By now, we all know that plants can help us stay healthy and well—many of today’s modern medicines are derived from different aspects of plants: stems, bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, or roots. The following will explore just one category of plants with fantastic health benefits—trees.
When it comes to seeking out the beautiful benefits we described above, it’s worth noting that there are many different ways you can get your hands on these plants. You can purchase supplements, dried leaves, and bark; you can also head out into the great outdoors and track down some of these things in the wild; you can even grow them in your yard for years of plant support. Most of them are gorgeous trees to look at as well.
If you decide to cut roots, twigs, or bark off yourself, take a moment to research the best way to do it to help ensure the longevity of the tree. If you take the bark off the entire circumference for a strip, you might end up leaving the tree open to damage, resulting in harm or death to the tree.
Alder Trees
The leaves and bark of alder trees can be made into teas that can help with tonsillitis or fever. Alder has astringent properties that care fantastic for wound washing or encouraging the healing of deeper wounds. Always take the time to ensure you’ve learned how to properly use natural medicines.
Hawthorn Trees
Hawthorn leaf tea reduces blood pressure. Because of how strong the effect is, this is one of those supplements that is recommended to be cycled on and off—you shouldn’t be taking this for more than two weeks.
Kratom Tree
Kratom has been used traditionally to treat fatigue, diarrhea, muscle cramps, and pain. People also note improvements in mood and enhanced libido. Moreover, this kratom extract can also help with motivation and combating lethargy. Kratom is a substance that your body can become dependent on, so you need to be aware of proper dosage and cycling habits when using it.
Elm Trees
Elm bark can be used in salves and poultices, helping to treat chilblain, gunshot wounds, and set on the stomach to draw out fever. When the bark is made into a tea, it is incredibly high in calcium which means that it can help bones heal, sore throats soothe, and diarrhea settle.
Willow Trees
Willow bark can be used to brew a tea that helps relieve pain in the body. This tea has been used as far back as 3000 BC in ancient Egypt. To make the tea, simply steep white willow bark in hot water. We should warn you; this one is a bit on the bitter side.
Beech Trees
Beech bark tea can be used to help treat lung problems and offers a blood cleansing effect. The leaves can be brewed into a tea that can help treat frostbite and burns. This isn’t one to use while pregnant or breastfeeding, though.
Elder Trees
Elder bark tea can help with headaches, congestion, and increasing perspiration (which can help lower fever. When making teas from bark, you might prefer to have a strainer handy, so you don’t have to get chips of bark in your teeth.
Ash Trees
The tips of ash twigs, as well as their leaves, can be turned into a tea that helps reduce gout, jaundice, and rheumatism. Leaves can be put in hot water, dried or fresh.
Cedar Trees
Cedar bark can be brewed into a tea that can help with fevers, flu, chest colds, and rheumatism. The leaves can also be boiled to help with stomach pain. The leaves can also be powdered and set as a poultice for pain, especially arthritis.
Birch Trees
When brewed into a tea, birch leaves can help heal sores in the mouth, assist with bladder or kidney problems, and can even help treat gout. The bark can be put into a bath to help ease skin rashes, eczema, and psoriasis. Birch sap also contains something called betulinic acid. This acid helps reduce tumor size and combats cancer.
Maple Trees
Maple leaves can be used in wound washes or poultices to help relieve sore eyes or sore breasts among nursing mothers and pregnant women. The bark can be used in a tea to treat kidney infections, colds, and bronchitis.
The above list is nowhere near the end of the road. There are thousands upon thousands of plants around the world that offer wonderful benefits to humans. Of course, always consult a doctor before beginning a new supplement or herbal tea regime—particularly if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a history of less than ideal blood pressure or blood sugar levels. Beyond this, don’t ingest plants if you have any doubt as to their identity—sometimes trees look similar but are very different.
