Balm of Gilead

"The Tree of Life"

Young, Spring leaves.

Common Names: Cottonwood, Balsam Poplar, Black Cottonwood, Western Balsam Poplar, California Poplar, Tacamahac

Botanical Name: Populus trichocarpa (Western Balsam Poplar), P. gileadensis

Plant Family: Salicaceae, Willow Family

Parts Used: Closed Buds. **NOTE: Bark can be used as well (like Willow), but I have not personally worked with it and therefore, will not write about it :)

Actions: Stimulating expectorant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, anti-microbial, antiseptic, diuretic, vulnerary.

Habitat: Balm of Gilead is a riparian species. It will grow primarily on moist sites. It’s roots don’t take to “wet” soils as much as “damp”, cold soils. So if you’re near a creek, river, lake, etc. (FRESH WATER), keep your eyes and nose open for this lovely TALL deciduous tree.

Collection: The “gum” (A.K.A sap or resin) of from the buds is to be collected from January to early March (unless you go up to high altitudes and find some dropped branches with closed buds). Since the buds are supreme on older trees, it’s extremely hard to climb and harvest from the upper canopy. Wait till a wind storm hits (which is fairly common during the winter months) and go to a cottonwood grove (after the storm, though, because these trees are also known as “Widow Makers” since there shallow roots are growing in moist soil and holding a lot of weight from its expansive growth). Pick the buds from the tips of the branches.

*Make sure you have a plastic bag and designated jar for these buds, for the resin is quite sticky!*

Cottonwood leaves can grow larger than Big Leaf Maple! In fact, the height that this tree can grow places it as the tallest deciduous tree of the PNW.

Cottonwood is known for its deep grooves found in the bark of older tree trunks.

Cottonwood Medicine:

The buds can be made into a TINCTURE, HONEY, ELIXR, &/OR OIL. Internally, the buds have a long history of being used as an antiseptic and expectorant. It soothes, disinfects, and astringes the mucous membranes that are agitated from sore throats or that on-going cough/cold that lingers in our lungs (especially in the PNW), such as laryngitis and bronchitis.

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Cottonwood for

Respiration and Digestion.  Infections.  Aches and Pains.

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The resinous sap from the buds, also known as "Balm of Gilead", has a strong turpentine odor and bitter taste. They contain SALICAN, a glycoside that decomposes into salicyclic acid (aspirin) in the body. Hence, an internal herbal remedy can help treat upper respiratory tract infections. And can also help with PAIN. Traditionally, the buds have been taken for colds, sinusitis, arthritis, rheumatism, muscular pain and dry skin.

Use a Cottonwood oil or salve on sprains, hyperextensions and arthritic joints. The salicylates also help reduce inflammation. It's my go-to salve that I keep throughout the house and especially in the First Aid kit.

Not only does it help with pain and inflammation, Balm of Gilead is wonderful on burns and keeps the surface antiseptic. It's also known to help stimulate skin regeneration. A couple summers ago, I ended up chopping off the tip of my finger (a dull ax is not safe) and I would lather cottonwood salve on the open wound. It kept my finger clean, while reducing inflammation and helpingthe skin cells grow back. In my experience it is better than any neosporin!

Externally these buds help with:

·       Minor cuts & scrapes

·       Rough skin and chapped lips

·       Minor burns

·       Bruises & sprains

·       Hyper-extensions

·       Sore Muscles

·       Arthritic joints

·       Pain & swelling

Ethnobotanically speaking:

The gum, which is still present as the leaves unfurl from the buds in the spring, can be used to “waterproof” baskets, mocassins and boxes. Like tree resin, it works as a medium for making “pitch” glue and paint.

The “cotton” which triggers most people’s allergies, makes great stuffing for wildcrafted pillows. Roots have been made into baskets. And the soft wood has many uses including a good wood to cook with, make materials out of, and release growth hormones to help root other plants.

These fresh buds are the IDEAL for harvesting. Though the top picture is beautiful, those buds are past their prime for harvest. Make sure the buds a green, oozing with a glowing orange sap and easy to squeeze!

Preparations:

Balm of Gilead Oil:

-Put 1/3 part buds into a jar or crock pot

-Cover with 2/3 – 1 part oil (I almost always use olive oil)

-For crockpot; turn on LOW and leave for 5 days, strain and put into other remedies

-For jar; Let sit with a cheesecloth covering the top for about 2-4 weeks before using.  Stir with a stick (or utensil designated to Cottonwood oil) and keep in warm place on top of a dish (the buds will expand with heat and sometimes overflow from the jar). Change the lid for something fitting to the jar, and store for 4 months until 1 year.

