Herbs, Plants, Trees and Roots | July, 2011

You entered European Black Alder, the more common name is...

The bark is used as a laxative due to its 3 to 7% anthraquinone content. Bark must be dried for at least 1 year before using. The bark yields a yellow dye, unripe berries furnish a green dye and dark berries produce a purple dye.

Buckthorn

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
(Rhamnus frangula L. )


Native to Europe, northern Africa, western Asia, Ireland, Scandinavia, and is now found in eastern North America. A deciduous shrub, though many think it a tree, it can grow as tall as 25 feet. Prefers wet soil it can be found growing in hedges, thickets, at edges of woods and bogs. The bark is dark blackish-brown, with bright lemon-yellow inner bark exposed if cut. The flowers are small, star-shaped with five greenish-white acute triangular petals, that grow in clusters. The leaves are a light olive green in color, they are ovate and arranged alternately on the stems. The fruit is a small black berry around 6 to 10 mm in diameter, ripening from green to red to dark purple or black by fall. The seeds containing two or three pale brown 5 mm seeds.



Common Names:

Alder buckthorn, Alder dogwood, Arrow-wood, Black alder dogwood, Black alder tree, Black dogwood, European black alder, European buckthorn, Persian berries, Common buckthorn, Purging buckthorn, Waythorn


Buckthorn

Uses:

The bark is used as a laxative due to its 3 to 7% anthraquinone content. Bark must be dried for at least 1 year before using. The bark yields a yellow dye, unripe berries furnish a green dye and dark berries produce a purple dye.



Applications:

Decoction:
use 1 tsp. bark with 1/2 cup cold water. Bring to a boil. Drink before going to bed. Use no more than 1/2 oz. of bark per day.

Extracts:
THIS IS A COLD EXTRACT: use 1 tsp. bark with 1/2 cup cold water. Let stand for 12 hours. Drink in the evening.


Warnings:

Fresh bark and unripe fruit can cause symptoms of poisoning.

With any herb, there is the risk of an allergic reaction. Small children and pregnant women should use additional caution when considering the use of herbal remedies.