by M. V.
I was recently on a horse packing trip
in Eastern Washington. The air was much dryer and the plants are different than
those I am used to seeing on the Western side of the state. I saw lots of pine
needles and noticed unfamiliar trees such as Pine and Tamarack as well as
others. I came across an Aspen
grove and was astounded by its beauty. It looked like a fairy land. It sounded
as if hail was falling in the middle of summer when its leaves shook from the
wind. I caught myself thinking about these trees after that trip and began to
wonder what people use Aspen trees for.
My
first thought was that people used Aspen wood to build furniture because of its
beautiful color. I found in my research that people do use Aspen wood for
furniture making along with many other uses. Aspen is mainly used for making
matches, wood shavings for animals, furniture, inside sauna’s and it has many
medicinal properties. People do not typically use Aspen wood to heat their
homes because it doesn’t produce heat due to its slow burn.
I
was particularly interested in learning about Aspen
trees’ medicinal uses. The first thing I noticed was that Aspen has a chemical
known as salicin that makes Aspen’s medicinal use very close to that of
aspirin. According to WebMD, salicin has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving
properties. Native American women commonly used Aspen leaves and bark for
menstrual relief. Men can use Aspen for prostate problems. It is also used for
nerve pain, fever reducing, joint problems, and bruising. Aspirin is used for
inflammation and swelling. Aspen bark and leaves can produce the same effects. There
are several references that Native Americans used the bark and leaves
medicinally such as for eye washes and ear aches (medplant.nmsu.edu).
Aspen
has many more uses than just making beautiful furniture. When I think of my
camping trip in the mountains, I now not only remember the beautiful Aspen
groves I saw, but I now appreciate its uses that have been around for hundreds
of years.
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