Gravel Root (Eutrochium purpureum) is a perennial meadow herb in the Asteraceae family native to Eastern and central North America. It is a tall clump-forming perennial with whorled leaves and mauve to purple flower clusters. The root and rhizome are the parts most often used in traditional preparations.
Gravel root has a long history in North American herbal traditions, especially in root formulas associated with the urinary system. The root and rhizome were prepared as decoctions and tinctures, and the herb remains well known in older American materia medica.
Because the plant is tall and striking in the garden, it is also valued as an ornamental wet-meadow herb in addition to its historical medicinal role.
