Gathering cottonwood buds has become one of our favorite spring time traditions.
My daughter climbs into her little Elsa Jeep & proudly drives around the giant cottonwood tree in our front yard, filling the back with fallen branches as she goes. Then we sit on the porch with mugs of chicory coffee, plucking the sticky buds from each branch. Our fingers sticky, smelling like honey from the resin.
We infuse the buds in olive oil & use throughout the year for dry skin, bug bites, & sore muscles.
Cottonwood trees have been treasured in traditional herbalism for generations. One of the most well known preparations made from their resinous buds is the Balm of Gilead, a soothing salve created by slowly infusing the buds with oil & blending the infusion with beeswax. This balm has long been used to comfort achy muscles, joints, & skin irritations.
These trees grow abundantly throughout North America near the water. In late winter & early spring, their buds become plump, sticky, & fragrant. The resin is naturally rich in salicylates, plant compounds naturally found in aspirin, along with anti-inflammatory & anti-microbial compounds that have made cottonwood buds a favorite amongst herbalists for centuries.
Gather buds from fallen branches, as the trees easily shed them, making it easy to harvest without harming the tree. Choose buds that are firm, resinous, & fragrant.
That fragrant resin is also collected by honeybees to make propolis “bee glue” to help seal & protect their hives. Cool, yea?
Balm of Gilead
1 cup buds
1.5 cup oil
Infuse the oil for 3-6 months.
Strain the oil, lightly heat with 2 tbsp of beeswax until melted, pour into jars, & cool.
I like to add a few drops of lavender essential oil & vitamin E.
One of my favorite parts of this tradition is watching my daughter experience the magic herself.
Whenever she gets a skin flare up, we apply the balm over her skin, which soothes her skin overnight. She helps gather the buds, infuse the oil with me, & watch it become medicine for her own body. There's something so special about that connection. Knowing exactly where your medicine came from & growing up seeing the healing power of nature firsthand.
I hope these are the memories she carries into adulthood. The natural world has so much to offer when we slow down enough to notice & sometimes the most ordinary looking tree is the one holding so much magic!
