What is Veratrum viride?

Veratrum viride is a homeopathic remedy made from the root of green hellebore. The plant is also called Indian poke. It is used on its own, as a single remedy, not in a mix.

Homeopaths reach for it when a person has a sudden high fever, a red flushed face, and a fast, hard pulse. It is also a classic choice in their books for heaving and retching.

The raw plant is a strong poison. The remedy is made by diluting the plant again and again. At 30C there is no plant left in the pills at all.

Here is the short verdict. Trials do not tell this remedy apart from a sugar pill. A long record of use in a tradition is not proof that a thing works, and that holds true here.

How does Veratrum viride work?

There is no known way this remedy could work in the body. That is the honest answer.

Homeopathy rests on two old ideas. First, a thing that brings on signs in a well person may treat the same signs in a sick one. Second, shaking and diluting the source is said to make it act more, not less.

Neither idea fits what we know about the body or about chemistry. By 30C, no plant molecules are left to act on you. The pills are sugar, and the drops are water and alcohol.

When people do feel better, the likely reasons are simple. Time, rest, a caring visit, and the mind's own pull all play a part.

What forms does Veratrum viride come in?

You may see Veratrum viride sold as:

sugar pills or pellets, most often 6C, 30C or 200C

liquid drops in water and alcohol

low strengths such as 1X, 2X, 3X or 6X

a mother tincture, which is the strong plant extract

The last two are not sugar pills. They hold plant poison and must be treated as drugs. Do not buy or take them on your own.

Where it comes from:

Green hellebore grows in wet ground and swamps in eastern North America. Native peoples knew the root as a poison and used it with great care, mostly on the skin.

In the 1800s, American doctors gave the tincture to slow a racing pulse and bring down blood pressure in fever. Bad poisonings and deaths followed, and doctors dropped it.

Homeopaths took the plant up in the same years. It has stayed in their books ever since, which gives it a long, steady record in that one tradition.

What does Veratrum viride help with?

• Sudden high fever with a red, flushed face: This is the picture homeopathy books link most closely to the remedy. They describe a hot, bright red face, a full pulse, and a hard, sudden start. No human trial has tested the remedy for fever. A high fever with confusion or a stiff neck needs a doctor, not a home remedy.
• A fast, pounding pulse: Homeopaths chose it for a pulse they called full, fast and hard. The idea came from what the raw plant does, since it can slow the heart. That is chemistry from the plant, not from a 30C pill. A fast or odd pulse should always be checked by a doctor.
• Heat illness, such as sunstroke: Old homeopathy texts list it for heat and sun exposure with a red face and a throbbing head. There is no trial support for this. Heat illness can turn serious fast. Get the person cool, give sips of water, and call for help.
• Nausea with hard retching: Both this plant and its cousin Veratrum album are listed in homeopathy for heaving and vomiting. Poisoning by the raw plant causes the same thing, which is where the idea came from. No human trial has tested the remedy for nausea.
• A throbbing headache that beats with the pulse: Homeopathy books pair the remedy with a head that pounds in time with the heart, often with a red face. This rests on case notes from the 1800s, not on trials. A sudden, worst-ever headache is an emergency.

Which foods are rich in Veratrum viride?

Young veratrum leaves are sometimes taken for wild garlic or wild leek. That mistake has poisoned people and has killed.

What are the side effects of Veratrum viride?

• High strengths such as 30C hold no plant matter, so direct harm is unlikely
• The pills are sugar, which matters if you must watch your sugar intake
• Hard vomiting and retching that will not stop (tincture or low strengths)
• A slow pulse, or a pulse that skips beats
• Low blood pressure, with dizziness or fainting
• Pale, cold, sweaty skin
• Tingling or numbness in the mouth, lips and hands
• Blurred sight
• Weak muscles and trouble standing or walking
• Slow, shallow breathing
• In bad poisoning, the heart can stop; deaths have been reported with veratrum plants

Good to know:

Two very different risks sit under one name. You need to know which one you are holding.

High strengths like 30C are inert. They are sugar and water, and they cause no direct harm.

The mother tincture and low strengths are a real poison. They can slow the heart, drop blood pressure, and set off hard vomiting.

Most veratrum poisonings come from eating the wrong wild plant. A wrong dose of the tincture can do the same thing. This is why this page is marked high-risk.

How much Veratrum viride should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no proven dose, because there is no proof the remedy works. Homeopathy books list one to three pellets of 30C, once or a few times a day, for a short spell. We give no amounts for the mother tincture or for low strengths like 1X, 2X or 3X. Those still hold plant poison. A small error in the amount can hurt your heart, so never take them on your own.
• Best time of day: No set time of day. Books say to take pills between meals and away from strong tastes like coffee or mint. This is custom, not a tested need.
• With or without food: Pills are taken on an empty mouth, about 15 minutes before or after food or drink. This is tradition, not a proven rule.
• Time to effect: Homeopathy books claim a change within hours. No trial backs that up. A high fever, a racing pulse, or heat illness should not be left to wait. Those need care now.
• How long to take it: Days, not weeks. Homeopaths use it for short, sudden problems and then stop. If you feel well enough to wait, wait no more than 48 hours. If you are no better, or you feel worse, see a doctor.