skip navigation, jump to main contentDorothy Bradley Atkins Medicinal Plant Garden, College of Pharmacy, UIC

Boneset; Thoroughwort (Eupatorium perfoliatum L.)

Family: Compositae

Medicinal uses: Used primarily in homeopathic medicine for fevers, influenza, digestive problems, and liver disorders. Leaf extract shown in vitro to be cytotoxic. Contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Part used medicinally: Leaf

Native origin: Eastern N. America

Eupatorium perfoliatum L.

Eupatorium perfoliatum L.

Photos: D. Doel Soejarto, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago