Showing posts with label colds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label colds. Show all posts

Friday, May 1, 2015

Bible Tree - Cedar, Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 321-365

Cedar was the first tree in Creation and one of the most powerful medicines. Any user of alternative medicine is acquainted with the healing properties of the cedar tree. The tea of the twigs and branches is simmered until the water in the pot begins to turn brown. It is then used for fevers, rheumatic complaints, chest colds and flu. - See more at: http://margotbworldnews.com/index.html#sthash.suAVvJBs.dpuf

Cedar was the first tree in Creation and one of the most powerful medicines. Any user of alternative medicine is acquainted with the healing properties of the cedar tree. The tea of the twigs and branches is simmered until the water in the pot begins to turn brown. It is then used for fevers, rheumatic complaints, chest colds and flu. - See more at: http://margotbworldnews.com/index.html#sthash.suAVvJBs.dpuf
While the Israelites suffered in exile, God offered a vision of hope - all kinds of trees growing in the desert. “I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together...” -Isaiah 41:19




Cedar was the first tree in Creation and one of the most powerful medicines. Any user of alternative medicine is acquainted with the healing properties of the cedar tree. The tea of the twigs and branches is simmered until the water in the pot begins to turn brown. It is then used for fevers, rheumatic complaints, chest colds and flu.
- See more at: http://margotbworldnews.com/index.html#sthash.suAVvJBs.dpuf
 Medicinal Uses


The leaves and tops are used for 
  • chronic cough, 
  • fever, and 
  • gout. 
  • An infusion made of 1 oz. of the tender leaves to a pint of boiling water may be taken 1 tbsp. at a time as a diuretic, 
  • emmenogogue, and 
  • uterine stimulant. 
  •  Applied externally, it is said to remove warts and 
  • fungoid growths. 
  • As a counterirritant, it is useful for relief of muscular aches and pains. 
  •  A salve for external application can be made by boiling a quantity of the leaves in lard.
  • American Indians used leaf tea for headaches, 
  • colds, in 
  • cough syrups, 
  • in steam baths for rheumatism, 
  • arthritis, 
  • congestion, 
  • and gout; 
  • externally, as a wash for swollen feet and burns. 
  •  Inner-bark tea used for consumption.
  •  Doctors once used leaf tincture externally on warts, venereal warts, 
  • gonorrhea, 
  • syphilis, 
  • prostate problems, 
  • toothache, 
  • whooping cough, piles,
  •  ulcers, 
  • bed sores, and 
  • fungus infections. 
  • Internally, leaf tincture was used for bronchitis, 
  • asthma, 
  • pulmonary disease, 
  • enlarged prostate with urinary incontinence.
Folk medicine cancer remedy.
 
Native healers used red cedar for treating fevers, sore throats, coughs, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculous infections, diarrhea, boils, heart and kidney problems, menstrual disorders, ringworm and other fungal skin infections, toothaches, arthritis, sore muscles, vaginitis, and bladder irritation. Eclectic physicians and herbalists in America and Europe have exploited Western Red and Northern White Cedar for many of the same maladies, as well as prostate problems, incontinence, and syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases.

For internal use, toss a handful (about one ounce) of leaf-tips, inner bark or twigs into a cup, cover with one cupful of boiling water and steep for 10 minutes.

For external use, use about two ounces of herbal material per cupful of boiling water and steep until cool (or prepare a decoction by simmering two ounces of herb in two cups of water until about 1/2 of liquid remains). The strong tea or decoction can be used for athlete's foot. As always, if you develop skin irritation, discontinue use.

Other Uses
 
  • The oil has been used as an aromatic ingredient in soap liniment. And the odor of the essential oil is pungent, almost overpowering. It is matched by a strong bitter taste. Arborvitae oil may be home distilled and used as an insect repellent.
Like Sage and Sweet grass, cedar is used to purify the home, it also has many restorative medicinal use. When mixed with sage for a tea, it cleans the body of all infections, cedar baths are also very healing. When cedar mixed with tobacco is put in the fire it crackles, this is said to call the attention of the Spirits (manitous) to the offering that is being made. 

