October: A month for harvesting herbal barks

Herbal barks are mostly harvested on the month of October in preparation for the coming of winter.

Slippery Elm , Wild Cherry , Poplar , Willow

The month of September just finished and abundantly enough October is starting gloriously. God's grace is evident in everywhere that we look. Everyone is busy preparing for the coming of winter on this month. Creatures are securing their nest and preparing for the migration to the south.

The shelves should be full by now with all the jars that contain different kinds of herbs to be used during winter. The freezer is also stuffed with so many frozen goodies and the cupboard is also filled with dried herbs that are ready to be used for tea and as medicine for the winter season. When everything seems to be winding down and the field is turning brown, there are new greens growing beneath the fallen leaves. Dandelions , Garlic Mustard , Violets , Watercress can also be harvested during this time. This time is the final harvest of super-nutrition , before winter arrives and leaves the land lifeless.

Medicinal barks can be harvested from the barks of the tress on this time of the year before they become bare and the medicine will be stored on the roots. The sap of the tree flows downwards. As the leaves fall, saving most of the nutrients for medicinal use on the inner barks of the tree. Winter is also the season for the common cold and flu. So I take time on the month of October to make syrups for coughs and tea mixture for winter preparation.

Medicinal Tree Barks

Only a few would appreciate the goodness that trees give us. Think of all the things that we use that are made from wood like our house, furniture, boxes, musical instruments and many more. Not only that trees are used in our home but is also gives us nutritional value because of the fruits that it offer as well as nuts, syrups and even spices like vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Fragrant incenses are also coming from the saps of trees, like the myrrh, frankincense and copal. Trees also offer its shade for the summer heat. Firewood gives heat in our homes during the winter season. The trees also offer home to different kinds of wildlife creatures. The soil also gets nourishment from a rotting log. Locked on the inside of each tree are medicines that can heal any kind of illnesses as long as one would know how to recognize and prepare them.

The term "bark" is actually misused as the part of the tree that has medicine on it where in fact is it the inner bark called the cambium layer which is in between the true bark and the wood. The wood, the true and the outer bark are actually dead cells which only contains little medicine that is useful on it. The cambium layer is where all the nourishment are stored and most of the essentials like sugar, astringents, resins and other complex photochemical are there. These chemicals are actually not needed by the tree itself.

Medicinal barks which can be found from where I am located include barks from Wild Cherry , White Pine, Slippery Elm , Aspen or Poplar , Barberry, High bush Cranberry, Willow and White Oak, There are many barks you can get if you study advanced herbalism, but these few that were mentioned can supply the daily basic needs.

The best time to harvest tree barks are on the season of spring and fall. At these times, there is a surge of energy and the nutrients are moving to the cambium layer, thus making the barks highly nutritious. I can harvest them in the spring when the sap starts running until its buds swell for its maximum medicine quality. I harvest the barks in the fall for the following reasons:
- The trees can be identified easily when it has a few leaves on them
- If I plan to use the barks for winter, it would be fresher to harvest in the fall.
- I don't use barks in the summer because there are so many herbs as food during summer
- I find the bark I need anytime during summer season but not in the winter because most of its sap and essentials are then stored on its roots.

Basically harvesting the barks on the season of fall is the preparation for the coming of the winter season.

When we say harvesting the bark, we get the idea that we have to scrape the bark form the tree itself thus giving it a huge wound and scar the tree or even killing the tree just to get the bark. Harvesting the bark from the tree would interrupt the flow of the sap thus causing a major bleeding of the sap. The wound easily attracts pests, insects and diseases that can slowly kill the tree.

There are rumors about pharmaceutical companies that harvest tree barks which have caused a huge impact on the land's ecology. Harvesting for profit and for personal use is quite different. Barks can be harvested without greatly damaging the tree. Harvesting the barks of the tree can even improve the trees health if done properly. You can use pruning shears or saw to harvest the barks.

'How to process and store the barks'

Once you cut the bark from the tree it has to be processed within 3 days after harvesting because the barks will become dry and hard thus it would be difficult to process them. Spring barks are juicier and are very easy to process along with the barks on the season of fall.

I use hand pruners to remove any branches on the sides to separate the bark. Using a pocket knife or paring knife, peel the bark in strips just like how you peel a carrot. Cut deep enough to get to the inner bark which is green in color and a little wet and moist. I use a strong scissor to cut the bark strips into pieces. The barks can be used at this point and you can dry them or use them fresh to make syrups and tinctures.

Another way to process the barks is to lay it flat on the surface and set the knife perpendicularly to the branch and then scrape it back and forth. Doing this shred the bark and at the same time peeling it which would give you a finished product that you don’t have to cut anymore. The shredding process breaks the fibers evenly, which makes the preparation for medicine easier later.

The barks that you buy from local stores have removed the grey, outer bark and you would have the clean white colored bark. It is much easier to process the barks when you leave the outer layer on. I sometimes buy barks from a local store then dry them when I get home on a screen or dehydrator, then put them in a plastic bag or jar to freeze. I label each herb with the date and the place it was harvested because it is difficult once the herbs are dry.

The 'Slippery Elm'

Slippery Elm has been used before to cure all kinds of ailments like ulcers and sore throats. I was also used as a nourishing food for infants. Today, it is not used that much compared to the old times because the cure to ailments is readily available on drugstores. Slippery Elm is still growing all over the land.

There are three kinds of Elms that can be found in Wisconsin: The Rock Elm, Slippery Elm and the American elm. Slippery Elm is locally called "Red Elm", which is commonly used and known as firewood. The three kinds of Elm have features which make it quite difficult to distinguish one from the other. Slippery Elm has larger leaves than the other Elms. Its leaves are rough just like sandpaper but hairy underneath. Unlike the other Elms, the buds of a Slippery Elm are black and wooly, it is not smooth and it has a brown shiny leaves. Its branches have rough and fuzzy ends. If still I cannot distinguish if it is a Slippery Elm or not, I had to peel a little bark and chew the inner bark. If it becomes slippery and jelly like once inside the mouth then I got the Slippery Elm.

Spring is the best time to harvest Slippery Elm barks, because during this time the inner bark easily peels away form the outer bark. I also harvest in the fall. Trees that are mature with large branches are the best barks where you can get the most of the sap.

The Slippery Elm is on the At Risk list which means that when you harvest, you would need a permit from the United Plant Savers. You can also use the smaller branch but you will get less quality as the inner layer of the large barks but they still have the same medicinal value.

Local suppliers of Slippery Elm distribute them in two forms, sifted or cut, which are basically powdered and chopped pieces of the bark. Both can be used in a number of ways. There is also a lozenges made from the Slippery elm bark which can be bought from any drugstores as well.

Slippery Elm was commonly used by many before and it can be found in every drugstores and it was used in the ancient times. It was an official herbal drug during the King's American Dispensatory and also in the National Formulary. The Slippery Herb is now going obsolete except for those herbal renaissance movement and those that still cling to older ways of living.

Slippery Elm bark can heal and soothe any illnesses out there. Aside from the bark being a powerful medicine that is safe and gentle, it is also a nutritive food use for many centuries before for gradual healing of illnesses where no food can be tolerated. Porridge was made out of the powdered bark. You can buy a product on the store where it makes instant porridge out of Slippery Elm. Slippery Elm is also one of the ingredients for a cancer formula, Essiac cancer formula.

Once I have harvested the bark, I cut them into strips then into small pieces then dried on a dehydrator. If I would need a powdered bark, I them again in the oven for 200 degrees until it is crispy and can be easily snapped. Then I use a coffee grinder to grind them, then sift the powdered bark and save the fibers that cannot be grinded for tea preparation later.

I haven’t used slippery elm to that extend as the ancient time had. In today’s times, there are so many other natural remedies out there that can cure illnesses as better as Slippery Elm. I usually use Slippery Elm for sore throats and ulcers. I mix the bark with a tea during cold and flu period, which is the winter season. I also make my own home made lozenges out of Slippery Elm powdered bark. I have used slippery elm to aid in the recovery of someone who has acid reflux by using it as the main ingredient for the patient’s tea. The patient was able to avoid his scheduled surgery because of the tea and the doctor even wanted to ask for the recipe.

The following are recipes that can help you with your illnesses, you might want to try them out and see for yourselves: Slippery Elm Lozenges Slippery Elm Sore Throat Tea Slippery Elm Stomach Soothing Tea (this is the tea that helped in the recovery from acid reflux)

The 'Wild Cherry'

In the Eastern deciduous forests in the US, varieties of wild cherries can be found. On the grasslands of the Midwest, Choke Cherries are very abundant in areas that are brushy which are preferred by the indigenous people. Three common cherries can be found in South Western Wisconsin, the Pin Cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica), The Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), and the Black Cherry (Prunus serotina).You can identify cherry trees throughout the year. A young sapling's bark has a shiny brown color mixed with a hue of the color red or purple. It has lentils, irregular stripes around it, which can make the cherry even easier to identify. Mature cherry trees are tall and have barks that are scaly on the trunk; in contrary to the smooth upper branches that also has a lentil look. An ugly dirty black fungus can be found on the smaller branches of the Cherry. The fungus is actually an infectious disease of the cherries in our region. It also has smooth leaves that have a long shape, which turns golden yellow during the season of fall. Knowing these facts about cherries, you would have no problem in identifying Wild Cherries among the rest, as they are scattered through the woodlands, brushy places and field edges.

