Tree Medicine ✨🌲✨
If you caught our previous post we shared some ideas for turning your Christmas tree into medicine
Regardless of where or how you source it – Spruce is one of the best Winter medicines ❄️
This post dives a little deeper into the properties of Spruce, a local Native plant you can use throughout the year for medicine.
Read on for Wild Plant Medicine Magic ✨🌲✨
Thank you to @latifas.herbs for this blog post. Latifa is teaching a workshop January 12th all about how to Build Your Own Wild Winter Immune Tonic at Light Cellar. Details & Registration through lightcellar.ca
Spruce: 🌲
Medicinal usage:
Spruce is antimicrobial against bacteria and fungi. Spruce resin or pitch is an excellent antiseptic for wounds and was traditionally used a lozenge for sore throats and coughs. Spruce pitch and needles were traditionally taken internally to treat lung congestion. An ointment made from the resin can be applied to sore joints and muscles to relieve pain, or applied to the chest to help relieve lung congestion. The inner bark was traditionally used to treat coughs, colds and flus. Scientific research into the inner bark of Norway Spruce (Picea abies) has shown it has immunomodulatory properties, supporting the traditional usage in cold and flu treatment.
Edible use:
The young spruce tips in spring can be eaten fresh or cooked.
How to prepare:
The spruce resin can be harvested any time of the year, but is less sticky in the winter. The needles are frequently gathered when fresh in the spring, but can be used at any time of the year. The bark is also best gathered in the spring and can be used anytime of the year.
To learn more about Spruce and other wild plants you can harvest in the Winter and how to turn them into medicine join us Sunday January 12th for Build Your Own Winter Immune Tonic one of the very first workshops of the New Year in the Light Cellar Teaching Kitchen
