Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Rumex crispus
Family: Polygonaceae
Part used: Root
Taste: Bitter, Astringent
Temperature: Cool
Moisture: Dry

No pre-1900 source found for this exact plant. The old books speak of the docks as a group, or name kinds that are not the curled dock this entry is about.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Avoid

While breastfeeding

Limited data; moderate use likely compatible; avoid high doses during breastfeeding — mild laxative transfer possible.

For children

Avoid under 12

Cautions

High oxalate content — avoid with kidney stones; avoid in colitis/IBD acute phase

General contraindications

Avoid — laxative/oxalate

Stewardship

Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus) grows as common pasture weed; abundant for ethical wildcrafting. Stewardship: the yellow-rooted 'iron plant' pairs with Nettle in classic anemia formulas — teach the pair.

In the traditional record

Yellow Dock — Rumex referenced in ancient Mesopotamian texts; used since Greek antiquity for skin and liver conditions

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.