Replace OTC Aspirin and Pain Relivers with Quaking Aspen Bark, Populus tremuloides

Bark of Populus tremuloides contains salicin, aspirin like substance. It is anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and slightly sedative. Salicin breaks down in the body to salicylic acid, hence aspirin like.

Jan 03, 2025

When my husband recently had a bad headache, I gave him Quaking Aspen tea. He said by the time he finished the first cup of tea, 75% of his headache went away. He drank the second cup of tea which took the rest of the head ache away.

White Willow and Pine Bark are also good aspirin replacements. Western White Pine bark powder is in the Anti-BioWeapon tea.

I do not get migraines the way I use to in times past. Now days, when I feel a migraine coming on, I make Quaking Aspen tea or take the tincture. Migraine goes away with out manifesting. If I already have a migraine, I take Quaking Aspen tea and coconut oil infused with cannabis eye drops, stings a little for 10 minutes. Add 1-2 drops to each eye and lay down. The cannabis drops make my eye lids feel heavy. I end up falling asleep for a bit. When I wake up, the migraine is completely gone.

Currently I have a new quart jar of Quaking Aspen bark tincture, brewing in 100 proof Vodka. It will be ready in 2 more weeks.

Western White Pine bark is in the Anti-BioWeapon tea part 2.

Anti-BioWEapon Tea - Part 2

Geneva Thatcher

September 23, 2023

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Traditional uses and benefits of Quaking Aspen

It was widely employed medicinally by many native North American Indian tribes who valued it especially for its antiseptic and analgesic qualities, using it in the treatment of wounds, skin complaints and respiratory disorders.
Stem bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, nervine and stimulant.
Bark contains salicylates, from which the proprietary medicine aspirin is derived.
It is used internally in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, gout, lower back pains, urinary complaints, digestive and liver disorders, debility, anorexia, also to reduce fevers and relieve the pain of menstrual cramps.
Bark is used to treat chilblains, hemorrhoids, infected wounds and sprains.
An infusion of the inner bark is considered to be a remedy for coughs and an appetite stimulant.
It is also used in the treatment of stomach pains, urinary ailments, VD, worms, colds and fevers.
Root is poultice and applied to cuts and wounds.
Tea from the root bark is used as a treatment for excessive menstrual bleeding.
Leaf buds are used as a salve for colds, coughs and irritated nostrils.
It has been as a diuretic in urinary affections, gonorrhea and gleet.
Infusion has been found helpful in debility, chronic diarrhea, etc.
It has been used as a treatment for gonorrhea.
Native American uses of this plant include root bark tea for excessive menstrual flow.
Poultices made of the root are used for cuts and wounds.
Tea made of the inner bark is beneficial for venereal disease, stomach pain, urinary ailments, worms, colds, and fevers.
Leaf buds may be used in a salve for colds, coughs, and irritated nostrils.
Tincture of the bark contains salicin and is a remedy for fevers, rheumatism, arthritis, and diarrhea.
Buds are slightly sticky and can be made into tea or salve for internal or external use.
Boil the buds in olive oil or lard to make a soothing salve.
Aspen has been used externally as a wash for inflammations, cuts scratches, wounds and burns.
Tea may be used for coughs or gargle for sore throat.

Culinary Uses

Inner bark raw or cooked can be dried, ground into a powder and used as flour.
This is normally mixed with other flours for making bread etc. and can also be used as a thickener in soups.
Sap can be tapped and used as a drink.
It has also been used as a flavoring with wild strawberries.
Catkins can be consumed raw or cooked.

Industry Uses

Quaking aspen is an important fiber source, especially for pulp, flake-board, and other composite products. Wood is light and soft with little shrinkage and is used for pallets, boxes, veneer, and plywood. Higher grades are used for other solid wood products, such as paneling, furniture components, and flooring. The wood characteristics make it useful in miscellaneous products, including excelsior, animal bedding, matchsticks, toys, beehives, tongue depressors, spoons, and ice cream sticks. It makes good playground structures because the surface does not splinter, although the wood warps and susceptible to decay.

Conservation

Quaking aspen is appreciated for its white bark and brilliant fall color, particularly when clustered. The species been widely used in landscaping but is best in sites away from structures that might be damaged by the aggressive roots. The trees provide good visual screening and noise abatement.

Aspen stands are good firebreaks, often dropping crown fires in conifer stands to the ground when they reach aspens and even sometimes extinguishing the fire because of the small amount of flammable accumulation. They allow more ground water recharge than do conifer forests and they also play a significant role in protecting against soil erosion. They have been used in restoration of riparian habitats.