Cedar is used in sweat lodge and fasting ceremonies for protection, cedar branches cover the floor of many sweat lodges and some people make a circle of cedar when they are fasting. It is a guardian spirit and chases away the bad spirits.

Legends, Myths and Stories

Native Americans put boughs of cedar on teepee poles, said to ward off lightning. Thunderbird was said to nest in mountain cedars. Red cedar (J. scopulorum), used ceremonially on the altar of the sacred woman at the Sun Dance.

Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest once believed that sleeping beneath a Western Red Cedar would evoke vivid dreams. During their purifying rituals, people of the First Nations drank infusions made from red cedar boughs.
 
Facts

Natives knew that mature, fallen cedars could rest upon the forest floor for generations without rotting, a property they attributed to the spiritual nature of the tree.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua Trees Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 248-365

Have you planted a tree today?
What about this year?
What about last 10 years.
What about in your life?

Here is an ideea. Plant Liquidambar styraciflua.














 Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central America. Sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern United States, and is a popular ornamental tree intemperate climates. It is recognizable by the combination of its five-pointed star-shaped leaves and its hard, spiked fruits.

This plant's genus name Liquidambar was first given by Linnaeus in 1753 from [the Latinliquidus, fluid, and the Arabic ambar, amber, in allusion to the fragrant terebinthine juice or gum which exudes from the tree. Its specific epithet styraciflua is an old generic name meaning flowing with styrax (a plant resin)

The earliest known published record of Liquidambar styraciflua is in a work by Spanish naturalist Francisco Hernández published posthumously in 1651, in which he describes the species as a large tree producing a fragrant gum resembling liquid amber, whence the genus name Liquidambar. In Ray's Historia Plantarum (1686) it is called Styrax liquida.

Medicinal Uses

The common name for the sweetgum tree's medicinal product is liquid-amber.

When made into a balsam or salve, it is used for 

  • skin conditions, 
  • hemorroids, 
  • ringworm scabies and 
  • frostbite. 
  • Sweetgum salves have a minor antiseptic value, 
  • but work well as an anti-inflammatory. 
  • Taken internally, liquid-amber has stimulant and expectorant effects. 
  • It is also used internally for sore throats, 
  • coughs, 
  • colds, 
  • asthma, 
  • bronchitis, 
  • cystitis, 
  • vaginal discharge,
  • strokes, and is it indicated to 
  • have an effect on some cancers.


Thursday, October 16, 2014

Eastern Hemlock Tree Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 243-365

Scientific Name Tsuga canadensis
Favoured: Moist-Wet soil,sand, loam, partial shade to full shade,
Maximum Height: 30 m
Provides food & shelter for wildlife
The eastern hemlock can live for up to 800 years.










Eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis)are shade tolerant and thrive in acidic soils in moist, cool environments (Rooney et al, 2000). They can be found in certain areas across the United States including northern Michigan, New England, New York, and Eastern Canada including most of the maritime provinces and Quebec (Godman & Lancaster, n.d.). Its presence has been noted as diminished in the Great lakes, St-Lawrence and Acadian regions (Fuller 1998). This species has an extremely slow growth rate and individual trees are long-lived. 
Eastern hemlock grows from sea level to about 730 m (2,400 ft) in elevation in the northeastern and northern portions of the range. Most commonly it is found on benches, flats, and swamp borders, provided the peat and muck soils are shallow (Aquic Haplorthods or Aerie Haplaquods). On the Allegheny
Plateau, especially in New York and Pennsylvania, most of the hemlock grows between 300 and 910 m (1,000 and 3,000 ft) (35). In the southern Appalachians the most frequent occurrences are at elevations of 610 to 1520 m (2,000 to 5,000 ft) and often are restricted to north and east slopes, coves, or cool, moist valleys (35). Outliers tend to be severely restricted by a combination of edaphic and climatic factors.

Medicinal Uses
First Nations people also harvested parts of eastern hemlock for traditional medicine. The inner bark was used to make poultice for wounds and the vitamin C rich leaves were used for tea (Nesom, 2012).

Leaves
Twigs with many needles used in tea to treat kidney ailments. Steam from tea used to treat rheumatism, colds, and coughs.

BarkUsed in tea to treat colds, fevers, diarrhea, coughs, and scurvy. Also has astringent properties. Bark poultice used for treating bleeding wounds.

