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.

Herbal Remedies For Insomnia

Winter – a season when darkness usurps daylight, and, theoretically at least, people are able to enjoy more hours of sleep uninterrupted by light.  Yet, numerous experts point to the early winter season as the time of year when the most cases of insomnia occur.  The question, then is what can we do to reduce the frequency of sleepless nights.  In particular, what herbs and natural remedies are effective at treating this energy-sapping sleep problem?

While researching solutions for insomnia, I made the mistake of typing “when do most people experience insomnia” into my Google search bar.  I had the misfortune (and the brief pleasure) of reading one forum contributor’s response: when we can’t sleep.  However, there is a wealth of legitimate, valuable input to offset this tongue-in-cheek comment.

Of particular interest are the discussions on physiological causes of insomnia, from melatonin deficiencies (often  associated with aging) to hormonal imbalance (tied frequently to menopause)  These lead into data on herbal remedies – solutions that are available to us free of charge, if we have the energy to venture into the gardens and wilds to harvest specific plants.

Of course, one of the most commonly cited treatments for insomnia is German chamomile tea.  This beverage has been used for centuries, and is part of the Ukrainian heritage, brought to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  This herb is cultivated domestically and grows very well in the wild.  There a re a few varieties of chamomile, but the most effective appears to be the German chamomile.

While most commonly used as a cough and cold treatment, linden also encourages sleep.  Dried flowers and leaves, made into a tincture or infusion are the usual form of use, while the inner layers of bark can be harvested even in winter and made into a tincture or infusion, as well.

Onion is one of the universally recognized super plants, offering myriad health benefits.  However, boiled onion (drink the liquid, as well, you wimp!) serves as a sleep aid.  I have found that onions, eaten in larger quantities before bedtime seem to induce a lot of dreams.  Good for those with pleasant ones, lousy for those with nightmares!

Lemon balm is cited as a good sleep aide.  However, its most frequent use is as an insect repellent.  Lemon balm, like lemon sorrel and mints, decreases thirst.

Although offering only a mild sedative benefit, raspberry tea is an excellent pre-bedtime drink, and, when combined with wild strawberry leaves, is a very pleasant sipping tea.

Sage is another great plant.  This herb is a great culinary spice with nutritional benefits, but offers a variety of health benefits, from cancer treatment to digestive assistance, from treatment for depression & anxiety to cold treatment and inflammations.  Best known for its use with poultry, it can be taken, if you can endure the sharp taste, as a tea.

For centuries, lavender has been a part of romantic lore, and has a reputation for inducing pleasant dreams.  This, of course, goes hand in hand with better sleep.  Lavender air sprays, lavender sachets under one’s pillow, lavender soaps and skin creams or lavender plants growing in the bedroom window all offer assistance for the sleep-deprived.

My wife uses rosehips to treat a kidney condition.  Along with this wonderful benefit, the rose seed pods also are excellent for the heart, provide a source of vitamin C, show results in cancer treatment tests and, again, provide sleep-inducing qualities.  Rosehips can be used in soups and stews, with wild game, in bannock, or consumed as a tea with a bit of ginger.

Passionflower, native to the southeast of North America, is recognized for its relief of insomnia.

Lastly, elecampane has been found to be effective at treating both irritability and insomnia.  While not a known native of the Americas, elecampane, like dandelion, hawthorn and a host of other plants, herbs and bushes, has taken hold in most parts of North America, likely introduced here by European settlers.

The list of herbs and other plants that have been employed to treat lack of sleep attests to both the prevalence of insomnia and the effectiveness of herbal remedies, as opposed to chemical preparations.  The added benefits of herbs are that they generally have fewer side effects, and, when harvested in the wild, cost nothing!

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.

