Chestnut Herbal School

Partridge Berry

Written and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor

Mitchella repens in fruit; notice the two "eyes", which are the evidence of the two flowers sharing an ovary to form one fruit.

Mitchella repens in fruit; notice the two “eyes”, which are the evidence of the two flowers sharing an ovary to form one fruit.

Partridge berry is an evergreen trailing vine which stays close to the ground as it weaves its way over the roots of hemlocks and other conifers. I have seen it growing in the shade of mature forests in acidic soils, often near streams, from Florida to New England. It takes its sweet time, growing slowly but often forms a solid carpet on the forest floor.

Botanically it possesses some unique characteristics. One of its names is Twin berry which alludes to its paired little white flowers joined at their base (they have a fused calyx) which mature into one berry! If you look closely the telltale sign is left on the berry – two little dots or “eyes” which are the scars left by the corollas (petals) from each flower.  Partridge berry is a member of the madder or coffee family (the Rubiaceae).

Partirdge berry

This sweet unassuming plant is a joy to see in the winter when little else is green. Its red berry is edible but it is not sweet, and in fact has little flavor. The fruit can brighten up salads and make a fun trail side nibble, and is easy for little people to gather and gobble. Note the photo of Ruby munching up Partridge berries this fall.

Partridge berry, known to herbalists as Mitchella, has been used by Native peoples as herbal medicine for thousands of generations. Everything we know about this plant comes from the indigenous people of the areas now known as the U.S. and Canada. The above ground parts (leaves and stems) are used for medicine. It is a uterine tonic, astringent and diuretic. It has been used internally for edema, urinary and kidney disorders, and topically as a mild haemostatic. The Cherokee have used it as a diaphoretic (increases sweating) and diuretic and to cure dysentery. In addition they used it for painful menstruation, sore nipples and to facilitate childbirth. Women use it for preventing miscarriage and premature labor and as a partus preparator (the term used for herbs taken a couple weeks to a month before child birth to prepare the womb for its upcoming work). One of its first names was squaw vine as early Europeans observed Native women using this herb in preparation for and during childbirth. Squaw vine usually goes by Partridge berry these days as the word squaw has been used in a derogatory way by many Europeans and is considered to be insulting by most Native women.


Mitchella repens growing on a mossy rock

Mitchella repens growing on a mossy rock

I have a strong respect for Mitchella as it has helped my pregnancy as well as other women’s. While I was in my early pregnancy with my daughter Ruby I was experiencing strong cramping and heavy bleeding. I used a tincture made of Wild Yam root (Dioscorea quaternata), Black haw root bark (Viburnum prunifolium) and Partridge berry herb (Mitchella repens) in equal parts 3-6 times a day. These herbal allies, along with bed rest, and Ruby’s feisty spirit, saved her pregnancy!

A woman in her sixth month of pregnancy experiencing a lot of stress in her home life asked me to help her with the strong contractions she was feeling. Her emotional situation had intensified the usual “practice” contractions typically felt in later pregnancy and she was concerned. I recommended a tincture of equal parts Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and Mitchella repens. She took 2-3 droppers full three times a day and her contractions subsided.

Mitchella is also indicated in early pregnancy for women who have experienced multiple miscarriages or are facing a potential miscarriage. The dosage in this situation, and most others, would be 2-3 droppers full of tincture three times a day. A tea from the dried herb may also be drunk.

Partridge berry does grow slowly in specific conditions so please take care when harvesting her for medicine. Taking only growing tips, and leaving some of the vine rooted in the soil allows it to re-grow. Only gather this Mitchella where it is growing abundantly.


Ruby picking partridge berries in December

Ruby picking partridge berries in December

Seeing Ruby eat the fruit from a plant which helped her come into this world fills me with gratitude for all the gifts plants offer us. Give thanks to this sweet little powerful vine adorning our forest floor!

Meet The Green Mastermind Behind Blog Castanea

Juliet Blankespoor

JULIET BLANKESPOOR is the founder, primary instructor, and Creative Director of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, an online school serving thousands of students from around the globe. She's a professional plant-human matchmaker and bonafide plant geek, with a degree in botany and over 30 years of experience teaching and writing about herbalism, medicine making, and organic herb cultivation. Juliet’s lifelong captivation with medicinal weeds and herb gardening has birthed many botanical enterprises over the decades, including an herbal nursery and a farm-to-apothecary herbal products business. 

These days, she channels her botanical obsession through her writing and photography in her online programs, on her personal blog Castanea, and in her new book, The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies. Juliet and her family reside in a home overrun with houseplants and books in Asheville, North Carolina.

Interested in becoming a contributor?

 

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8 thoughts on “Partridge Berry

  1. Madeleine Casey says:

    Hello,
    I am 23 weeks pregnant and was wondering when is an appropriate time to start drinking partridge tea? My mother said she drank it with all nine of us starting after the first trimester until she went into labor. Can you give me some more research to look at or a recommendation on when it is okay to start drinking this tea?
    Thank you!

    • Wow, what a sweet relationship your family has with this plant! Here is another Blog Castanea post on partridge berry that offers more information about its use. Unfortunately, I have not encountered much research on partridge berry, and a specific recommendation about its appropriateness for your pregnancy is best made by a practitioner you have a relationship with.

  2. Hi, love coming here to read, Im 5 weeks and have very low HCG levels 43 and I took a pregnancy test everyday and I see my line decreasing (sadly again) this will make the 4th lost within 2 yrs. I have been taking Cramp bark, partridge berry, wild yam, black haw, and false unicorn. Today, my line was barely there. Should I continue with my tinctures or just wait until I pass yet another baby. This one is killing me inside I feel like a loser of a woman that just cant keep a baby.

    • Hi Kay, I’m sorry to hear that you’re going through this, and please know that you are not alone! It sounds like you’d best be served by working with a clinical herbalist, naturopath, or acupuncturist who could tailor their recommendations to you based on your medical history, constitution, etc…Hormone balancing and uterine tonic herbs are likely indicated, but some of these herbs won’t be appropriate during a pregnancy, so again, it’s important to work with a professional.

  3. This post really came in handy. I love that you have a Naturopathic Doc pstniog here. It is truly useful information for moms and moms to be. We need more web-sites like this that really take the time to provide valuable info for free, with no strings attached or tuns of ads flashing in our faces. Thanks again!

  4. Cynthia Rhatigan says:

    Do you think Partridge Berry (Mitchella) is beneficial or in any way effective in toning and strengthening the uterus for those of us with uterine prolapse? I’m already doing red raspberry leave and horsetail tea, but I feel that something more is needed. And false unicorn root is not only endangered but horrifically expensive due to it’s scarcity because of over-harvesting for it’s use as a fertility herb (for which there are so many other beneficial herbs). Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

    • Cynthia,
      Partridge berry is used for uterine prolapse. The herbs you are already taking are also indicated, along with Mayan uterine massage and pelvic floor strengthening exercises. The massage and exercises are going to be much more effective than the herbs, which can only address structural issues to a limited degree.

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