NotesTannins in the twigs and leaves are believed to be responsible for all medicinal effects. Hemlock leaves contain some vitamin C. Bark may also be useful for tanning leather.
Ecological Significance of Eastern Hemlock
The Eastern Hemlock is an important component of the eastern deciduous and mixed forests. Individual trees are long-lived and have impacts on the structure, function and composition of a forest (Fuller 1998). It has effects on the hydrological process within a forest as it has year-round transpiration rates that are highest during the spring (Ford & Vose 2007). This affects the water flow through a forest ecosystem. In the winter months, the canopy of the tree shields the ground below from the snow, and provides a habitat for ruffed grouse, wild turkey and larger browsing fauna such as white-tailed deer.
Seedling Development
Despite the high frequency of cone crops and the long duration of cone production by individual trees, the viability of eastern hemlock seed is usually low. Germinative capacity commonly is less than 25 percent (36). In one locality only 2.1 viable seeds were produced per cone, 2.2 were destroyed by insects, and the remaining 8.0 seeds were empty (29)
Official State Tree of Pennsylvania
The hemlock (Tsunga canadensis) was designated official state tree of Pennsylvania in 1931.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Palm tree Medicinal Uses, History, Planting Tips, Soil Needs, Symbolism

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 151-365




Palm trees are a family of plants. This family is called Arecaceae. Palm trees are not true trees. They grow in hot climates.

Well known palm trees are:
  • Date palm
  • Coconut palm

There are over two thousand kinds, living in many kinds of places from rainforests to deserts.

History

Palms first appear in the fossil record around 80 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous Period. Some kinds from that period are still to be seen today, such as the nipa palm or mangrove palm

The palm as a symbol
 
  •  The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in Roman times. The Romans rewarded champions of the games and celebrated success in war with palm branches.
  • Jews also had a tradition of carrying palm branches during festive times.
  • Early Christians used the palm branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul, as in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
  • In Judaism, the palm represents peace and plenty. The palm may also symbolize the Tree of Life in Kabbalah.
  • The Prophet Muhammad is said to have built his home out of palm, and the palm represents rest and hospitality in many cultures of the Middle East.
  • Palm stems represented long life to the Ancient Egyptians, and the god Huh was often shown holding a palm stem in one or both hands.

  • The sacred tree of the Assyrians was a palm that represents the god Ishtar connecting heaven, the crown of the tree, and earth, the base of the trunk. The Mesopotamian goddess Inanna, who had a part in the sacred marriage ritual, was thought of as the one who made the dates abundant 
  • The palm tree was a sacred sign of Apollo in Ancient Greece because he had been born under one .
  • The palm, especially the Coconut, remains a symbol of tropical island paradise  
  • The palm tree also represents Oasis.

 Soil Need

Light and well-drained soils are imperative for healthy palm tree growth. Sand-based soil, like sandy loam, provides the best earth environment for spreading palm roots because palms do not like compacted soils with few air pockets, such as clay. Heavy soils suffocate roots and contribute to growth stunting and root rot.

Water Preferences


If you have just planted your palm tree, its water needs are significantly different than for an established plant. Water new palm twice a week until the first 18 inches of soil are moist. A moisture meter is a useful tool to verify the depth you have saturated. After six months have passed, the palm has a better root structure to find adequate moisture. At this point, watering is only necessary two times each month. A well-established palm has a good level of drought tolerance.

Planting the Desert with Palm Trees

If you are considering planting palms as part of a backyard desert oasis, be aware that there are few palm trees you can grow with confidence in  dry, hot desert -- out of the over 2500+ species of palms around the world. 
 
Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) - a multi-trunk palm that grows to about 15 feet. 
Mexican Blue Palm (Brahea Armata) - a slow-growing palm with arching, silvery-blue feather-like fronds. Reaches about 30 feet at maturity.
Guadalupe Fan Palm (Brahea edulis) - similar to the Mexican Blue Palm, this one grows faster to 30 feet in height. The fan-shaped fronds are a light green. Edible fruit.  
Pindo Palm (Butia capitata) - Another short palm, growing only to 20 feet. The gray-green feather-shaped fronds curve downward. Edible fruit. 
Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis) -- a giant among palms, grows to 50 feet high with a massive trunk and 10 foot long fronds.  
Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) -- more slender than the Canary Island palm, but also grows tall: 60 feet.
Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) - a semi-dwarf palm with windmill-shaped fronds. Slow-growing to 15 feet tall. This tree loves our summer heat!
California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) - a native of California, Arizona, and Mexico, this massive palm grows to 50 feet.  
Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) - a palm equivalent of a skyscraper, it grows to 80 feet or more. 
Two other palms worth trying are the Chinese Fountain Palm (Livistona Chinensis ) and the Australian Cabbage Palm (Livistona australis). Both have a "weeping" shape with gracefully drooping fronds. 

About Planting Palms

Palms, unlike other trees, are best planted in late Spring or Summer. They like warm soil for their roots to grow.  Be sure the hole for planting is 2 to 3 times as wide as the root ball.  And water regularly until established.

About Pruning Palms

Only trim off the brown drooping fronds. Do not trim off  ones that are still green -- the tree needs them to collect sunlight to create chlorophyll for growth and best health.  As a rule of thumb, leave a minimum of 7 fronds on the tree.

Medicinal Uses
 
  • The fruit of the date palm contains tannin, which makes it an effective astringent. 
  • The fruit from this tree has been used to treat sore throats, 
  • colds, 
  • bronchial catarrh,
  •  fevers, gonorrhea, 
  • edema and 
  • abdominal problems. 
  • The seeds from the tree have been ground into a paste that is effective in treating ague.
  •  Toothaches have been relieved by date palm roots.  
  • Finally, gum extracted from the trunk of this tree has effectively been used to treat diarrhea and 
  • urinary ailments.
  • Roots of coconut palms are medicinal and can be used to treat dysentery
  • They can also be used as a dye or a mouthwash. 
  • Shredded roots also make a crude toothbrush.

     


Monday, February 24, 2014

Fern Tree

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 143 -365


Tree ferns are perfect for what may be your more difficult garden areas because they prefer shady, sheltered and moist locations.
Tree ferns do like neutral to acidic humus-rich soil, so our alkaline rocky gardens might need supplementing, preferably with compost. To encourage root growth, avoid fertilizing your fern during its first year.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/30/3531442/tree-ferns-bring-tropical-australia.html#storylink=cpy


Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/30/3531442/tree-ferns-bring-tropical-australia.html#storylink=cpy
  Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has many on display, including the Australian tree fern ( Cyathea cooperi), Hawaiian tree fern (Cibotium glaucom), Mexican tree fern (C. schiedei), Caribbean tree fern (Cyathea arborea) and the rare native Florida tree fern (Ctenitis sloanei).



Australian tree ferns can grow to about 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to15 feet wide. Trunks can grow to about one foot in diameter. They are usually inexpensive, so if you have the proper space, try growing one of these lacy, languid plants

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/30/3531442/tree-ferns-bring-tropical-australia.html#storylink=cpy


Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/30/3531442/tree-ferns-bring-tropical-australia.html#storylink=cpy
In general, any fern that grows with a trunk elevating the fronds (leaves) above ground level can be called a tree fern. However, the plants formally known as tree ferns comprise a group of large ferns belonging to the families Dicksoniaceae and Cyatheaceae in the order Cyatheales.



Tree ferns are found growing in tropical and subtropical areas, as well as temperate rainforests in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and other island groups nearby; a few genera extend further, such as Culcita in southern Europe. Like all ferns, tree ferns reproduce by means of spores developed in sporangia on the undersides of the fronds.

The number of tree fern species is likely to be around a thousand. Although new species are discovered in New Guinea with each botanical survey, many species throughout its range have become extinct in the last century as forest habitats have come under pressure from human activity.

Ferns - Medicinal uses in New Guinea

Fevers, headaches, colds, etc.: Blackwood (1935) mentions that in Bougainville, Selaginella flabellata is used to control feverish headaches and menstruation. The leaves are applied externally and the roots taken internally. In the Mt Hagen area the petiole sap of the common bracken Pteridium aquilinum is used to treat toothache and mouth infections (Powell 1976b). For colds Cyclosorus leaves are used in the Northern Province and for nasal infections the smoke of a species of Polypodium (=?) is inhaled in Mt Hagen (Powell 1976b).

