Richard Mandelbaum RH

2018

Chimaphila umbellata
Ericaceae (Pyrolaceae)

Pipsissewa
Prince’s pine

Part used: aerial parts, leaves

Native range: Northern latitudes throughout Eurasia,

North America

Harvestable status / sustainability: C. umbellata abundant in places; use care

to harvest ethically and responsibly

Flavor: bitter, mildly acrid

Energetics: cool, dry

Actions: genito-urinary tonic, diuretic, alterative, astringent, lymphatic, antiseptic /

antimicrobial, bitter tonic

Pipsissewa is a supreme bladder remedy, gently but effectively toning and strengthening the
smooth muscle of the bladder wall, making it useful for a wide range of conditions including
spastic or irritable bladder, atonicity and hyperporosity (what can be thought of as “leaky
bladder syndrome”), cystitis, urinary frequency, and dysuria, and prostate conditions. It is
astringing but more gently so than some other bladder remedies such as uva ursi or agrimony,
and as such is often a better choice for longer term use. It also has antimicrobial activity with
an affinity to the genito-urinary tract, and can be part of an effective protocol for kidney
stones.

Felter and Lloyd write that it is specific for “atonic and debilitated states of the urinary organs,
giving rise to lingering disorders, with scanty urine, but excessive voiding of mucous, muco-
pus, or bloody muco-pus, offensive or non-offensive in character; smarting or burning pain
with dysuria; chronic irritation of the urethra and prostate; chronic relaxation of the bladder
walls; chronic prostatitis, with vesical catarrh.”
Richard Mandelbaum RH
2018

Pipsissewa is also an effective alterative and highly useful in cases of elevated uric acid, gouty
arthritis and various kinds of rheumatism.

Pipsissewa is a Native American plant and a Native American remedy. Like so many native
remedies its usage was propagated and promoted by the Eclectic and other medical
movements of the 19th century, usually without attribution to its cultural and traditional
origins. “Pipsissewa” is a Cree name usually translated as "it-breaks-into-small-pieces" –
referring to its use for renal and urinary calculi.

Indications:
• Genito-urinary tract remedy as both a tonic and immediate remedy
o Chronic cystitis
o Spastic bladder
o Recurring UTIs and chronic low grade infection, prostatitis – as a long term
remedy more than for acute, short term effect
o Urinary incontinence, urinary dribbling, difficulty voiding the bladder, dysuria
with malodorous discharge; leucorrhea
o Chronic prostate swelling and enlargement / BPH
o Felter and Lloyd write that “in urinary disorders, it may be used as a substitute
for the uva ursi, to which it is preferable on account of being less offensive to the
stomach.”
• Strong alterative- Ellingwood writes that it “aids in restoring the excretory functions to
a normal condition”.
o Gout – increases elimination of uric acid from the kidneys
o Chronic rheumatism
o To aid in liver and kidney detoxification
o Glandular / lymphatic enlargement / inflammation
• Secondarily useful as a gentle stomach remedy for G.I. atonicity, dyspepsia
• Aids in preventing the formation of kidney stones, gallstones
• Topically the leaves are an effective rubefacient
Other uses:
• Traditional remedy for urinary problems as listed above when associated with
gonorrhea.
• Felter and Lloyd additionally reference a usage for epilepsy but without providing
details.
• Used by Eli Jones in breast cancer protocols, and also in prostate and bladder cancers
(Yance).

Safety, Contraindications, Interactions and/or Toxicity:

• AHPA Safety Class 1, Interaction Class A
• There is little data on use during pregnancy or lactation
• Fresh plant may sometimes cause a topical skin allergic reaction
Richard Mandelbaum RH
2018

• Pipsissewa is lower in tannins than some other urinary tonics (uva ursi, agrimony), so it
can be more appropriate for longer term use.

Preparation: Tincture
Infusion

Dosage: 3-9 g per day in infusion

1-2 ml TID tincture

Major plant constituents: flavones including quercitin, hydroquinones including arbutin (up
to 18-22% in leaf – higher than uva-ursi); glycosides, tannins, phytosterols

Additional notes:
• Chimaphila is a partial myco-heterotroph, like Pyrola spp. (as well as Monotropa, a full
myco-heterotroph and closely related within the Order).
• C. maculata known as striped pipsissewa or spotted wintergreen,
native to eastern North America with a range that extends much
further south than C.umbellata can also be used, but while
widespread is not generally found in abundance, and so in
general is not a sustainable source of medicine on any but a very
small local scale.

Sources:
AHPA Botanical Safety Handbook, 1st and 2nd Editions
Ellingwood, American Materia Medica
Felter, Eclectic Materia Medica
Felter & Lloyd, King’s American Dispensatory
Mabberley, D.J., The Plant Book, Second Edition
PDR for Herbal Medicines, Third Edition
Skenderi, Herbal Vade Mecum
Tierra, Planetary Herbology
Weiss, Herbal Medicine
Winston and Maimes, Adaptogens
Yance, Herbal Medicine, Healing, and Cancer