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.
📜 Where it comes from
Boneset is a North American wildflower named for its traditional use in easing the deep bone and joint aches of severe flu, sometimes called breakbone fever, and it was used by Native American nations and adopted by early American settlers as a household fever remedy. It became one of the most common home remedies in 19th-century American households, brewed as a bitter tea during colds, flu, and fevers. Its use was always intended as a short-term measure during acute illness rather than a daily tonic.
✨ 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)
🥄 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.
Why it works: Herbalists have traditionally attributed boneset's fever-easing reputation to its bitter compounds, thought to encourage sweating and support the body's natural fever response during short-term illness.
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.
📚 Learn more
🌿 Deeper natural detail
🩺 The conventional view
💬 Ask Remy about Boneset
📚 Resource confidence
Based on mentions in health references
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