Osha Root | Whole Osha Root | Bear Root | Chuchupate Root | Colorado Cough Root | Ligusticum porteri | Mountain Lovage | Perejil de Campo

Osha is a perennial herb that grows in the mountainous regions of southwestern North America and Mexico. The Colorado Rocky mountains grow a particularly strong osha root. The plant is known by a variety of common names, including Wild Lovage, Indian Parsley, Mountain Carrot and (our favorite) Empress of the Dark Forest. As some of these names suggest, Osha is a member of the carrot and parsley family.

The root has a long history of use by the Zuni tribe of North America, who chew the raw root and use it to produce infusions. Osha root is also used to make teas, tinctures and extracts.