Cottonwood

Cottonwood. Memories of my mother telling us to roll down the windows and smell the breeze as we drive past a large grove of trees, barefoot summers with resinous buds stuck to my feet, bundling up on cold winter days to treasure hunt for the sweet smelling sticky buds, and now rubbing the sweet smelling salve on my children’s chests and feet when they wake in the night with a cough or stuffy nose.⁣⁣

One of the rare plants that can make a forager greedy and unwilling to share or turn the best of friends into opponents racing to fill each of their jars with the found treasure. If a friend gifts you fresh Cottonwood buds know that you’ll be friends for life.⁣⁣

Right when the weather turns cold, dark, and stormy Mother Earth gifts us with one of her best gifts. To find this gift, look near water for a forest grove, find the tallest of the trees, and you will most likely find Cottonwood (Balsam Poplar.) Here in the Pacific Northwest we have Populus trichocarpa aka Black Cottonwood. As you approach the trees begin looking on the ground for large heart shaped leaves and small branches that resemble twisted “witchy” looking fingers. On those branches will be sticky, resinous buds that you can pop off. You want them to be green at the base when they come off. If they’re brown and crumbly they’re just compost. The rule among plant lovers is to only pick buds off of fallen branches you find on the ground. This is where the treasure hunting comes in!⁣⁣

Cottonwood is a wonderful expectorant, anti-inflammatory/pain reliever, and skin healer among many other great attributes. Fill a crockpot (designated to Cottonwood!) with your buds, cover with oil of choice plus an extra inch. Heat on low (or if you have a keep warm feature that’s even better) for 7 days. Strain and you will have the most glorious infused oil there ever was! Use this oil as the base for your favorite chest, pain, and skin healing salves!⁣⁣So, the next time a storm wakes you in the middle of the night, you’ll only think of tomorrow. Tomorrow a huntin’ you will go!

Wondering what to do with your cottonwood buds once you have them? Check out our Cottonwood Herbal Remedies Post!