Milkwort Uses

What is milkwort and what is it used for?

Milkwort is one of several species of Polygala. We carry two of the most commonly used species, P. senega and P. tenuifolia. The former is the North American species listed in our catalogue as "senega" and is also known as "senega snakeroot", "seneca snakeroot", or just as 'milkwort'. The latter is a chinese herb known as "yuan zhi" or as "chinese senega" and "siberian milkwort".
The milkworts are important medicinal herbs, excellent for respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis and cough. They are effective at stimulating the clearing phlegm and reducing wheezing in the chest and can be used to treat pneumonia.
Chinese senega is the easier of the two to grow but is not as well known in western herbalism as the north american species.
You can read more about these herbs in our online catalogue under "S" for "senega".