Goldthread

Today’s PEI plant epitomizes the saying ‘big things come in small packages’. Meet Goldthread (Coptis trifolia).

Goldthread is a member of the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and is common, though often overlooked, in mossy woodlands across the Island. Its delicate white flower (inset photo) – just a centimetre across and appearing for short time in May – is easily missed. Even the small, three-parted leaves usually go unnoticed unless you’re specifically looking for them, despite the fact that they persist into the fall and winter, well after most other ground plants have disappeared.

And Goldthread is a plant that people have traditionally looked for. Its common name comes from the gold-coloured, thread-like rhizome (main photo), which has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Goldthread rhizome was chewed raw to relieve mouth sores, toothache, and sore throats; taken internally as a tea to treat colds, flu, stomach upset, and diarrhoea; and used externally for eye and ear infections. In Asia, its close relatives are considered to be among the most important medicinal plants; here in the Maritimes, Goldthread is well-known to and used by the Mi’kmaq, who call it Wisawtaqji’j (pronounced WEE-sow-tah-jee-ch).

Modern research has found that Goldthread is high in berberine and coptisine. Berberine (also found in Barberry and Goldenseal) is available as an over-the-counter supplement and has been shown to regulate blood sugar, lower triglycerides and total cholesterol, and have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Coptisine has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties, has shown some promise as an anti-viral effective against influenza, and may have a future role in cancer treatment.

Goldthread can be found in every Canadian province, but this plant is far more common here in the east (including in the New England states) than elsewhere. While Goldthread populations are secure, this is not something I would take for granted. The plant’s shallow roots are easily disturbed by forest harvest or fire, and I rarely see it growing on land that was once farmed. By 1900, only about 30% of the Island remained forested (down from 98% originally), and so we have much less Goldthread habitat today than we once did.

Goldthread is a native, beautiful, and fascinating part of PEI Untamed!