Economic uses of the black cottonwood include course lumber and the manufacture of wood products such as paper. Other uses include kite sticks, strawberry boxes, and paper. Young shoots were used to make sweat lodges. Bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. Strain and use as is or make into a salve. Like Black Elk, they listened for the voice of the Cottonwood tree. Sample Formulation with Cottonwood Oil . Also like willows, leaf buds contain salicin which is a powerful anti-inflamatory and pain-reducer. If your balm is too hard for your liking, melt with a little more oil. Old bark is dark gray and deeply furrowed. Commercial extracts are produced from the fragrant buds for use as a perfume in cosmetics. The resin was extracted and revered as a great healing salve. Great Northwest Productions, a CN! & A.Gray ex Hook) Brayshaw, (POP-yu-lus ball-sum-IF-er-uh subspecies tri-ko-KAR-pa). It is still commonly employed in modern herbalism with much the same uses. Also found sporadically in our region is the Quaking Aspen, (Populus tremuloides). This will also cause the other plant to root. Step 2 – Gently heat. Black cottonwood buds contain the sticky resin that is responsible for the healing properties of Balm of Gilead. Seeds ripen late May to July. Tagged: gilead, black cottonwood, medicine, tree, natural medicine, CascadiaNow!, PO Box 30181, Seattle, WA 98113. The Menominee put the resinous buds in fat which was then used in the nostrils for a head cold, and they used a decoction of resinous buds in fat as a salve for wounds. Historically, much of the country was forested and the people had to find medicinal uses for the forest trees to stay healthy. Medicinal use of Cottonwood: The inner bark was consumed by various native North American Indian tribes in order to prevent scurvy. Rabbits and hares eat the bark. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. Over very low heat, or in the top of a double boiler, stir and melt the beeswax. The inner bark was used to reinforce other fibers in spinning. Step 4 – Store. Cut twigs into short pieces (1″-2″ long) and place into a pail. Posts Tagged With: medicinal uses of tulip poplar. So, if you are allergic to aspirin, you will probably react to Balm of Gilead tincture as well. Whenever you make a product that concentrates the compounds of an edible plant the product may not be edible anymore, use caution if using any concentrated product internally. Meyer, Joseph E. (1918) (Revised 1970) The Herbalist, Meyer Books Publishing, Pojar & McKinnon, (1994) Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska, Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, British Columbia. Beavers find it most palatable and use it for dam building. It should be noted however, that some people develop an allergic reaction, which is more common with the tincture than with the ointment. Deer and elk use it more for cover than for forage. Let’s take an in-depth look at how to use trees for medicine, but first let’s examine 10 of the more popular medicinal trees: Alder – Astringent used as a wound wash and healing agent on deep wounds. FLOWERS Male and Female flowers in catkins, on separate plants; male flowers with 40-60 stamens, female flowers with 3 stigmas. Remove twigs. Black cottonwood buds may hold the finest natural fragrance found in the Los Padres National Forest. Many other tribal people collected the buds in the early spring and boiled in deer fat to make a fragrant salve. This is probably due to the salicylic acid that is extracted in alcohol, but not in fat. Twigs and buds are food for deer, moose, and elk. Save in an airtight container in the fridge until you are going to use. Today Black Cottonwood is used for the interior layers of plywood and for paper products, especially high-grade book and magazine paper. As a child growing up in Oregon, I loved to walk in the cottonwood snow drifts. The glue is thought to be very antibacterial and inhibits microbes that constantly threaten the environment of the hive. As a folk medicine, Cottonwood and other Willow family members were used for wet, damp respiratory afflictions. You can smell the fragrance in the air on the first warm days. Today Black Cottonwood is used for the interior layers of plywood and for paper products, especially high-grade … Balsamifera means balsam (aromatic resin)-bearing. Western Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum aleuticum. The leaves of the tree serve as food for caterpillars of various Lepidoptera. The oil will turn a deep golden color and become very fragrant. Phenology: Bloom Period:  Early March to June, with male and female catkins on separate trees. The wood from the tree was used to smoke fish (mostly inland tribes). Distribution of Black Cottonwood from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L. Little, Jr. ). Medicinal Uses of Cottonwood Answered by: Susan Eagles and Conrad Richter Question from: Sylevestion McGibbon Posted on: March 13, 2007 I am requesting information on the plant cottonwood leaves and its medicinal value, and seed for propagating. I hear the other humans calling the Black Cottonwood a nuisance or a tall weed. Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) Related Articles: Poplar, Cottonwood, and Aspen: What’s What? Distribution: Black Cottonwood is found from coastal Alaska to the mountains of California, with some growing as far south as northwest Mexico. It contains substances that are known to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells (caffeic acid phenethyl ester-CAPE) (Broadhurst and Duke – 1998) When to Harvest:  Buds appear on cottonwood trees from late winter to early spring. Heat on a very low setting. If you do not have a double boiler you can create your own by placing a small pot in a larger pot with an inch or two of water in the bottom pot. Many medicinal uses. The bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. It becomes very large very fast and is also very messy. It is made into a tea and used as a wash for sprains, inflammation, muscle pains etc. The resin from buds were used in a poultice with crushed cottonwood leaves to treat pains and rheumatism. Rain City Slam: 2019 Grand Slam Championship! Black Cottonwoods make millions of seeds, usually in the last week of May and the seeds are dispersed on the winds- casting themselves as far from the mother tree as possible. Cover the cottonwood buds with a good organic olive oil. Apple – Tree bark is used to treat fevers and diarrhea. Other medicinal uses of cottonwood bark have been recorded such as treatment of whooping cough, tuberculosis, colds, and intestinal parasites. There are many different firewood species to choose from. Black cottonwood is a large deciduous tree belonging to the willow family (Salicaceae). THE USE OF COTTONWOOD BY THE FIRST PEOPLES OF CASCADIA. Other Common Uses. Place directly in a double boiler and cover completely with olive oil. Pour the boiling water onto the cuttings and leave overnight. A dribble of resin oozing from the leaf bud of a black cottonwood tree (Populus trichocarpa) growing along the Santa Ynez River. You will need: extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover the buds), a double boiler, a blender (only if you are making a large amount), a pressing cloth like muslin, a strainer and a glass jar for long-term storage. A … Edible Parts: Flowers, Inner bark, Sap, Edible Uses: Flour, Salad, Vegetable, Potherb, Drink, Inner bark - raw or dried. Uses: Reforestation, ripairan area restoration, windbreaks, cover for birds, habitat; it is often used to control flooding. Wind-driven, the seeds cannot survive in the shade of their parent and so they seek their fortunes floating and spilling over into every biome of Cascadia. Growth: Black Cottonwood grows very fast, several feet each year. The gum that exudes from the burls was placed directly on wounds and cuts. The buds can also be put in hot water and used as an inhalant to relieve congested nasal passages. Making a rooting compound with Black cottonwood in 5 easy steps! The wood and buds were burned down to charcoal and used as ceremonial incense. Many instruments of ceremony were made of cottonwood. Strip away all the leaves and throw the leaves away. Place back in the double boiler. The resin contains “salicin” – the same compound that gives aspirin its pain relieving and fever reducing benefits. Anchorage. It is in his book “Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West“. That’s all there is to it. Cottonwood trees can add 6 feet in height each year making them the fastest growing trees in North America. The seeds are covered with white, fluffy hairs that help propel them through the air. The cottony seeds are often seen drifting in a summer breeze, giving the tree its common name of Cottonwood. Native Americans used Cottonwood trunks for dugout canoes. Heat for several days. It is a parent of fast-growing hybrid poplars such as P. trichocarpa x p. deltoides, which are being grown specifically for paper products and biofuels. Using Trees as Medicine. The tree just happens to disperse its seeds at the same time that other plants release their pollen. Take cuttings from a Black Cottonwood tree. Let the pressed oil rest for an hour or so. “Populus” means the peoples’ tree. Posted on March 8, 2016 by Survival Sherpa. CascadiaNow! What you’ve read in books and watched on YouTube may not apply to your locale. Habitat:  It usually grows on wet to moist sites in floodplains and along rivers. It is one of the largest of some 40 species of Populus and is the tallest, fastest-growing hardwood in the western United States. It is known as a good light wood. trichocarpa (Torr. Names: Black Cottonwood is also known as Balsam Poplar. The gum from the spring buds was used to waterproof baskets and boxes. Herbalist Gregory Tilford suggests collecting the buds from lower branches and soaking them in alcohol to release the resin. Use by People: Natives used Black Cottonwood for many medicinal purposes. Many parts of the cottonwood tree are medicinal. The bark is cathartic and tonic. It is easily propagated by cuttings; and fresh seeds germinate easily. Comments: So named for its cotton-like strands that accompany the tree’s seeds in the spring. Browse 43 black cottonwood stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Several Cascadian tribes believed the Black Cottonwood had a spirit force that was very powerful and it was reported that the tree moved even when the wind was not blowing. Most propolis research focuses on resins from forests where bees collect mainly from the poplar (Populus) genus and, to a lesser extent, beech, chestnut, birch, and conifer trees. They stabilize river banks and provide shade. I did try this one time and ended up with a bit of a mess so I personally prefer a ‘cold’ infusion such as above. Buds are sticky with resin and are fragrant. The bark was used for food for their horses as well as in medicinal tea. The Iroquois used cottonwood to kill worms in adults, arthritis, skin eruptions and scabs and a decoction of bark taken as a laxative. Considered as the "King of spices", black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is a widely used spice which adds flavor of its own to dishes, and also enhances the taste of other ingredients.Piper nigrum has also been extensively explored for its biological properties and its bioactive phyto-compounds. So strong is the need to propagate, even a fallen branch will sprout where it comes to rest. The leaves are a food source for insects in the water, the insects are then eaten by salmon and trout. Within 24 hours of hitting its mark, the seed will sprout. “There is a Balm in Gilead, To make the wounded whole,” -traditional African American Spiritual, The biblical Balm of Gilead is nearly indistinguishable from bee propolis; Balm of Gilead is made of resin from various poplars, including P. balsamifera, P. nigra, and P. gileadensis.”-Broadhurst and Duke 1998. 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