Wounds and cuts

Domestic silkmoth

Bombyx mori

Silk from B. mori has been used as surgical suture material for centuries and braided silk sutures remain in use; purified fibroin is as biocompatible as other common biomaterials, with earlier reactions traced to residual sericin.

Silver birch

Betula pendula

A gel of dry birch-bark extract (Filsuvez) is approved by the EU (2022) and US FDA (2023) for partial-thickness wounds of dystrophic and junctional epidermolysis bullosa from 6 months of age. In the main trial (223 patients) 41% had complete closure of the target wound within 45 days versus 29% on control gel; no difference was seen at 90 days.

European medicinal leech

Hirudo medicinalis

The FDA's device classification describes leeches as an adjunct to graft tissue healing where venous congestion may delay healing.

Abalo

Brucea antidysenterica

Seed paste is used on wounds in Ethiopian folk medicine. In rats, ointments of the aqueous fraction of a leaf extract sped wound contraction and had antibacterial activity.

African entada

Entada africana

Leaves are used as a wound dressing that 'prevents suppuration' in northern Nigeria and Ghana, and the bark and roots for chronic wounds; in northern Benin the leaves are used for fractures, wounds and sprains. Phenolic compounds from the leaves showed anti-inflammatory effects in cell assays.

Aleppo oak

Quercus infectoria

Traditionally used for wounds and skin disorders; gall extract has accelerated wound healing in diabetic animal models and protected oxidatively damaged skin fibroblasts in cell studies. No human wound trials were found.

Ammoniac

Dorema ammoniacum

Iranian herders use the gum on infected wounds and abscesses; Jorjani wrote that a Dorema plaster 'wears away decayed flesh and regenerates new'. In rats, 5–20% gum-extract ointments closed wounds faster than untreated controls, with full healing by day 12.

Annatto

Bixa orellana

Seeds are a traditional anti-inflammatory for bruises and wounds and are used on burns in Brazil and Nicaragua. In a small randomised trial after foot and ankle surgery, Urucu ointment applied for 4 weeks gave better observer scar scores (POSAS 2.56 vs 3.33) than a control ointment; two patients had local itching or reactions.

Balm of Gilead

Commiphora gileadensis

Used in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman on wounds and skin infections. A methanolic extract sped wound contraction and reduced Staphylococcus aureus colonisation of infected wounds in mice; the sap inhibited bacteria in the lab. No human trials found.

Banyan

Ficus benghalensis

Banyan (Vata) bark is one of five barks in Panchavalkala, described by Sushruta for cleansing and healing wounds. An uncontrolled clinical study of a Panchavalkala cream in infected chronic wounds reported less slough, discharge and bacterial load; banyan alone has not been tested.

Bistort

Bistorta officinalis

Used topically for skin conditions. A rhizome infusion and its constituents were active against skin bacteria and reduced inflammatory cytokine release from human neutrophils in the lab.

Broad-leaved croton

Croton macrostachyus

Widely used for wounds and skin infections; in Kenya leaf and root decoctions are used for wounds, warts and skin diseases. Methanol and ethanol leaf extracts inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 0.625 mg/ml) in vitro.

Burn jelly plant

Bulbine frutescens

Fresh leaf extracts and gel are used for fast wound healing and the root extract as a styptic. Leaf gel increased wound closure, tensile strength and collagen content in a pig cutaneous wound model, and extracts increased cell migration in scratch assays; leaf extracts inhibited wound bacteria in vitro.

Candelabra aloe

Aloe arborescens

Leaf extracts were antibacterial and aided wound closure in cell assays; the leaf has long been used for skin disorders.

Cathedral bells

Bryophyllum pinnatum

Wound healing is the plant's main folk use. Rat studies of leaf extracts and its main flavonoid showed better re-epithelialisation; a small non-randomised study of a leaf decoction for diabetic foot ulcers (40 patients) reported greater improvement than saline, with baseline differences between groups.

Chinese hibiscus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

An ethanolic flower extract (5–10% ointment) sped wound contraction and increased collagen in excision, incision and dead-space wound models in rats.

Christmas bush

Alchornea cordifolia

Ulcers and wounds are traditional indications; a 2016 review lists wound-healing and anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory and animal studies.

Clary sage

Salvia sclarea

Leaf poultices are used for skin infections and wounds in north-eastern Algeria. In rats with excision wounds, topical clary sage oil sped up wound contraction and skin regrowth and lowered oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6) compared with soft paraffin. No human data.

Cleavers

Galium aparine

Traditionally used for wounds and skin injuries. A hydroethanolic extract sped up scratch-wound closure in human skin fibroblasts and endothelial cells, was not toxic to them, and weakly inhibited Staphylococcus aureus in the lab. There are no animal or human wound studies.

Cluster fig

Ficus racemosa

Leaf decoction is used to wash wounds and latex is applied to them. A double-blind trial in 25 ear-lobe repair patients found a 5% Panchavalkala extract (five barks including Udumbara) reduced slough, swelling and redness at 15 days compared with Neosporin, but not pain or discharge.

Coffee senna

Senna occidentalis

Leaf extracts sped the healing of excision wounds in mice compared with controls; there are no human studies.

Copaiba

Copaifera officinalis

The main traditional use in the Amazon. In a randomised placebo-controlled trial (42 patients, 32 completing), a silicone gel with copaiba oil improved abnormal scars over 84 days; animal studies show faster wound healing. The species in most products is not C. officinalis.

Cuachalalate

Amphipterygium adstringens

Applied to wounds since before the Spanish conquest. In rats, purified 3α-hydroxymasticadienoic acid and anacardic acids sped wound closure by about 30%, but the whole hydroalcoholic extract had no effect.

Daisy

Bellis perennis

A traditional European wound herb. In rats, an ointment made from a butanol fraction of the flowers closed excision wounds completely by day 30 without scarring, against 85–87% in control wounds. In cultured human skin cells, a flower extract increased collagen production.

Dragon's blood palm

Calamus draco

A 2026 meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials (1,011 people) found that adding 'Resina Draconis' to standard care improved the healing response of diabetic foot ulcers and shortened healing time, though healing-time results varied widely between trials (I² = 96%); no serious adverse events were reported. Trial quality was variable, and the products were rarely identified to species: 'Resina Draconis' can come from Dracaena trees as well as this palm. In Taiwan, the palm resin is an ingredient of Jinchuang ointment, used for chronic diabetic and leprosy wounds; in the lab its extract promoted blood-vessel and muscle-cell growth.

