MEDICINAL TREES

 

For millennia, humans have been harvesting and using trees for therapeutic purposes. While medical knowledge and understanding have substantially advanced, tree qualities have been cultivated and valued for decades. 

Medicinal trees, derived from the wood, bark, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, or seeds, are still vital to the health of millions of people today.

The ginkgo tree is famous for many things: its fan-shaped leaves, its status as a "living fossil", the unpleasant smell of the fruit produced by the female tree, and its ability to cope with harsh urban conditions.

Hawthorn fruits, often known as "haws," have long been used to make jams and jellies. Hawthorn has also been used in traditional medicine to treat excessive heart failure, blood pressure, and chest pain.

Sassafras trees are recognised for their aromatic scent, magnificent fall foliage, three distinct leaf kinds, and long history of use in food and medicine. Its bark and roots were used to make a root drink tonic, and its leaf were also used to make tea that was said to help with anything from skin sores to bronchitis to hypertension.