Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Boneset is a plant that grows wild in eastern North America. You can find it in wet meadows, marshes, and by the banks of streams. It’s a tall perennial with opposite leaves that wrap around the stem as if the stem were going through the leaves, hence its Latin name perfoliatum. In late summer, boneset forms flat clusters of small white flowers that bees, butterflies, and other pollinators visit.

Native people and early settlers used boneset to treat fevers, influenza, and other bad body aches [1][2]. In fact, that’s where its name comes from. During epidemics of what was then known as “breakbone fever,” boneset would be used. “Breakbone fever” was a nickname for dengue and related viral infections, hence the name boneset. The dried leaves were steeped in hot water as a tea that was thought to bring down fever and cause sweating. It was also sometimes used as a cold remedy or for malaria and other infections that caused chills and aches.

Herbalists still think of boneset as an immune-boosting herb, but use it with more caution. It has potent compounds, including sesquiterpene lactones, that contribute to both its bitterness and its action [3][4].

Boneset still has a place in its native habitat, too. Its late blooms help pollinators when few other plants are flowering.

[1] Tallgrass Prairie Center. “Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum).” Native Seed Production Manual – Forbs, 2023. https://tallgrassprairiecenter.org/native-seed-production-manual/species-production-guides/forbs/common-boneset

[2] U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Plant Fact Sheet: Eupatorium perfoliatum L. (Boneset).” 2012. https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_eupe3.pdf

[3] LearningHerbs. “Boneset Uses and Plant Profile.” https://www.learningherbs.com/blog/boneset-uses#gsc.tab=0

[4] Hensel, A., J. Sendker, M. Maas, M. Lechtenberg, F. Petereit, A. Deters, T. Schmidt, and T. Stark. “Eupatorium perfoliatum L.: Phytochemistry, Traditional Use and Current Applications.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 137, no. 2 (2011): 1035–1045. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037887411100729X