Common Plantain: Nutrition And Medicinal Benefits

As in the old Timex watch ads, common plantain “takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” Commonly found on well-trodden paths, as well as gravelly soils and marginal wastelands, this plant, non-native to North America, is a survivor. Common plantain, while not as prolific or as invasive as dandelion, handles abuse quite well. In fact, last week, I used the leaves of a plantain plant that was growing in my driveway to treat a series of insect bites.
Common plantain not only has medicinal value, but is a great staple for diets focused on the harvest and consumption of wild plants. It, in early spring, is a fresh-tasting addition to a spring salad, is a great addition to a dinner plate as a boiled vegetable, and provides a flour-like paste from its psyllium seed stalks.
The flowers can be eaten raw, and taste something like a cross between a potato and a hazelnut. Because of its high psyllium content, the flower and seed stalk is an effective laxative, but also acts as a great thickener for soups and stews. These seed pods can be sun dried and used throughout the year.
As the summer progresses, the broad, heavy leaves of the common plantain develop thick veins and become quite stringy. Even when boiled, they remain fairly tough. At this point, it is best to use the leaves in an infusion, or as a stock for soups. Because of its high beta carotene and calcium content, it is valued throughout its growing season. However, we have successfully dried and crushed the leaves, and used them in winter as a spice in soups and as a garnish on meat, as well as a great home remedy for a number of health issues.
Common plantain is listed as astringent, emollient, anti-microbal, anti-viral and diuretic.
My father introduced me to common plantain as a child. My first medicinal encounter with the plant occurred when I developed a severe tooth abscess. Using a compress of plantain and white willow bark, I walked around for three days with a white sling around my face, but the toothache pain disappeared in the first day, and the swelling deflated shortly thereafter.
I have used it on wounds, to prevent infection, and have experimented with it on poison ivy, cuts, insect bites, rashes, and even on a few eruptions on my neck that my doctor has scheduled for removal, believing them to be pre-cancerous cells.
On poison ivy, the most effective relief came when I combined fresh garlic and crushed plantain in a poultice. Both the itch and the rash disappeared within three days, compared to other outbreaks that lasted seven to twelve days.
On cuts, I combine plantain with crushed horsetail (high silica content), and have found that the wounds heal quickly and that redness is reduced. Although a subjective observation, I have found less scarring when I apply crushed plantain.
Insect bites (I react severely to most bites, except for the stings of bees, wasps and hornets!), plantain works better than no treatment, but not as quickly as a simple raspberry or strawberry leaf compress.
The truly interesting result has occurred with my recent eruption of supposed melanoma nodules. Of the eight eruptions, five have disappeared, leading me to believe that they were not, as my doctor suspected, cancerous.
Common plantain, like many plants in the wild, have great nutritional as well as medicinal benefits. Unfortunately for most of us, these wonderful sources of free food and health largely are ignored. We would be well advised to follow the message of another old ad – the Fram filter ad. By choosing to ignore the advantages of wild harvesting, you pay a price. Your choice – you can pay now, or pay later!

Strawberries Deserve The Raspberries As A Drink, Soup Or Spice

Wait! Don’t reach into your cupboard for that bag of dried tea leaves to quench your thirst. Step a few feet into the fields, or along some creek bed and pick a few handfuls of strawberry and raspberry leaves to make a fresh leaf tea. While you are along that wetland, grab a couple of sprigs of wild spearmint or catmint to toss into the drink.
Each year, consumers spend tens of millions of dollars on an array of herbal teas off the retail shelves, while a huge diversity of tea options await in the wastelands and fields of North America. Of the dozens of possible plants awaiting your picking, two of the most common are strawberry and raspberry plants, along with wild chamomile, mint and rose (rose hips). While not as popular in the USA as in Canada, commercial teas such as Liptons assortments are purchased year-round, either for use as a hot or cold tea.
Strawberry and raspberry teas are particularly easy to work with, being used fresh or dried. We commonly pick bagfuls of leaves in the early summer, then dry them in on a screen in a shaded area before crushing the leaves and bagging them to be used over the winter months. However, the best tea is made from fresh leaves, picked, bruised by mashing and scraping them with a fork to release the oils and flavour, then making a tea infusion by steeping them in boiled water for ten to fifteen minutes. For colour, throw in a couple of berries. For zest, toss in two mint leaves.
Summer, though, is not the peak demand season for hot tea. Yet, strawberry and raspberry teas (particularly with the mint sprigs) make excellent iced teas, as well. Chill in the refrigerator and toss a couple of ice cubes into your glass, to enjoy a very lively and healthy summer drink.
Strawberries and raspberries contain antioxidants (to fight cancer), plus good amounts of vitamin C, manganese and B vitamins. As well, both are good sources of dietary fibre and are anti-inflammatory and astringent. These last two properties make them valuable as a treatment for wounds, and work well to treat kidney stones, gout and other urinary problems. North American natives used strawberry to treat jaundice and upset stomach, Europeans used the plant to treat bad breath and skin problems and ancient Romans used the plant to treat melancholy and nervous problems.
Although the root is valued for its health benefits, harvesters are advised to focus on the leaves and fruit.
Raspberry is valued for many of the same medicinal and nutritional qualities as strawberry, and, like strawberry, yields its root , fruit and leaves for consumption. Yet, young raspberry shoots, when peeled in early spring, are wonderfully tender and can be eaten raw.
Although strawberry and raspberry teas form the most common uses for harvested plants, juvenile strawberry leaves add a light taste to fresh salads. Crushed and mixed with olive oil, they make a good dressing. But their best use is with wild meats and cold vegetable soups. Create a strong tea infusion by pouring three cups of boiled water over two cups of crushed and packed leaves, then let stand for half an hour. Strain and use the liquid as you would water in zucchini, tomato, potato, pumpkin or other vegetable soups. As a seasoning for meat, dry the leaves, crush them, and let them steep in an olive oil infusion before brushing the blend on barbequing red meats, along with fresh Saskatoon or blueberries. The meat will sing!
Of course, picking your own tea, soup or meat spices in the wild is a personal choice. But it is a choice that not only is free, it is delightfully tasty!

