If you’ve shopped for Jezebel Root online lately, you’ve probably noticed two very different products being sold under the same name:
1. actual roots/rhizomes (knobby pieces, sometimes “hand-like”), sometimes peeled and cut into small pieces.
2. loose red bark chips that look like dyed mulch.
Only one of these is authentic. Let’s set the record straight and help you buy with confidence.
What Jezebel Root Actually Is
In traditional Southern rootwork and Hoodoo, “Jezebel Root” refers to the rhizome of a Louisiana iris, a group that includes several native species such as Iris fulva (copper iris), Iris hexagona (Dixie iris), Iris brevicaulis, Iris giganticaerulea, and Iris nelsonii. Multiple reputable sources in the folk-magic community, as well as long-time sellers, agree on this identification.
Botanically, Louisiana irises grow from rhizomes (think ginger rather than a woody tree root). A helpful gardening reference point: when you cut a Louisiana iris rhizome, the interior is white, not red. That’s a simple, visual test you can use.
Here’s the key detail: when peeled or cut open, a Louisiana iris rhizome is white inside. This is the surest sign of authenticity.
That means both whole, knobby rhizomes and clean, white cut pieces are legitimate Jezebel Root. The white interior is what sets it apart from the fake red bark being sold online.
So What’s the Red Bark Everyone’s Selling?
Those red chips are not iris. Across the occult/herb trade, the most common “red bark” substitutes are:
• Pine bark / pine mulch (often literally landscaping mulch being repackaged), and
• Red sandalwood chips (Pterocarpus santalinus or related Pterocarpus species), a red-dyed or naturally red heartwood frequently sold for incense or color.
Both pine mulch and red sandalwood are legitimate materials in other contexts (incense, ritual color symbolism, etc.), but they are not Jezebel Root. If you see listings calling something “Jezebel Root Bark,” “Jezebel Bark,” or showing photos of shredded red wood chips, be cautious—that’s a red flag (literally).
A Quick Visual Guide
• Real Jezebel Root (Louisiana iris): irregular rhizome pieces, knobby, often tan to brown outside; white inside when cut. Wetland plant origin.
• Fakes / substitutions: flat, curled, or fibrous red chips that look like potpourri or mulch; often sold as red sandalwood or unlabeled “red bark.”
Origins & Traditional Use
Jezebel Root’s association with influence, attraction, and bold feminine power is rooted in Gulf South folk practices, especially Louisiana. Historical write-ups and longstanding curio houses record its use in works for drawing clients, commanding respect, and—yes—its notorious reputation tied to sex workers who sought wealthy patrons. Regardless of how one uses it today, that is the cultural context in which the name took hold.
The Louisiana Iris Family
“Louisiana iris” isn’t one single plant—it’s a series of closely related species that hybridize easily. That’s why the rhizomes you see can vary in shape/size yet still be “real.” University extension material confirms the five core species and their close relationship.
Common species sold as Jezebel Root include Iris fulva and Iris hexagona; some sellers also mention Iris brevicaulis (historically called Iris foliosa). Any of these iris rhizomes—not wood—fit the traditional identity.
How to Vet a Listing (Checklist)
• Photo check: Do you see white when cut, rhizome pieces or red wood chips? (Rhizome = good; red chips = not Jezebel.)
• Botanical clue: Authentic listings often name Louisiana iris or a species like Iris hexagona or Iris fulva.
• Seller transparency: Reputable shops increasingly call out the fake red bark issue—some explicitly warn against pine mulch being passed off as Jezebel Root.
• Color test (at home): If you already purchased, slice a small piece; a white interior supports Louisiana iris. Red wood grain = not iris.
Bottom Line
If it’s red bark or mulch-like chips, it isn’t Jezebel Root. True Jezebel Root is the rhizome of a Louisiana iris and is white inside when cut. That single detail helps you separate authentic materials from cheap substitutions flooding the market.
Written by Alain Isai for Touch Of Magick Shop