Herb
Boneset
A traditional North American fever-and-flu herb, taken as a short-term tea during acute illness.
📊 How it ranks (our editor score) — 61/100Tap to see the breakdown
👶 Safe for children?
This remedy carries age-related cautions. Please read them before giving it to a child, and check with your pediatrician or pharmacist first.
- Large amounts can cause nausea and vomiting; avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding, in children, and with any liver condition.
🌱 What it is
Boneset is a native North American wildflower with distinctive leaves that appear to be pierced by its stem. Early American settlers and herbalists brewed its dried leaves into a bitter tea during feverish illness, taken for just a few days at a time rather than as an ongoing remedy.
✨ Why it's good for you
- Traditionally used to support the body during a feverish illness
- Traditionally used to support comfort during a seasonal cold or flu
- Traditionally used to support brief, occasional recovery from acute illness
🥗 Nutrition
Per 1 cup brewed tea (240ml) · about 2 calories
- Sesquiterpene lactones
- Flavonoids
- Negligible macronutrients
Source: Nutrition estimate (per typical serving)
🙏 Begin with prayer
Prayer is the first remedy, not the last resort. Here is a simple prayer you are welcome to make your own:
Great Physician, thank You for boneset, a humble tea my grandparents' generation turned to during fever and flu. Bless its brief use now, and give me wisdom not to lean on it too long or too often. While this fever runs its course, comfort my aching body and steady my rest. If it be for Your glory, restore my strength soon; if not, let Your grace carry me through it. In Jesus' name, Amen.
“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.”— Jeremiah 17:14 (KJV)
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🥄 How to use it
Taken as a teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → for a few days during a feverish illness, not used continuously or long-term.
How much: As a teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, 1 teaspoon of dried herbA plant, or part of one, used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. More → steeped in hot water for 10–15 minutes, up to a few times during the worst of an illness, for no more than a few days.
Show full details & how to prepare it
Boneset earned its name from old use for the deep body aches of dengue fever ('breakbone fever'), and has long served as a general fever-and-flu teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →. Because it carries trace liver-affecting compounds, it belongs in the same category as many traditional bitter herbs: fine for a brief, occasional course during a genuine illness, not something to sip daily as a tonic. Rest, fluids, and time remain the core of caring for an ordinary fever or flu.
Ways to prepare it
⚠️ Cautions
- Contains trace pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can affect the liver with prolonged or repeated use — appropriate only for brief, occasional use during an acute illness, not ongoing.
- Large amounts can cause nausea and vomiting; avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding, in children, and with any liver condition.
📚 What others say
- A traditional short-term fever herb
Learn more
🕊️ A word of encouragement
Fevers usually pass with rest, fluids, and patience — a short course of a traditional tea can be part of the comfort, kept brief.
🏔️ Old Mountain Remedies
Taught by Walt Cross
Adventist lifestyle educator Walt Cross covers boneset in his herb and home-remedy seminars — which parts to use, what it is traditionally used for, and the precautions that go with it.
Watch: The Herb Cabinet — Healing Herbs: Alfalfa to Cayenne ↗ · About Walt Cross →
Endorsements like this count toward a remedy's evidence baseline — always openly, never quietly. How we rank
💬 Ask Remy about Boneset
📚 Resource confidence
Based on mentions in health references
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