Tree Medicine

Fallen branches gave me the gift of some tree medicine & some sticky fingers!

Part of being prepared for any situation is knowing what is available for our use from our environment. One of the most powerful medicines we have in the area in which I live is the Balsam Poplar, or Cottonwood.

The Balsam Poplar is known for its painkilling and healing properties. It is anti-viral and anti-microbial. It is very often made into a salve for healing cuts, scrapes and scratches, commonly known as Balm of Gilead. With some caution it can also be used internally to sooth upper respiratory infections as it can increase circulation.

The time to gather the medicine is in the Spring, when the sap is running. The sticky, resinous buds are what is collected.

I was fortunate to find some recently fallen branches, so I was able to harvest with no impact to my environment.

I keep nitrile gloves in my vehicle for just such finds, but the buds didn't feel that sticky, so I didn't put them on. As you can see from above there is an abundance of resin on what I collected.

I also keep various collection containers in my vehicle. In this case I used a plastic bag (specifically one that the dentist gave me that had carried a toothbrush, paste and floss). I also have cloth bags, but they aren't the first choice for this sticky resin that will never wash out.

The scent alone is healing and delightful, but the resin is only available for a short time, from late Winter to early Spring, so steps must be taken to preserve the medicine for other times. I already have some poplar bud salve on hand, so today I started two preparations: a tincture and some honey.

I filled this jar about 2/3 full and then added a high percentage alcohol to dissolve the resins. This has to sit for a minimum of two weeks. Then, all the goodness will be in the alcohol and I can strain it out and bottle up as a tincture.

When making tinctures you usually want to use a decent quality, 40% alcohol. Vodka is often used because of it's neutral colour and flavour. But experiment! Rum, brandy, tequila all can work well.

Some gentle herbs will do best with a dilute alcohol - down to about 20%, and these tougher buds want a minimum of 70-75%ABV. I used a high-test alcohol to help extract as much as possible, and will dilute later as nobody wants to be taking droppers full of 192 proof! Balsam poplar tincture is traditionally used for lung conditions, and being in an alcohol base, the medicine will go straight to the bloodstream.

In this jar I was going for about a 2:1 ratio of honey to poplar buds. So, about 1/3-1/2 of the jar full of poplar buds and then fill to near the top with honey. Do plan to leave an inch of so of headspace; as my sticky counters can attest this leak proof lid didn't keep the hone in the jar, so I transferred it all to a larger container. I get my honey from a beekeeper in northern Alberta, where the range of the bees is guaranteed to not be hitting any GMO or sprayed crops. Honey is a great natural preservative. This also has to sit for a minimum of two weeks - in a cool, place out of direct sunlight. Keep an eye on it - the moisture from the buds may result in some fermentation of the honey, so the jar may need to be "burped", also it should be turned over once per day to ensure that all the buds stay immersed in the honey. The honey can be a better way of delivering medicine to the younger crowd, or anyone who wants to avoid alcohol.

After these are ready, I am going to take some of the tincture and some of the honey and combine them to a make a throat soothing syrup.

I can feel so good about being prepared for everyday events, whether SHTF or not.