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Yellow
Dock - Traditional Medicine, Food, and Dye
Yellow Dock (or Curly Dock), Rumex crispus, is a common weed of the Polygonaceae (Buckwheat) family. Various species have naturalized throughout North America, although most were originally introduced from Europe. Yellow Dock was quickly adopted by Native Americans as a traditional medicine and food. The plant is a low-growing perennial with lance-shaped leaves that have wavy or "curly" edges. Throughout the summer, small greenish or reddish flowers bloom in whorls along the flower spike. The name "Yellow Dock" comes from the roots, which are brownish on the outside but distinctly yellow inside. The name "dock" is Old English for plants with bitter tasting leaves. Both the leaves and roots are used by different Tribes throughout North America. The Blackfeet Indians of the Northern Plains use Yellow Dock root externally for occasional joint pain.* The root also has a gentle laxative effect, and is used as a "cleanser" or "blood purifier".* The Iroquois of the Northeast and Great Lakes areas use a decoction of the roots internally for when "one cannot eat". The Navajo of the Southwest call the plant "Ch’il bikétl ool litsooígíí", meaning "plant with yellow root". They use the root as a tonic, considering it a "life medicine". The roots are also used to dye yarns and basket materials. The Cheyenne of the Plains, the Choctaw of the Southeast, and the Pima Indians of the Southwest all use this versatile plant in crafts as well as traditional medicines and foods. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. |
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