Scottish Asphodel

T. pusilla has been used in the traditional medicine of Scotland to treat a variety of ailments, including skin conditions, respiratory problems, and digestive issues. In regard to the third use listed: the roots of the plant have been used to make a tea that is believed to have a soothing effect on the stomach and intestines. Such an apparently anti-inflammatory effect of a Tofieldia tisane is not incompatible with the irritant effect of fresh plant material, given that both heating and steeping can eliminate crystals of calcium oxalate, as demonstrated in the traditional preparation of Araceous vegetables such as taro, which - like Tofieldia - are poisonous when raw. Elimination of calcium oxalate druses would then allow the therapeutic effects of other compounds present in T. pusilla to manifest, unimpaired by the irritant effect of the toxic crystals.

In Scotland, the plant had the alternative common name "King's Knot" and was believed in folk tradition to have apotropaic powers. For this reason, it was often deliberately planted near homes and farms to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.