Elephant creeper

Argyreia nervosa

Ayurveda credits Vriddhadaru root with wound-healing action. No human trials were found.

Emu bush

Eremophila longifolia

Leaf decoctions were used by First Australians as hot baths and antiseptic washes for wounds and skin infections. In the lab, the leaf essential oil had moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis; neryl ferulate from the leaves was moderately active against Gram-positive bacteria. No clinical studies.

Felty germander

Teucrium polium

Used in Iranian folk medicine for diabetic ulcers. In a placebo-controlled trial (70 enrolled, 55 completed), adding T. polium ointment to standard care for 4 weeks shrank non-infected diabetic foot ulcers more than placebo ointment.

Figwort

Scrophularia nodosa

A long-standing European folk wound remedy. Three acylated iridoid glycosides from the seed pods stimulated growth of human skin fibroblasts in vitro, and a figwort extract raised the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in cultured skin cells; a multi-herb blend containing figwort was well tolerated on horse wounds in a small pilot. No human trials.

Fish poison tree

Barringtonia asiatica

One of 14 plants that Samoan healers use for wounds, burns and sores. Its extract made human skin cells (fibroblasts) migrate faster in a lab scratch test; there are no clinical studies.

Fukien tea tree

Carmona retusa

In mice, ointments of alcoholic extracts of the root, stem and leaves closed wounds faster than 0.2% nitrofurazone ointment. Animal data only.

Giant dodder

Cuscuta reflexa

Used for skin infections; an aqueous-methanol extract sped the healing of experimental frostbite wounds in rats. Animal data only.

Gotu kola (Indian pennywort)

Centella asiatica

The WHO monograph lists treatment of wounds, ulcerous skin conditions and prevention of keloid and hypertrophic scars as uses supported by clinical data, mostly older uncontrolled studies. EMA recognises traditional use to aid healing of minor wounds.

Hairy bergenia

Bergenia ciliata

Used in Sikkim for fresh cuts, wounds and fractured bones; an ethanolic rhizome extract promoted healing of excision wounds in rats (title only).

Henna

Lawsonia inermis

In a randomised double-blind trial of 60 patients with open wounds after pilonidal sinus surgery, henna extract ointment reduced wound length, depth and volume at two weeks more than phenytoin or eucerin. Rat wound models also show faster healing.

Hopbush

Dodonaea viscosa

Aboriginal uses recorded in the same review include leaf juice on stonefish and stingray wounds and a root decoction applied to wounds. In rats, an ointment of a flavonoid-rich leaf fraction (2.5–5%) closed incision and excision wounds faster than povidone-iodine ointment. No human trials.

Hyacinth orchid

Bletilla striata

Traditionally applied to sores, abscesses, burns and chapped skin. Dressings made with Bletilla polysaccharide are reported to absorb blood and tissue fluid and speed healing of burns and surgical wounds; combinations with rhubarb are used for burns in China. Well-controlled human wound trials were not found.

Imphepho

Helichrysum odoratissimum

Leaves are used as a wound dressing and for burns; the 2026 review reports an in vivo study supporting wound-healing activity, but no clinical trials.

Indian borage

Coleus amboinicus

Fresh leaves are applied to wounds, abrasions and hard-to-heal sores in South America and the Caribbean. Extracts were analgesic and anti-inflammatory in mice; no human wound trials were found.

Indonesian cinnamon

Cinnamomum burmanni

Leaf essential oil, rich in D-borneol, promoted skin-cell migration and anti-inflammatory macrophage changes and sped wound healing in animal tests. No human studies.

Jatobá

Hymenaea courbaril

Used for wounds and inflammation in Brazilian traditional medicine. Leaf extracts inhibited Staphylococcus aureus biofilm in the laboratory about as well as chloramphenicol; no human wound studies.

Jurema

Mimosa tenuiflora

In a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial in Mexico, a hydrogel with 5% bark extract (standardised to 1.8% tannins) reduced venous leg ulcer size by an average of 92% after 8 weeks, against healing in only one placebo patient; no side effects were seen. The trial was small and has not been widely replicated.

Kamala tree

Mallotus philippensis

Used externally on ulcers and wounds; a bark extract promoted stem-cell migration and improved wound healing in mice.

Lady's mantle

Alchemilla vulgaris

Reported in folk medicine for wounds and rashes. A 3% extract reduced lesion size in rats and increased growth of skin-type cells in culture; a 2025 review found no human trials.

Lantana

Lantana camara

Used traditionally on cuts, ulcers, itches and as a wound antiseptic; topical leaf extract shortened epithelisation time in rats (17.2 vs 19 days) and leaf extracts had moderate antibacterial activity in the lab.

Lemon myrtle

Backhousia citriodora

First Nations Australians applied the leaves as a topical paste for wound care. The oil was active against Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, E. coli, Pseudomonas, Candida and others in the lab, and has been built into experimental wound-dressing hydrogels.

Lodh tree

Symplocos racemosa

A review of Ayurvedic wound-healing plants lists it among those found effective in experimental models; no clinical trials were described.

Maidenhair fern

Adiantum capillus-veneris

A methanol extract promoted skin-cell migration in a lab wound model, and a formulation with aloe and myrrh sped wound closure in rats.

Mānuka

Leptospermum scoparium

Honey healed infected post-operative wounds faster than antiseptic and gauze in one trial; for venous leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers and minor wounds the effect is unclear. MSK notes randomised trials found mānuka honey no better than standard care for venous leg ulcers or eyelid surgery wounds.

Masterwort

Peucedanum ostruthium

In parts of the Alps the leaves are applied to superficial injuries; leaf and rhizome extracts promoted wound closure in keratinocyte and fibroblast cultures.

Mountain pepper

Tasmannia lanceolata

A glycerine extract of the berry reduced nitric oxide, TNF-α and IL-6 in cell models, and a combination with bitter orange and native river mint aided a wound-healing response in skin cells. Cell studies only.

