Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Tasty Cough Syrup

Family: Rosaceae; (includes Rose, Plum, Almond, Apricot)

Genus and Species: Prunus Serotina, P. Virginiana

Also known as: Choke Cherry, Rum Cherry, Wild Black Cherry, Virginia Prune Bark

Parts used: Inner bark, root bark

Children’s cough remedies are often cherry flavored. That flavor is no accident. Since 1820, the bark of the native American wild cherry tree has been listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a phlegm-loosener (expectorant) and mild sedative. But this herb is not just kids’ stuff. It also contains a chemical similar to cyanide that might be deadly in very large amounts.

Popular Healer

Early colonists found many Indian tribes using wild cherry bark tea as a tranquilizer. sedative, and treatment for colds, coughs, diarrhea, labor pains, and other ailments. They adopted the Indian uses for the herb and also used it to treat bronchitis, pneumonia, and whooping cough.

During the 19th century, wild cherry bark ranked among the nation’s most popular botanical medicines, both by itself and as an ingredient in an enormous number of patent medicines.

Wild cherry bark was a favorite of America’s 19th-century Eclectic physicians, who considered it an excellent tranquilizer and mild sedative and a remedy for the dry, hacking cough associated with colds and flu. The Eclectics also recommended the herb as a tonic during convalescence from lengthy illnesses.

Contemporary herbalists recommend wild cherry for colds, cough, asthma, and bronchitis.

Wild cherry continues to be listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as an expectorant and mild sedative.

Cough - Only one scientific source-the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-disputes wild cherry’s value. The FDA concluded wild cherry bark “is of little if any remedial value I except I as a flavoring agent.” The FDA recognizes only one expectorant as safe and effective-guaifenesen. Ironically, many lung authorities consider guaifenesen ineffective. Try wild cherry and see if it works for you.

Tranquilizer, Sedative - In recommended doses, one chemical in this herb, hydrocyanic acid, appears to act as a mild tranquilizer and sedative. However. hydrocyanic acid is related to cyanide, and unusually large amounts are poisonous. Stick to recommended amounts.

Rx for Wild Cherry

For an infusion that may help treat cough, stress, anxiety, or insomnia, use I teaspoon of powdered bark per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Wild cherry has a pleasant aroma but a bitter, astringent taste; adding honey, sugar, and lemon or mixing it with an herbal beverage blend will improve flavor.

In a tincture, take ¼ to ½ teaspoon up to three times a day. Wild cherry should not be given to children under age 2.

For older children and people over 65, start with a low-strength preparation and increase strength if necessary.

Alert: Wild cherry leaves, bark, and fruit pits all contain hydrocyanic acid, which in large amounts is a cyanide-like poison. Grazing animals have been poisoned by eating large quantities of leaves, which are more toxic than the medicinal bark.

Symptoms of toxicity include spasms, twitching, and difficulty breathing and speaking. If these occur, stop using the herb and seek medical attention immediately.

The medical literature contains no reports of wild cherry bark causing problems at recommended doses. But it has been implicated in birth defects among the offspring of laboratory animals that ingested the herb while pregnant. Pregnant women should not use wild cherry bark.

Other Cautions

Wild cherry bark is included in the FDA’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, wild cherry bark is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

Wild cherry should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If wild cherry bark causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

A Giant of a Healer

Wild cherry is one of our largest trees, often reaching 90 feet. It grows in the area bounded by Nova Scotia, Florida, Texas, and Nebraska. The trunk is covered with rough black bark, which breaks off in plates. The root bark must be peeled. Both barks are considered medicinal. and although they look different, they are both known as wild cherry bark.

Wild cherry’s oval, serrated leaves are a brilliant green The tree produces small white flowers in late spring, followed by blackish purple fruits the size of large peas.

Wild cherry grows best in fertile soil under full sun.

Authorities recommend planting saplings purchased at nurseries.

Herbalists recommend the young, thin branch bark rather than the older, thicker trunk bark. Collect it in autumn by pruning some branches and stripping them. The bark deteriorates after about a year in storage, so collect it annually.