Botanical atlas

Yellow Pond-lily

Nuphar lutea

Long before it graced ornamental garden ponds, the yellow pond-lily was known to wetland-dwelling peoples across North America and Europe, who dug its thick, starchy rhizome and used it as an astringent poultice for wounds, boils, and swelling, and in small folk preparations meant to cool ardor rather than kindle it, earning it old country nicknames tied to that very purpose. Its dense mat of roots was also prized for the tannins it yielded, once used in tanning hides and producing a dark dye. Because the plant carries its own natural chemistry that can affect the heart and nervous system, these historical uses were always handled with real caution, and the rhizome was never treated as an everyday remedy.

Safety.

Yellow pond-lily is toxic, with alkaloids concentrated in the rhizome that affect the heart and nervous system. Do not eat, brew, or otherwise ingest any part of this plant, and keep it away from children and pets.