Plant Comparison
Figwort vs Goldenrod
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Figwort and Goldenrod: they share 6 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, inflammation (general), skin irritation, …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Figwort | Goldenrod | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Inflammation (general) | 2/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Skin irritation | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Swelling / fluid retention | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Urinary support | 1/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Goldenrod |
| Urinary tract infection (UTI) | 1/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
Anti-inflammatory constituents; harpagoside also has cardiac (inotropic) activity.
Supporting antioxidant constituents.
Pharmacological Actions
Mild diuretic and lymphatic 'detoxifying' herb (traditional); Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
Antispasmodic / smooth-muscle relaxant (preclinical - an extract relaxed isolated intestinal smooth muscle, apparently via muscarinic receptors)
Mild diuretic and lymphatic 'detoxifying' herb (traditional)
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from alterative action
Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antispasmodic action
Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
Anti-inflammatory; soothes inflamed, irritated skin; Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from diuretic action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Avoid if you have a heart condition or take cardiac medicines: figwort's harpagoside has a stimulating (inotropic) effect on the heart, so it is traditionally avoided with rapid heartbeat or heart disease.
Avoid during pregnancy. There is insufficient reliable evidence on the safety of taking figwort by mouth, so internal use should be cautious and short-term.
Generally well tolerated. Not recommended in cases of fluid retention due to impaired cardiac or renal function. Ensure adequate fluid intake when using as a diuretic. May cause allergic reactions in individuals sensitive to Asteraceae plants. Avoid use during pregnancy and breastfeeding due to limited safety data.
Duke (2002) provides clinical evidence (score 2) for goldenrod's anti-inflammatory activity, consistent with Commission E approval. It is also classified as an aquaretic (increases urine output without electrolyte loss) and antispasmodic, used for urinary tract irrigation therapy. Dose: 6–12 g dried herb daily as tea for urinary complaints. Duke cautions against use in cases of edema from renal or cardiac insufficiency, and notes that the herb may cause allergic reactions in individuals sensitive to Asteraceae plants (Duke, 2002).
External Ids
Botanical Description
Tall perennial herb (Scrophulariaceae), 50-100 cm (occasionally more), with a distinctly square stem. Leaves are opposite, ovate, toothed and unpleasant-smelling. Small, dull maroon-brown, two-lipped flowers are borne in loose, branched clusters (cymes), followed by small dry seed capsules.[11]
Perennial herb (Asteraceae), 20-100 cm tall, with erect, often reddish, downy or smooth stems. Leaves are alternate, lance-shaped and toothed. Numerous small, bright yellow, daisy-like flower heads are clustered into branched, plume-like terminal sprays, followed by small ribbed achenes with a tuft of hairs (pappus).[1]
Habitat
Native to Europe and western Asia, growing in damp woods, hedge banks, ditches and shady waste ground on moist, nutrient-rich soils.[11]
Harvesting
Aerial parts are cut during flowering (summer); the root can also be dug in autumn.[11]
The flowering aerial parts are cut during flowering (late summer) and dried.[11]
Traditional Uses
Figwort takes one common name, 'scrofula plant', from its historic traditional use for scrofula (tuberculous lymph-node swelling) under the Doctrine of Signatures, its knotty root resembling swollen glands. It has a long folk-medicine reputation as an 'alterative' (blood-purifying) herb for chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, applied as a poultice, salve or tea.[11, 12]
Goldenrod has a long European folk-medicine tradition as a mild 'aquaretic' diuretic and anti-inflammatory remedy for the urinary tract, used traditionally for urinary-tract irrigation therapy alongside adequate fluid intake, and topically as a wound herb (one common name is 'woundwort'). Modern phytochemical work confirms saponin- and flavonoid-driven anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and diuretic activity.[1, 11]
Preparations
Dried aerial parts steeped in hot water - the classic urinary-tract preparation.
Dosage
Traditional guidance suggests roughly 2-4 g dried herb per cup as an infusion, taken cautiously and short-term given limited safety data and the cardioactive harpagoside content. Educational reference only, not a prescription; avoid with heart conditions/cardiac medicines and in pregnancy.
