Gravel root is a perennial member of the aster and daisy family that
thrives in the moist woodlands of eastern and central North America. The
large pink-to-purple blooms are eye-catching and sweetly-scented, which
makes the herb and important food source for butterflies. It is the
root, however, for which the plant is harvested.
Because Native Americans had specific uses for gravel root, the plant is
known by several common names including Kidney Root and Purple Boneset.
The astringent properties of the root are owing to various volatile
oils, tannins and an oleoresin called euparin.
