Witnessed by: Western
American cranesbill (Geranium maculatum), of the Geraniaceae family. Woodland perennial with deeply palmate leaves and pink-lilac flowers ripening to a beaked capsule; native range: open woodlands and meadows of eastern North America. Globally recognized as spotted cranesbill, alum root, wild geranium in English. The part used is rhizome and root. Strongly astringent and tannin-rich, with little odour and a faint bitterness.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
AMERICAN CRANESBILL
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- American cranesbill
- Scientific name
- Geranium maculatum L.
- Family
- Geraniaceae
Form
- Part used
- rhizome and root
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Western
- astringent
Temperature
- Western
- cool, drying
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Western
- intestines · bowels · mucous membranes
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Western
- astringent, styptic, haemostatic, anti-inflammatory, vulnerary, tonic
Cautions
- Contraindications
- none significant in normal use
- Toxicity
- non-toxic; prolonged high-tannin use may impair nutrient absorption
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