Eleutherococcus senticosus
Let’s explore Eleutherococcus senticosus, how to grow it, use it and learn a little about its history. Eleutherococcus is also known as Siberian ginseng, Eleuthero, Acanthopanax senticosus, Ci-wu-jia, and has been coined ‘the king of adaptogens’. Eleuthero belongs to the Araliaceae (Ginseng family) but is not actually Ginseng and is only a distant relative of Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng). It was first introduced into the US in the late 70’s as ‘Siberian Ginseng’. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act decided the name ginseng could only be used with the genus Panax. So many herbalists use the name Eleuthero to help avoid confusion with Asian (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius).
Eleuthero is a thorny perennial shrub, hardy in zones 3-8. It is native to the taiga region of Eastern Siberia in Russia, as well as China, Korea and Japan. Eleuthero grows 10-15 feet in height. When planting, you should leave 4-6 feet of space between each plant and 6 feet between each row. It likes to be in part shade and does well as a hedgerow at the edge of fields. They make great plants to produce shade for other plants. If you are growing Eleuthero in hotter zones, it will need full shade and frequent watering. However, we have found that they can tolerate full sun in zone 5 and grow much faster in full sun than Eleuthero plants we have growing in part shade.
Eleuthero prefers moist soil and is a heavy feeder. It does well with a top dressing. It is self pollinating and will produce male and female flowers in June. The female flowers are yellow and the male flowers are purple. Black ants love to help with their pollination. We have also found it is loved by an assortment of flying critters like parasitic wasps and all sorts of flies. We find the flowers to be quite an attraction!
Eleuthero can be tricky to propagate from seed. For best results, stratify the seed and keep it moist. It requires 6 months warm prior to cold stratification to break dormancy. Jeff Carpenter of Zack Woods Herbal in Vermont, has had good luck sowing fresh seed into a woodland bed in the spring and leaving it be until the Spring of the following year. A little warning, germination can be erratic and the seeds will likely continue to germinate for 1-2 years or more. They will keep popping up! We learned this by accident. We dumped soil we had used for germination into a bed. We still find little volunteers coming up years later! A nice little surprise but if you want them to be more contained, make sure you reserve your pots or protect your planting location.
Softwood or semi hardwood cuttings are much easier to propagate. In early spring, cut 8-10 inches off of your plant and then put in a damp potting mix. Richo suggests rhizome cuttings in the fall after the plant has shed its leaves are best. Sever the lateral rhizome from the mother plant then use a digging fork to loosen the soil and set the runner free.
Both the roots and aerial parts of the Eleuthero plant are used medicinally, though more research has been done on the roots. The leaf has been used as a poultice and an anti-inflammatory remedy. The leaf extract has been found to be more effective than the root extract for mental and physical stimulation, and for balancing blood insulin and glucose levels. The root extract is more effective at sustaining performance over a long period of time. Using both extracts together appears to be more effective than using either one alone. Both the leaf and root have a tonifying effect and invigorate the blood.
To harvest the roots for use, dig up your plant in the fall after a minimum of three years of growth. It is suggested to cut the tops back before digging. Chop the roots before washing to help with any soil that may be compacted in the crown and roots. Dry the roots at 120-150 degrees for at least 3-4 days. The leaves of the plant can be gathered throughout the season while they are still fresh and vibrant looking.
Eleutherococcus has a long history of being used medicinally. It was first used in Traditional Chinese Medicine more than 2000 years ago to treat respiratory tract infections, colds and the flu. Russians living in the Taiga region, used Eleuthero to increase performance, the quality of life and to decrease infections. It did not become popular in mainstream Russia until the 1950’s. Eleuthero was the first plant identified as an adaptogen by the Ministry of Health in Russia in 1964. Soviet-era coaches incorporated Eleuthero into their athlete-training protocols. After the Chernobyl nuclear incident, many Russians and Ukrainians were given Eleuthero to counteract the effects of radiation. It has been shown to protect against radiation and chemotherapy and is still used tody as an immune-modulating compound with cancer patients. It is benficial in inhibiting metastasis and cancer recurrence. Studies show it to be a valuable tool in cancer treatment as an antitoxin and antioxidant and is a great addtion to any herbal formula being used for a cancer protocol.