References
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
References & Sources
- Stevenson, P.C., Simmonds, M.S.J., Sampson, J., Houghton, P.J. and Grice, P (2002) 'Wound healing activity of acylated iridoid glycosides from Scrophularia nodosa', Phytotherapy Research, 16(1), pp. 33-35. doi:10.1002/ptr.798 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.798 - Ahmad, M., Muhammad, N., Mehjabeen, Jahan, N. and others (2012) 'Biological screening of Scrophularia nodosa extract and its fractions', Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 25(2), pp. 307-313. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Biological%20screening%20of%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20extract%20and%20its%20fractions - Miyase, T. and Mimatsu, A (1999) 'Acylated iridoid and phenylethanoid glycosides from the aerial parts of Scrophularia nodosa', Journal of Natural Products, 62(8), pp. 1079-1084. doi:10.1021/np9805746 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/np9805746 - Sesterhenn, K., Distl, M. and Wink, M (2006) 'Occurrence of iridoid glycosides in in vitro cultures and intact plants of Scrophularia nodosa L', Plant Cell Reports, 26(3), pp. 365-371. doi:10.1007/s00299-006-0233-3 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0233-3 - Soualeh, N., Stiévenard, A., Baudelaire, E., Bouayed, J. and Soulimani, R (2019) 'Powders with small microparticle size from Hedera helix and Scrophularia nodosa exhibited high preventive antioxidant activity against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in mouse primary spleen cells', International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 88(3-4), pp. 208-218. doi:10.1024/0300-9831/a000526 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000526 - Papp, N., Czégényi, D., Tóth, M., Dénes, T. and others (2022) 'Ethnomedicine survey on folk dermatology in Transylvania, Romania', Clinics in Dermatology, 40(6), pp. 651-664. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2022.07.013 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2022.07.013 - Soulimani, R., Dicko, A., Baudelaire, E. and Bouayed, J (2021) 'Increased anti-inflammatory activity and enhanced phytochemical concentrations in superfine powders obtained by controlled differential sieving process from four medicinal plants', International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 93(4), pp. 339-351. doi:10.1024/0300-9831/a000739 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000739 - Ohiienko, T., Kutsyk, R., Kurovets, L., Ohiienko, S. and others (2023) 'Screening of medicinal and aromatic plants extracts for the synergism with fluconazole against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis fungi associated with denture stomatitis', Wiadomosci Lekarskie, 76(7), pp. 1615-1620. doi:10.36740/WLek202307115 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.36740/WLek202307115 - Leclerc, H (1949) '[The scrofular, Scrophularia nodosa L.]', Revue de Phytotherapie, 13(87), pp. 381-383. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%5BThe%20scrofular%2C%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20L.%5D - Akerreta, S., Cavero, R.Y. and Calvo, M.I (2007) 'First comprehensive contribution to medical ethnobotany of Western Pyrenees', Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 3, pp. 26. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-3-26 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-3-26 - Medicinal Herbals (n.d.) 'Figwort (Scrophularia nodosa): The Natural Skin Healer'. Available at: https://medicinalherbals.net/figwort-scrophularia-nodosa-natural-skin-healer/ Traditional / reference
https://medicinalherbals.net/figwort-scrophularia-nodosa-natural-skin-healer/ - WebMD (n.d.) 'Figwort: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions'. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-446/figwort Traditional / reference
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-446/figwort - Ahmad, M., Muhammad, N., Mehjabeen, Jahan, N., Ahmad, M., Obaidullah, Qureshi, M. and Jan, S.U (2012) 'Spasmolytic effects of Scrophularia nodosa extract on isolated rabbit intestine', Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 25(1), pp. 267--275. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Spasmolytic%20effects%20of%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20extract%20on%20isolated%20rabbit%20intestine - First Nature 'Scrophularia nodosa, Common Figwort'. Available at: https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/scrophularia-nodosa.php Traditional / reference
https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/scrophularia-nodosa.php - Berdai, M.A. and Labib, S. and Chetouani, K. and Harandou, M (2012) 'Atropa belladonna intoxication: a case report', Pan African Medical Journal, 11, pp. 72. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22655106/ Clinical study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22655106/ - Oerlemans, C. and de Vries, I. and van Riel, A.J.H.P (2017) 'Anticholinergic syndrome caused by contaminated herbal tea; acting swiftly to identify the source', Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, 161, pp. D1261. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28612694/ Clinical study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28612694/
