Pipsissewa Herb (Chimaphila umbellata)
Latin Name: Chimaphila umbellata
Common Names: Pipsissewa Herb

Chimaphila umbellata, or Pipsissewa Herb, is a subshrub that returns each year from its roots. A subshrub is a small shrub or perennial plant that has a woody base. The Pipsissewa Herb grows only a foot tall, and has green evergreen leaves. The USDA reports that as a plant, it is resistant to fire and grows slowly from rhizomes. A rhizome is a horizontal stem growing underground that has the ability to grow shoots as well as roots; another example of a rhizome is an iris. The plant has pretty little umbrel-shaped pink or white flowers that emerge in late spring and droop from the top of the stem. Chimaphila umbellata has the ability to use soil fungi as food, as well as receive nutrition through photosynthesis.
One of the common culinary uses of Pipsissewa Herb is as a flavoring for root beer as well as candy. Starwest Botanicals offers Chimaphila umbellata in a cut and sifted, wildcrafted form. Cut and sifted herbs go through a lengthy quality control process in order to bring you the finest dried herbs online. Our team of botanical experts work as direct purchasers, buying the best herbs from producers both domestic and foreign. The milling, blending and packaging that happens at Starwest is carefully monitored and controlled in order to bring you herbal products meeting our exacting specifications.