Hello friends of plants!
It is so wonderful to see the weather improving. Feeling the sun penetrating the skin brings so much joy I find. I have been busy harvesting balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) buds. They make wonderful topical medicine for bruises, burns, sore muscles and joints. What I love most is that you can feel the numbing effect as soon as you apply the salve. I think the resin from the buds could be incorporated into a lozenge for sore throat as well. I am currently working on a recipe.
Remember to always think about giving back to the plants when you harvest. Whether this is directly through taking care not to excessively damage the plant, distributing seeds or modifying behaviors to make more sustainable choices, all actions are relevant. If we all had a small garden the reduced demand on highly destructive mass-agriculture practices would be greatly reduced.
Anyhow, tomorrow I am heading to Atlanta to visit Lorna Mauney-Brodek, founder of the Herb Bus. I am bringing some poplar salve with me as a Northern gift to our Southern brothers and sisters. Let the great medicine of this land heal all wounds of our hearts and bodies!
With love,
Latifa
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