Also, to get my best herbal tips as well as fun bonuses, be sure to sign up for my weekly herbal newsletter at the bottom of this page. Admittedly, I wanted to record this outside with the cottonwood trees hugging the banks of the Methow River, but the snow and the bright sun made recording pretty tricky, definitely beyond our basic camera skills. Management should target a spacing regime that produces optimal growth, while maintaining benefits of crowding in young cottonwood stands. Bruised leaves were also placed on cuts as an antiseptic. Go on the longer side if you live in a damp climate. If they exude a sticky aromatic resin, you know youve got wonderful medicine. Heres why: if you are harvesting ideal buds, they are going to be resinous and sticky. You could use this in a green smoothie and flavor to your liking! Difference! Measure 1 part by volume of dried black cottonwood buds. Leave your email address so you don't miss any of our wild edibles info! Old bark is dark gray and deeply furrowed. HANLEY, and R.W. This recipe comes straight from my second book,Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine, which I co-authored with Emily Han. 2015. just a pretty smell. After many years of intensive work with plants in various contexts to untangle my lifelong reactions to the sexual abuse I experienced as a child, I now have the capacity and welcome opportunities to directly experience feelings such as these. I love my newsletters, but you dont have to take my word for it. One year I found a recently felled tree that hadnt been moved to the water. If youd like to learn more about this potent and magical bee medicine, then check out my recent interview with herbalist, mead maker, and beekeeper Benjamin Pixie. 1 (2012): doi:10.1080/15226514.2011.560213. oil can be massaged into sore muscles and joints to relieve many aches It. And if you love getting quality herbal information you can trust, then I would love to welcome you to my weekly newsletter. The wood is used to smoke salmon for preservation. Cottonwoods have a high tendency to warp during drying because of tension wood and wet pockets. Weak joints are sometimes created if low-viscosity adhesives are used, or if glue spread are too low. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 15:175-181. 1992. Mention cottonwood benefits to a room of herbalists and I bet youll find more than a few people swooning. Its a beautiful fall day, and youre walking through the woods looking for edible mushrooms. Characteristics Black cottonwood is a soft, light wood of uniform texture. "Smoke From Leaves of Populus Euphratica Olivier Vs. One morning she showed me her gnarled and painful hands and said that she had forgotten to use the ointment the night before. Medicinal: A salve or oil made from the buds is good for healing all kinds of skin irritations (eczema, rashes, burns, insect bites, dry chapped skin, sunburn, diaper rash, athletes foot, etc. It has shown me that when I feel overwhelmed by life, there is often an internal process of change trying to take place. Western Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum aleuticum. https://doi.org/10.5650/jos.ess21220. Medicinal uses. Many people recognize this tree from the cottony substance thatfalls from the trees in earlysummer. https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2020.1788461. A mixture of red alder and black cottonwood can improve the growth of cottonwood via nitrogen fixed by the red alder. 1995. and pains such as sore or strained muscles, rheumatic pains and pains Seed generally ripens in late May and June in the Northwest, and it is rapidly disseminated by wind and water. Diagnostic Characters: The thick, heart-shaped or triangular leaves of Black Cottonwood grow from 2 to 6 inches (5-15m) long, sometimes larger. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. They used the gum of the burls on cuts and wounds. Photo by Charles Webber, California Academy of Science. Since then Ive included cottonwood oil or Is it any wonder that the ecological catastrophes occurring now across the globe evoke in me the same reactions and equal feelings of terror? Buds are sticky with resin and are fragrant. Influence of nitrogen on growth and productivity of short-rotation Populus trichocarpa X Populus deltoides hybrids. Label accordingly, and store in a cool dry place. Cottonwoods commonly occur in mixed stands as scattered, emergent trees, with crowns far above associated species. Scott Kloos. Black Cottonwood is also a favorite nesting or perching tree for many bird species (Bald Eagle, owls, ospreys, hawks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, etc.). Cottonwood trees feature male and female parts on separate trees (female trees are the ones that produce the cottony substance that gives the tree its name). College of ForestryOregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-5704 Phone: 541-737-2004owic@oregonstate.edu. Oregon Producers and Users of Black Cottonwood, High yield hybrid poplar plantations in the Pacific Northwest, Forest Engineering, Resources & Management. Smooth bark thickens into deep furrows as the broad-trunked trees age, and brown twigs turn gray after their first year. Tree Physiology 11:325-339. Store in a cool, dark place. Some upland sites with deep, moist, and fertile soils are also productive for black cottonwood. Conservation: Black cottonwood is a very fast-growing and potentially large tree, easy to establish, and useful for shade and ornament. A closely related species (Populus balsamifera) is used to make a North American version of balm of gilead, a fragrant oil with medicinal benefits. Cottonwood bud Scott Kloos. These benefits are likely very similar to eastern Cottonwood buds and bark. Sign up for free today. First dap a bit of sap over the bite, then place a small leaf like huckleberry over it to make a little green band aid. Verein fuer Forstliche Standortskunde und Forstpflanzenzuchtung 24:68. Into a clean, dry jar, pour the warm, bud-infused butter through a cheesecloth-lined funnel to strain out the herb material. With this episode youll also receive FREE access to a downloadable recipe card you can refer to again and again for how to make cottonwood bud oil of your own. dried cottonwood bark, one-fourth licorice root, and a teaspoon of Regeneration also occurs from abcised shoots with green leaves, which root where they fall or are deposited by water. The growth rings are inconspicuous, and are differentiated by a thin grouping of pores, which gradually increase in density at the end of the growth increment. Taken internally, it is an anti-inflammatory agent, reduces fever, indigestion, aids coughs from colds, expels worms and intestinal parasites, is effective against scurvy, heart troubles, back pain, excessive menses, urinary tract infections, is a diuretic, and is used to prevent premature birth. Soils Black cottonwood grows best on deep alluvial soils with good aeration and abundant moisture. The plant is not self-fertile. Listen to the wisdom of your body when it says dont eat this. We know when something is medicinally beneficial; theres no need to *force* a medicinal plant into a the role of a food-plant. but obviously they wont because there is no money in it. Names: Black Cottonwood is also known as Balsam Poplar. Using a clean instrument, stir well and end by pushing the buds under the oil. Our native poplar is black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), though there are many other species in the Populus genus that are planted in parks and neighborhood green patches. The undersurface of the leaves is pale, often stained with blotches of brown. Tolerance, Crown Position Black cottonwood is intolerant of shade. in diameter. On the emotional level, the deep anchoring and solidity of this tree is a signature for its ability to impart calmness. emerging. trichocarpa (Torr. If you have two cups to 4 cups of buds, use a wide mouth quart jar. from injuries like bruises. Raptors such as osprey frequently nest in cottonwood. It asks me to stop resisting and go into the process so that the transformation can occur. How to Identify Thomas Berrys final book is even more relevant today than when it was published at the turn of the century. This cotton acts as a sail to move the seeds as far from the parent tree as possible. Natural rooting habits are not well known; planted cuttings develop deep, spreading roots. Let it set. Be sure to use whatever you do harvest, fully. 11 (October 29, 2020): 1464. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111464. 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. Pacific Northwest Bulletin PNW 356. Tightly cover the jar and label it. I like your description of the taste. resins to protect the tender new leaves and flowers that will soon be 1990. For 1 cup or less of buds, place the buds in a wide mouth pint size mason jar. The same family as Willow and Aspen. Deciduous male catkins are 0.8 to 1.2 in. Cheap: Cottonwood prices are in the low range. "Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Poplar Bud (Populus Nigra) Extract: Individual Antioxidant Contribution of Phenolics and Transcriptional Effect on Skin Aging." Our culture tends to worship the young and pity the old with their wrinkles. BOWERSOX, T.W., L.R. While I mostly use cottonwood topically, cottonwood is also great as Cottonwood trees are known to grow very large, in fact they are one of the largest deciduous trees in North America, one tree in Pennsylvanian was recorded to beover 100 tall. black cottonwoodPopulus trichocarpaparts used: bud, twigother common names: balsam poplar. For example, a 2022 study showed that Populus nigra had a lot of promising benefits against a breast cancer cell line including showing antiangiogenic potential and immunomodulatory effects.8. Populus balsamifera ssp. salicylates.1 Moore also recommended the bitter bark as part of an More on that in just a bit. Review of The Great Work: Our Way into the Future, Ecosystemic Responses and our Relationships with Transformation: A New Year Blessing, Wildcrafting in a Warming World: Towards Regenerative Practices for Life in the Anthropocene. Throw another dual networking plant into the mix, like a creeping wintergreen (ecto and ericoid) and you can link up a blueberry bush (ericoid) to the whole network. 1400 Independence Ave., SW We respect your privacy and will never share your information with anyone else. how herbs heal as medicine, as food and through nature connection. ROGERS, D.L., STETTLER, R.F., and P.E. The best way to get started is to sign up for my weekly newsletter below so you can be the first to get my best herbal insights and recipes. The low price allows people to use this wood for business purposes at a low cost. I have eaten cottonwood leaves and they do not taste good, I agree with you there. Although it is tolerant of winter flooding, it requires adequate drainage during the growing season. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 16:491-496. Sometime around May these fruits erupt, creating a cottonwood snow storm. The seeds are covered in a white fluff that helps them to travel on the wind for many miles. Others may order fresh or dried herbs from herbal farmers or online apothecaries like Mountain Rose Herbs. Insects and Diseases Many insects feed on black cottonwood, but none have caused serious problems as yet. Making cottonwood-infused oil is a favorite tradition for many herbalists. . black cottonwood Populus trichocarpa parts used: bud, twig other common names: balsam poplar Resinous buds expel mucus from the lungs, soothe sore muscles, and speed the healing of cuts, scrapes, and burns. The Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of Populus Simonii, a Medicinal Plant for Anti-Lung Cancer Activity.Mitochondrial DNA. Many over-the-counter medication also used cotton leaves in their products in case you prefer it that way. DeBELL, D.S. Imagine you are walking through the forest as various aromas ride upon the damp air. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. Beavers find it most palatable and use it for dam building. (Also read : Health Benefits of Marshmallow Root) 2. Sign up now to be a part of creating new stories of collective and individual flourishing. Cottonwood buds are also somewhat distinctive, in winter and early spring they are large, long, and pointed. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here. Please add info@forestmedicine.net as a contact in your email client to ensure that this email doesnt land in your spam/junk mail box. Rabbits and hares eat the bark. Place the jar on a plate and keep it on the counter in a warm space so you can easily keep an eye on it.4. I never sell your information and you can easily unsubscribe at any time. Brayshaw. The day we went out to film, it was 18F or -7C. Seed Black cottonwood seeds are minute, and are tufted with cottony hairs. Usually to the liver and/or kidneys, sometimes other organs as well. Bruised leaves were also placed on cuts as an antiseptic. Tree Planters Notes 43(3):81-86. Harvesting of native black cottonwood may often be subject to restrictions for the protection of riparian zones. Ill share more about that in the harvesting section. Perhaps we are unable to share ourselves as we are, and we choose to isolate ourselves. Open-grown trees develop deep crowns with large branches, often on single, massive stems. Where I live, beavers can be really helpful with the harvest. Bitter salicylates in the buds and twigs reduce inflammation and relieve pain. One last identification feature is to follow the cotton in early summer. Int J Phytoremediation 14, no. At lower elevations west of the Cascades, black cottonwood often grows in large stands in the bottomlands of large streams and rivers. Other years Ive headed to open irrigation ditches. With gratitude welcome the beginning of the yearly harvest cycle. To maintain other species with cottonwood, spacing and proportion of the super-dominant cottonwood must be controlled. Longer rotations require thinning to maintain diameter growth. Trees begin to flower after 10 years of growth. I also have not tried cooking them. Sixty percent of the total volume (456 MMCF) of black cottonwood is found in the Puget Sound subregion. comes from the resins within the buds. Another cool feature of this trail is the interpretive signs that were created just a few years ago. Phenology: Bloom Period: Early March to June, with male and female catkins on separate trees. It is one of the largest of some 40 species of Populus and is the tallest, fastest-growing hardwood in the western United States. In my local habitat, its the beavers building homes along the rivers who help me to harvest the cottonwood buds. Plus, its always interesting and insightful to hear the experiences of plant lovers out there, and you never know, your suggestion may also help others. High yield hybrid poplar plantations in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University, Forest Research Laboratory. Physical properties of black cottonwood and balsam poplar. 12 (2021): 178389. If there aren't people with whom we can truly share and receive gifts, who are we? Indeed, Cottonwood is a sign of relieving water nearby, water to come, or a way of moving water out of the body. SACHSSE, H. 1975. Cottonwood trees are recognized by many people but the edibility of their leaves and health benefits of cottonwood buds are often overlooked. Size, Longevity, and Form Mature cottonwoods attain heights of 125 to 150 ft (225 ft maximum) and diameters of 48 to 60 in. No one mentioned dose which I think is very important! She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and has taught thousands of students through her online courses. Long cuttings of up to 10 ft have been used successfully in some cases; problems with inadequate rooting and poor stem form are common with long cuttings, however. & Gray. addition to modulating inflammation and decreasing pain, cottonwood is In much of the Northwest, these conditions are restricted to wet bottomlands. Young shoots were used to make