Cramp bark is a shrubby plant that is native to Europe and North
America, as well as northern portions of Asia and Africa. Depending on
location, the plant is known by various other names, including Guelder
Rose, Snow Bush and High Bush Cranberry.
The bark has a long history of use in by various Native American tribes,
most notably the Meskwaki and the Penobscot. Indigenous groups documented the use of cramp bark in traditional preparations. These accounts are preserved in ethnographic and historical literature and reflect regional plant knowledge passed down through generations. Cramp bark also appears in European and early American herbals as part of traditional botanical systems.
