cottonwood bud medicine + harvesting + infused oil making

greetings to you all + spring is here and i've been harvesting buds. so much loveliness packed into a tiny bud. the sweet red resin is abundant and here to share her pain-relieving qualities. i like to start my harvest in the early afternoon of a sunny day, cottonwood trees are deciduous trees that like water. you will often find them near rivers and in crick beds. the cottonwood trees that grow in our corner of montana are black cottonwood trees, botanical name, populus trichocarpa.

gently pick the bud and squish it between your fingers, and if a red resin appears, they are ready to pick. this is often early spring, typically march in our bioregion. i have recently published a youtube video all about harvesting and infusing oil, here it is.

after filling my bucket with the resinous buds, i went home to make some medicine. in the video i also go over how i make an infused oil, giving you some tips and tricks i've picked up along the way.

plants work in a variety of ways and it's assumed that cottonwood both modulates inflammation and directly relieves pain. every year i infuse a few gallons for soap and salve making. i could go on about salve making for hours, however, we are here to talk cottonwood today. in episode #3 of my video podcast i demonstrate the whole salve-making process, it's time stamped in the description box. i will link to that episode here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlE01M6jTHw&t=1s

my personal favorite is a cottonwood-infused avocado oil, perfect for body oiling. the sacred art of body oiling is an effective way to connect ourselves and the plants. i have also published a blog post on the topic of body oiling, you can check it out here

making medicine with the cottonwood buds is like an herbal rite of passage since the buds are something you cannot buy. so hopefully you have been inspired to hit the trails and river low lands in search of cottonwood buds. happy happy wildcrafting to you all, if you have any questions please feel free to comment. also if you share this with a friend or on your social media it helps me get the word out. also, i have several cottonwood bud products available in the shoppe. until next time have a wonderful day and enjoy this fabulous spring sunshine