Toothwort, Common names: CrinkleRoo, CutLeafed, Toothwort, Milkmaids, Pepper Roo, Pepper Wort, Spring Blossoms. Toothwort is a small plant with three deeply lobed and toothed leaves in a whorl around the flower stem. The white to pink flowers are in a small cluster.
Toothwort was used as a food source for early pioneers. The raw tubers have the taste of mild horseradish and can be mixed with vinegar and salt and used as a substitute for the condiment. The crisp peppery rootstocks were gathered in early spring and used throughout the season by pioneers for soups, stews, meats, and other dishes.
Toothwort has been used in the past to treat dental issues by various cultures. But is has been used for other treatments as well. The Iroquois had numerous uses for it. A poultice of its crushed roots was applied to the head for headaches. It was used to treat colds, wounds, and as an appetite stimulant. It was also used to deal with heart ailments. Interestingly, its current Genus name of Cardamine is derived from a Greek term for a mustard plant that was also used to strengthen the heart.
Toothwort was rubbed on guns, traps, fishing line, and hooks as a “hunting medicine.” Some would carry either the root or plant on their person or in their mouths in the belief it could attract women.