Natal mahogany

Trichilia emetica

In Mali the leaves are used to heal wounds. In South Africa, powdered bark in petroleum jelly is applied to wounds between the fingers and toes, and leaf poultices to wounds and bruises. Leaf polysaccharides showed complement-fixing (immune-modulating) activity in vitro. No clinical trials.

Neem

Azadirachta indica

A small study cited in a 2025 review reported that about 44% of patients with chronic wounds had 50% healing after 8 weeks; without good controls, this proves little.

Norway spruce

Picea abies

In a randomised multicentre trial in 37 patients with grade II–IV pressure ulcers, 12 of 13 who completed 6 months on resin salve healed completely, against 4 of 9 on hydrocolloid dressings. Many patients dropped out, which weakens the result. In an uncontrolled pilot study, all 23 complicated surgical wounds healed (mean 43 days).

Onion

Allium cepa

Onion-extract gels (sold in Europe combined with heparin and allantoin) are used on surgical and burn scars. A 2021 meta-analysis of 13 randomised trials found they improved scar scores compared with no treatment but were no better than other common topical treatments, and they caused more side effects and more drop-outs from intolerance; onion extract in a silicone gel did better than other treatments.

Oriental sweetgum

Liquidambar orientalis

Traditionally used in Turkey for wounds, burns and skin irritation. In human keratinocyte cultures, very low concentrations of the balsam increased cell proliferation and migration and sped closure of a scratch 'wound'; no animal or human wound trials were found.

Pala indigo

Wrightia tinctoria

The latex is applied to fresh wounds in folk medicine. Its serine proteases more than doubled the healing rate of excision wounds in mice compared with untreated controls, and plant extracts helped wound healing in rats. Animal data only.

Physic nut

Jatropha curcas

One of the most cited wound-healing plants in Ugandan ethnomedicine. In the lab its latex inhibited bacteria and Candida isolated from infected burn wounds in Yemen, sometimes as well as standard antibiotics, and a latex formulation was not toxic to human fibroblasts and promoted collagen production. No clinical trials.

Pointed gourd

Trichosanthes dioica

A 5% fruit-extract ointment sped wound contraction and healing in rats (six per group). No human data.

Portia tree

Thespesia populnea

Indian tribal communities use it for cuts and wounds. Ethanol bark extract and its fractions in a 1–2% hydrogel sped wound closure in rats.

Prickly chaff flower

Achyranthes aspera

Traditionally used in Ethiopia for wounds, infections and inflamed skin. Leaf extracts and creams made from them inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria in the laboratory. There are no clinical trials of wound treatment.

Purple gromwell

Lithospermum erythrorhizon

Shiunkō promoted re-epithelialisation and granulation tissue in rat wound models. In a phase II trial in 40 Ethiopian patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis, Shiunkō twice daily for 4 weeks shrank lesions more than placebo (69% vs 22% by week 16) and sped closure of ulcerated lesions, though cure and parasite clearance did not differ.

Purple loosestrife

Lythrum salicaria

In rats with second-degree burns, a loosestrife ointment gave about 90% wound contraction and better-organised skin than an inactive base. It also moderately inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. No human studies.

Quince

Cydonia oblonga

Quince seed mucilage (a glucuronoxylan) has been used in experimental dermal patches and scaffolds for wound healing; evidence is from lab and animal work.

Red mangrove

Rhizophora mangle

In a 2026 randomised trial in venous leg ulcers, a 5% red mangrove cream reduced ulcer area by about half over 12 weeks, with complete healing in 34.5% of ulcers versus 15.6% with control. A small study of eyelid surgery wounds found faster epithelial healing than with dexpanthenol cream.

Red sanders

Pterocarpus santalinus

An ointment made from the bark healed wounds in normal and diabetic rats, and the same ointment was used on six people with lower-limb wounds, all of which healed. The human series had no control group, so it shows little.

Red-hot-poker tree

Erythrina abyssinica

Bark, flowers and leaves are boiled in petroleum jelly and smeared on wounds and skin infections, including leprosy sores. In a rat wound study, 10% stem bark and leaf ointments healed 82–89% of the wound area in 15 days, but not significantly better than the untreated control.

River pumpkin

Gunnera perpensa

Leaves are applied as hot poultices to wounds and boils in Lesotho, and a rhizome decoction is used as a dressing for wounds and psoriasis. Leaf extracts showed antibacterial activity in the laboratory, stronger than root extracts.

Sacred fig (Bodhi tree)

Ficus religiosa

Leaves are applied to wounds and skin diseases, and the bark (Ashvattha) is one of the five barks of Panchavalkala. An uncontrolled study of Panchavalkala cream in infected chronic wounds reported less slough and bacterial load; the sacred fig alone has not been tested.

Sal

Shorea robusta

Indian tribal communities use the resin on infected wounds and burns and apply bark paste to stop bleeding from cuts. In rats, 10% resin-extract or resin-oil ointments healed incision and excision wounds faster than plain base and the antibiotic framycetin; an ethanol extract (10 and 30%) also sped healing. No human trials.

Sambong

Blumea balsamifera

In rats the volatile oil sped healing of burns and total flavonoids improved wound healing; applied to rat skin at 2,000 mg/kg it caused no acute toxicity.

Sangre de grado

Croton lechleri

The main Amazonian use: the sap is applied to wounds. Wound-healing effects are shown in lab and animal studies; controlled human trials are lacking.

Shampoo ginger

Zingiber zerumbet

Hawaiians applied the pounded rhizome and leaf ash to cuts and bruises. Topical zerumbone sped wound healing in rat and mouse excision-wound studies; no human data.

Siam weed

Chromolaena odorata

In a 2024 study, a purified fraction of the leaf-and-stem extract shortened bleeding time in rabbits, sped up healing of skin wounds in rats and caused no skin irritation or allergy in rabbits and guinea pigs. A leaf extract (Eupolin) increased the growth of fibroblasts and endothelial cells in culture; it has been used as an ointment for wounds and burns in Vietnam, but no fetched source reports a controlled trial.

Silver cluster-leaf

Terminalia sericea

Used for wound infections and skin rashes; extracts increased migration of endothelial and fibroblast cells in vitro, and wound-healing activity is listed among its reported pharmacological effects.

