Mo. Preparations are being made to begin a study to see if black cohosh, a medicinal herb used for hundreds of years by Native Americans, could bring dollars to Missouri farmers.
Black cohosh is native to forests in several states, including Missouri.
The Indians valued it highly. They boiled the root and drank the broth for rheumatism, feminine diseases, sore throats and to stimulate menstrual flow. It s also an astringent, diuretic, anti-diarrhea agent and contains estrogen, said Andrew Thomas, horticulturist at the University of Missouri s Southwest Center where part of the study is to be done. There s some money to be made, Thomas said. However, it s not easy to find black cohosh.