Andropogon sp.

Jun 13 • Written by Carmin Nezat

Broom Grass, 'Herbe a Balai', Andropogon sp. Approximately 13 species of Andropogon are native to North America, with over 100 species distributed in temperate and tropical regions, including Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. 

In Cajun country we call this "Herbe a Balai" and the traditional Cajun use is a cold tea of the whole plant as a “pregnancy tonic.” The Seminole are reported as using Andropogon floridanus “Florida bluestem” as infusion of plant taken for ‘wolf sickness’ which is vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, and frequent urination, Also for moving sickness, moving pain in the waist region, And for ‘gopher-tortoise sickness’ which is cough, dry throat, and noisy chest. The Cherokee used Andropogon virginicus “broomsedge bluestem” as infusion for frost bite and sores and ooze used to bathe itch, an antidiarrheal, for ceremonial medicine and for yellow dye (mixed with onion peels). The Houma used Andropogon sp. “broom grass” as a gynecological and pediatric aid as a decoction of the plant taken by pregnant women to strengthen both mother and child.

In present day herbal medicine, a decoction of the roots of Andropogon virginicus is used in the treatment of backaches; tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of diarrhea; and externally, it is used as a wash for frostbite, sores, itching, piles and poison ivy rash. Andropogon gerardii “big bluestem” which is a species that grows in the grasslands of North America, is used presently in herbal medicine as analgesic, carminative and diuretic. A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of stomach-aches and flatulence. A tea made from the leaves is used as a wash to relieve fevers and general debility. The Chippewa (although their location was much further north than Louisiana and surrounding the Great Lakes) were reported to use “big bluestem” as a root decoction for its diuretic properties and its ability to soothe stomach pain.

According to a medical journal from Hiroshima University in 2021, researchers found high levels of flavonoids in the samples they extracted from Andropogon virginicus. “These plant chemicals have significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. When tested against a variety of cell lines, the extracted plant chemicals bonded to free radicals, preventing damage to the cells. At skin level, this helps prevent age spots by inhibiting a protein called tyrosinase. Among other, deeper healthful actions, this bonding also helps prevent knock- on cellular actions that can lead to type 2 diabetes.The team also specifically applied the extracted chemicals to a line of chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare blood cancer. The extract appeared to kill off the cancer cells.”

1 Healers-Garden-Brochure-Web.pdf (netdna-ssl.com) Broomgrass.
2.Sturtevant, William, 1954, The Mikasuki Seminole: Medical Beliefs and Practices, Yale University, PhD Thesis, page 227 and 236. BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database Andropogon.
3. Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey, 1975, Cherokee Plants and Their Uses -- A 400 Year History, Sylva, N.C. Herald Publishing Co., page 27. BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database Andropogon.
4. Speck, Frank G., 1941, A List of Plant Curatives Obtained From the Houma Indians of Louisiana, Primitive Man 14:49-75, page 65. BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database Andropogon.
5 medicinal herbs: BROOMSEDGE BLUESTEM - Andropogon virginicus (naturalmedicinalherbs.net)
6 medicinal herbs: BIG BLUESTEM - Andropogon gerardii (naturalmedicinalherbs.net)
7 Densmore, Frances, 1928, Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians, SI-BAE Annual Report #44:273-379, page 342 and 348. BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database
8 Anh, L.H., et al. (2021) Antioxidant, Anti-tyrosinase, Anti-α-amylase, and Cytotoxic Potentials of the Invasive Weed Andropogon virginicus. Plants. doi.org/10.3390/plants10010069. Hiroshima University. Weedy grass may be effective against several human diseases (news-medical.net)

Image 1 (https://extension.okstate.edu/county/mcclain/agriculture-pages/broomsedge-bluestem-is-an-opportunistic-indicator-plant.html)