Omnia SanaAegopodium podagraria
Common names in 24 European languages →
The complete database record: 3 documented constituents, 4 pharmacological actions, 9 traditional / indicated uses, with 20 cited sources.
Botanical Description
Vigorous, low, patch-forming perennial herb spreading rapidly by white, brittle, creeping rhizomes. The leaves are broad and twice-ternate (in threes of threes), with oval, sharply toothed leaflets, borne on long stalks. In summer it sends up hollow, grooved, unspotted green stems topped with flat umbels of small white flowers, typical of the carrot family. The whole plant smells mildly of parsley or carrot when crushed.[1]
Height: 30-100 cm
Habit: Low, mat-forming, rhizomatous perennial herb
Leaves: Broad, twice-ternate, with oval sharply toothed leaflets in groups of three
Flowers: Small white flowers in flat compound umbels
Stem: Hollow, grooved, plain green (never purple-spotted)
Root: Thin, white, brittle, fast-spreading creeping rhizome
Fruit: Small ridged schizocarp typical of the carrot family
Flowering Period: May-July
Habitat & Distribution
A common weed of gardens, hedgerows, shaded waste ground and disturbed soil, often near old dwellings; native to Europe and temperate Asia and widely naturalised elsewhere, where its invasive spreading rhizomes make it a persistent garden weed.[1]
Harvesting
The young leaves and stems are gathered in spring, before flowering, when they are most tender and least bitter; the root can be dug at the same time. Careful identification against poisonous Apiaceae look-alikes (poison hemlock, hemlock water-dropwort, fool's parsley) is essential before harvesting.[1]
Parts: Leaf, Root, Stem
Season: Spring, before flowering
Key Constituents
Falcarindiol, a potent COX-1 inhibitor (IC50 0.3 microM), identified as a key anti-inflammatory constituent underlying the plant's traditional anti-rheumatic and analgesic use.
Flavonoids and phenolic compounds[1]
Contribute to the plant's antioxidant activity.
FlavonoidsPhenolic compounds
Coumarins and essential oil[1]
Minor aromatic and coumarin constituents of the aerial parts.
CoumarinsEssential (volatile) oil
Pharmacological Actions
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Evidence: 1
Label: Arthritis / joint pain
inferred from anti-rheumatic action
Evidence: 1
Label: Back pain
inferred from analgesic action
Evidence: 1
Label: Headache
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Evidence: 1
Label: Inflammation (general)
Evidence: 1
Label: Pain (general)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Evidence: 1
Label: Skin irritation
inferred from diuretic action
Evidence: 1
Label: Swelling / fluid retention
more plants for swelling / fluid retention →detailed sources →
inferred from diuretic action
Evidence: 1
Label: Urinary support
inferred from diuretic action
Evidence: 1
Label: Urinary tract infection (UTI)
more plants for urinary tract infection (uti) →detailed sources →
Traditional Use & History
Ground elder has long been used in European folk medicine as a remedy for gout and rheumatic and arthritic joint pain (reflected in the name 'podagraria', from podagra, gout), typically applied as a poultice or taken as a decoction. The young leaves have also been eaten as a spring pot-herb, valued for their nutrient content as well as their medicinal reputation.[1]
Preparations
Decoction[1]
Dried or fresh leaf, stem and root simmered in water as a traditional remedy for gout and rheumatic pain.
Poultice[1]
Fresh leaves crushed or boiled and applied directly to gouty or arthritic joints.
Fresh leaf (culinary/medicinal)[1]
Young spring leaves eaten as a cooked pot-herb, similarly to spinach, continuing the traditional food-medicine use.
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Generally safe as a food plant when young leaves are harvested. Contains furocoumarins (photosensitising compounds) - handling large quantities in bright sunlight may cause skin irritation. Individuals with Apiaceae allergies should exercise caution. Not recommended in therapeutic doses during pregnancy.