Sinicuichi

Heimia salicifolia

Reputed to enhance wound healing and used for post-partum baths; in the Sierras de Córdoba (Argentina) a decoction is applied as compresses for blows and inflammations. Its alkaloids cryogenine and nesodine inhibited prostaglandin synthesis about 2.5 times as strongly as aspirin in vitro, and vertine is anti-inflammatory in animals.

Sour plum

Ximenia americana

In north-east Brazilian ethnomedicine the bark is an astringent, healing remedy for wounds and skin and mucosal ulcers; in Mozambique the dried, ground root is applied to wounds. In rats, a 10% ointment of the branch extract increased wound contraction at 7 and 14 days.

Stemless carline thistle

Carlina acaulis

Used externally on wounds and ulcerations in Montenegrin and Serbian folk medicine. In the lab the root essential oil and carlina oxide inhibited Gram-positive bacteria and fungi at low concentrations, and fractions of a root methanol extract inhibited Bacillus cereus strongly and MRSA weakly (MIC 2.5–5 mg/ml) without obvious toxicity to cultured cells; there are no human studies.

Striped snakehead

Channa striata

In a randomised trial of 76 women after caesarean section, 500 mg of C. striatus extract daily for 6 weeks did not change postoperative pain or wound-healing scores compared with placebo, but improved scar appearance and patient satisfaction.

Sugarcane

Saccharum officinarum

Granulated sugar dressings have been used on chronic wounds. In a 40-patient comparison, honey dressings cleared bacteria and healed wounds faster than sugar dressings.

Sumac

Rhus coriaria

Applying fruit preparations to skin injuries is a Middle Eastern ethnomedical use; fruit extracts reduced skin inflammation in laboratory and animal dermatitis models, with only a few experimental wound-healing studies and no human trials.

Sweet sarsaparilla

Smilax glyciphylla

Yaegl Elders describe it among plants used as antiseptics for wounds, sores and skin infections, and the leaves are used topically to clear skin problems. A 70% ethanol leaf extract inhibited sensitive and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the test tube, while a water extract made like the customary preparation showed no antibacterial activity. No human studies.

Tamanu

Calophyllum inophyllum

Used in Tahitian medicine (Raau Tahiti) for infected wounds. In mice, calophyllolide from the oil sped wound closure and reduced fibrosis compared with saline and povidone-iodine. No human trials were found.

Vilca

Anadenanthera colubrina

A 5% alcoholic angico extract applied to skin incisions in rats increased collagen and new blood vessels and sped healing (20 rats).

Western honey bee

Apis mellifera

For other wounds (leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, pressure sores), the Cochrane review found the evidence too weak or inconsistent to say whether honey helps; medical-grade, sterilised honey is used in wound care, not table honey.

White dead-nettle

Lamium album

A heptane extract of the flowers stimulated growth of human skin fibroblasts in culture, while methanol and ethyl acetate extracts were cytotoxic at higher concentrations. Cell work only.

Wild bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Blackfoot applied poultices of the plant to cuts and of the flower head to burst boils. The essential oil and its hydrolate inhibited skin-pathogenic bacteria (including MRSA) and fungi in the test tube.

Wild indigo

Tephrosia purpurea

Called 'wranvishapaka', healer of all wounds, in Ayurvedic literature. An ointment of the ethanol extract improved wound contraction, tensile strength and collagen in three rat wound models, comparable to fluticasone ointment.

African birch

Anogeissus leiocarpa

Roots are used for wounds and infections in Togolese traditional medicine.

African locust bean

Parkia biglobosa

Reported in West African traditional use for wound healing, skin infections and burns (leaves).

African myrrh

Commiphora africana

In Sudan the resin is chewed and burned to make smoke for wounds and swellings; in Mauritania the gum is used on wounds.

African yellow wood

Annickia chlorantha

A bark infusion is used on wounds and sores, and the bark as a haemostatic.

Agrimony

Agrimonia eupatoria

EU traditional-use indication for minor skin inflammation and small superficial wounds, as a dressing or bath.

American spikenard

Aralia racemosa

Cherokee poultices of the root 'ooze' for swellings, fresh wounds and cuts; Iroquois root washes and poultices for deep cuts; Mi'kmaq use for wounds; Chippewa and Menominee poultices for boils and sores.

Apple of Sodom

Calotropis procera

Powdered leaves are used to speed wound healing, and the plant for various skin diseases and sinus fistula; no human trials.

Asthma weed

Euphorbia hirta

Used in Africa as an antiseptic for wounds and sores and for warts, scabies and ringworm; the latex is used to draw out thorns. Extracts are antibacterial in vitro.

Avaram

Senna auriculata

Leaves are used for skin sores and ulcers; the flower is popular for skin and cosmetic use.

Balsam of Tolu

Myroxylon balsamum

Peru balsam has long been applied to infected and slow-healing wounds, bedsores, chronic ulcers, burns, frostbite and chapped skin, usually as 5–20% ointments. The EMA found no clinical studies at all, and in 2016 concluded that the high risk of sensitisation outweighs this traditional use, for which safer products exist.

Bearberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Carrier people roasted the leaves to a powder for cuts; the Blackfoot made a salve of the infusion with grease for rashes and skin sores.

Beard lichen

Usnea barbata

Used on wounds in South African folk medicine; no clinical studies found.

Beth root

Trillium erectum

A Cherokee poultice for 'putrid ulcers, tumors and inflamed parts'; the Iroquois used an infusion for pimples and sunburn.

Betony

Betonica officinalis

In central Italy an oily extract is used on wounds; 'woundwort' is one of its common names.

Big sagebrush

Artemisia tridentata

Paiute and Shoshoni used a leaf decoction as an antiseptic wash for cuts, wounds and sores, and poultices of steeped leaves on wounds.

Billygoat weed

Ageratum conyzoides

A 2025 review of Nepalese ethnomedicine found it used by 10 different ethnic groups for cuts and to stop bleeding; it is also a wound herb in Tanzania and India. Extracts are antimicrobial in the laboratory and have been built into experimental wound hydrogels, but there are no clinical trials.

Birch polypore

Fomitopsis betulina

Fresh brackets were used as antiseptic, anti-bleeding dressings, and the dried powder as a painkiller. Extracts inhibit Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcus in the laboratory; there are no clinical trials.