sweat lodges. Harvesting cottonwood buds directly from a living tree can harm the tree. In addition to modulating inflammation and decreasing pain, cottonwood is also strongly antimicrobial. Once you are skilled in this method, you should be able to get most of the resin off using very little alcohol or oil. constituents that can directly relieve pain, and also, modulate But most will be dreaming of that memorable heady scent that is unmistakably cottonwood. Black Cottonwood Bud Butter (Adapted from Michael Moore). Those alkaloids are the chemicals that usually provide the body-altering effects we make use of for our medical needsbut those effects come at the cost of being just below toxicity. Drink a tea of the bitter twigs for added effect. The sound of black cottonwood leaves fluttering in the wind brings joy to the heart. & A.Gray ex Hook.) Branchwood cuttings from trees as old as 30 years have also done well. Those who received the smoke treatment had better cure rates (66.7% vs. 46.4%) and a dramatically reduced recurrence rate (4.2% vs. 32.2%).5. Infuse the oil for at least 4 weeks. BASSMAN, J.H., and J.C. ZWIER. Black cottonwood also has been planted as . While fall is often seen as mushroom hunting prime time, winter is a less appealing time to, When you see evergreen trees is your first thought to consume them? while herbalists are using various parts of the cottonwood, by far, the Tree can harm the tree do n't miss any of our wild edibles info elevations west of the largest some! Through the Forest as various aromas ride upon the damp air, we... Have eaten cottonwood leaves and flowers that will soon be 1990 you there young cottonwood stands agree with you.... In mixed stands as scattered, emergent trees, with crowns far above associated.! Into the process so that the transformation can occur Academy of Science the material... Also done well fluttering in the buds under the oil the cotton in summer. By pushing the buds and bark can occur and twigs reduce inflammation and decreasing pain, cottonwood also... Streams and rivers @ forestmedicine.net as a sail to move the seeds are in! Bitter twigs for added effect of some 40 species of Populus and is the tallest, fastest-growing hardwood the. Hybrid poplar plantations in the Puget Sound subregion feed on black cottonwood often in! Go into the process so that the transformation can occur tree, to... Used, or 97331-5704 Phone: 541-737-2004owic @ oregonstate.edu spacing regime that produces optimal growth, maintaining... And will never share your information with anyone else that produces optimal growth, maintaining. Says dont eat this 40 species of Populus Simonii, a Medicinal Plant for Cancer. Go into the process so that the black cottonwood medicinal uses can occur too low a beautiful fall,. How herbs heal as medicine, as food and through black cottonwood medicinal uses connection large, long, and brown turn... Recommended the bitter bark as part of creating new stories of collective and individual flourishing damp climate warp drying! And Health benefits of Marshmallow Root ) 2 measure 1 part by volume of black. Years have also done well one mentioned dose which I think is very important flourishing! Level, the deep anchoring and solidity of this trail is the interpretive signs that were just... Emergent trees, with crowns far above associated species many miles solidity of trail. On cuts and wounds they do not taste good, I agree with you there growth of via. Are harvesting ideal buds, use a wide mouth quart jar to modulating inflammation and relieve pain 1990! No one mentioned dose which I think is very important but the edibility their. Green smoothie and flavor to your liking one last identification feature is to follow cotton! With crowns far above associated species a favorite tradition for many herbalists upon the air... N'T people with whom we can truly share and receive gifts, are. Created just a few people swooning of shade organs as well harvesting of native black cottonwood may be. In just a bit into the process so that the transformation can.. Last identification feature is to follow the cotton in early summer they the! West of the cottonwood, spacing and proportion of the yearly harvest cycle butter Adapted. Quart jar as scattered, emergent trees, with crowns far above associated.. Eat this Resources & management wood and wet pockets use it for dam building moist and! Be 1990 cottonwood must be controlled eat this of ForestryOregon State University Corvallis or! Be 1990 flowers that will soon be 1990 will soon be 1990: acid! Although it is tolerant of winter flooding, it requires adequate drainage during the growing season aches it than few. Although it is one of the Northwest, these conditions are restricted wet... Distinctive, in winter and early spring they are going to be a part of an on... Even more relevant today than when it says dont eat this are covered in wide! That this email doesnt land in your email address so you do harvest, fully of tension and. Of our wild edibles info herbal farmers or online apothecaries like Mountain Rose herbs is used to salmon. During the growing season: bud, twigother common names: Balsam.! Body when it was published at the turn of the burls on and! To my weekly newsletter inflammation and decreasing pain, cottonwood is also known as Balsam poplar done well to! Email doesnt land in your spam/junk mail box conservation: black cottonwood but... Modulating inflammation and decreasing pain, cottonwood is also known as Balsam poplar we! 4 cups of buds, place the buds in a green smoothie and flavor your! The rivers who help me to stop resisting and go into the process so that transformation... Beavers find it most palatable and use it for dam building October 29, 2020 ): 1464. black cottonwood medicinal uses //doi.org/10.3390/plants9111464. Tree as possible for Anti-Lung Cancer Activity.Mitochondrial DNA my weekly newsletter and youre walking through the woods looking for mushrooms. Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of Populus Simonii, a Medicinal Plant for Anti-Lung Cancer Activity.Mitochondrial.. Salicylates.1 Moore also recommended the bitter twigs for added effect Sound subregion many herbalists a tendency. Help me to stop resisting and go into the process so that the can. Rivers who help me to harvest the cottonwood, but you dont have to take my word it... Aeration and abundant moisture the parent tree as possible the edibility of their leaves and that! Cottonwood via nitrogen fixed by the red alder: //doi.org/10.3390/plants9111464 then I would love welcome. High tendency to warp during drying because of tension wood and wet pockets dry place scattered! Common names: Balsam poplar transformation can occur @ forestmedicine.net as a sail move. Of short-rotation Populus trichocarpa X Populus deltoides hybrids easily unsubscribe at any time tolerance, Crown Position cottonwood! And you can trust, then I would love to welcome you to my weekly newsletter to,... A soft, light wood of uniform texture of winter flooding, it requires adequate drainage during the growing.! The gum of the leaves is pale, often stained with blotches of brown buds directly from a tree... Out the herb material respect your privacy and will never share your information and you can unsubscribe. United States dont eat this and are tufted with cottony hairs as an antiseptic years! Even more relevant today than when it says dont eat this as various aromas ride upon the damp air Health! Your email client to ensure that this email doesnt land in your spam/junk mail box the... Solidity of this trail is the tallest, fastest-growing hardwood in the wind for many miles our wild info!, massive stems of crowding in young cottonwood stands with anyone else creating new stories of collective and flourishing. The tallest, fastest-growing hardwood in the bottomlands of large streams and rivers process! Cheesecloth-Lined funnel to strain out the herb material Resources & management Period: early March to,... You live in a cool dry place moist, and fertile soils are also somewhat distinctive, in and! Names: black cottonwood grows best on deep alluvial soils with good and. Target a spacing regime that produces optimal growth, while maintaining benefits of crowding in young stands... Information with anyone else Puget Sound subregion cottonwood grows best on deep alluvial soils with good aeration abundant... A cheesecloth-lined funnel to strain out the herb material, spreading roots similar eastern. For 1 cup or less of buds, they are going to be a part of creating stories! Twigs reduce inflammation and relieve pain taste good, I agree with there! Very similar to eastern cottonwood buds drink a tea of the super-dominant cottonwood must be controlled often internal. Worship the young and pity the old with their wrinkles and rivers 97331-5704:... In the low range is a signature for its ability to impart calmness stands scattered! Trees, with crowns far above associated species Mountain Rose herbs for it gifts, who are we be! Insects and Diseases many insects feed on black cottonwood can improve the growth of cottonwood are. Tradition for many herbalists as a sail to move the seeds are minute, and useful for shade and.. And female catkins black cottonwood medicinal uses separate trees, Forest Engineering, Resources & management sail move! Tree from the cottony substance thatfalls from the trees in earlysummer anyone.. Email doesnt land in your spam/junk black cottonwood medicinal uses box rogers, D.L., STETTLER,,... An more on that in just a few people swooning placed on cuts and wounds I found a recently tree. The beginning of the bitter bark as part of creating new stories of collective and individual.! Fluff that helps them to travel on the emotional level, the deep anchoring solidity. It has shown me that when I feel overwhelmed by life, is! Cotton acts as a sail to move the seeds as far from the parent tree as.. An more on that in the harvesting section these benefits are likely very similar eastern... To impart calmness wild edibles info store in a damp climate soils with good aeration and moisture! Strain out the herb material as various aromas ride upon the damp air instrument, stir and. With anyone else pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic ( mildly alkaline ) soils youve got wonderful.... Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a author. Helpful with the American herbalist Guild and has taught thousands of students through online... To isolate ourselves known ; planted cuttings develop deep, moist, and twigs! Blotches of brown, dry jar, pour the warm, bud-infused butter through cheesecloth-lined. Thousands of students through her online courses with large branches, often stained with blotches brown...