Late October around here is dock season: seed stalks stand dark brown at field edges, and plants that spent the summer building a root are done adding to it. First year rosettes line paths and are more noticeable then they had been all season. The ground hasn't frozen yet for people who dig.
This week's three are a weedy root dug about now, a sticky yellow-flowered western plant still blooming late, and a frost-tender root from India that gardeners lift in fall. The research on all three is thinner than labels suggest.
Yellow Dock Root (Curly Dock) (Rumex crispus)
Yellow dock is a perennial that forms a rosette (a flat circle of leaves) of smooth leaves with curled, waved edges. The stalk can reach about five feet and now holds shiny brown seeds in dark dried pods. Below ground is a large, yellow, forking taproot. It's native to Europe and western Asia and naturalized across North America in fields and disturbed ground. Broad-leaf dock (R. obtusifolius) is used the same way and sometimes sold under similar names, but this issue is about R. crispus.
Where to Find It
Self-Harvest: Dock is a common weed, and the dark seed stalks make plants easy to spot in fall. Harvest from clean land, away from the pollution of roadsides.
Buy It: Starwest Botanicals sells organic cut-and-sifted root, and an organic root powder, both from Croatia (the listing doesn't say wildcrafted). Mountain Rose Herbs carries organic-certified root from Bulgaria and Albania in sizes up to bulk (the listing doesn't say cut or whole), plus a 1:3 fresh-root extract in 55–75% alcohol, made in small batches in Eugene, Oregon.
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When to Harvest
Sources disagree. Herbal Academy says dig after the first few frosts but before the ground freezes solid; Heartland Folk says late autumn, with the dark seed stalks as your marker. One writer prefers spring, another says any time. I couldn't verify a date for any particular place. The general rule for roots is after plant die off in the fall but before spring growth starts, with freeze tender roots leaning more to as soon as possible in the fall.
It's hard work either way: dock is one of the harder roots to dig. Dig deeply around it with a harvesting fork; wet soil helps. Digging ends the plant, so if it has seed, scatter some.
How to Prepare and Extract
Clean and dry: Scrub with a vegetable brush, slice thin (1/4 inch or less), and dry below 95°F. Store cool, dry and out of direct light (general root guidance, not dock-specific).
Decoction (a tea made by simmering the root): 1–2 teaspoons dried root per cup of water, simmered 15 minutes. It's very bitter.
Tincture: One source lists 1:2 in 70% alcohol without saying fresh or dried. The doses below are for a different strength, 1:5 in 45% alcohol, so don't mix the numbers.
Fresh vs. dried: One source says fresh root is more likely to cause vomiting; Herbal Academy prefers tincturing fresh herbs. Don't treat them as interchangeable.
How to Use It
Digestion and bile (traditional): Used as a bitter (a bitter-tasting plant traditionally used to stimulate digestion), for liver and bile support, and to gently encourage elimination.
Chronic skin conditions (traditional): Linked by herbalists to digestive stagnation.
Anemia (traditional): Western herbalism uses it for its iron content.
Laxative effect: Possibly mild, from anthraquinone glycosides (plant compounds that act on the bowel).
Doses (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia): 2–4 g dried root; 1–2 mL of 1:5 tincture or 1 cup of decoction, three times daily.
Safety
Avoid during an acute gallbladder attack caused by stones. If you're prone to kidney stones, be careful: the leaves are high in oxalic acid (a compound that can contribute to stones), especially older leaves. Use mindfully in pregnancy and breastfeeding because of the laxative compounds, and large amounts may worsen loose stools or diarrhea. Avoid long-term reliance without addressing the underlying cause. Mountain Rose advises consulting a practitioner if you're pregnant, nursing or on medications.
Other safety measures may be appropriate for you. Always consult a physician.
What the Research Says
I found one study, done on cells in a lab, not on people. The traditional uses are old, but nothing here shows yellow dock works in a human body.
