Cottonwood Bud Medicine
How to find and gather cottonwood buds and use them at home
As winter releases its icy grip on our little valley in southern British Columbia, the cottonwood buds are among the first to usher in spring.
Wanderers along the sandy banks of the Similkameen River must stop in their tracks and breathe deeply when they happen upon the honeyed-pine scent of cottonwood resin oozing from swollen leaf buds. There is no other way. To walk on would be an abomination.
The smell is intoxicating. One moment you’re striding confidently along a river’s bank. The next you’re sniffing the air like a ravenous hound on the scent, trying to recapture the trail of that fleeting, evasive aroma of spring. Which you’ve been starving for.
There is medicine for you and your family in those cottonwood buds.
Folk medicine
Folk medicine is quite literally, the medicine of the people. Everyday remedies from common plants to treat ordinary ailments.
Our ancestors learned how to use what grew around them to ease suffering and shared their understanding through tradition and story. But as the scientific method rolled through, the old ways were dismissed and scorned and that way of knowing slipped away. Along with our confidence to use it at all.
For the record, I am a fan of science and its methods and grateful for all they have brought. However, like anything, tradeoffs were made when we did away with all that wondering and mystery that shrouded our lives and some good things were lost in that leap forward. My personal philosophy on homemade herbal remedies vs. store bought pharmaceuticals is this: try herbal remedies for the day-to-day scrapes, aches and colds. And accept scientifically proven pharmaceuticals with gratitude for the serious stuff.
Like most of us, I didn’t think twice about reaching for an Advil if I had menstrual cramps. Aspirin for muscle aches. Tylenol for fevers. Polysporin for scratches or cuts. Buckley’s for a cough. They work and aren’t overly expensive. But in the back of my mind I’ve always been curious about how people got on with these everyday ailments before pharmaceuticals came out with their products.
This curiosity was exacerbated by the pandemic, extreme weather events and federal disputes over labeling, which resulted in common products not being available when I needed them in our part of Canada. I felt powerless and vulnerable. So in an effort to regain some feeling of control and self sufficiency, I taught myself about what was growing around me and picked up the threads of knowledge that were set aside those many generations ago.
Today I’m going to share a folk remedy that I’m loving called cottonwood bud oil. It can be used to help soothe aching joints, calm a sunburn or settle eczema.
How to identify cottonwood trees in early spring or winter
Without being able to see their leaves or recognize them by their fluffy catkins that make winter out of June for a day, here’s how you can identify the dormant trees:
- Height: Cottonwoods are giants, growing as high as 200 feet when they reach maturity.
- Bark: Young trees have smooth grey bark. Old trees have furrowed grey bark.
- Branches: The tips of mature branches look like witches fingers with gnarled knuckles and bloody fingernails.
- Scent: Follow your nose to the heady fragrance of warm pine, citrus and honey until you see the golden buds encased in gooey amber resin.
- Location: Known by local Indigenous peoples as Water Keepers for good reason, cottonwoods grow along the banks of rivers and lakes.
How to gather cottonwood buds
Gathering cottonwood buds is a true labour of love. Your fingers will be covered with their sticky resin in no time, and so will everything else that you touch thereafter. But, like any labour of love, you’ll be so consumed with your task you’ll be blinded to its annoyances. Do your best to refrain from asking people to smell your fingers every chance you get. No one will be as excited about the smell of the resin as you are.
Pick a sunny day between January and March, grab a clean, empty mason jar and head out to your nearest water’s edge.
In a perfect world, you’ll happen upon a newly fallen cottonwood branch with big, fresh swollen buds just waiting to be gathered. Take them all with gratitude!
Otherwise, find a branch you can reach (this is harder than it sounds) and twist off a few buds. Be sure to follow the rule of thirds, which is to never remove more than one third of a plant. And leave the pointy bud at the end of the stem, which the tree needs to keep growing.
Check that your buds are green at the bottom and fresh. The old ones are dark brown with no sign of life and won’t have the healing properties you’re after for this winter balm. You’ll want about half a mason jar full of buds.
When you get home, rub your sticky fingers (and purse, cell phone, coat, keys, cat, door handle, steering wheel and faucet) with a little oil or rubbing alcohol and wipe them off with a paper towel.
How to make cottonwood bud oil
To make cottonwood bud oil, take out your mason jar half full with buds and pour either grapeseed oil or olive oil over them. You’ll want to leave a little headspace at the top. Then, put on a lid and let it infuse for a few months. Keep your jar out of direct sunlight and give it a shake every time you think of it. After a minimum of six weeks (longer is better) you can strain the buds from the oil and voila! Your very own winter medicine: cottonwood oil.
Now, if you’d like to turn the oil into a salve called Balm of Gilead, take 1 oz of beeswax for every cup of infused oil you have. Melt the beeswax in a double boiler on low and then stir the infused oil into it. Once well blended, pour the mixture into small jars and let it cool for at least 24 hours.
What is cottonwood medicine used for?
It’s no coincidence that the tips of mature cottonwood branches look like witches’ fingers with gnarly knuckles. It’s the tree’s way of showing us that it can help relieve swollen arthritic joints. Salicin is a natural compound found in the leaves, buds and bark of the cottonwood, which helps with inflammation and works wonders on sore muscles.
High in antioxidants, cottonwood bud oil may also help treat skin suffering from eczema, sunburns or minor bumps and rashes.
The oil smells like honey, pine and citrus. It will lend its pleasing aroma to homemade lip balms, body oils, massage oils and salves and also help prevent them from going rancid or mouldy thanks to its antiseptic properties.
About the author
Jessica Johnson runs a small, traditional Bed and Breakfast from a vineyard in the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia, Canada.
Raised to be a strong, independent career woman but now a vigneron’s wife and stay-at-home mom on a fledgling homestead, she is clumsily yet happily establishing roots in her new landscape.
An expert at almost nothing but curious about nearly everything, Jessica writes about her adventures in rural B.C. where she raises her son and other wild creatures and is learning the old ways to preserve and grow food.
