Medicinal & Nutritional Benefits of Poplar Bark, Sap & Catkins

Growing up in rural western Canada, our family relied heavily on natural, wild remedies and food sources. My father’s close ties to the First Nations of the Fairford reservation meant that we were privy to dozens of secrets to wild harvesting of plants for medicinal and culinary use. Yet, we overlooked one of the most prevalent and beneficial sources: the poplar.

Although the local native people did use poplar bark, poplar catkins and poplar sap, we relied on the white willow, a close relative of the poplar.  For us, its primary use was as a pain reliever.  The inner bark of the willow contains salicin, a natural reliever of headaches, muscle pain, fever and blood disorders.  Similarly, poplar bark contains salicin, one of the components of aspirin. Natives used the bark, as well, for cuts, fevers, and coughs.  The bark has antiseptic and expectorant properties.

Poplar sap, readily available in the spring, often is harvested and boiled down like maple syrup.  However, it does not store well, and must be used in season.  Like the sap, the slippery inner bark does not render well, and has limited use as a winter remedy.

Many wild plants, cattails and common plantain among them, are mucilaginous and act as a thickener for stews.  The inner bark, when dried and ground, can be used in a similar manner.  Like the former two plants, it also acts as an excellent digestive system cleanser.

Poplar bark powder, used in a poultice, is an excellent dressing for wounds, acne, sore joints and even rheumatic complaints.  Some people have used the finer root tendrils similarly, or have chewed them foe toothache relief.  The bark can be made into a tea-like infusion by steeping the ground bark in boiled water for ten minutes.  It is not unpleasant-tasting.

Poplar sap tea is a commonly used spring tonic, or a seasonal pick-me-upper for the elderly, to treat urinary infections, relieve nausea, alleviating hay fever and to relieve allergy symptoms by clearing the nasal passages.

Catkins, available in early spring before the leaves grow, are much more bitter tasting than either the bark or the sap. They, though, can be dried for use throughout the spring, summer and fall, with effects similar to that of the bark or sap.

Poplar offers an array of health and nutrition options, but, unfortunately, has a limited season. Nonetheless, this tree should be on your list of chosen plants for wild harvesting.

Medicinal And Culinary Uses For Corn Silk

Corn silk may now be associated with a healthy lifestyle and medicinal benefit, but, as an adolescent, my memories of the use of corn silk was as a cigarette alternative. I have been told tales of those people in the Dirty Thirties who regularly rolled dried corn silk into cigarette papers, since tobacco was prohibitively expensive. While I do not recommend this practice today, the anecdote illustrates that desperate people use creative tactics to achieve an end!
Corn silk, ironically, has significant medicinal benefit and use, unlike tobacco. It is used to treat cystitis, prostatitis and urethritis, and has a long history in the treatment of bedwetting, kidney stones, jaundice and oedema. Studies have found that it reduces blood clotting time and blood pressure. As a gentle treatment for gout, it rivals the effectiveness of cherries. (As a gout sufferer, I can attest to the effectiveness of both.)
Rick in Vitamin K, it is a good diuretic, eliminating fluids but not decreasing the body’s potassium. Since it contains significant potassium, whatever is lost through the diuretic effect of the corn silk is more than offset but its input levels.
While the most popular method of consuming corn silk is to make a tea or infusion by steeping a handful of fresh or dried silk in two cups of boiled water, there is a wealth of other options for using this valuable grass in recipes.
I dry corn silk (preferably in open air, as opposed to a dehydrator), then crumble a small handful over my cereal, similar to sprinkling flax seed over cereals. It has a slightly sweet and nutty taste. In early summer, I harvest the silk fresh, chop it fine, and use it in salads. I have found that the full silk is quite stringy, unless chopped. In soups, I use chopped silk along with cream corn and finely chopped potatoes, parsley, a little tarragon, pepper, chopped onions and cayenne. On occasion, I will toss in chopped zucchini or pumpkin and a little pumpkin spice as an alternative. Dried & crushed corn silk also works well in breading for chicken and pork chops.
Ideally, the silk should be harvested just prior to the ears forming, so that the pollen is captured, as well. Because of its high moisture content, do not store in plastic, and dry any silk that you will not be using immediately. To dry corn silk, spread it thinly on a fibreglass screen in an area without direct sunlight, but moderate air movement. In a dehydrator, corn silk tends to clump.
There have been no significant reports of side effects regarding the consumption of corn silk. However, as in all foods and medicines, moderation is recommended.