What Is a Butcher's Broom Used For?

Butcher's broom, also known as box holly, sweet broom, knee holly, Jew's myrtle, and pettigree, is a low-growing, common evergreen shrub and has been used as a natural remedy for maladies ranging from kidney stones and lymphatic swelling to varicose veins and weakened blood vessels.

Common Uses

• Taken orally or applied topically, butcher's broom is most often used as a treatment for varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

Vascular Effects

• The homeopathic effects are a strengthening of the vascular walls as well as a non-stimulant laxative and diuretic effect that relieves pressure to bring relief to affected areas. Butcher's broom is also known to herbalists to assist in eliminating blockages, such as potentially dangerous blood clots.

Additional Uses

• It is a natural remedy for thrombosis and phlebitis, chronic venous insufficiency, and inflammation. It is also applied to alleviate the retention of fluid in extremities, and orthostatic hypotension (a sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing).

Anecdotal Uses

• There are reports that suggest butcher's broom is also a mood "enhancer," providing a calming hormonal effect on teenagers during puberty and lessening the severity of mood swings.

Contraindications and Safety Concerns

• Butcher's broom contains a substance called sparteine that can cause uterine contractions, and should never be taken by pregnant women. Exactly how it affects blood pressure remains unclear, and therefore anyone taking blood thinners or other medications to alter blood viscosity should not take butcher's broom.