Birch isn’t just a slender, attractive tree for gardens and street plantings in cool climates; it also has medicinal benefits thanks to methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory and analgesic found in the bark and wood and other parts of the tree.
Leaves and branches are used to treat sprains, strained muscles and headaches, while steaming the leaves is said to clear sinus congestion.
Birch is a traditional medicine in North America, where there are several species including dwarf birch (Betula glandulosa) and white birch (B. papyrifera) that also have uses from guitar manufacture to the creation of baskets from the bark.
Of the many traditional medicinal uses for birch extracts, research has found little scientific basis for them.
These include the treatment of joint pain, kidney and bladder stones (along with infections of the kidney,…
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Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue #14.4