Dangerous Lookalikes
Confused Part: Young leaves and foliage gathered in spring, before flowering.
Confusion Context: Poison hemlock is a carrot-family plant with lacy foliage that can be mistaken for edible umbellifer greens; its alkaloid coniine causes an ascending paralysis that stops breathing, and even a small amount can be fatal. It grows in the same disturbed ground, hedgerows and waste places as ground elder.
Distinguishing Features: Ground elder leaves are in neat groups of three (twice-ternate) with broad, oval, sharply toothed leaflets. Poison hemlock leaves are finely divided, feathery and fern-like - not in groups of three., Poison hemlock has a hairless stem blotched and streaked with purple; ground elder's stem is plain green and grooved, never purple-spotted., Crushed ground elder smells mildly of parsley or carrot; crushed poison hemlock smells foul and musty ('mousy').
Key Test: Check the stem: purple blotches or streaks on a smooth, hairless stem = poison hemlock - do not eat. Ground elder has a plain green grooved stem, broad toothed leaflets in threes, and a mild parsley smell (never mousy).
Reviewed By: Omnia Sana (owner-authorized)
Reviewed Date: 2026-07-06
Oenanthe Crocata[18]Fatal
Confused Part: Foliage (mistaken for celery or parsley) and roots (mistaken for parsnip), where the plant grows near water.
Confusion Context: Hemlock water-dropwort is probably the most poisonous plant in Britain; its toxin oenanthotoxin causes violent convulsions, and its parsnip-like roots and celery-like leaves have repeatedly been eaten by mistake, often fatally. It grows in and beside water.
Distinguishing Features: Habitat is the first filter: hemlock water-dropwort grows in or right beside water (wet ditches, streams, marshes); ground elder grows in dry gardens, hedgerows and disturbed ground., Hemlock water-dropwort has a cluster of pale, swollen, finger-like root tubers ('dead man's fingers'); ground elder spreads by thin white creeping rhizomes, not fleshy tubers.
Key Test: If the plant is growing in or at the edge of water and has a cluster of swollen finger-like root tubers, treat it as hemlock water-dropwort - do not touch the roots. Ground elder grows in dry ground from thin creeping rhizomes.
Reviewed By: Omnia Sana (owner-authorized)
Reviewed Date: 2026-07-06
Confused Part: Young leaves and foliage in spring.
Confusion Context: Fool's parsley is a common carrot-family weed of gardens and disturbed ground - named for being mistaken for parsley - that contains toxic polyacetylenes and can cause burning of the mouth, vomiting and neurological effects, especially in children.
Distinguishing Features: Fool's parsley leaves are finely dissected, thin, dark green and fern-like; ground elder leaves are broad, oval, toothed leaflets in neat groups of three - a coarser, very different leaf., In flower, fool's parsley shows three long, narrow bracteoles hanging down beneath each small flower cluster (a 'beard'); ground elder umbels have no such drooping beard., Crushed fool's parsley smells foul and acrid ('mousy'); ground elder smells mildly of parsley or carrot.
Key Test: Finely dissected fern-like leaves with a foul mousy smell - and, if flowering, a drooping three-part 'beard' under each little umbel - mean fool's parsley, not ground elder (which has broad toothed leaflets in threes and a mild parsley scent).
Reviewed By: Omnia Sana (owner-authorized)
Reviewed Date: 2026-07-06
Harvest Readiness
[11]
Part: leaf
Signals: Gather young leaves in spring, before the plant comes into flower, while they are still bright green, glossy and not fully unfurled; leaves gathered after flowering toughen and lose quality., SAFETY: the young spring foliage is exactly the stage confused with the FATAL poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), hemlock water-dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) and fool's parsley (Aethusa cynapium). Confirm identification before gathering - see this plant's Dangerous Lookalikes.
Basis: traditional
Source Quote: The leaves are best harvested before the plant comes into flower.
