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Botanical illustration of Pleurisy Root
MedicinalSourced entry

Pleurisy Root

Asclepias tuberosa

A milkweed whose root was traditionally used for breathing problems and to loosen mucus. It contains heart-affecting compounds, and its sap has injured people's eyes.

What is Pleurisy Root?

Plant family
Apocynaceae, the dogbane and milkweed family
Parts used
The root
Genus
Asclepias
Species
tuberosa

Also called

Milkweed

Traditionally used for

  • Breathing problems (traditional)
  • Chest congestion (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • Contains heart-affecting compounds (cardiac glycosides)

Health topics

Where Pleurisy Root appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

  • Chest Congestion and Bronchitis

    Traditionally used for breathing problems and to loosen mucus. There's little research, and it contains heart-affecting compounds.

Natural compounds

Cardiac glycosides (cardenolides)

Safety

Toxicity testing

  • The plant contains cardiac glycosides, compounds that block the pumps moving sodium and potassium in and out of cells.[1]

Depends on how it's prepared

  • Its milky sap can seriously injure the eyes. A 70-year-old woman got blurred vision and eye pain after handling the plant; the swelling of her cornea cleared after about 4 days of treatment and her sight fully recovered.[2]

  • A gardener who wore contact lenses lost most of her sight hours after handling the plant. It was first mistaken for simple conjunctivitis, and improved quickly with steroid and antibiotic treatment.[1]

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Pleurisy root has traditionally been used to treat breathing problems and to help bring up mucus. Despite its long history of use, there is little research on it.[3]

In short

Contains cardiac glycosides; its sap can seriously irritate the eyes.

Sources

  1. [1] Toxic Keratoconjunctivitis from Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Exposure in a Contact Lens Wearer — The Journal of Emergency Medicine · DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2026.03.001Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Corneal Toxicity Following Exposure to Asclepias Tuberosa — The Open Ophthalmology Journal · DOI: 10.2174/1874364101711010001Peer-reviewed study
  3. [3] Pandemics and Traditional Plant-Based Remedies. A Historical-Botanical Review in the Era of COVID19 — Frontiers in Plant Science · DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.571042Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.