Japanese barberry

Gail H

My husband pulled up several Japanese barberry. They were coming up everywhere! I washed and dried the roots. Should I whittle them down into little shreds for tea? I imagine it would be pretty stern stuff, although I am inured to the taste of almost everything by this point.

Is tincturing a better way to obtain the beneficial compounds? I have a lot, so I can probably do both.

silvertipgrizz

@Gail H

Here is what Dr. Axe says:

https://draxe.com/nutrition/barberry/

Torey

Thanks @Gail H for starting this thread as I was unfamiliar with this particular Berberis species. I am much more familiar with its local relative, Oregon Grape, Mahonia aquifolium (aka Berberis aquifolium). From what I can see about the properties of B. thunbergii, it is very similar to Oregon Grape. I tincture the roots for best results and use it for a variety of symptoms and/or conditions. Great for clearing up topical staff infections. Really good for stimulating the production of bile and clearing the liver. One of my favourite herbs that I always have on hand. If you are not making a tincture, the root should be decocted rather than infused.

This is a link to a good article at Ancestral Herbs: https://www.ancestralherbology.com/blog/2016/8/8/the-holy-thorn-of-plants