Boils, ulcers, wounds: In east New Britain, Futscher (1959) reports Gleichenia linearis (=Dicranopteris linearis) being bound externally onto wounds. On Bougainville, Blackwood (1935) reports the leaves of Pteris ensiformis and Aspidium latifolium (=Pronephrium menisciicarpon, but possibly a species of Tectaria) and the leaves and roots of Dryopteris milneana being applied to boils, ulcers and arrow wounds. The last two species are probably misidentified. Holdsworth (1980) gives a review of Blackwood's medicinal plant results. In the Northern Province a species of Athyrium  is used to treat sores and in New Britain a poultice of boiled fronds of a species of Cyclosorus is used for the same purpose (Powell 1976b). Hot fronds of a species of Polystichum are applied to groin swellings in the Mt Hagen area (Powell 1976b). In Morobe Province, a poultice is prepared from Pityrogramma calomelanos for an unspecified purpose 

Stomach pains: Holdsworth & Giheno (1975) record that a species of Lycopodium is chewed in the central highlands to induce vomiting after food poisoning or acute stomach pain. For stomach ache and diarrhoea, in the eastern highlands they report the chewing of fresh fronds of Lygodium longifolium with ash salt ( from Asplenium acrobryum or from the grass Coix gigantea).

Menstruation, childbirth, contraception: Pteris tripartita is used in childbirth in Bougainville, the fronds being taken internally. Pteris ensiformis is used to control menstruation, as is Selaginella flabellata. Lygodium dichotomum is used as a contraceptive, the root and stem being taken internally; it is also used to treat children's illnesses (Blackwood 1935). Peekel (1910) records a species of Dryopteris (most likely to be a species of Thelypteridaceae) being used in New Ireland as an abortifacient (Holdsworth, Hurley & Rayner 1979), however he does not mention the species in his illustrated flora of the island (Peekel in press, ms. completed c. 1947). In the Koiari area of the central province of Papua New Guinea Holdsworth et al. (1980b) note that total sterility in women can be achieved by eating the new leaves of Blechnum orientale each day for three successive days, waiting a fortnight and then repeating the treatment.

Diseases: Holdsworth (1974) reports that on Dobu Island in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago, a sorcerer claims to cure leprosy with a draught prepared by shaking the crushed leaf of a species of Lygodium in water.

Native uses: According to Gunther: Rhizome is roasted by the Makah, peeled, chewed and the juice swallowed for coughs; Cowlitz crush the rhizome, mix it with young fir needles, boil it, and drink the infusion for measles; the Quinault either bake the root on coals or use it raw as a cough medicine. Chewed for flavour and used as medicine for colds and sore throats; also used with bitter medicine as a sweetener (Pojar). Method: Strong Decoction from rhizomes, 2-4 ozs, up to 3x daily (Moore); make Licorice
syrup by adding honey to the decoction (Tierra).

Cherokee used Maidenhair for rheumatism (the effect on contracted muscles likened to the uncurling fiddleheads)- the compound decoction or decoction of root applied with warm hands as external rub, or infusion internally.  Infusion or decoction of whole plant was used as an emetic for fever and ague (fever with chills).

Powdered leaves are smoked for heart trouble and snuffed or smoked for asthma.  They used it for paralytic attacks, as from pneumonia in children.  Sacred preparation of whole plant was used specifically for women’s irregular heartbeat.

Cherokee considered Maidenshair a powerful medicine for the heart, and as such it is associated with the direction of East. 

Costanoan of California used the decoction to purify the blood and for stomach troubles.

Hesquiat of western Canada mixed the ashes in formula for shortness of breath, and to produce strength and endurance.  They likewise used the green fronds.

The northwestern Makah chewed the fronds for weak stomach.

