Meet BALM OF GILEAD: Tree Bud Medicine Extraordinaire (Video Lesson)
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
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Meet BALM OF GILEAD: Tree Bud Medicine Extraordinaire
Balm of Gilead has buds that heal and soothe, offering us some of the most gummy therapeutics in town. Scientifically called Populus xjackii, this is a hybrid of P. deltoides x P. balsamifera. Learn to ID, harvest, and use these healing trees.
If you don’t have this exact species of poplar (Populus) there are many close relatives of this tree genus that contain similar therapeutic properties. Just make sure the buds are highly resinous, sticky, and strongly fragrant.
Therapeutics
These highly aromatic, highly resinous, gummy buds are filled with a dense soup of plant chemicals that offers analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, expectorant, and vulnerary actions. Use topically as a salve or oil for sore, achy, strained, arthritic, burned, inflamed, and infected skin conditions. Can also be used internally for immune stimulating during colds, and coughs and more. Note: it has overlapping constituents with propolis, as the bees gather the antimicrobial poplar bud-sealing resins to make propolis.
Harvest Notes
Harvest buds when they are fully formed but before they start to open (now [late winter] and for the next few weeks should be perfect for us in the NE USA). Keep in mind that the buds should have the rich resinous medicine we are looking for, so check to make sure you have the sticky, strongly scented ones.
Prep Notes
To make an herbal infused oil, I dry buds overnight, leaving them by the woodstove to reduce moisture, or perhaps use a dehydrator set on [85 or 95]F for several hours. Then add buds to a very clean, and absolutely dry jar. Cover the buds with org. cold press olive oil and tightly seal the jar. Steep (macerate) for 8 weeks, ideally in a warm location (aiming for 98F for the first few days). Then pour off oil and use. Formula note: 1:3 herb to oil ratio. Seems we can reuse the steeped buds and steep again with more oil. I also cheat and start using the oil as soon as it takes on a strong odor and color which can happen in a couple of days.
To make tincture, use a high alcohol menstruum, such as a 140 proof with 1 part herb to 3 parts menstruum.
Habitat
Populus x Jackii can be found in USDA growing zones 2-6; preferring wet soils, along the edges of waterways, and ditches, in full sun to part shade. Other related Populus species can be found in other parts of the world and used similarly. This species we see here creates a thicket by sending out its roots.
ID Notes
Buds: The plump, odoriferous end / terminal buds should measure ½” or larger, and when crushed leave a yellow-that-turns-brown resin on your fingers. Remember buds are spicy fragrant, and gummy when crushed. Buds are pointy with overlapping scales.
Twig arrangement: alternate.
Alternate leaf scar, bud and hence leaf arrangement.
Cautionary Note
Folks with salicylate allergies (aspirin) should proceed with caution.
Please research any new food or medicine, go slowly, learn, and discuss using it with your healthcare provider.
Cleanup Note
Oil and rubbing alcohol work well to remove the resin from hands and equipment.
#BalmofGilead #Populusxjackii #Foraging #HerbalMedicine #WildRemedy #ForagingandFeasting #InTheWildKitchen #WildFoodHealthBoosters #DinaFalconi #OnlineForagingCourse #OnlineCourse #Botanizing #TreeIdentification
I just found my 1st cottonwood tree on the shore of Lake Champlain in VT. As an aspiring herbalist, I want to tell you that every single video you have made is superb!! Your delivery and presentation is surpassed only by your immense knowledge! Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for opening your heart to students like myself. Stay amazing and please know that you’re a true gift to be appreciated!! ❤
Thank you, Korri, for this comment! Makes my heart sing!
I don’t pick or prune off a tree. It’s easy to pick groundfall after a wind storm and then not harmful to the tree at all.
Thanks for your comment!
wonderful video on Balm of Gilead, much appreciated
Thank you for the feedback!
Cheer~~~a fragrant ointment or preparation used to heal or soothe the skin.
Thanks!
I was looking for the perfect cottonwood video and found it! Love your videos Dina!
Thank you, Susan, for appreciating this video! Enjoy the channel!
... The LORD Our Creator has allowed you to gain this knowlage for what is to come .... i hope you know HIM YHWH YESHUA 📖🕊️🗡️✨🛐🕯️🌾👰🙌
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this wonderfully instructive video. There are many to choose from and yours exceeds them all. I had earlier read about this amazing plant medicine and ordered some buds online which came all the way from Croatia through a reputable company. They are organic and I created a lovely oil from them by placing them in a food processor with olive oil, and then after letting that sit for a couple of days, I poured it through a dense cloth and ended up with a wonderfully fragrant and hopefully medicinal oil. I noted that the buds I bought are from Populus Candicans. I was intrigued by the idea of finding some Populus xjackii in my nearby environment. I live near the Willamette River in Oregon. Your video was so helpful. I walked down by the River and using your points of identification found the trees right away. I got my fingers sticky with the deliciously fragrant and resinous buds and harvested enough for two 8 ounce jars which I filled with olive oil. I will let these sit for eight weeks as you suggest. I am thrilled to have been able to find these buds so close to home. With deep gratitude I thank you for offering this wonderful education. Fatarae
Hello Fatarae, thanks for your detailed comment! So glad you found some right nearby! And interesting that you ordered them from Croatia! Be well, Dina
@@DinaFalconi Thank you. You too!
