Alder- The World of Herbal Medicine, Folklore, & Holistic Healing by Carley Smith CH- Witchy Moms Magazine Feb Issue
This afternoon when I sat down thinking about which herb to write about for you all this month, the answer was there almost before I asked the question. Of course, it was Alder! I had a little laugh because the past couple of days I’ve been noticing that although we are still in the guts of winter, there is that wonderful and subtle little stir happening in the trees and in the people! A little more light, a little more energy, and a little more sparkle in people’s eyes. So, no wonder then that we’re coming up to Imbolc, the celebration around just that! The quiet almost imperceptible stirrings in the plants and in ourselves, which in not too long will be growing up and outwards!
About this tree! For most people, Alder isn’t something that they think of when they think about herbalism, and to be fair, Alders are actually not all that commonly used in western herbalism. These trees though, hold an incredible variety of healing offerings for us, and they are one of those wonderful medicines where it’s hard NOT to find if you are in need! This also strikes a chord in my heart because that means it is a truly sustainable wild plant medicine for us to work with! These are always my favorite medicines, not only for this reason, but because we are neighbors, we live on the same land, and so we naturally already have some level of connection with their biology and energetics just simply by living in proximity to one another.
So! Let’s talk about Red Alder! What does this humble but powerful healing tree have to teach us? What does it “do”, and what’s it all about!? Let’s start off by getting into the nerdery of it and talk about its herbal actions…. Aka: the effects it has within the body. Alder is mainly classified as an alterative (something that cleanses and purifies the blood, and also typically the lymph as well as in this case). Anything that cleanses the blood and the lymph will indefinitely bring more vitality to the body. We don’t often think about it, but our bodies actually spend quite an incredible amount of energy just cleaning up the mess that all life creates. So, cleaning up the system frees up a whole bunch of extra energy that can then go towards things like cell repair and healing, and ultimately results in more life force flowing through the system as a whole. Very awesome! We also know that the blood and lymph are our fluid bodies, which carry most of our immune components, so this also helps in fending off pathogens and unwanted hitchhikers that can be wearing down the system, energetic reserves, and generally mucking about and making us sick.
Being a “bitter” we know that this medicine is going to stimulate digestive secretions, which will help break down food and move it through the system. It’s astringent qualities work to tone and tighten up tissues that are overly lax or boggy, such as in leaky gut syndrome, spongy gums, wounds, prolapsed organs, or varicose veins to name a few issues this can help. And of course, what a plant does in our bodies, is often exactly just what it does in nature….and vis-a-versa. Most people regard these helpful trees as annoying weeds though they are incredible and invaluable healers of the land. They literally hold together and strengthen the banks of the land’s own fluid bodies and prevent erosion wherever they grow. Something I love about plants, is that they often tell us or hint at what they can help us with if we give them our attention…. Alder trees LOVE water, they’re almost always growing near streams and when you peel the bark back (the trees “skin”), it almost instantly turns a deep red colour which remind us of the blood and lymphatics!
With its affinity for the blood, it’s not surprising that Alder ALSO warms and stimulates the circulation which makes this an even greater remedy for conditions where there is toxicity in the blood or extracellular fluids, but where it is also stagnating (sometimes that is actually the cause of the toxicity). Alder’s anti-inflammatory and diuretic actions combined with its ability to move stagnation makes it a great herb for puffy inflamed conditions or joints where there’s edema or fluid retention as it helps clear out excess fluids and keep things flowing!
This tough little tree often springs up seemingly out of nowhere where the land has been damaged and disturbed to help it rejuvenate and heal; it’s antimicrobial and vulnerary qualities help to do the same thing to our tissues where they have been broken, and so is a wonderful wound healer as well.
For the food foragers out there, one super fun thing I love sharing with people, is that it’s actually possible to make syrup from Alder trees! Yep! Admittedly, they have a significantly lower sugar content in their sap, so this means you need a lot more sap to get a smaller amount of syrup than if you were rendering down sap from a Sugar Maple, but! It IS doable and incredibly delicious! To make Alder syrup you just follow the same process as you would with Maple sap. Very fun! If you don’t feel like doing all that work, you can try simply drinking the sap or “tree water” as is, which is a nice spring tonic. The catkins, or male flowers, Aka: “the dangly bits” can be used tossed into soups, fried in butter and garlic, or dried and ground into protein rich flour added to whatever your heart desires!
Truthfully, with this tree there is such an incredible amount to say about what it can help us with that I feel one could write an entire book on each of its many facets. That being said, and for sake of being able to move forward and explore its uses without being overwhelmed, I find simply remembering this tree as one that cleanses the fluid bodies, and strengthens our inner banks both physically and metaphorically will take you far in what you can do with it.
Life is movement, and Alder reminds us of this in many ways, both on the physical and on the emotional/spiritual levels. Red Alder shows us the value in letting go of “that which no longer serves”, which creates space for that which does. It teaches us about how holding our boundaries internally and externally is ultimately in service of and for the greater benefit of all. Alders show us how to do these things while still being tender and flexible. They are masters of allowing life to flow with grace, even when there has been wounding; and within this, they don’t do it alone. They support and are supported by those who stand next to them. Teachers of Strength In Numbers. May the quiet seeds in your prayers be nurtured with tenderness and grow into fruitful realities of all your heart’s desires.
In gratitude,
Carley Smith
MEDICINAL SUMMARY:
LATIN NAME: Alnus rubra (Red Alder)
PARTS USED: leaves, inner bark (preferably aged several months to reduce possible emetic effects and brewed as a tea), sap, catkins & cones
FLAVOURS: bitter, astringent, mildly acrid
HERBAL ACTIONS: alterative, tonic, astringent, bitter, lymphatic, circulatory stimulant, anti inflammatory, diuretic, diaphoretic, antifungal/antimicrobial, immune supportive, emetic in high doses (inner bark)
ENERGETICS: warming, drying,
CONSTITUTIONAL INDICATIONS: good for lax tissue states, cold, stagnant or toxic conditions
SPECIAL TEACHINGS: support, allowing the flow of life through us with grace, tenderness, releasing what does not serve, Strength in Numbers.
*PRECAUTIONS: though not toxic, the inner bark of Alders is VERY bitter and VERRY astringent, so, if drunk fresh in large quantities or in sensitive people it can cause nausea or vomiting. Aging the inner bark for 6-12 months will reduce this possibility significantly.
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