A Rose, By Any Other Name -- Would Be Just As Beneficial To You

The wild rose may be the provincial flower of Alberta, but it is found across almost all of the Midwest and western parts of North America. Its pale pink to bright mauve flowers are one of the earliest summer blooms, and one of the most enduring sights throughout June, July and August, giving way only to the red blush of rose hip bulbs in late summer and early fall. The fragrance of these sweet roses draws insects, birds and humans alike. Yet, the wild rose grows predominantly in marginal soils and headlands or bush tree lines, and offer branches with irritating small prickly thorns.

Aside from its appeal as a flower and summer braggart, the rose is a great find for the avid wild harvester, with its flower petals and rose hips providing great medicinal, nutritional and cosmetic benefit.

Last year, for example, I crushed a pound of petals and make an infusion, then blended the alcohol-based scented mix with gelatine. My wife enjoyed this homemade soap, finding it a wonderful skin stimulant, an aromatic cleanser and a great boost to her complexion.

Because it is a "dry" oil, the skin soaks it up quickly. Being naturally antiseptic, it is great for irritated skin and even for treatment of mild scar tissue. Unfortunately, unless frozen, rose petals so not store well, and will quickly turn rancid in heat.

Of course, rose petals make a wonderful potpourri when dried, using a dehydrator. Sun-drying squeezes all of the colour from rose petals, rendering them quite unattractive.

Rose hips make a wonderful tea, or a great spice or supplement to some meats.

To make rose hip tea, grind the dried hips in a small coffee bean grinder, then make an infusion by steeping for ten minutes in boiled water. To eliminate the unpleasant ground and remnants, use a cheesecloth bag (available at craft stores). Tea balls do not filter enough of the fine seed within the rose hip. To dry the hips, place in full sun on a screen for several days, or use a dehydrator for 10-12 hours. They will keep for over a year in a plastic sealed container!

Nutritionally, rose hips are an excellent source of Vitamin C. They can be used fresh or dried, and even preserved or made into a jelly, jam or sauce. Rose hips go well with wild meats, add great taste to stews or soups, and can even be made into pies (although I recommend using only ¼-1/3 rose hips with other berries).

Medicinally, rose hips are used by those suffering with joint pain, osteoarthritis, kidney or bladder infections and even diarrhea. Rose hips are used to treat cardiovascular disease, and contain known anticarcinogens.

Because roses grow so abundantly, they, like other common wild plants such as dandelion and cattails, frequently are overlooked as a great natural remedy or food source, yet offer year-round relief and nourishment. The rose hips, unless captured by scavenging birds, often will be found in early spring, having overwintered the harshest conditions and deepest snows. Anything that tough must, it seems, be good for you!