Wildlife

Young quaking aspen provides food and habitat for a variety of wildlife: black bear, deer, beaver, porcupine, elk, moose, ruffed grouse and many smaller birds and animals, including small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, chipmunks, and rabbits. Bark, buds, new sprouts, twigs from the tops of fallen or logged trees, and fallen leaves all are wildlife foods.

Ethno botanic

Native Americans used Populus bark (including aspen) as a food source. They cut the inner bark into strips, dried and ground it into meal to be mixed with other starches for bread or mush. Catkins were eaten raw, and the cambium was eaten raw or in a soup.

Other Facts

Bark has been used to make hats.
Bark has occasionally been used for cordage.
Wood is soft, light, weak, close-grained, and rather woolly in texture, without smell or taste, of low flammability, not durable, very resistant to abrasion.
Wood is not strong enough for furniture or construction; it is occasionally used for fences, railings and barn doors.
It is excellent for cheap crates and boxes and is widely used for pulp, producing a high quality paper.
Wood has been used to make particle board, strand board, and plywood.
It has also been used to make toothpicks, sauna benches, and wooden structures for playgrounds.
Oldest Quaking Aspen tree recorded is 226 years in Alaska.
Mountain slopes covered by quaking aspen provide high yields of good-quality water.
Yellow, orange, and red foliage of autumn particularly enhances recreational value of quaking aspen sites
Quaking aspen is widely used in ornamental landscaping.
Leaves serve as food for caterpillars of various moths and butterflies.
The white powder found on the outer bark makes a good emergency sunscreen.
Twigs can be chewed to fiber, and used to good effect as a toothbrush.

Precautions

Possible toxic effects due to salicylates (e.g. heartburn, tinnitus).
Avoid with ulcers, stomach or peptic ulcers.
It should be avoided by ladies who are pregnant and also by breastfeeding women.
by: Sylvia

11:00 minutes

We harvest Quaking Aspen quills this past September, as Aspen grows around here where we live.

White Willow bark and White Pine bark for an aspirin replacement, will work too.

All willow species contain some amount of salicin, but White Willow contains the most salicin.

Quaking Aspen : How is it used by Native Americans?

An infusion of the bark of the quaking aspen has been used by the Salishan people of Canada for many types of internal ailments including stomachache or “rotten insides” and has also been used as a contraceptive. The bark is also used in the Salishan “ten-barks” medicine which is used to treat tuberculosis and scrofula sores.

The Carrier people of British Columbia call the quaking aspen “T’ughus ‘yas.” They chew the bark and apply to open wounds in order to stop bleeding. The warm ashes of T’ughus ‘yas can also be used as a hot compress for arthritic pain or swelling.

The Abnaki people used an infusion of the bark of the quaking aspen as a vermifuge, something taken to expel worms from the intestines.

The Apache, Chiricahua, and Mescalero scraped off the inner bark of the tree and baked into the form of a cake to eat. Many tribes used the cambium part of the wood of the tree for food. The Blackfoot used the bark as fodder to feed their horses in the winter.

by: libraryexhibits.uvm.edu

Abstract

Elders of the Saanich and Cowichan Coast Salish people of southern Vancouver Island treat, or have treated in the recent past, many ailments with bark preparations. Interviews with two elder Salishan women revealed that: respiratory ailments were treated with bark of

Abies grandis, Arbutus menziesii, Cornus nuttallii, Prunus emarginata, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Quercus garryana; digestive tract ailments with the bark of Abies grandis, Alnus rubra, Arbutus menziesii, Malus fusca, Oemleria cerasiformis, Populus tremuloides, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Rhamnus purshianus and Rubus spectabilis; gynaecological problems with bark of Abies grandis, Arbutus menziesii, Populus tremuloides, Prunus emarginata, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Sambucus racemosa; and dermatological complaints with the bark of Mahonia spp., Rubus spectabilis, and Symphoricarpos albus.

Tree barks have also been used to treat fevers, diabetes, kidney problems, sore eyes, and hemorrhaging, and also as general tonics. In most cases, infusions or decoctions of barks are used. The medicines are drunk or applied externally as a wash or both.

8 Impressive Benefits of Willow Bark, Salix alba

15 Native American Herbs & Recipes

Known as the ‘natural aspirin', white willow bark contains salicin, which is similar to the active ingredient in aspirin. Native Americans chewed on the bark or brewed a tea to relieve pain, reduce fever, and ease inflammation.

For a simple white willow bark tea, simmer about one teaspoon of the bark in a cup of water for 15 to 20 minutes, then strain and drink. This remedy was particularly used for headaches, menstrual cramps, and arthritis.

by: Nicholas Oetken

Geneva’s Substack

Anti-BioWEapon Tea - Part 2

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