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

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.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Forsythia and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Liliana Usvat
Blog 159-365



Common Names - Forsythia , golden bells , lian qiao , weeping forsythia.

It is in flower from March to April. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland), semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
 
Forsythias are popular early spring flowering shrubs in gardens and parks. Two are commonly cultivated for ornament, Forsythia × intermedia and Forsythia suspensa. They are both spring flowering shrubs, with yellow flowers. They are grown and prized for being tough, reliable garden plants. Forsythia × intermedia is the more commonly grown, is smaller, has an upright habit, and produces strongly coloured flowers. 
 
It is a flowering shrub producing yellow gold-like flowers. Growing up to 10 feet high, this shrub has a fountain-like beautiful look making it ideal for your garden. Lighting requirements of this shrub include either full sun or light shade and as far as soil is concerned, it should be well-drained and have additional water.

There are about 11 species, mostly native to eastern Asia, but one native to southeastern Europe. The common name is also forsythia; the genus is named after William Forsyth.

Forsythia viridissma, meanwhile, had overtaken it in European gardens. The Scottish plant-hunter Robert Fortune "discovered" it— in a mandarin's garden of the coastal city of Chusan (Zhoushan)— before he ever saw it growing wild in the mountains in Chusan's province, Zhejiang.

Propagation

Commercial propagation is usually by cuttings, taken from green wood after flowering in late spring to early summer; alternatively, cuttings may be taken between November and February. Low hanging boughs often take root, and can be removed for transplanting. A common practice is to place a weight over a branch to keep it on the ground, and after it has rooted, to dig up the roots and cut the rooted part from the main branch, this can then be planted.

Medicinal Uses - Traditional Chinese Medicine
 
The flowers have a broad-spectrum antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Staphococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae, haemolytic streptococcus, pneumococcus, Bacillus typhi, Mycobacterium tuberculi etc.

The leaves are febrifuge and are also poulticed onto ulcerated glands and haemorrhoids. A decoction of the leaves and twigs is used in the treatment of breast cancer.

The root is used in the treatment of cancer, colds, fever and jaundice.
 
It has been documented that the ancients in China ground up the fruit and gave it to the gravely ill to treat symptoms of fever and chest pain.

 Forsythia, known as lian qiao in China, is classified as bitter and cold, and is associated with the heart, lung, and gall bladder meridians. Practitioners prescribe it as a blood detoxifier, and for fevers, headaches and viral infections. Traditional Chinese Medicine recommends the green fruit, which is steamed and dried for medicinal use. Forsythia is often combined with honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) in remedies.

Forsythia fruits are also reputedly used as a diuretic and as a cardiovascular tonic.
 
Antiviral forsythia, honeysuckle, and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) share proven antiviral compounds. Prepare a tea from all three herbs for viral infections such as cold and flu. The tea is most effective when taken at the first sign of a viral infection.

Bronchitis In China, forsythia is a respected remedy for chest ailments such as bronchitis.

Antibiotic Chinese practitioners recommend forsythia as an antiseptic antibiotic. Its antibiotic properties make it a popular remedy in China for ear infection. It is recommended  forsythia for earache relief. Although the powdered herb is effective as a tea,  it can be sprinkled on applesauce when given to children.
 
Prepare a decoction by adding the powdered fruit to boiling water. Do not take more than 6 to 15 grams of forsythia daily.

In China, the fruit has been most often combined with flowers of the honeysuckle, and it still is one of the most-used herbal formulas there to treat colds, allergies and flu symptoms.

It has been documented by Chinese herbalists for 3,000 years to be helpful as a detoxicant to treat what they called toxic or hot conditions. These are better known to us as inflammatory and infectious diseases that include viral and bacterial infections, including cold and flu.

It appears that the plant enhanced the levels of good cholesterol in the body while also helping in lowering the bad cholesterol. 


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Mosquito Repellent Trees Flowering Gum Tree: Eucalyptus ficifolia.

 By Liliana Usvat




Red-Flowering Gum Tree: Eucalyptus ficifolia. 

Type: Tree. Height: 25-30 feet. 

Spacing: 20-25 feet apart. 

Light Requirements: Full sun. 

Bloomtime: Year-round 


Additional Uses: After establishment in the landscape the tree is 
  • very drought tolerant, 
  • the leaves are fragrant, 
  • attracts wildlife to the garden
  • very showy red flowers in spring and summer.



Cultivation and uses In nature Corymbia ficifolia prefers infertile, sandy soils but it is readily adaptable to most temperate locations, provided it is not exposed to severe frost or sustained tropical damp. It is an ideal street tree as it is hardy, moderately fast growing, and rarely grows large enough to require pruning. 
 

The largest known single-stemmed tree in the world (216.5 cm diameter) is located on Princes Street in Hamilton, New Zealand. Because of its big and lovely colourful flowers, genetic improvement for cold resistance in Dublin area in Ireland is being carrying out by collecting seeds from Western and Southern Australia in the coldest parts of Australia where it grows. 


In Ireland most of the plants were killed by severe frosts but the surviving shoots have been kept by tissue culture.



It is difficult to graft but grows well from seed, typically taking about 7 years before it flowers for the first time and 15–20 years to reach something approaching its full size of anything between 2–8 m. 



For the home gardener, buying a "red flowering gum" from a nursery is something of an adventure: it may or may not be a ficifolia, and the flower colour does not breed true - there is no way to find out what colour the flowers will be short of planting a seedling and waiting for it to reach maturity.

Medicinal Uses


  • A tea of two or three leaves of Eucalyptus is a drink for stress, 
  • for restoring your body, and 
  • purifying your blood.  
  • it is used to make a tea to treat colds,
  •  flu, and 
  • stomach ailments.
  • To clear blocked nasal passages, inhale the steam of boiling leaves.  

Eucalyptus can cause allergic reactions in some people.

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