The One with Pipsissewa Tea & Tea Time

We have started the habit of afternoon tea and story time.  Today, I made pipsissewa tea for us to share.  We collected pipsissewih on a recent hike and have been finding it around trees in our front and behind the house.  We brew this natural wintergreen plant with peppermint tea.  It's pretty interesting how beneficial this tea is...

Is Pipsissewih edible?

The leaves themselves can be chewed, brewed into tea like shown above, or used for flavoring root beer.  They smell so yummy and have a very sweet flavor.  And extract of the leaves is used in candy and soft drinks.  You can actually use the roots in tea as well. 

What is the medicinal use of Pipsissewa?

Pipsissewa was often used by many Native North American Indian Tribes to induce sweating and treat fevers, including typhus.  The reason is because the plant contains hydroquinone which have a disinfectant effect on the urinary tract.  even modern day herbalism uses this plant to treat common urinary problems.  

The entire plant is known as an antibacterial, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, stimulant, and tonic. An infusion can also be used with kidney stones and gonorrhea.  

Where can Pipsissewa be found?

We can literally walk out into the woods surrounding our house in Northwest Georgia and find this little plant.  It is found in other places like, dry coniferous woods in Europe. Moist woods, particularly coniferous stands, and along mountain streams from the lower hills to about 2,500 metres in Western N. America

Where can I learn more about pipsissewih?

Here are a few reliable resources.
http://medicinalherbinfo.org/000Herbs2016/1herbs/pipsissewa/
https://medicinalgarden.trekbirmingham.com/chimaphila-umbellata/
https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/pipsis41.html
https://taes.tennessee.edu/recs/forestry/plants-pipsissewa.htm
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