Edible Uses & Rating: The sprouts, young leaves, and tender tops are edible. However, food quality is poor. Raw consumption is strongly discouraged due to harsh resins, unpleasant aroma, and irritating texture. Cooking improves palatability but does not eliminate resinous overtones [2-3]. As a wild food, common horseweed ranks as low value and should be considered an emergency or fallback plant rather than a practical foraging resource [2-3]. Taste, Processing & Kitchen Notes: Fresh leaves have a strong resinous, acrid flavor often described as a mixture of citrus oils, tarragon, and industrial resin. The aftertaste is persistent and unpleasant. The plant also produces throat irritation and a burning sensation in sensitive individuals. Boiling softens the texture and reduces the sharpness, but resinous flavors persist. Best results are obtained by boiling in one or more changes of water and mixing with mild greens in soups or stews. When used alone, the flavor is overpowering and unbalanced. The leaves retain their coarse texture even after cooking, and the fine surface hairs remain noticeable [2-3]. Seasonality (Phenology): Common horseweed can germinate year-round in warm climates but typically grows in spring, flowers in summer, and seeds in late summer to autumn. In mild climates, flowering may occur in multiple seasons. Safety & Cautions (Food Use): No acute toxicity reported. However, strong resins and plant secondary compounds may cause gastrointestinal irritation. Not suitable for frequent or regular consumption. Harvest & Processing Workflow: Harvest young plants before flowering. Strip leaves downward along stems. Boil in water, discard liquid, and reboil if necessary. Use only as a minor component in mixed dishes. Cultivar / Selection Notes: None. Look-Alikes & Confusion Risks: May be confused with other Conyza and Erigeron species. Identification confirmed by tall single-stem habit, dense leaf arrangement, resinous aroma, and fine panicles of tiny flower heads [2-3]. Traditional / Indigenous Use Summary: Rarely used as food. Documented primarily among the Miwok people of California, who consumed pulverized leaves and tops. Its minimal presence in ethnobotanical records reflects its low food value and poor palatability. Young leaves and seedlings - cooked[105, 177]. Boiled, cooked in rice or dried for later use[183]. A nutritional analysis of the leaves is available[218]. The source of an essential oil that is used commercially for flavouring sweets, condiments and soft drinks[183]. The fresh leaves contain 0.2 - 0.66% essential oil[218].

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


In traditional North American herbal medicine, Canada fleabane was boiled to make steam for sweat lodges, taken as a snuff to stimulate sneezing during the course of a cold and burned to create a smoke that warded off insects[254]. Nowadays it is valued most for its astringency, being used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal problems such as diarrhoea and dysentery[254]. It is said to be a very effective treatment for bleeding haemorrhoids[254]. The whole plant is antirheumatic, astringent, balsamic, diuretic, emmenagogue, styptic, tonic and vermifuge[4, 7, 9, 21, 222]. It can be harvested at any time that it is in flower and is best used when fresh[4, 207, 238]. The dried herb should not be stored for more than a year[238]. The seeds can also be used[4]. An infusion of the plant has been used to treat diarrhoea and internal haemorrhages[213] or applied externally to treat gonorrhoea[213] and bleeding piles[7]. The leaves are experimentally hypoglycaemic[218]. The essential oil found in the leaves is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery and internal haemorrhages[4, 207, 218]. It is a uterine stimulant[213] and is also said to be valuable in the treatment of inflamed tonsils plus ulceration and inflammation of the throat[4]. A tea of the boiled roots is used to treat menstrual irregularities[213]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of haemorrhoids and painful menstruation[9].

The plant contains small quantities of essential oil[7]. Since the plant is readily obtainable, extraction of the oil is feasible - it has a special quality that would make it suitable in the making of perfumes with unusual nuances[7, 240]. Provides limited ecological food value but supports insect populations and contributes to early successional soil stabilization.

Special Uses