Menomini (Wild Rice People) used a compound decoction of the root for dysentery.
They used the blade, stem, and root in gynecology

Micmac, Algonquian of eastern Canada, used in decoction for fits.
Potawatomi of the upper Mississippi River used an infusion of the root for caked breasts.
Natives applied poultice of plant to sore back of babies.  Wet fronds poulticed for snakebite.
  • Decoction used as wash for venereal disease such as gonorrhea.  
  • Used topically by Native Americans as a poultice or wash for bleeding,
  •  insect stings, 
  • snakebites,
  •  arthritis, and 
  • for hair. 
  • Hesquiat use of Maidenhair for endurance played out in ceremonial dancing, for which the infusion would be used, especially in winter, to prevent fatigue.
  • Such uses along with the sacred preparation practiced by the Cherokee indicate that this beautiful fern was regarded as a sacred medicine.  
  • Additionally, the black stems of Maidenhair were used by Potawatomi as a hunting charm.
  • The subspecies pedatum was used by the Iroquois for children’s cramps, as decoction.
  • A compound decoction of the green roots used as a foot soak for rheumatism and taken internally.
  • Decoction of pedantum roots taken as a diuretic for the cessation of urine due to stones.
  • Compound decoction or infusion taken for excessive menstruation.  
  • Decoction of roots used to bring on menses and for abortion.  
  • Plant used for abortion or delivery pains. 
  • Therefore, Maidenhair is anti-rheumatic, emeticdiaphoreticcardiotonicstimulant,  alterativeastringent, antispasmodic, emenagogue, and antiseptic.  Energetically, Maidenhair appears dry and cool, with an affinity for the heart and reproductive system.
  • Iroquois used subspecies virginianum as a cough medicine for tuberculosis as cold infusion of root.  Botrychium virginianum    RATTLESNAKE FERN
  • The Algonquian (northeast) Abnaki used as a demulcent and for children’s medicine.  Cherokee used root decoction as emetic and as concentrated syrup for external use on snakebites (including from dream snakes), and used the juice from the frond for insect bites and stings.   Botrychium virginianum    RATTLESNAKE FERN
  • Chippewa used a poultice of fresh root for snakebite and as a repellant.  Chicksaw (southwest) used as a diaphoretic and expectorant, and the root decoction as emetic.  Ojibwa used for lung trouble, such as tuberculosis; and used the poulticed root on cuts.  Potawatomi also used medicinally. 
  • Cherokee used in compound infusion for chills.  
  • Mahuna used for lung hemorrhages.  Dennstaedtia punctilobula    HAY-SCENTED FERN
  • Dryopteris campyloptera    MOUNTAIN WOOD FERN  Cherokee used with tree bark for cuts and other skin problems.  Considered medicine of the South.
  • Dryopteris campyloptera    MOUNTAIN WOOD FERNInuits used leaves in compound decoction for stomachache and intestinal discomfort.  Hesquiat used young shoots for cancer of the womb. 

