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Accession Data:

Xanthorhiza simplicissima Marshall

  • Common Name: Yellowroot
  • Family: Ranunculaceae Juss.

  • Country of Origin: southeastern USA
  • Habitat: Damp woods, thickets and the banks of streams

  • Description: Named for the color of its inner bark and roots; native to the Atlantic coastal regions of New Jersey, Virginia and inland to Kentucky; a tall groundcover (3') good for banks or slopes, it spreads by underground rhizomes; tolerant of dry as well as heavy soils; flowers early before leaves appear, a not particularly showy racemose panicle or drooping cluster of brownish purple flowers; lustrous green foliage turning yellow, bronze or red in fall.

  • Uses: It contains the alkaloid berberine, which has a number of traditional and contemporary uses for dyeing and medicine.4

    • IMPORTANT NOTE: Plant Uses are for informational purposes only. EEB Greenhouses assume no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plants referred to on this site. Always seek advice from a professional before using any plant medicinally.
  • USDA Zone: 6a-8b

Accession Data:

  • Accession # 199800019
  • Source: ArborVillage
  • Accession Date: 03-28-1998
  • Bench: 2308 - Nearctic
    • Currently: active - healthy
    • Qty: 1 confirmed on 03-03-2025

Classification:

  • Division: Magnoliophyta
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • SubClass: eudicots
  • Order: Ranunculales
  • SubOrder:
  • Family: Ranunculaceae
  • SubFamily: Coptidoideae
  • Tribe: Coptideae
  • SubTribe:

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005

References (internal):

  • Dye Plants
  • Medicinal Plants
  • EEB 3271 - Systematic Botany
  • EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: West Virginia / Texas / Alabama / Florida / Georgia / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maryland / Mississippi / North Carolina / South Carolina / Tennessee / Virginia

References (external):

  1. Plants For A Future Website
  2. Yellow Trail Tree Walk - University of Vermont
  3. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Accessed 26 February 2015.
  4. Xanthorhiza at Wikipedia. Last accessed 19 November 2015.
  5. Xanthorhiza simplicissima at ARS-GRIN. Last accessed on Saturday, January 28, 2017.

data regenerated on Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:06:01 -0500 [bcm v4.0]

Images:

No default accession image assigned

Additional images for this accession:

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Current Accessions in the Ranunculaceae

Subfamily Coptidoideae
Tribe Coptideae

  • Xanthorhiza simplicissima

Subfamily Isopyroideae
Tribe Isopyreae

  • Aquilegia canadensis W/C

Subfamily Ranunculoideae
Tribe Anemoneae

  • Anemone scabiosa

Subfamily Ranunculoideae
Tribe Cimicifugeae

  • Actaea racemosa
  • Beesia deltophylla
W/C = Wild Collected
= indicates flowering in past 14 days
= images available for this accession
= map available for this accession
= accession added within past 90 days
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