doctor or pharmacist.
• Snakebite (historical claim only): This is listed because the plant is named for it, not because it works. The root does not treat snake venom. A snakebite is a medical emergency. Call emergency services and get to hospital. Antivenom and hospital care are the only real treatment.

What are the side effects of Button Snake Root?

• Nausea and stomach upset
• Loose stools or diarrhoea with larger amounts
• Skin rash from handling the plant or root
• Allergic reaction in people sensitive to the daisy family
• Mouth or throat irritation from a strong gargle
• Passing more urine than usual

Good to know:

The true rate of side effects is unknown. There is no safety study and no reporting system for this root.

The daisy family link is the clearest risk. Ragweed, daisy, marigold and chrysanthemum allergies can cross over to this plant. Reactions range from a mild rash to swelling of the lips and face.

Stop at once if you get a rash, wheeze or swelling. Get urgent help if your lips, tongue or throat swell.

How much Button Snake Root should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no agreed amount, and this page does not give one. No human study has tested a dose of button snake root. Products are rare, and strength varies from batch to batch. Any figure printed on a label is the maker's own choice, not a tested amount. If you are considering it, talk to a doctor or pharmacist first. Bring the actual product with you so they can read the label.
• Best time of day: Timing is not known to matter. No study has compared morning and evening use. If a product is meant to make you pass more urine, taking it late may disturb your sleep.
• With or without food: No research covers this. Bitter roots and alcohol tinctures can upset an empty stomach, so some people take them with food. A gargle is not swallowed, so food does not apply.
• Time to effect: This cannot be answered honestly, because the effect itself is unproven. Old reports described a same-day effect on urine or on a sore throat. Those are impressions, not measurements. It may well do nothing at all.
• How long to take it: How long it is safe to take is unknown, because nobody has studied it. Old texts described short use during an illness, not daily use for months. Long-term safety data do not exist. Taking it for weeks on end is not supported by anything.