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Balm of Gilead Buds
Summary:
A medium-sized tree, usually 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 meters) tall, poplar has a straight trunk with bark that acquires deep diamond-pattern ridges in older trees. The winter buds are the largest, most aromatic, and most sticky-resinous of the deciduous trees. These buds are about 1 inch (2.5 cm.) long, pointed, and covered with shiny brown scales. They release a pungent balsam odor. The twigs are reddish brown and the leaves, with slender petioles, have sharply pointed blades, rounded bases, and many small, rounded teeth along the margins. The flowers form long, hanging catkins.
Poplar, which can hybridize with quaking aspen, is distributed throughout Alaska (except the coast) and across North America. It is especially common on well-drained gravel along rivers and occurs farther north than any other tree species.
The buds of Populus candicans, a relative, contain a balsamlike resin, a yellow volatile oil (primarily humulene), gallic acid, malic acid, mannite, chrysin, tectochrysin, a fixed oil, and two glycosides, salicin and populin. (Populin is salicin benzoate.) (Spoerke)
The antibiotic trichocarpin, active against fungi, comes from the bark of P. candicans; bisabolol, active against tuberculosis bacilli, comes from young shoots of another relative, P. tacamahaca.(Alaska’s Wilderness Medicines)
Botanical name:
Populus balsamifera/x jackii
Origin:
Canada
Balm of Gilead, Balsam Poplar Buds, Bálsamo de Gilead, Baume de Gilead, Black Poplar, Bourgeon de Peuplier, Canadian Poplar, European Aspen, Jia Yang, Pappelknospen, Peuplier, Peuplier Balsamifère, Peuplier Baumier, Peuplier du Canada, Peuplier Euraméricain, Populi Gemma, Populus balsamifera, Populus balsamifera subsp. balsamifera, Populus canadensis, Populus candicans, Populus euramericana, Populus marilandica, Populus serotina, Populus tacamahacca, Quaking Aspen, Trembling Poplar, White Poplar, X jackii.
High in vitamin complex.
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