Hydrastis canadensis, a perennial herb of the buttercup family, native to southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States, with a thick, yellow knotted rootstock and diverse medicinal properties
Perennial herb (Hydrastis canadensis) native to woods of the eastern U.S. Its rootstocks have medicinal properties. The plant has a single greenish-white flower, the sepals of which fall as they open. The fruits grow in clusters of small red berries. Goldenseal is sometimes planted in shady wild gardens but is also grown commercially for the yellow rootstocks, which yield hydrastine, an alkaloid. Used medicinally by Native Americans, it is now a popular herbal supplement taken for minor pain and infections