Birthwort

Aristolochia clematitis

In Romanian and other European folk medicine the herb and leaves were applied as poultices or compresses, and root decoctions used, for purulent ulcers, wounds, eczema, rashes, itching and insect stings. Extracts show antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus in the laboratory, but there are no clinical studies, and absorption through skin has not been measured.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina

Cherokee astringent root-bark wash for old sores and ulcers; Chippewa and Ojibwa poultices of inner bark on cuts, wounds and sores.

Black poplar

Populus nigra

Bud ointment for ulcerations and skin disorders; bark applied to superficial skin lesions. Bud extracts are antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes in the lab.

Blessed thistle

Centaurea benedicta

Historically applied externally to gangrenous and indolent ulcers, and listed in Polish therapeutic guides of the 1950s as a dermatological antiseptic. Old lab studies reported antibacterial activity of the herb and of cnicin, without complete data.

Bloodroot

Sanguinaria canadensis

Iroquois and Cherokee applied root washes and poultices to cuts, sores, ulcers and boils. Modern escharotic use is a different matter: see skin cancer.

Blue flag

Iris versicolor

Poultices of crushed root were applied to wounds, sores, swellings and bruises (Tête-de-Boule, Chippewa, Meskwaki, Omaha, Micmac), and to burns.

Blunt-leaved bog moss (Peat moss)

Sphagnum palustre

Used as a wound dressing for centuries and through World War I; John Hotson's 1918 paper in Science helped its acceptance as a surgical dressing in place of cotton. Modern clinical trials are lacking.

Brazilian peppertree

Schinus terebinthifolia

Folk medicine uses bark and leaf infusions and tinctures to promote healing; Brazilian official documents list it as anti-inflammatory and for wound healing in gynaecology. Leaf extracts reduced skin inflammation in mice.

Broadleaf plantain

Plantago major

The main use of the leaf in Europe and elsewhere for centuries. Wound-healing activity has been found in animal and lab studies, but no controlled human trials have been reported.

Brotowali

Tinospora crispa

Crushed leaf powder applied to wounds in Thailand; Filipino use for lacerations and boils.

Buffalo thorn

Ziziphus mucronata

In Bojanala District, North-West Province, leaves and bark (Mokgalo) are applied as a poultice or decoction for abscesses, boils and ulcers, and used as a painkiller and 'antibiotic'; it was one of the most popular plants there for skin conditions (rash, abscess, acne, eczema, boils, ulcers, alopecia).

Bushman's grape

Rhoicissus tridentata

Used for cuts, sores, broken bones and sprains; the sap is said to have healing and anaesthetic properties.

Candle bush

Senna alata

In northern Nigeria stem, leaf and root decoctions are used for skin wounds and burns; a leaf-extract hydrogel was antibacterial in the lab.

Cape aloe

Aloe ferox

Dioscorides and later European herbals used aloe externally for wounds, ulcers and abscesses; the EMA found no defined external preparations and declined to recognise any traditional use, noting that external use probably involved the gel rather than the dried juice.

Cascara sagrada

Frangula purshiana

Clallam used a bark poultice for wounds, and Nitinaht an infusion of spring bark as a wash for cuts and sores; no clinical testing.

Cassava

Manihot esculenta

Leaves and root preparations are used on abscesses, sores and wounds in Nigeria and the Guianas, and Piso recorded cassava applied to old ulcers in 17th-century Brazil. Support is limited to cell and rat studies; a 2023 systematic review found no human trials.

Cedar of Lebanon

Cedrus libani

Resin and tar ('katran') are applied to wounds, eczema and warts in Turkish folk medicine. Cone essential oil sped wound healing in rat and mouse models.

Chaksu

Chamaecrista absus

Listed in traditional medicine for wound healing, venereal ulcers and leucoderma.

Change tree

Aphloia theiformis

Used for wound healing, ulcers and skin infections; crude extract was antimicrobial against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans in disc tests.

Cheesewood

Pittosporum viridiflorum

Wounds are one of ten categories of traditional use recorded in a 2017 review.

Chickweed

Stellaria media

Fresh bruised leaves were poulticed on long-standing leg ulcers (King's American Dispensatory); Iroquois people applied a raw compound poultice to cuts and wounds; in India a leaf decoction is used to dress deep wounds and stop bleeding.

Chinese motherwort

Leonurus japonicus

Used in TCM for sores, abscesses and ulcers; in Vietnam and Thailand fresh leaves are crushed and applied to wounds and snakebites.

Chinese pasque flower

Pulsatilla chinensis

Used in the Shennong Bencao Jing for 'malignant sores'.

Chong lou

Paris polyphylla

In Nepal and the Himalaya, rhizome pastes, juices and powders are applied to cuts, wounds, blisters, burns and sprains.

Christ's thorn jujube

Ziziphus spina-christi

Fruit juice is applied to wounds (Iraqi Jews, Arabs, ancient Egypt, Dhofar); boiled or crushed leaves and resin are used for skin diseases, and leaf cataplasms for abscesses and boils in Morocco.

Christmas berry

Psorospermum febrifugum

Used for subcutaneous wounds; in Uganda the pounded plant is mixed with water to bathe wounds.

Clove

Syzygium aromaticum

WHO records use as an antiseptic dressing for minor wounds and on minor skin infections. Clove extracts and eugenol inhibit bacteria and fungi in the laboratory.

Cocklebur

Xanthium strumarium

The Western Keres (Acoma and Laguna) put a poultice of ground seed powder on open sores (Swank 1932).

Comfrey

Symphytum officinale

Folk poultices of root and leaf on wounds and fractures gave it the names knitbone and comfrey (from Latin confirmare, 'to join together'). EMA warns not to apply its products to broken or irritated skin.

Common mallow

Malva sylvestris

Poultices of leaves and flowers are applied to wounds and slow-healing ulcers in Serbian and Spanish folk medicine. A leaf extract reduced inflammation on mouse skin; no human trials.

Creosote bush

Larrea tridentata

Powdered leaves or leaf poultices were put on sores, wounds and bruises by Pima, Cahuilla, Paiute and Papago people; Papago mothers also put the powder on a newborn's navel. No clinical studies.

Curled dock

Rumex crispus

Pounded or powdered root was applied to sores, cuts, ulcers and abrasions by Cheyenne, Chippewa, Ojibwa, Paiute and Blackfoot people, among others. Extracts of the plant were antibacterial and antioxidant in lab tests.

