Spotlight on Local Medicinal Herbs—Poplar
One of the treasures of late autumn in Washington is the humble Poplar leaf bud, dormant and oozing with sticky medicinal resin. Gazing up at this tall tree in the winter months gives us a clue about its famous use as a musculoskeletal pain reliever and anti-inflammatory: the branches form gnarled joints, with the resinous buds resembling claws. During the warmer months, the tremulous leaves of the tree (the aptly-named Quaking Aspen, or Populus tremuloides, is another North American native of the same genus), give us a clue about the energetic healing properties of this plant. It’s a warming and drying medicine that quickly antidotes the cold stagnation associated with the emotion of fear. Fear is related to the water element, and these trees grow best in riparian zones that have been disturbed by floodwaters.
There are about 30 different well-known species of poplar across the US, but today we’ll focus on Western Balsam Poplar, also known as Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa).
Balsam Poplar is a tall, deciduous, broadleaf tree with rough bark and elongated leaves. It grows in sandy, loamy soils and is one of hardest, tallest, and fastest growing hardwoods in the Western states. Its native range is transcontinental from Nova Scotia to Alaska. It can live to be well over 200 years old. The Populus genus belongs to the Willow family (Salicaceae), the same family from which the main ingredient in aspirin is derived—salicylic acid, from White Willow bark.
One of the most distinctive features of Balsam Poplar is its large, pointed, sticky buds, which release a sweet red resin. It’s one of the major components of bee propolis, and lends its characteristic aromatic scent and antimicrobial properties to the “bee glue”.
Poplar contains naturally-occurring resins, insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol or fat. Resin is plant exudate: a viscous, amorphous liquid high in terpenes, and combined with other plant constituents such as gums, complex carbohydrates, lignans, acids, and esters. The plant uses the resin to repair injuries to its bark and to repel pests.
The specific properties of Poplar resin (also called Balm of Gilead) are aromatic, bitter, drying, and warming. All plant resins are anti-inflammatory, thus Poplar’s best use is to treat any sort of inflammation in the body. It’s also an expectorant, antiseptic, decongestant, diuretic, oral anesthetic, appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and musculoskeletal pain reliever.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the abundance of dormant leaf buds become apparent between the months of November and March. The ground is usually littered with beautiful medicine after the first good windstorm of late autumn, and I prefer to harvest at this time. Poplar is wonderful medicine to keep on reserve for winter aches, pains, coughs, and as a digestive aid for the inevitable holiday overindulgence. This is truly my all-time favorite medicine from the plant kingdom, and I always have at least a few jars of salve on hand (pun intended).
Buds can be tinctured using the folk method outlined in previous posts, or by simmering on low heat in an oil and wax base (I like to use a combination of coconut, olive, cocoa butter, and beeswax), and then strained and cooled to make a salve.
Poplar resin generally has a good safety profile, with no specific contraindications except where a person’s constitution is already too warm and dry. Consult with your doctor or herbalist for specific recommendations on how best to use Poplar.
As always, use sustainable and respectful harvesting practices, and give thanks to the plant realm for sharing its medicine. Enjoy!
Citations:
Balsam poplar - populus balsamifera. BALSAM POPLAR - POPULUS BALSAMIFERA | The UFOR Nursery & Lab. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://trees.umn.edu/balsam-poplar-populus-balsamifera
Bartram, T. (1998). Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. Robinson.
Hoffmann, D. (2017). Medical herbalism: The science and practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press.
Niemiec, S. S. (1995). Hardwoods of the Pacific Northwest. College of Forestry, Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University.
Tilgner, S. (2020). Herbal medicine: From the heart of the Earth. Wise Acres.