Researchers in Korea (Eom and colleagues, 2020) made an ethanol extract of R. crispus root and split it into five fractions. The ones richest in polyphenols and flavonoids (the plant's own antioxidant compounds) had the strongest antioxidant effects. The fraction with the most anthraquinones had the strongest effect on HepG2 liver cancer cells, and another lowered inflammatory signals in macrophages (immune cells). That's in vitro (in a dish), with lab extracts, not tea.
Gumweed (Great Valley Gumweed) (Grindelia camporum)
"Gumweed" is a genus name (Grindelia, in the daisy family) covering several species, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) monograph covers G. robusta, G. squarrosa, G. humilis and G. camporum. The picture is G. camporum, a California native evergreen perennial two to three feet tall with yellow flowers from June through October, so out west it's still blooming. They're sticky, with shiny leaves and a camphor-like scent. Mexican arnica (Heterotheca) looks similar but has rougher leaves. Gumweed last ran in the July 30 issue.
Where to Find It
Self-Harvest: Wild gumweeds grow across much of the West. Check against Mexican arnica first.
Buy It: I couldn't find dried gumweed herb at the usual herb suppliers, and no verified source for it. Strictly Medicinal Seeds sells certified-organic gumweed seeds (a packet of 30), but they're Grindelia integrifolia (Puget Sound gumweed), not G. camporum.
Grow Your Own: The seed listing says to sow in spring, barely cover and tamp the seed, expect about three weeks to germinate, then thin or transplant to 1–2 feet apart.
When to Harvest
The textbooks disagree. For G. camporum and some others, aerial parts (everything above ground) are gathered before the flower heads open; for G. robusta and G. squarrosa, tops and leaves are gathered during flowering.
How to Prepare and Extract
Tea: The EMA lists 2–3 g of the cut herb in 150 mL (about 2/3 cup) of boiling water, up to three times a day.
Tincture: 1:10 in 60% alcohol, 1.5–3 mL daily (adult amounts).
Handling: The dried herb breaks apart easily. I couldn't verify drying, storage or home resin extraction, so I'm leaving them out.
How to Use It
Cough with a cold: The EMA's proposed traditional use. See a practitioner if symptoms last beyond a week.
Upper respiratory catarrh (mucus buildup): A traditional use for colds, asthma and bronchitis; German Commission E approved it for catarrh. It's called an expectorant (helps clear mucus) and an antispasmodic (eases spasms).
Poison ivy (topical, traditional): Used as a lotion. One case report describes a fresh-bud tincture easing poison oak itch. That's one person, not a trial.
Safety
Not recommended under 18, or in pregnancy and breastfeeding, because there's no data. It may irritate the stomach lining in sensitive people, and high doses may cause diarrhea and kidney or stomach irritation. Take extra care if your kidneys are weak.
Other safety measures may be appropriate for you. Always consult a physician.
What the Research Says
The EMA found no controlled human trials of gumweed, so this is all lab and animal work.
In vitro, extracts inhibited two bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis), and a G. camporum extract was active against six fungi. In rats, a dry extract reduced paw swelling by 41–63% at 100–200 mg/kg by mouth. An old cat study (1946) found more respiratory fluid in cats, but not in rabbits or guinea pigs. Rats showed no toxic effects at 2.5 g/kg; I found no genotoxicity (DNA damage) or reproductive toxicity studies.
Ashwagandha Root (Withania somnifera)
Ashwagandha comes from ashva (horse) and gandha (smell) in Sanskrit. It is an evergreen shrub of the nightshade family, about one to two and a half feet tall, with downy branches, dull green leaves, small green bell-shaped flowers and orange-red fruit. The root smells strongly horse-like, which is where the name comes from. It's native from the Middle East and Africa to the Indian subcontinent, and it's very frost-sensitive (perennial only in zones 9–12), so gardeners in cooler places grow it as an annual and dig the root in fall.
Where to Find It
Self-Harvest: Most readers will meet it as a garden crop rather than a wild plant. One grower in southern Oregon starts seeds indoors, transplants after frost danger, and spaces plants about 2 feet by 1 foot.