Curlycup gumweed

Grindelia squarrosa

Northern Cheyenne people washed sores and skin lesions with a decoction of the flowering tops; Mahuna people put a poultice on cuts.

Cutch tree

Senegalia catechu

Used traditionally for skin ulcers and wound healing, and in Ayurveda for skin disease (Khadirarishta); evidence is from animal studies only.

Dahurian angelica

Angelica dahurica

Used externally in Chinese medicine for boils, carbuncles, sores and painful swellings; in diabetic mice it sped wound healing.

Devil's club

Oplopanax horridus

Inner bark is placed in wounds (Haisla and Hanaksiala, followed by Sitka spruce pitch) or applied heated and bandaged, or chewed and spat on a wound as an emergency painkiller and antiseptic.

Epazote

Dysphania ambrosioides

Poultices are applied in Morocco to ulcers, purulent wounds and mouth abscesses. Not tested in people.

European goldenrod

Solidago virgaurea

The old names woundwort and 'heathen woundwort' record its use on wounds; Polish and Romanian folk sources mention wound healing and rinses for mouth ulcers. Not clinically tested.

False black pepper

Embelia ribes

Traditionally the oil is applied for skin disorders and infected wounds, and a paste is used as a mouthwash against dental decay.

False daisy

Eclipta prostrata

Leaves and shoots are used in Nepal to prevent and treat wound infection, and in India for cuts and skin problems.

Fernleaf biscuitroot

Lomatium dissectum

Poultices of the pounded root were applied to cuts, sores, boils and bruises (Okanagan-Colville, Kawaiisu), to wounds and infected compound fractures (Gosiute), and the root was described as the basis of a number of antiseptics (Paiute, Shoshoni).

Fever bush

Dicoma anomala

Flowers and roots are used on wounds and sores in Lesotho, Malawi and South Africa.

Fever tea

Lippia javanica

Fresh leaves are wrapped around wounds in Kenya, and leaf infusions are used on boils, rashes, scabies and stings in South Africa.

Field horsetail

Equisetum arvense

EMA traditional use for supportive treatment of superficial wounds, as a decoction or diluted juice applied in dressings or as an irrigation. EMA noted that there are no clinical studies for this use.

Fire-flame bush

Woodfordia fruticosa

In Sri Lanka fresh flowers are used to stop bleeding from cuts and dried flower powder to heal wounds; tribal peoples in India use the flowers for skin disease and wound healing.

Fish mint

Houttuynia cordata

Root juice is applied to wounds, abscesses and snakebites in Indian folk medicine.

Flame lily

Gloriosa superba

In Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, a few drops of plant extract are rubbed onto cuts and wounds. Seed extracts are also used on wounds in traditional medicine.

Flax (Linseed)

Linum usitatissimum

Hot linseed poultices (cataplasms) for local inflammation, boils and wounds were recorded by Commission E and in French and Italian herbals; not tested in trials.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida

The Cherokee used the root bark on wounds, in poultices and as an antiseptic astringent, and put a poultice of the bark's ooze on ulcers. Nineteenth-century writers called the root bark antiseptic for ulcers.

Frankincense

Boswellia sacra

The resin is applied to wounds, sores and ulcers in Middle Eastern and Asian folk medicine; antimicrobial activity has been shown only in the lab.

Fringe tree

Chionanthus virginicus

The Choctaw used a decoction of the roots or bark as a wash for infected sores and wounds and as a dressing for cuts, and the Koasati washed cuts with a bark decoction. King's recommends a poultice for external inflammations, ulcers and wounds.

Giant puffball

Calvatia gigantea

Used as a wound dressing in folk medicine; a 2023 review of fungal wound-healing agents lists it but found no clinical data.

Goldenseal

Hydrastis canadensis

Native Americans used it for wounds, skin and eye conditions, digestive disorders and as a dye. Not tested in trials.

Green cestrum

Cestrum parqui

In the Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina, a leaf decoction is used, alone or with other plants, as a wash for animals' wounds and injuries. No human or clinical data exist.

Guava

Psidium guajava

Traditional external use on wounds and ringworm (WHO).

Gum arabic tree

Vachellia nilotica

Leaf infusions are applied to stop bleeding and as a wash for wounds and ulcers, and powdered gum with egg white on burns; wound healing has been shown in rats only.

Gum benjamin

Styrax benzoin

Friar's Balsam (compound benzoin tincture) is used for its antiseptic and protective properties on abrasions and minor cuts, to prevent blisters and cracked nipples, and in hospitals to make skin closure strips and dressings adhere. Its antiseptic value is supported mainly by laboratory findings.

Heath speedwell

Veronica officinalis

Known in Romanian and Montenegrin folk medicine for wound healing and for skin diseases.

Himalayan rhubarb

Rheum australe

Across the Indian Himalaya rhizome powder or paste is put on wounds and cuts, and a decoction with ghee or oil is applied around boils. Anthraquinones from the root are antibacterial and antifungal in the laboratory; no clinical studies.

Hog plum

Spondias mombin

Wounds are among its most frequent ethnomedical uses across tropical regions; an anacardic-acid derivative from the plant inhibits bacterial β-lactamase, and extracts are antibacterial in vitro. No clinical wound studies exist.

Indian acalypha

Acalypha indica

Leaves are eaten for wound healing in South and Southeast Asia; no clinical studies were found.

Indian aconite

Aconitum ferox

Himalayan uses listed in a 2022 review include cuts, inflammation and leprosy; no clinical studies.

Indian barberry

Berberis aristata

Used for wound healing, ulcers and skin diseases.

Indian madder

Rubia cordifolia

Recorded in Ayurveda, Chinese, Korean and Unani practice for wound healing and inflammatory conditions; only laboratory evidence.

Indian sarsaparilla

Hemidesmus indicus

Ayurveda uses it on wounds; laboratory studies show antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity only.

Indian tobacco

Lobelia inflata

Iroquois healers used root or leaf infusions as a wash or poultice on abscesses and sores, and Cherokee healers used it on boils, sores, bites and stings.

Jackfruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus

Fruits, leaves and bark are used in traditional medicine for wounds and skin diseases; support comes from lab and animal studies only.

