Ocotillo Can Reduce Swelling

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is a desert plant common to the American Southwest at elevations of 5000 feet or less. Ocotillo is a strange plant with a strange, but very welcome medicinal property of being able to reduce swelling.

During the dry season Ocotillo looks like a dead brown plant whose leaves have all long since blown away. However, after a rain shower passes the plant springs to life and produces small ovate leaves. The plant produces red flowers at the top of the branches.

The Apache used Ocotillo roots to reduce swelling. They ground the roots of the ocotillo plant into a powder and then mixed the powder with warm water. The injured foot, ankle, wrist etc. is then soaked in the water.