All Cherries bear fruits, but from where I live, the fruits are disappointing because it has less quantities which is also very hard to harvest. The Pin cherry, have tiny cherries with large pits that only grow way up in more taller and matured trees. The cherries rarely bear large quantities every year, and you would need a very tall ladder and good perseverance to get those cherries way up in the tree.

Black cherries also bear the fruits way up in the tree but it can bear heavily if it is a good year. Sometimes I would go to a cherry tree that has an open area beneath it so that I can pick up the cherries that fall. Choke Cherries are much easier to harvest because they are more of a bush like cherry. It doesn’t really grow that tall and it bears heavy clusters of cherries. In Manitoba Canada, they were interested in developing a Choke cherry market; however it has been neglected by many. A reason for the cherries to be neglected by many is because they are very dry when consumed raw and most people don’t even want to try to cook them. Choke cherries unfortunately are not very common here and it is localized in my location so I have to remember where I spotted them so that I can come back on mid May to August to check if there is a good harvest.

If there I can find a good harvest of wild cherries, I gather as much as I can because it is not an easy harvest. The fruits may be unsavory, chalky and dry with an intense taste, but with the use of a steam juicer, it can unlock good juices from the fruit with less effort.

Once I am in the kitchen, I put the cherries in the steam juicer right after harvesting. I don’t remove the berries from the stem; I just remove the leaves and twigs as well as other unwanted objects from the cherries. I don’t wash them as well especially if I picked them up from the wild and far from the road. Those that are from the roadside or driveways are dusty and they have to bee washed before processed on the steam juicer.

The juicer will give you a dark, deep intense Wild cherry juice. I always have a sterile jar ready to store them with two teaspoons of honey per jar. While the juice is still hot, pour it on the jar and cap it, this way when the juice cools down, the jar seals and it is ready to be stored away. Here are some tips or juicing the berries and some ideas you can use the berries with.

The juice extracted from Wild cherry is a medicine by itself; it has a very high content of iron together with other nutrients and minerals. Some Cherry Juice that has been sold commercially is getting popular for its increasing health claims. If these commercial cherry juices are already high in medicinal value, so much more for those fresh concentrated Cherry Juices that you process on your own, the medicinal value may even be doubled.

The 'bark of Wild Cherries'

The bark of Wild Cherries is also used during the ancient times and it was also the main ingredient for making the first commercial syrup for cough. It has a cyanogenic glycoside which stimulates respiration and causes the cough reflex as it sedates the nerves. The bark of The Wild Cherry acts a mild sedative, as an expectorant that breaks and expels mucus from the system, as a decongestant and it also disinfect which kills the bacteria that causes the lung infection or cold. Until now, the barks are still used in some medicinal formula. You must have barks of Wild Cherry to make your own home made cough medicines.

I harvest the barks from the Wild Cherry tree on the season of fall. It has a great aroma which makes it more pleasurable to work with. You can enjoy the cherry scent when you scratch a twig from the tree using your handy pocket knife.

I mainly use the Wild Cherry bark for cough syrups. I have used the barks before for tea but other herbs can make better nutritiuos tea for coughs. I use both the bark and the Cherry juice when making the cough syrup.

Here is my very own recipe for making the cough syrup, Wild Cherry Cough Syrup

You have to be very careful and precautions should be observed when experimenting with Wild Cherries. I make the juice and the syrups according the safety measures and guidelines.
- The leaves of Wild Cherries contain cyanide which is poisonous and deadly to humans and livestock so never make anything from the leaves.
- Cherry pits also have cyanide content. There have been rumors that some children died because of eating too much of these cherry pits. I don’t actually pit the cherries when processing it but fortunately I have never experienced any negative effects of it.
- The bark of the Cherry also has cyanide through cryogenic glycoside. This is the main element of the bark which contains most medicines that provide relief from the symptoms.
- You have to be careful with the quantity of the Cherry bark because it can be harmful when overdosed.
- You can still use the cherry to treat your own children at home. I am confident in using them as long as I followed the guidelines for the safe use of the herb. Others may have second thoughts on their own ability to cure ailments at home using wild cherry because of the side effects of it when overdosed.
-wild cherries are sometimes confused with Buckthorn, which is poisonous and quite common in my location. The Buckthorn berries have multiple seeds on them while Wild Cherries only have one seed.