Native American medicinal uses of ferns can be categorized into five major groups:  those used 
  • for rheumatism, 
  • those used for the lungs, 
  • those used for gynecology, 
  • those used for the blood, and
  •  those used for digestion. 
Ferns used for Rheumatism
  • Maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum) used for rheumatism.
  • Marginal Wood Fern(Dryopteris marginalis) used for rheumatism.
  • Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) used for arthritis.
  • Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) used externally for rheumatism and internally for joint pain.
  • Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) used for rheumatism.
  • Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) used for rheumatism.
Ferns used for Lungs
  • Maidenhair smoked for asthma.
  • Maidenhair Speenwort (Asplenium tricomanes) used for coughs.
  • Rattlesnake Fern (Botrychium virginianum) used as a cough medicine for tuberculosis.
  • Hay-scented Fern (Dennstaedtia penctilobula) used for chills and lung hemorrhages.
  • Rock Cap (Polyopdium virginianum) used for sore throat, colds, measles, tuberculosis, cough, and lung congestion.
  • Christmas Fern used for chills, fever, pneumonia, red spots on skin, listlessness, tuberculosis, and hoarseness.
  • Bracken Fern used for tuberculosis, infections, and chest pain.
Ferns used for Gynecology (including menstrual, postpartum, and breastfeeding)
  • Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum) used topically and as emetic for swollen breasts.
  • Maidenhair Speenwort used for irregular menses and breast diseases.
  • Lady Fern (Athyrium filis-femina)used for mothers with intestinal fevers and to prevent water breaking.
  • Mountain Wood Fern (Dryopteris campyloptera) used for disease of the womb.
  • Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) used as decoction of sterile leaf stalk base for the expulsion of afterbirth and for back pain.
  • Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) used for infection, blood disorders (blood deficiency, cold in the blood, and others), and to restore the female system after childbirth.  Externally used for sores. 
  • Cinnamon Fern used for women’s troubles, caked breasts, and malaise.
  • Interrupted Fern (Osmunda claytoniana) used for weak blood and gonorrhea.
  • Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis) used for menstrual problems. 
  • Bracken Fern used for weak blood, uterine prolapse, suffering after birth, caked breast, weakness, and headaches. 
  • Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris)used as a gynecological medicine.
Ferns used for the Blood
  • Maidenhair used as a wash or poultice for bleeding.
  • Lady Fern used for vomiting of blood.
  • Hay-scented Fern used for lung hemorrhages.
  • Sensitive Fern used for blood deficiency, cold in the blood, and other blood disorders.
  • Christmas Fern used for weak blood and toxic blood.
  • Interrupted Fern used for weak blood.
  • Bracken Fern used to make good blood after menses or childbirth. 
Ferns used for Digestion (including stomachache and parasites)
  • Mountain Wood Fern used for stomachache.
  • Crested Wood Fern (Dryopteris cristata) used root infusion for stomach trouble.
  • Royal Fern used for intestinal worms. 
  • Rock Cap used for stomachaches and cholera.
  • Christmas Fern used for stomachache, bowel problems, toothache, cramps, and diarrhea. 
  • Bracken Fern used for diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, infections, diarrhea, weakness, stomach cramps, and headaches.
  • Sensitive Fern used for intestinal troubles.
Other uses of Tree Ferns

Australian tree fern is a popular ornamental in temperate areas. The pith from the centre of the trunk is rich in starch, and was once used as food by Tasmanian Aborigines. The uncurled leaves (croziers) are also edible, but have a slimy, sometimes bitter taste. The trunks are often used as a medium for growing epiphytes, particularly orchids. Trunks can also be used for fencing, while the central vascular material has been dried and carved to make craft items such as bowls and plant pots.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Mosquito Repellent Tree Silver Dollar Tree: Eucalyptus cinerea

By Liliana Usvat





Silver Dollar Tree: Eucalyptus cinerea. 
Type: Tree. Height: To 20 feet. 
Spacing: 25 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. 
Additional Uses: Attracts wildlife to the garden, the foliage is used in fresh cut flower arrangements as greens, and dried floral arrangements.

Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia, but they are also found in the western United States, especially in Arizona, California, and Nevada. They can be planted anywhere where there is a hot, dry climate.

Native to Australia, argyle apple or silver dollar tree is a broadleaf evergreen tree that will grow as a single trunk tree to 25-60’ tall in its native habitat. 

Bark is reddish-brown, peeling on smaller stems. If grown as an annual shrub from seed in the St. Louis area, it typically grows rapidly to 6-8’ tall by mid-summer. 

Juvenile foliage consists of opposite rounded silvery bluish-green leaves (to 2” long) resembling large coins, hence the common name of silver dollar tree. Foliage is aromatic. Small white flowers rarely appear on juvenile trees or container plants. Foliage stems are frequently used by florists in fresh flower arrangements.


About 150 species have been grown in areas of California and Arizona that have climates similar to the plants’ native Australian habitats; many more have been grown as solitary representatives in arboretums. Eucalypts are the most widely planted non-native trees in these two Western states—for several hundred miles in parts of California.



Propagation Methods:
From softwood cuttings
From semi-hardwood cuttings
From seed; sow indoors before last frost



The Eucalyptus tree serves as primary food to the koala bear. Bees are attracted to the flowers of theEucalyptus, and the honey from these bees is highly prized in Australia. Because of its aromatic and long lasting quality, the young leaves are a "best seller" in flower stores. 



Medicinal Uses
 
Doctors and herbalists around the world use Eucalyptus in medicines to treat many sicknesses such as: 
  • infections, 
  • colds, 
  • flu, 
  • sore throats, 
  • bronchitis,
  •  pneumonia, 
  • aching, 
  • stiffness, 
  • neuralgia and even
  •  some skin infections.

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