No herb was more revered by American Indians than the versatile Golden Seal (hydrastis canadensis). Once flourishing in the moist, rich woodlands of the Northeast, they called it yellow root and used the brilliant golden juice extracted from its roots as an ornamental dye for their clothes and weapons and for its health benefits. Early settlers adopted the use of Golden Seal and it quickly became a mainstay of American folk a substance used in managing discomfort. The name Golden Seal comes from the yellow scars left on the rhizome of the stem that bursts forth every spring; these scars look like the imprint of an old-fashioned letter seal. Golden Seal is very difficult and sensitive plant to grow and requires five years for roots to become mature.