Eleuthero has more than 3,000 published scientific studies which is more than any other herb in the world. Soviet researchers found it improves athletic performances, aided cosmonauts in preventing space sickness, caused secretaries to make fewer mistakes and helped workers have fewer sick days. Human and Animal Studies have demonstrated that it preserves neurological health, inhibits oxidative damage and extends life span even under stressful conditions; in particular, it shows the ability to improve quality of life and life span in the elderly.
Eleuthero is a powerful tonic with many beneficial uses. It stimulates the brain to improve concentration. It has favorable effects on visual acuity, color differentiation, hearing, fatigability and thinking associated with motor activity. It has been shown to prevent adrenal hypertrophy which can occur as a prolonged stress response and stops the loss of vitamin C from the adrenal glands which demonstrates its capacity as an endocrine stress-protective. It also has the ability to decrease the level of the alarm reaction and to delay the onset of adrenal exhaustion. Eleuthero has been shown to protect the body and enhance various systems against ill effects from different forms of stress including workload, heat, cold, excessive exercise, hypokinesis and radiation.
A powerful tonic, Eleuthero is well suited for the young and for all energetic types. It is a good choice for someone who is burnt out, stressed out or run down. It has good results when used for jet la, recovery from an injury, and recovery from drug intoxication. Eleuthero grows abundantly and much faster than Panax ginseng. It can also be cultivated more easily..
Eleuthero blends well with other herbs in herbal formulas. Donald R Yance uses a 1:1 root and leaf extract in his adaptogenic formulas, making up about 20 percent by volume. He suggests taking 4-10 ml of the formula daily. A dried root concentrate can be made using a 2:1 ratio with 30% alcohol. A suggested dosge is 10 drops to 5 ml (1 tsp) up to 3x day for a short term. Another recipe for tincture of the dried root is a 1:4 ratio with 30% alcohol. The suggested dosage is 1-3 ml (0.2-0.6 tsp) daily but taken normally as part of a formula. You can make a glycerite using a 1:5 ratio of dried root to glycerite. A suggested dosage is 5-10 ml (1-2 tsp), 2-3x day. A capsule of the powdered parts measuring 500-100 mg can be taken 2-3x day.
Eleuthero is a stimulating adaptogen and should be used short term or in lower doses to prevent overstimulation and insomnia. One source suggested less than 6 weeks at a time. They also suggested not to take it while you are ill without professional advice and to avoid taking it with caffeine. They stated that side effects are rare but more likely if you take more than the suggested dose. Insomnia and agitation can occur at higher doses or in sensitive people. Another opinion from a different source is that Eleuthero is free of side effects and can be taken for long periods of time. I don’t have personal experience taking Eleuthero for an extended period of time so I can’t add to this. It is known to not disrupt drug metabolism so it is safe to take with prescription drugs.
A little more about Eleutherococcus:
Constituents: steroidal glycosides Eleutherosides, triterpene saponins, phenolic compounds, phenylpropanoids, lignans, chlorogenic
Energetics: Balancing and slightly warming.
Key Actions: Adoptgen, antirheumatic, hypotensive and immune amphoteric, erogenic, anabolic/anti catabolic, antitoxic, radioprotective, chemoprotective, immunoregulatory, antiviral, gonadotropic, insulinotropic/antidiabetic, neuroprotective
References: The Modern Herbal Dispensatory, Thomas Easley and Steven Horne, p227-8. Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism, Donald R Yance, p410-18. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer, Revised Edition, Jeff Carpenter and Melanie Carpenter, p300-01. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, Andrew Chevallier, p92. Growing Plant Medicine, Volume 1, Richo and Sena Cech, p323.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This product is intended for ornamental use only*