Deltoides is the Eastern Cottonwood, Balsamifera is the Balm of Gilead. Poplars hybridize readily and there are many variations within the species and sub-species, the latin is inconsistent and is also referred to as candicans, and gileadensis as well, people on the west coast use the Black Cottonwood. I believe there are 2 subspecies growing within the hamlet that I live in. I believe the the non hybridized trees have more potent medicine the cottonwood brings different properties to the medicine.
Thanks! Do you know which subspecies grow in your hamlet?
Thank you, I love the smell
Yes, so good!
I love cottonwood (Balm of Gilead). I tried a new salve last year by adding Calendula oil along with the cottonwood oil. I have since moved away recently from my cottonwood trees but around here they are easy to find.
Yes, I share your love! Calendula and balm of gilead sound like a good combo.
"tree being" ! I can't. Going to diy kitchen for a recipe.😂
Hello Howling, not sure what your comment means.....?
O.M.G.......!
Priceless falconi form...
I’m so behind this year.....
Ha, thanks!
I’m anxiously awaiting the budding of the trees up here in Northern NYS. I am looking to make my first Balm of Gilead salve.
Nice, and often Balm of Gilead buds are ready for harvesting earlier than you might imagine. You might want to check and see if they are ready now.
Thank you for the identification walk-through. Here in Idaho we tend to have "black cottonwood" in our riparian areas (Populus nigra I believe.) They get massive if they don't get blown over or fall down first. And they smell amazing! I love making the balm because no matter when I use it I'm transported to spring along the river. Divine. Harvesting tip: rub some salve/balm into your fingertips before harvesting and the resin won't stick as much in the first place. Balm also rubs it off when you're done. That, or hand sanitizer.
Thank you, Krista, for your comment and tips. Wondering if the tree you have there in Idaho is Populus trichocarpa....?
@@DinaFalconi Yes! That’s it. Although I understand they rather freely hybridize, so it may be difficult to say *exactly* which species one has. But your advice to go by smell as the final step is really the best.
Yes, go by smell and tackiness!
Thank you!! Blessings of the Equinox to you Dina! What a beautiful time of the year!!!!
Yes, happy spring equinox!
Cool lookin bud
Sure is! Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for this great video. I have searching for Poplar buds and was never sure about the tree identification. Do know how long of a window we have to harvest the buds?
Window for harvest depends on the season. Buds should be full but not open. Check for bud stickiness and smell and go from there. Hope this helps. If you come upon some and still have questions, let me know.
I'll say that in upstate NY, people said spring (I think). But mine are ready to be picked during the fall. They're still in bud form, and sticky and look full of good stuff. From September to December. After that they're dried out from the cold, I assume. It's January now, I'm going outside today to see if any limbs have fallen.
Hello Gokotta, thank you for your comment. Just seeing it now. Where are you located and do you know which species of Populus you have there?
Hello 😘everyone, very interesting 👍videos you have thank you very much, 🔥good and❤️ prosperous to you and your channel.😍
Thank you very much.
We don’t have around here but I just received some buds in the mail yesterday! Thank you for the video, so timely
Cool, and where did you receive your buds from? Which Populus species and what do you do with yours?
@@DinaFalconi They are Black Cottonwoods growing on “private” property along the Willamette River in Oregon. I am not sure what to name them. I am having some finger inflammation
@@DinaFalconi and I put them in olive oil yesterday and was happy to see that it matched up with your suggestion
I harvested some fresh buds and stored them in the freezer. When I had enough to make a quart I got them out. U fortunately, I opened one to check and they had turned brown inside. I’m guessing I shouldn’t use them. Can you confirm, please? I don’t want to have my oil ruined. Thanks so much. 😊
Hello Melissa, is the bud still very sticky? Does it have a strong smell, like when it was picked? If yes, to these questions, I would think it would still be therapeutic. But I do not have personal experience with freezing them.
I ate cornstarch now have nerve pain, is this good for nerve pain?
Thank you for your comment. Sorry, I am not able to give you personal advice. Please consult with your health care provide.
Can all species of poplar be used?
Thank you for your comment. Hoping you watched through the video to see the highly aromatic, sticky, resinous buds-note my finger tips when buds are crushed. This is what your poplar should do; these are the buds you are looking for, otherwise if this doesn't happen, the poplar does not contain the bud medicine. Hope this helps.
Awesome content... is this for external use only?