- Fursenco, C., Calalb, T., Uncu, L., Dinu, M. and others (2020) 'Solidago virgaurea L.: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities', Biomolecules, 10(12), pp. 1619. doi:10.3390/biom10121619 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10121619 - Abdel Motaal, A., Ezzat, S.M., Tadros, M.G. and El-Askary, H.I (2016) 'In vivo anti-inflammatory activity of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives from Solidago virgaurea in rats', Pharmaceutical Biology, 54(12), pp. 2864-2870. doi:10.1080/13880209.2016.1190381 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2016.1190381 - Précheur, I., Rolland, Y., Hasseine, L., Orange, F. and others (2020) 'Solidago virgaurea L. Plant Extract Targeted Against Candida albicans to Reduce Oral Microbial Biomass: A Double Blind Randomized Trial on Healthy Adults', Antibiotics, 9(4), pp. 137. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9040137 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9040137 - Wojnicz, D., Tichaczek-Goska, D., Glensk, M. and Hendrich, A.B (2021) 'Is It Worth Combining Solidago virgaurea Extract and Antibiotics against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Rods? An In Vitro Model Study', Pharmaceutics, 13(4), pp. 573. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics13040573 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13040573 - El-Tantawy, W.H (2013) 'Biochemical effects of Solidago virgaurea extract on experimental cardiotoxicity', Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, 70(1), pp. 33-42. doi:10.1007/s13105-013-0277-0 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-013-0277-0 - Gross, S.C., Goodarzi, G., Watabe, M., Bandyopadhyay, S. and others (2002) 'Antineoplastic activity of Solidago virgaurea on prostatic tumor cells in an SCID mouse model', Nutrition and Cancer, 43(1), pp. 76-81. doi:10.1207/S15327914NC431_9 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327914NC431_9 - Starks, C.M., Williams, R.B., Goering, M.G., O'Neil-Johnson, M. and others (2010) 'Antibacterial clerodane diterpenes from Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea)', Phytochemistry, 71(1), pp. 104-109. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2009.09.032 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2009.09.032 - Malicanin, M., Karabegovic, I., Dordevic, N., Mancic, S. and others (2024) 'Influence of the Extraction Method on the Biological Potential of Solidago virgaurea L. Essential Oil and Hydrolates', Plants, 13(16), pp. 2187. doi:10.3390/plants13162187 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162187 - Zehra, S.A., Bhattarai, P., Zhang, J., Liu, Y. and others (2022) 'Phytochemical Analysis and Evaluation of the Antidiabetic Activity of Solidago virgaurea Extracts', Current Bioactive Compounds, 19(4), pp. e150622206146. doi:10.2174/1573407218666220615143502 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.2174/1573407218666220615143502 - Jang, Y.S., Wang, Z., Lee, J.M., Lee, J.Y. and others (2016) 'Screening of Korean Natural Products for Anti-Adipogenesis Properties and Isolation of Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside as a Potent Anti-Adipogenetic Compound from Solidago virgaurea', Molecules, 21(2), pp. 226. doi:10.3390/molecules21020226 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21020226 - European Medicines Agency (2008) 'Community herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Community%20herbal%20monograph%20on%20Solidago%20virgaurea%20L.%2C%20herba - Bader, G., Binder, K., Hiller, K. and Zwintscher, U (1990) 'The saponins from Solidago virgaurea L', 45(8), pp. 618--622. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=The%20saponins%20from%20Solidago%20virgaurea%20L - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.). Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - Grow Forage Cook Ferment 'Foraging Goldenrod (Solidago): Identification and Uses'. Available at: https://www.growforagecookferment.com/foraging-goldenrod/ Traditional / reference
https://www.growforagecookferment.com/foraging-goldenrod/ - Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board 'Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)'. Available at: https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/tansy-ragwort Traditional / reference
https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/tansy-ragwort - Schneider, J. and Tsegaye, Y. and W/Tensae, M. and G/Selassie, S. and Haile, T. and Bane, A. and Ali, A. and Mesfin, G. and Seboxa, T (2012) 'Veno-occlusive liver disease: a case report', Ethiopian Medical Journal, 50 Suppl 2, pp. 47-51. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22946295/ Clinical study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22946295/
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.