Japanese angelica

Angelica acutiloba

Makes up 25% of the herbs in shiunkō, a sesame-oil ointment with purple gromwell used in Kampo for wounds and burns; no clinical trials of the ointment are cited in the review.

Japanese thistle

Cirsium japonicum

Used in Chinese medicine to 'detoxify and reduce swelling' in sores, carbuncles and abscesses, and for bleeding from trauma. No clinical evidence was found.

Job's tears

Coix lacryma-jobi

Used to expel pus; the Bencao Gangmu records it for pulmonary suppuration and it appears in formulas for lung abscess.

Kawakawa

Piper excelsum

Used for wounds; Māori knowledge holds that leaves holed by the kawakawa looper caterpillar heal better.

Kosso

Hagenia abyssinica

Used for wound healing in Ethiopian traditional medicine.

Larger tinsel flower

Alepidea amatymbica

Fresh rhizome is applied externally to stop bleeding from wounds.

Lesser periwinkle

Vinca minor

Applied externally to help wounds heal; untested clinically.

Lotus sweetjuice

Glinus lotoides

Reported in Ethiopia for boils and wounds; untested.

Mahua

Madhuca longifolia

Juice of crushed young leaves is applied to wounds; seed oil and bark show wound-healing activity in experiments only.

Mandrake

Mandragora officinarum

The Greek names fistulóriza ('fistula-healing root') reflect a use for fistulas already mentioned by Hippocrates; a Turkish name, 'blood-dryer', reflects use to stop bleeding.

Mangosteen

Garcinia mangostana

Traditional use for skin infections and wounds; xanthones from the pericarp are antibacterial and antifungal in the lab.

Maqui

Aristotelia chilensis

Leaf poultices and topical preparations for wounds and skin lesions; untested.

Marsh mallow

Althaea officinalis

WHO records pharmacopoeial and traditional use as an emollient for wounds and dry skin; poultices of the boiled root, leaves and flowers were used historically. No clinical trials.

Mastic tree

Pistacia lentiscus

EMA traditional use of ointments with 9–11% powdered mastic as an aid in healing minor wounds. A mastic-containing wound adhesive held better than benzoin tincture in 300 surgical patients, but that does not support a therapeutic indication.

Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

Cherokee healers dusted powdered root on ulcers and sores; the Iroquois took a compound root decoction for boils.

Maypop

Passiflora incarnata

Cherokee healers applied pounded root to draw out inflammation from brier or locust wounds, and used a compound root infusion for boils.

Mezereon

Daphne mezereum

Historically, mezereon ointment was used to keep blistered surfaces discharging and on 'obstinate, ill-conditioned indolent ulcers' (US Dispensatory 1918). A deliberate blistering (vesicant) practice, now obsolete and unsafe.

Mistletoe fig

Ficus deltoidea

Used for wounds, rheumatism, toothache, headache, colds and sore throats in Malaysian ethnomedicine; untested clinically.

Mobola plum

Parinari curatellifolia

Crushed or pulped leaves are used as a poultice for cuts, wounds and sores, and roots and leaves for chronic sores and tumours. No clinical data.

Myrrh

Commiphora myrrha

EMA traditional use for minor wounds and small boils (furuncles); boils on the face should be treated by a doctor.

Ningpo figwort

Scrophularia ningpoensis

Traditionally used in Chinese medicine for abscesses and carbuncles.

Noni

Morinda citrifolia

Polynesian remedies such as those of Rotuma use leaves, roots, bark and green fruit mainly for topical ailments: abscesses, scabies, infections and inflammation.

Northern white cedar

Thuja occidentalis

Iroquois washes and poultices for cuts, bruises and sores; Malecite pounded under-bark with grease for burns.

Pepper-bark tree

Warburgia salutaris

Used traditionally for skin infections and wounds.

Peyote

Lophophora williamsii

Indigenous Mexican and North American peoples applied peyote to burns, wounds, snakebites, scorpion stings and skin conditions.

Pleurisy root

Asclepias tuberosa

Menominee applied a poultice of the powdered root to cuts, wounds and bruises; Omaha used fresh and dried root on wounds and sores. A pregnane glycoside fraction from the root made human skin fibroblasts proliferate in the laboratory.

Pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

Cherokee and Delaware applied root salves and powdered root to old and ulcerous sores, and poultices to swellings.

Pongam

Millettia pinnata

All parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine in several countries, notably for skin diseases and wounds.

Pot marigold

Calendula officinalis

EMA traditional use as an aid in healing minor wounds, in people over 6 years.

Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

EMA traditional use of ointments made from the pressed juice for small superficial wounds, for up to one week.

Quaking aspen

Populus tremuloides

Used as a wound dressing in recorded Native American practice.

Quinoa

Chenopodium quinoa

The saponin-rich wash water from the seed coat has been used in South American folk medicine as an antiseptic for skin injuries; this has not been tested in people.

Rangoon creeper

Combretum indicum

A leaf infusion is recorded as an external treatment for boils and ulcers.

Red spider lily

Lycoris radiata

The Bencao Gangmu records the bulb for abscesses, suppurative wounds and ulcers, applied externally. The Guoshan Yao of Guangdong steam the bulb and crush it with a fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) as an external application for skin diseases and boils.

Ribwort plantain

Plantago lanceolata

European handbooks record the fresh or dried leaf applied to stop bleeding and on wounds and ulcers; Cherokee healers applied leaf poultices to blisters, ulcers and burns. Not an EU-registered indication.

River red gum

Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Aboriginal people cut the trunk to collect red kino and applied it, fresh or softened from the dried form, to cuts and abrasions to stop bleeding; leaf poultices are used for wound infections in Nigeria.

Round-leaved sundew

Drosera rotundifolia

German folk medicine applied it externally to poorly healing wounds, warts and corns. No clinical testing.

Sacred garlic pear

Crateva religiosa

In Myanmar a paste of the bark ground with Boerhavia diffusa root is taken for chronic sores and boils; in central Nepal the grated dried fruit is applied to skin wounds. Untested.

Safflower

Carthamus tinctorius

Pharmacopoeial use (WHO) for wounds or sores with pain and swelling; no clinical studies.