Species Confirmed: 1
Notes: PFAF also gives a divergent MEDICINAL-herb window - 'The plant is harvested when it is in flower in late spring to mid-summer' - recorded here, not merged: the tender-leaf harvest (before flowering) and the flowering-herb medicinal harvest differ by intended use. Single source -> provisional.
[11]
Part: stem
Signals: Gather the tender leaf-stalks in spring together with the young leaves, before the plant comes into flower., SAFETY: confirm identification before gathering - the young spring plant is confused with FATAL Apiaceae lookalikes (poison hemlock and relatives). See this plant's Dangerous Lookalikes.
Basis: traditional
Source Quote: The leaves are best harvested before the plant comes into flower.
Species Confirmed: 1
Notes: 'Stem' here is the tender leaf-stalk (petiole), gathered with the young pre-flowering leaves; PFAF's leaf statement is the source. Single source -> provisional.
Part: root
Notes: GAP (documented dead end, re-searched 2026-08-15). No reliable phenological source for the ROOT of Aegopodium podagraria. Seams searched and why each failed: Grieve lists 'Parts Used: Herb, root' with no collection stage; King's American Dispensatory has no Aegopodium entry; PFAF carries only unsourced reader comments; a peer-reviewed goutweed review is botanical/chemical with no timing; Madaus gives a collection time for the HERB only ('Die guenstigste Sammelzeit duerfte Juni bis Juli sein') and records that only Gerard-Johnson recommend the root at all; Eat The Weeds states the rhizomes are NOT eaten. Two foraging blogs do give a root season, but their wording is duplicated verbatim from an AI-generated encyclopedia page and they were rejected as unreliable. Next seam: a European flora or a peer-reviewed ethnobotanical survey. SAFETY: the root is confused with the FATAL Oenanthe crocata (mistaken for parsnip) - see Dangerous Lookalikes.
External Identifiers
References & Sources
- Dębia, K., Dzięcioł, M., Wróblewska, A. and Janda-Milczarek, K (2025) 'Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria L.): An Edible Weed with Health-Promoting Properties', Molecules, 30(7), pp. 1603. doi:10.3390/molecules30071603 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071603 - Engelhardt, L., Pöhnl, T. and Neugart, S (2022) 'Edible Wild Vegetables Urtica dioica L. and Aegopodium podagraria L.: Antioxidants Affected by Processing', Plants (Basel), 11(20), pp. 2710. doi:10.3390/plants11202710 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11202710 - Jakubczyk, K., Łukomska, A., Czaplicki, S., Wajs-Bonikowska, A., Gutowska, I. et al (2021) 'Bioactive Compounds in Aegopodium podagraria Leaf Extracts and Their Effects against Fluoride-Modulated Oxidative Stress in the THP-1 Cell Line', Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 14(12), pp. 1334. doi:10.3390/ph14121334 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph14121334 - Tovchiga, O.V (2016) 'The influence of goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria L.) tincture and metformin on the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in dexamethasone-treated rats', BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 16, pp. 235. doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1221-y Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1221-y - Flieger, J. and Flieger, M (2020) 'The [DPPH/DPPH-H]-HPLC-DAD Method on Tracking the Antioxidant Activity of Pure Antioxidants and Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria L.) Hydroalcoholic Extracts', Molecules, 25(24), pp. 6005. doi:10.3390/molecules25246005 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25246005 - Prior, R.M., Lundgaard, N.H., Light, M.E., Stafford, G.I., van Staden, J. and Jager, A.K (2007) 'The polyacetylene falcarindiol with COX-1 activity isolated from Aegopodium podagraria L', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 113(1), pp. 176-178. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2007.05.005 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2007.05.005 - Niziol-Lukaszewska, Z., Zagorska-Dziok, M., Ziemlewska, A. and Bujak, T (2020) 'Comparison of the Antiaging and Protective Properties of Plants from the Apiaceae Family', Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2020, pp. 5307614. doi:10.1155/2020/5307614 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5307614 - Baranauskiene, R., Rackauskiene, I. and Venskutonis, P.R (2025) 'Characterization of Steam Volatiles and Evaluation of the Antioxidant Properties of Different Extracts from Leaves and Roots of Aegopodium podagraria L', Molecules, 30(24), pp. 4786. doi:10.3390/molecules30244786 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30244786 - Ojala, T., Vuorela, P., Kiviranta, J., Vuorela, H. and Hiltunen, R (1999) 'A bioassay using Artemia salina for detecting phototoxicity of plant coumarins', Planta Medica, 65(8), pp. 715-718. doi:10.1055/s-1999-14049 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-1999-14049 - Schulte, K.E. and Wulfhorst, G (1977) 'Polyacetylene compounds from Aegopodium podagraria L', Archiv der Pharmazie, 310(4), pp. 285-298. doi:10.1002/ardp.19773100403 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ardp.19773100403 - Plants For A Future 'Aegopodium podagraria (Ground Elder, Goutweed)'. Available at: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Aegopodium+podagraria Traditional / reference
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Aegopodium+podagraria - Grieve, M (1931) 'A Modern Herbal'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=A%20Modern%20Herbal - Moerman, D.E (1998) 'Native American Ethnobotany'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Native%20American%20Ethnobotany - 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 - Dayan, A.D (2024) 'Death of Socrates: a likely case of poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) poisoning', Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 62(1), pp. 56-60. doi:10.1080/15563650.2024.2309328 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2024.2309328 - King County Noxious Weeds (2024) 'Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) identification and control'. Available at: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/noxious-weeds/identification-control/poison-hemlock Traditional / reference
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/noxious-weeds/identification-control/poison-hemlock - Mitchell, M.I. and Routledge, P.A (1978) 'Hemlock water dropwort poisoning - a review', Clinical Toxicology, 12(4), pp. 417-26. doi:10.3109/15563657809150012 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.3109/15563657809150012 - Teuscher, E. and Greger, H. and Adrian, V (1990) 'Toxicity of Aethusa cynapium L. (fool's parsley)', Pharmazie, 45(7), pp. 537-8. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2236201/ Preclinical
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2236201/ - Minnesota Wildflowers (2024) 'Aethusa cynapium (Fool's Parsley)'. Available at: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/fools-parsley Traditional / reference
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/fools-parsley
Selected studies & references
PreclinicalCharacterization of Steam Volatiles and Evaluation of the Antioxidant Properties of Different Extracts from Leaves and Roots of Aegopodium podagraria L. source↗ (2025)
PreclinicalEdible Wild Vegetables Urtica dioica L. and Aegopodium podagraria L.: Antioxidants Affected by Processing source↗ (2022)
PreclinicalBioactive Compounds in Aegopodium podagraria Leaf Extracts and Their Effects against Fluoride-Modulated Oxidative Stress in the THP-1 Cell Line source↗ (2021)
PreclinicalComparison of the Antiaging and Protective Properties of Plants from the Apiaceae Family source↗ (2020)
PreclinicalThe [DPPH/DPPH-H]-HPLC-DAD Method on Tracking the Antioxidant Activity of Pure Antioxidants and Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria L.) Hydroalcoholic Extracts source↗ (2020)
PreclinicalThe influence of goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria L.) tincture and metformin on the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in dexamethasone-treated rats source↗ (2016)
PreclinicalThe polyacetylene falcarindiol with COX-1 activity isolated from Aegopodium podagraria L. source↗ (2007)
PreclinicalA bioassay using Artemia salina for detecting phototoxicity of plant coumarins source↗ (1999)
All 14 studies in the Knowledge Finder →
Educational use only. This profile summarises traditional and scientific sources for reference. It is not medical advice and not a substitute for a qualified practitioner. Some plants carry safety cautions and drug interactions - always check before use.
This profile is assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database, which we curate by hand. How this site is built.
This profile is assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database, which we curate by hand. How this site is built.