The 'Poplar'

Poplar or Aspen is just the same tree; the names vary from where you are located. In Wisconsin we call them Poplars. There are three kinds of Poplars in Wisconsin: The Quaking Aspen (scientific name Populus tremuloides) is popular for its pretty leaves that shine brightly with even the smallest breeze. The Large Toothed Aspen (scientific name Populus grandidentata), in which its leaves are larger than that of the Quaking Aspen. The Balm of GIlead (scientific name Populus balsamiferous) grows in the swamps up in the North moose country. The Balm of Gilead releases a sweet scent during spring and when it buds out right after a summer rain. I've seen this aspen used as decorations; it helps if you want an aromatherapy because of its pleasant scent. Poplars and Cottonwoods trees are cousins which can be used the same way.

Barks of Poplar tree are rich in "salicin", a chemical used in modern aspirin that can also be found in the barks of Willow trees. Poplar barks are like natures ibuprofen. It is used as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. Others use it to minimize the pain that arthritis and rheumatism cause, but I haven’t had personal experience in using it to treat those ailments. I make the Poplar bark into a tincture with alcohol, for it to taste good. The alcohol extracts the medicinal components of the bark that you would just need a teaspoon doze to cure any ailments you have. The tinctures are very easy to make and doesn’t really cost anything when made at home. If you buy it from the local store, it would cost about $12 to $15 for a 2-oz bottle, which I can make a full quart for the same price.

I harvest and prepare the Poplar bark for it to be made into tinctures. It has is distinct aroma when you peel it. It smells more like an aspirin, and it leaves a bitter smell on the hands as you prepare it.

After the bark is peeled, put them in a tight glass jar, and then pour 100-proof vodka on the bar until the jar is full and the barks are fully covered. Others have tried to use 80-proof alcohol or 190-proof alcohol to extract the medicinal component of the bark but I only use 100-proof alcohol since I have been using that for time already and the medicines that are made from it are quite effective.

I always put a label on the jars of tinctures that I make and leave the jars on the cupboard for 6weeks for it to extract all medicines out of the bark. Making them into tinctures allow you to store them forever because they are preserved.

I only use the barks if I really need it. I put some in a dropper bottle for first aid kits.

To use the tincture for pain relief you would need to take a full dropper or 1/4 teaspoon every 15 minutes for an hour. I mix the tincture with water for easy consumption. For a more immediate relief from pain, drink it every 5minutes for a maximum of one hour.

I have used Poplar and the bark of Willow trees to make tinctures for severe back pain. A dose has to be taken every 15 minutes and you will get the relief soon. I haven’t personally taken it but it works effectively on the person I have used them with.

The Poplar barks can be used together with Wild Cherry to make > Wild Cherry cough syrup . I include it because of its anti-inflammatory and ibuprofen like effects. Others use its buds for medicine. The buds are sticky but still fragrant because of the high content of resins. The buds are used or made into salves for external use.

Herbal pain relievers do not level with the modern pain relievers. Herbal pain relievers can help you get relaxed and drowsy but not the same effect as modern drugs offer. Positively, herbal pain relievers have no side effects compared to modern drugs. There are herbs that give immediate relief but these herbs are actually dangerous or poisonous which you have to be very careful in processing them.

The 'Willow'

Willow is one of the many barks I harvest for medicinal reasons. It grows everywhere and very easy to distinguish. There are so many species of Willow and it would be very hard to sort them all. Will bark is one of the first herbs that were made into drugs. It has been used for centuries, the same way Poplar barks are used mainly for its pain relieving effect and anti-inflammatory properties. Salicylic acid is the most popular chemical content of the Willow bark . It is the main component of aspirin.

Others have misunderstood the fact that aspirin has Willow like substance on it instead of Willows has aspirin like substance on it. White Willow barks are more preferred by many. All Willows contain salicylic acid. The barks are very safe even when experimenting with the dosage.

I substitute Willow bark for aspirin to relive from fever, inflammation, headache and pain. Aspirins may have its side effect but Willow Barks don’t have effects and it comes along with other medicinal components like tannins and mucilage.

I use vibrant Willow branches form a pond. After I peeled the bark, I make tinctures out of them with the same method as Poplar bark tinctures . It has a bitter taste so I don’t make tea out of it. I grind the barks and make a capsule from it. I dehydrate them on the oven for 200 degree to get the right crisp, and then grind them on the coffee grinder until you get the powder like substance. I sift it after, as some fibers are not totally grounded. I put them on empty gelatin capsules. But only make less because powdered herbs loose its potency very fats.

You can make your own powdered herbs. You can follow the procedures for making Slippery Elm lozenges.