Herbs Guide

Butcher's Broom

Family Name: Liliaceae

Botanical Name(s): Ruscus aculeatus

Popular Name(s): Knee Holly, Kneeholm, Jew's Myrtle, Sweet Broom, Pettigree

Parts Used: The herb and its root

Habitat: Butcher's broom is native to the Mediterranean region and Europe.

Description: Butcher's Broom is a low, shrubby, evergreen plant with an erect, striated stem and may attain a height up to 3 feet. The plant is furnished with very rigid leaves which are a mere expansion of its stem. Its small greenish-white flowers grow solitarily from the centre of the leaves and blossom in early spring. The flowers are succeeded by scarlet berries which ripe in September.

Uses: Butcher's broom is used as diaphoretic, diuretic, deobstruent and aperient. It has vasoconstrictive and anti-inflammatory properties. It is effective in the treatment of varicose veins and hemorrhoids.