Latin American and Caribbean Herbs: Plants, Traditions and Cautions

Latin America and the Caribbean hold many different peoples and plant traditions, from Amazonian communities to Caribbean island households that keep "bush" remedies. This page does not try to cover them all. It looks at cat's claw and pau d'arco as plants often sold abroad, and at what researchers have recorded about everyday plant use on three Caribbean islands. Traditional use and research findings are kept apart throughout. Ask a pharmacist or clinician before using any herb, especially with medicines (how interactions work).

Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa)

Cat's claw, called uña de gato in Spanish, is a woody vine that grows wild in the Amazon rainforest and other tropical areas of Central and South America. [1] Bark, root and leaves are the parts used in the preparations a review describes. [2] Most commercial preparations in the United States contain U. tomentosa; U. guianensis is the other common species. [1]

Traditional use. NCCIH says Indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest have used cat's claw for centuries to ward off disease. [1] A review describes a traditional decoction used in Peru for arthritis, weakness, viral infections, skin disorders, fevers, gastric ulcers and menstrual irregularity, among other problems. [2] These are traditional uses, not proven effects.

Research.

Safety, from NCCIH. Cat's claw appears safe orally for short periods, up to 6 months, but it might make the immune system more active, which could increase symptoms of autoimmune diseases. [1] It may slow blood clotting, which might raise bleeding risk during surgery, so tell your surgical team (supplements before surgery). [1] There are theoretical reasons to suspect interactions with anticoagulant, antiplatelet and blood pressure drugs. [1] Some studies suggest it is unsafe during pregnancy. [1] See the cat's claw profile.

Pau d'arco

Pau d'arco is a common name used for trees now placed in Handroanthus (GBIF lists Handroanthus impetiginosum and, separately, Tabebuia impetiginosa as accepted names, so labels vary). [5] The inner bark is the part studied in the paper we read. [6] A 2026 laboratory study tested a bark extract on four cell lines and found it reduced tumor-cell viability more than normal-cell viability under the study conditions. [6] That is a cell study and says nothing about use in people.

Proper evidence not found for pau d'arco in human trials. We searched PubMed for pau d'arco, Tabebuia and Handroanthus reviews and trials, and looked for an NCCIH page on it, which we could not find. Do not rely on pau d'arco for any health condition; ask a clinician about real options.

Caribbean bush remedies: what surveys recorded

These are records of what people use, not tests of whether it works.

• Trinidad. A survey of 450 rural households in 50 communities recorded 917 single-plant remedies. [7] The authors cautioned that laboratory findings for some plants should be taken with caution until clinical trials establish safety and efficacy. [7]
• Dominican Republic and New York. Researchers surveyed 174 Dominicans in New York City and 145 in the Dominican Republic and found that 32% to 41% of plant-use reports were mixtures, including bottled herbal mixtures called botellas. [8]
• Guadeloupe (Grande-Terre). A survey documented 96 plant species and 523 remedies; aerial parts were most used and oral use was most common. [9]

For the cultural side, see Caribbean bush medicine and bush teas, Amazonian plants in traditional use and curanderismo.

What this page leaves out

Ceremonial and psychoactive plants of the region, such as those used in ayahuasca traditions, are covered on the Specialty Topics Amazonian plants page. This site does not give preparation instructions for them or for any plant that can be toxic, and it does not teach plant identification.