I put one bud into all of my oils to help preserve them and prevent rancidity

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“Make an excellent, old-fashioned bitters by steeping an ounce of the dried bark, one-fourth Licorice root, and a teaspoon of cloves in a fifth of brandy. After a month the bitters have ’matured’ and can be sipped for poor appetite, indigestion and feverishness. (Though no fault of the herbs, excess ’sipping’ can lead to undesirable side effects.)”
Michael Moore
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West

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Harvesting Herbs

Harvesting plants is a human instinct. It is what connects us with our ancient ancestors. It is what connects us humans with plants.

When done with intention, mindfulness and respect, we can curate relationships that transform our ways of being.

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 A Word on WEEDS

Cultivate your weeds or know your weeds! Local weeds are excellent medicinal herbs. They may be the gateway to wildcrafting or growing herbs. Local weeds such as dandelion, burdock, nettle, plantain, and valerian are traced back as medicinal and edible sources that European settlers relied on when arriving in North America.

When teaching about plants, I like to start with weeds. They tend to be the most abundant and easiest to work with. Native plants, blessed be their medicinal properties, are more at risk or already are endangered. Over harvesting is quite a concern of environmentalists, herbalists, and plant conscious folk. I highly encourage starting with the weeds and learn how to properly I.D. a plant in the “wild”.

Herbal Gardens

Medicinal and culinary herb gardens are a wonderful way to get acquainted with our green allies as well. There is a certainty in knowing the plant (if you planted it) and there’s nothing like walking out into your garden to harvest a plant. Growing herbs allows one to watch the life cycle of a plant from their kitchen window. You may gain a stronger relationship with that herb just by tending it.

And here’s where I have a little bit of bias-ness. I like to ethically harvest wild plants because they are “WILD”. Wild plants have to work for their way of life. No one is providing them with soil filled with nutrients. No one is watering them during a drought. Wild plants have a lot of nutrients and strong medicine within them. I prefer to work with wild plants, and I also respect them by harvesting “ethically”.

Harvesting the wild

Take what is given and needed. Do not pick a plant if you will not use that plant. I tell this one to three-year-olds and forty-five year-olds. Once a person learns about a plant or gets into the lovely state of harvesting it is hard to stop your groove. But LISTEN, STOP. Only harvest what the land says is appropriate and what you truly need (most of the time if you have this discussion with the plant or land, you’ll know the appropriate amount).

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My Harvesting Protocol:

• Get Permission– from the plants, from the land, from the people

• 1:10– for every 10 plants or parts, harvest 1 (this is dependent on type of plant and their growing abilities)

• Be AWARE of your impact– leave the area better than you found it, it shouldn’t be noticeable where you harvested

• Gather from HEALTHY plant communities

• Harvest at the RIGHT TIME– seasonally the energy of the plant will change

• Know where you are harvesting from– Pollution? Toxins? Animal feces? Heavy walking traffic? Endangered?

• Be sure of the plant you are picking– properly key out plant, know the botanical qualities

• Take what you need– it is too often we take more than we need or use

• Give GRATITUDE – an offering in exchange

Words that resonate deeply with this process have been poetically described by Robin Wall Kimmerer in her popular book, “Braiding Sweetgrass".

Please learn more about The Honorable Harvest.

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What to harvest & when

A General Guideline

BUDS & FLOWERS: Best harvest these when they are about to open. Much of the medicinal potency is lost when flowers are fully open. Also do you know how hard it is to tell whether a flower (such as a dandelion) has been pollinated? Once a flower is pollinated all of its energy is put into its ovaries (seeds) and the strength of medicine reduces.

LEAVES: Before the plant is in full bloom much of the medicinal strength lies within the leaves and stems. The leaves should clearly be fully developed. Be aware of the leaves you are harvesting, make sure there aren’t any insect bites, discoloration indicates an unhealthy leaf or a leaf going through senescence (death), does it taste strong? Also, if you are harvesting leaves when the weather is warm, make sure to harvest in the morning or towards the evening to prevent wilting. Mints are best picked with the flowers in bloom and during the hottest part of the year, when their essential oils are thoroughly developed.

ROOTS: Harvest during the spring or fall to capture the energy of the plant while it’s still deep within the root or bulb. Biennial plants are best harvested in the early spring of their second year. And perennials have a lot more energy in their roots when the aerial parts die back in the fall.

