Root

• The root of the hydrangea plant is dried and ground into a powder. While other parts of the plant are also used in alternative medicine, the root is often used as a diuretic.
  
  

Urinary System

• Some herbalists also use the root to treat prostate gland enlargement and in the passing of kidney stones; they claim it acts as a solvent, dissolving the constituents of the stone, and that it can prevent new stones from forming. These claims have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
  
  

Autoimmune Disease

• Research from Children's Hospital Boston's Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Immune Disease Institute, along with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, indicates that hydrangea root might help in treating autoimmune diseases.
  
  

How to Take

• Hydrangea root can be used in a tea.Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jennifer L. Sovanski
  
  Hydrangea root can be taken as a tincture, which is an extract mixed with an alcohol, or as a tea used a few times a day. There is also a syrup made from the root and a capsule that can be swallowed.
  
  

History

• There are historical accounts of the Chinese using hydrangea root herb and all other parts of the plant in traditional medicine. The Cherokee Indians used it to treat kidney stones and wounds.