Early settlers learned how to use beth root from Native Americans, who
cooked the rhizome as a vegetable and also used it to make tonics and
salves. Some of the common names for this herb reference how it was
used, while its genus and species names refer to its three perfectly
symmetrical petals and sepals that freely swing back and forth with the
breeze.
Beth root bears a resemblance to
ginseng root, but has an odor that’s
been described as faintly turpentine-like. When the fresh root is
chewed, the bitter taste promotes a warm sensation in the throat and
stimulates salivation.
