4 Herbal Trees to Plant This Spring
Plant These Trees For an Herbal Landscape
Although we don't often consider trees as part of the herbal family, we should. Trees provide us with sap, leaves, blossoms, bark, berries and nuts-most of which have medicinal properties that can not be found anywhere else in nature.
For thousands of years, trees have given us wonderful herbal medicines and played an important role in our lives. Let's take a look at some of the herbal trees and their uses.
You may grow many of these trees in your yards right now.
Elder
Elder is an often overlooked tree. It's habitat is along ditches and roadsides, where we zoom past and never even notice it's growth. If we slow down, the changing of the season is reflected in this unassuming tree.
All parts of the Elder are useful. The berries of course, are delightful and nutritious. They are used to make pies, jams, and juice. Medicinally, elderberries are the a powerful flu fighter, perfect for making sweet cough drops for just that reason.
Elder flowers also taste great, and make an effervescent drink. Harvest them when you can; their life is short and only lasts a few days before they drop off and berries start to form.
For more on elder uses:
More »
Silver Burch
If you live in the US, chances are that you are familiar with this useful herbal tree. The Silver Birch,Betula pendula, is a beautiful tree, that is hardy and elegant. After a rainfall, you can often smell the naturally sweet frangrance, and not even know that you are in the presence of such greatness as a towering birch tree.
Medicinally, birch sap is used to make wine, and the leaves are also used for a tea for gout.
All parts of the Birch tree is antiseptic, and from the site of Mrs. M Grieve, other important benefits to the herbal world are as follows:
More »
Many of us have brushed against the common Juniper, and released that one of a kind scent. Most commonly known as a flavoring for gin, juniper berries are the part that is used medicinally by the more experienced herbalist. Of course, they can safely be used in cooking, but their medicinal qualities may not be as familiar.
While researching information about juniper, I came across this divine article about herbal incense that includes juniper berries.
Bioregional Plant Incense
Juniper berries are also used in chronic issues with the kidneys, but again, this is an area that is reserved for an experienced herbalist's use, and is outside the boundaries of this article. More »
Pine trees are another familiar herbal tree. They are so common place, that you may overlook them as mere decorative trees. Fortunately for all of us, all members of pine are safe to eat, although some taste much better than others, and they are all high in vitamin C.
The simplest way to enjoy pine, is to harvest some of the needles and make a pine needle vinegar. I pack a quart jar with needles and pour Apple cider vinegar over it, enough to cover.
Seal and store in a dark cupboard. Every day for 6 weeks, I shake this pine needle vinegar, and taste a bit to taste the flavor. This vinegar is delicious by the dropperful, used anytime I feel a cold coming on. Add 3 dropperfuls to a teacup, a bit of honey and fill with boiling water. Stir and sip this warming cup of cold relief. It is truly delicious! More »
Although we don't often consider trees as part of the herbal family, we should. Trees provide us with sap, leaves, blossoms, bark, berries and nuts-most of which have medicinal properties that can not be found anywhere else in nature.
For thousands of years, trees have given us wonderful herbal medicines and played an important role in our lives. Let's take a look at some of the herbal trees and their uses.
You may grow many of these trees in your yards right now.
Elder
Elder is an often overlooked tree. It's habitat is along ditches and roadsides, where we zoom past and never even notice it's growth. If we slow down, the changing of the season is reflected in this unassuming tree.
All parts of the Elder are useful. The berries of course, are delightful and nutritious. They are used to make pies, jams, and juice. Medicinally, elderberries are the a powerful flu fighter, perfect for making sweet cough drops for just that reason.
Elder flowers also taste great, and make an effervescent drink. Harvest them when you can; their life is short and only lasts a few days before they drop off and berries start to form.
For more on elder uses:
- How To Make Elderberry Tincture - Herbal Tincture
- How To Make Elderberry Syrup
- Best Remedies For The Flu
More »
Silver Burch
If you live in the US, chances are that you are familiar with this useful herbal tree. The Silver Birch,Betula pendula, is a beautiful tree, that is hardy and elegant. After a rainfall, you can often smell the naturally sweet frangrance, and not even know that you are in the presence of such greatness as a towering birch tree.
Medicinally, birch sap is used to make wine, and the leaves are also used for a tea for gout.
All parts of the Birch tree is antiseptic, and from the site of Mrs. M Grieve, other important benefits to the herbal world are as follows:
- The inner bark is bitter and used for fevers.
- Moxa is made from the yellow fugus that grows from the wood.
- Birch Leaves are said to make a tea that helps dissolve stones in the kidneys.
More »
Many of us have brushed against the common Juniper, and released that one of a kind scent. Most commonly known as a flavoring for gin, juniper berries are the part that is used medicinally by the more experienced herbalist. Of course, they can safely be used in cooking, but their medicinal qualities may not be as familiar.
While researching information about juniper, I came across this divine article about herbal incense that includes juniper berries.
Bioregional Plant Incense
Juniper berries are also used in chronic issues with the kidneys, but again, this is an area that is reserved for an experienced herbalist's use, and is outside the boundaries of this article. More »
Pine trees are another familiar herbal tree. They are so common place, that you may overlook them as mere decorative trees. Fortunately for all of us, all members of pine are safe to eat, although some taste much better than others, and they are all high in vitamin C.
The simplest way to enjoy pine, is to harvest some of the needles and make a pine needle vinegar. I pack a quart jar with needles and pour Apple cider vinegar over it, enough to cover.
Seal and store in a dark cupboard. Every day for 6 weeks, I shake this pine needle vinegar, and taste a bit to taste the flavor. This vinegar is delicious by the dropperful, used anytime I feel a cold coming on. Add 3 dropperfuls to a teacup, a bit of honey and fill with boiling water. Stir and sip this warming cup of cold relief. It is truly delicious! More »