BARK: Generally bark is harvested when the sap is running. This is the time of cold nights and warm days– we see this back and forth in late winter and early spring. It is important to know proper ways of harvesting back– if done incorrectly you can girdle and kill the tree. Please learn this process before experimenting.

Learn more about seasonal harvesting, plants to be harvested during each season, and ways of eating and using the plants in the resource Seasonal Living. 

Herbal Infused Oils

Why make an herbal oil?

Herbal infused oils can be very versatile. You can infuse an oil for cooking with and eating or you can infuse an oil to use topically, or perhaps, both. External oils can be used to make salves, lip balms, creams and lotions. Or topical herbal infused oils are a great base for massage oils (add your favorite essential oils and you can have an oil that will go deeper with the herbal infusion and also stimulate the olfactory glands with aromatherapy).

But most importantly…infusing herbs in oil allows us to extract fats and fat soluble healing constituents as well as volatile oils from the plants. So, when you are considering which plant to infuse, realize that you must choose a plant with desirable fat soluble constituents and/or volatile oils.

What oils to use?

There are many different types of oils that you can infuse with herbs. But for starters, it is best to make an oil with something that is cold-pressed because heating oils can quickly lead to rancidity. Also, different oils have different consistencies and work with the skin in various ways. I will list some oils that can be infused and what part of the body they work best with. However, I encourage everyone to start with organic, extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil can be used externally on the body and also be taken internally. Depending on what herb you choose to infuse, will determine what you can use your herbal infused olive oil for.

Internal/External:

**Olive oil:  Due to its thickness, olive oil does not absorb readily into the skin, but makes a great oil for everyone to use (HYPOALLERGENIC!)

Coconut oil: For skin care; soothing; helps with stretch marks. This oil solidifies at room temperature and, therefore, makes a great ointment.

Avocado oil: Rich oil that makes a lovely infusion. Thick on the skin. If you like the creamy taste of avocado it is ever present in an edible herbal infused oil.

External (ONLY):

Grapeseed oil: Great for general skin care. Best used as a massage oil, that absorbs quickly into the skin.

Hazelnut oil: This oil moisturizes, softens and repairs dry and damaged skin. It can be used for as a massage carrier oil.

Evening Primrose oil: Helps premenstrual stress. Relieves menstrual pain, reduces inflammation, and is both moisturizing and soothing to the skin. *This is such a lovely oil by itself that I might combine it with other herbal infused oils.

Rose Hip Seed oil: Skin regenerating, wrinkle reducing and overall moisturizing. So lovely on its own, I would be hesitant to make an herbal infused Rose Hip Seed Oil.

Sea Buckthorn: This is another oil I would ADD to an herbal infused oil. Sea Buckthorn is super rich and is warming, so it helps with circulation, it’s relaxing and uplifts the mood, it loosens up tight muscles and soften and heals the skin. WOW, this is some HOT oil!

Jojoba: Great base for essential oils, not as easy to work with for herbal infusions. Jojoba is wonderful for the skin, it helps; moisten and soften dry skin, stretch marks, scalp and hair care, and has some sun-protection properties if used as a sun tanning oil.

How does one make a medicinal oil?

Like the many kinds of oils and herbs, there are many different ways to make an herbal infusion! I find a lot of people teach beginners to make an oil infusion with simply your oil and herb. However, I was taught differently and led to believe that oil does not effectively extract healing constituents from a dried plant. I only use hot water with dried plants (infusions, decoctions and teas). So, here’s how you make an oil using fresh plant material and oil…

MATERIALS:

_Crockpot WITHOUT a lid

_Fresh plant material

_Oil of choice

HOW TO:

1.     Chop fresh herb into crock pot.

2.     Pour enough oil to cover the herb with an additional ¼  inch on top.

3.     Let sit WITHOUT LID on LOW for 3-4 days.

4.     Some herbs absorb the oil, so check on it the following day and make sure the herb is still covered with oil.

5.     The aroma of the herb will be present throughout the house and by day 3 or 4, your herb should be crisp and dry (there’s nothing left to extract).

6.     When infusion is complete, strain the oil from the herb with mesh bag and strainer (DO NOT PRESS THE REMAININF PULP INTO THE OIL… since you are using fresh plant material, that will become apart of your oil and potentially add moisture, increasing the chances on rancidity).

7.     Let the herb sit in strainer until majority of oil has dripped out.

8.     Bottle in glass containers, cap tightly, label, and store in a cool dark place.

If the oil is stored in a cool place and isn’t poked with contaminated fingers or used utensils, it can keep for a year to more! Smell your oil to make sure it doesn’t have a sour, rancid odor.