Buy It: Starwest Botanicals sells organic cut-and-sifted root and an organic root powder, both from India, plus a 1:1 root extract in 30% alcohol. That's a tincture-style extract, not the standardized capsule extract used in clinical trials. Mountain Rose Herbs carries organic-certified root from India (the listing doesn't say cut or whole) and says it isn't for use in pregnancy unless supervised by a qualified practitioner.
This issue may include affiliate links — if you buy through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
When to Harvest
Home growers dig in fall once the top dies back; yellow, dry leaves and red berries signal maturity. India's commercial crop runs on a different calendar: roots are ready 150–180 days after sowing, harvested around February–March.
How to Prepare and Extract
Dig and dry: Loosen the soil with a fork, pull gently, wash, cut off the greens, and chop the roots while wet (easier than dry). Dry small pieces on a screen with good airflow, then store in a jar. Commercial growers shade-dry 7–10 cm pieces 7–10 days, then sun-dry 3–5 days to under 12% moisture.
Powder and milk drink: Grind the dried root into honey, ghee or water, or try Starwest's recipe that simmers 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, 1/2 tsp powder and 1/8 tsp cardamom, covered, about 10 minutes, finished with a little maple syrup and 1/2 tsp ghee or coconut oil.
Tincture and decoction: I couldn't find a verified ratio, alcohol strength or simmer time, so I'm not giving one. The trial dose below (400 mg of standardized extract a day) is not equivalent to home-made powder, tea or tincture.
How to Use It
Stress and anxiety: Promoted for stress and anxiety, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
Sleep, male fertility and athletic performance: Also promoted for these.
Dose: NCCIH gives none. Ask someone skilled in herbal medicine.
Safety
NCCIH says it may be safe short-term (up to 3 months) and long-term safety isn't established. Drowsiness, stomach upset, diarrhea and vomiting are possible, and rare liver injury has been linked to supplements. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding, before surgery, and with autoimmune or thyroid disorders. Avoid with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (it may raise testosterone). Possible interactions with diabetes, blood pressure, immunosuppressant, sedative, seizure and thyroid medications.
Other safety measures may be appropriate for you. Always consult a physician.
What the Research Says
The trials tested standardized root extracts in capsules, not home-prepared root, and the stress result is less impressive than the marketing.
In a 12-week placebo-controlled trial (Smith and colleagues, 2023), about 60 adults per group, aged 40–75 with high stress and fatigue, took a root extract standardized to 1.5% withanolides (the plant's main active compounds), 200 mg twice a day. Perceived Stress Scale scores improved about 39% on ashwagandha and 36% on placebo, with no significant difference. Fatigue improved more on ashwagandha (about 46% vs. 31%), and men's free testosterone rose 12.9% vs. a 1.7% drop on placebo. No serious adverse reactions. The authors call it underpowered (too small to catch modest effects), and the supplier funded it.
A 2024 meta-analysis (a pooling of trials) of nine randomized trials with 558 patients found ashwagandha beat placebo on stress, anxiety and cortisol; four studies reported mild to moderate adverse events. I couldn't see which plant parts those trials used, so I can't say they apply to root. NCCIH notes many trials are small and use different preparations.
From the Garden Gate
Garlic's window is still open. October into early November is planting time, before the ground freezes.
Tender herbs have a deadline. Harvest frost-tender herbs before a hard frost, and bring potted ones indoors.
Until next time...
If you've got dock growing somewhere you can dig safely, see how deep that root goes. Come share what you're working on, and ask your questions, in Growing and Harvesting Medicinal Herbs & Teas.
See you in the group!
—Dana
About the editor: Dana is an herbalist, forager and grower who puts plants first for her family's health. She enjoys teaching and learning — and is always up for a conversation about plants of all kinds. Dana also owns the Facebook community: Growing and Harvesting Medicinal Herbs & Teas.