Sandarac tree

Tetraclinis articulata

Leaf decoctions are applied to bruises and wounds, and in Algeria the plant is used to dry the umbilical wound of newborns. In the laboratory the leaf oil at 5% suppressed biofilms of skin bacteria; there are no clinical studies.

Sausage tree

Kigelia africana

Mature fruit is used across Africa to dress wounds, abscesses, ulcers and boils, and unripe fruit as a wound dressing in Central Africa. Fruit extracts inhibited several bacteria and fungi in disc-diffusion and MIC tests, but no studies in people were found.

Scots pine

Pinus sylvestris

Resin melted with tallow for cracked hands, or with honey for boils, is recorded in Transylvania; in North Karelia (Finland) resin and pine tar were mainly named for skin problems. Untested in trials.

Self-heal

Prunella vulgaris

The English name reflects its old European use to speed wound healing; untested clinically.

Sensitive plant (Touch-me-not)

Mimosa pudica

Root and leaf pastes are applied to cuts, boils and abscesses in Indian folk medicine; wound-healing effects have been reported in animal studies only.

Shea tree

Vitellaria paradoxa

Wound healing and umbilical-cord care are among the commonest recorded uses of shea butter across Sub-Saharan Africa; untested in controlled studies.

Siberian musk deer

Moschus moschiferus

Listed in Chinese medicine for ulcers and sores, among many other conditions.

Silk tree

Albizia julibrissin

Extracts are described as useful for bruises, ulcers, abscesses, burns and fractures in traditional practice; antimicrobial activity has been reported in the laboratory.

Slippery elm

Ulmus rubra

The Cherokee and Meskwaki put poultices of the bark on old sores and wounds, the Cherokee also used them on burns, and the Micmac used the bark on suppurating wounds. LiverTox notes topical use for skin rash and irritation.

Small-flowered willowherb

Epilobium parviflorum

Willowherb infusions are traditionally applied to skin and mucosal infections and used to promote wound healing; extracts are antibacterial in vitro.

Snake bean

Bobgunnia madagascariensis

In Lubumbashi (DR Congo) the stem bark is applied as a cataplasm and the fruit as a liniment to wounds; it ranked among the top wound plants in a survey of about 2,900 people. Leaf water extracts were strongly antibacterial against Shigella, Salmonella typhi and E. coli O157 in a laboratory study.

Socotra dragon tree

Dracaena cinnabari

Dragon's blood resins from several plants are used traditionally to stop bleeding and heal wounds; little research has examined their clinical use.

Sour fig

Carpobrotus edulis

Leaf juice is applied to burns, bruises, scrapes and wounds; Xhosa healers use it for sores.

St John's wort

Hypericum perforatum

EMA traditional use of the oil extract (the red 'St John's oil') or tincture on the skin for minor inflammation such as sunburn and to aid healing of minor wounds; NCCIH notes wound-healing research has not clearly shown benefit.

Stag's-horn clubmoss

Lycopodium clavatum

The Forest Potawatomi used the spores as a styptic and coagulant. Serbian folk medicine sprinkled the powdered dry plant on moist, inflamed skin, especially in small children. Hospitals used the spores as a dusting powder in the 1920s–30s, but spores entering surgical wounds caused granulomas that mimicked tuberculosis or cancer, sometimes decades later.

Sweet detar

Detarium microcarpum

Fresh bark or leaves are applied to wounds to prevent infection, and the fruit pulp is used for skin diseases in Burkina Faso.

Sweet woodruff

Galium odoratum

Used externally on wounds in Central European folk medicine. A topical extract improved wound contraction in a rat burn model; there are no human trials.

Tea tree

Melaleuca alternifolia

EU traditional-use indication for small superficial wounds, based on its long history as an Australian antiseptic rather than on wound-healing trials.

Ti plant

Cordyline fruticosa

Leaves are applied to fresh cuts and sores in East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Leaf extracts showed modest antibacterial activity in laboratory tests.

Tiger milk mushroom

Lignosus rhinocerotis

Indigenous use for wounds is recorded, and the powder was mixed with Chinese rice wine for lumps, sores and boils; experimental wound dressings are being studied in the laboratory.

Tobacco

Nicotiana tabacum

Poultices of the leaf were used for boils, cuts and sores by the Cherokee, Hesquiat and Thompson peoples, and in Hawaiian medicine to draw pus from scrofulous sores.

Tormentil

Potentilla erecta

Traditionally applied externally to poorly healing wounds and to stop bleeding, according to the handbooks reviewed by the EMA; untested clinically.

Tree turmeric

Coscinium fenestratum

The stem and root are used traditionally as antiseptics for wounds and ulcers. Not clinically studied.

True indigo

Indigofera tinctoria

The Romans used indigo pigment for medicinal and cosmetic purposes; there is no clinical testing of Indigofera tinctoria preparations.

Tumbleweed

Boophone disticha

Dried bulb scales are traditionally laid on wounds, including as a dressing after circumcision. The bulb's crinane alkaloids buphanidrine and distichamine moderately inhibited common bacteria in the test tube (best MIC 0.063 mg/ml). No clinical studies.

Uzara

Xysmalobium undulatum

Applied externally to wounds and abscesses in traditional African medicine; untested.

Wild strawberry

Fragaria vesca

The Okanagan-Colville applied leaf powder to open sores as a disinfectant, or mixed with deer fat as a poultice.

Wild thyme

Thymus serpyllum

The same paste was used to disinfect wounds and scrapes.

Winter's bark

Drimys winteri

Applied as a plaster to wounds, ulcers, warts and scabies. Leaf and bark essential oil and drimane compounds are antibacterial and antifungal in the lab, including against Candida strains from Chilean patients.

Woad

Isatis tinctoria

Hippocrates recommended woad for wounds, ulcers and haemorrhoids, and Galen and Pliny also recommended it; the name Isatis is linked to this wound-healing use.

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

EMA traditional use for small superficial wounds; many Indigenous North American nations applied leaf poultices to wounds, burns and sores.

Yellow oleander

Cascabela thevetia

External wounds are among the reported traditional uses; the case-report literature also mentions use for haemorrhoids and as an antiseptic. No clinical evidence.

Yerba santa

Eriodictyon californicum

Leaf poultices were applied to sores, cuts and abrasions (Coahuilla, Miwok, Yuki); the Miwok also applied them to fractures and swellings.