Hello Mary,
The herbal infused oil is used externally. The tincture is used internally and externally.
And thanks for appreciating the content!
goodafternoon Dina. thanks for the reply. please help me i need the dried leaves or bark for my illness. the Lord teach me this tree. please give me even twig in it. thank. you.
Hoping you'll find some! Don't have any to offer.
Should you open up the bud before putting in the oil ? Or just put in and It should be fine?
No need to open it. I put it in whole.
how much is the balm of gilead dried buds or oil? im in philippines. thank you.
Thanks for asking, but I don't sell them.
So alternate growth pattern for the nodes, the buds have scales (and are resinous), the bark of the lower trunk is similar to willow, while the bark on the upper trunk transitions to more closely resemble quaking aspen (P. tremuloides)... Is there anything to which you would liken the smell of the resin? Thank you, great video!
Yes, and don't forget terminal buds should measure ½” or longer. Smell; hard to describe- like propolis; almost incense-y with a very light hint of vanilla and wintergreen.
@@DinaFalconi Thank you very much! 😊
Perfect description...I love the smell of this medicine!@@DinaFalconi
Thanks!
@@Susansapothecary
Can you use dried buds for this? Thanks
Thanks, best to use fresh.
Okay, thank you. @@DinaFalconi
@@salayna Welcome
if this is a hybrid tree, how does one explain how it appears in the middle of the Garcia Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest in San Luis Obispo County, California? they weren't planted. And poplar trees in general don't exist in that region. very weird.
Ha, interesting.... thanks for your comment. I wonder if the tree you have there is a different species. Might you know it's scientific name?
@@DinaFalconi no idea. I just know we have a campground with that name and botanists verified it's Balm of Gilead. Here's a link to where the camp is on a map, the grove of trees are nearby on the trail, you walk through them: maps.app.goo.gl/VommcREPRuggbyqVA
Dina, thank you again for the almost meditative appreciation you help us find...reminds me to slow down and do the same when harvesting. Question...when making the oil, sometimes I get a strong whiff of fermentation. At first, it is a tiny bit foamy, but after a few weeks, that subsides; however, the yeasty scent of fermentation alcohol remains. There is no sign of spoilage nor mold nor fungus. No floaties. Is it okay to use? I have a lotion I want to make with it (I use lotion more than salve) and just want to make sure it's okay. Thinking that any alcohol smell might "burn off" when heated anyway, but I don't want to experiment with my precious oil! Any input? Edited to add...I did not tightly cover my oil in the initial phases of infusing. I put cheesecloth as the "lid: and put a canning ring around. Thanks for any help!
Does the alcohol produced by fermentation help dissolve and glean the resin as well?
Thanks for your appreciative comment. To your question: I am not aware of this whiff of fermentation or yeasty alcohol smell you speak of, so can't comment. Wish I could see and smell what you are referring to. In the future, perhaps, let your buds sit overnight to dry off and remove any obvious moisture. We want to use fresh buds; so don't let them dehydrate, but maybe there is some superficial moisture that you can remove and this might help with what you are referring to. I think the oil you have is good.... but can't really say.....
Populus X Canadensis I had ordered these trees a few months ago to plant this spring. so it is not the same, and I cannot use the buds? should have watched this video first.
Good question. I don't know this hybrid you speak of: Populus X Canadensis. Perhaps it offers medicinal buds since there are many close relatives of this tree genus poplar (Populus) that contain similar therapeutic properties. Just make sure the buds are highly resinous, sticky, and strongly fragrant.
I'm very familar with poplar, but I'm not sure about this kind.
There are a few different species of poplar that contain these healing buds. Hoping you can find one that has buds that are highly aromatic, resinous, and sticky = what we are looking for.
Does Hybrid means, it's man made?
Thanks for your question. It can happen naturally or it can be orchestrated by a human. It means that the plant is a combo of its parents.
@@DinaFalconi thank you Dina. 😊 Do you think this one happened naturally?
Not sure, but if it did have human involvement, please note that it's not a GMO, but a crossbreeding / selection process.
Is this not called balsam poplar ?
Thanks, yes could be called that too. This species we focus on here is scientifically called Populus xjackii, this is a hybrid of P. deltoides x P. balsamifera. If you don’t have this exact species of poplar (Populus) there are many close relatives of this tree genus that contain similar therapeutic properties. Just make sure the buds are highly resinous, sticky, and strongly fragrant. Watch the video for more info.
140 proof is poison 100 proof is safe.
Yes, 140 proof is a good menstruum for making resinous tinctures like balm of gilead, but once made, if consuming, it should be diluted.
@@DinaFalconi disagree
It's poison if you drink it like 140 proof. 100 proof is a higher content of water. Hints her saying dilute 140 proof in water so that you arent drinking 140 proof. Not sure what there is to disagree with. Do you have a channel I can check out? I love to follow fellow herbalists.