It’s the Canada day weekend – we Canadians here in the Ottawa valley celebrated by imitating drowned rats. Only out in the country will people go out in the pouring rain at midnight to set off fireworks.
Everywhere I look I see elder trees (Sambucus nigra spp. canadensis) dressed up in their white lace finery. I like elders because they are scrappy. They are feisty trees, break off a twig and stick it into the ground – they are likely to grow. One of my favourite harvesting spots was “improved” several years ago by having everything cut back. Now, 3 years later, the elders are reasserting themselves.
Elders are trees who enjoy having their feet wet so I am sure they are satisfied with the surplus of rain we have been getting recently. I feel sorry for the farmers. An unusually wet spring meant a late start on their planting and now I see lakes where their fields should be. Despite the lack of a stretch of warm sunny days I can see the effects of climate change overall in the flowering of the elders. They ordinarily would not (I guess I should say in years past because who knows what is ordinary anymore) traditionally they would bloom the 2nd or third week in July. Today is the 2nd of July and they have been in full flower this past week.
Elderflowers and elderberries are both used medicinally. As it is the flowers that I am at the moment enchanted by I want to focus on their uses. Many folks know about the blessing of elderberries and their uses while the flower wisdom is not quite as well known.
Elderflowers are great for conditions of both the upper and lower respiratory system. Elderflowers are exceptionally good anti-catarrhals. They excel when the symptoms are caused by allergies. Runny nose and itchy watery eyes? Elderflowers can help. Great for feverish conditions elderflowers can be combined with other good diaphoretics/febrifuges like yarrow (Achillea millefolium), boneset (Eupatorium perforatum), joe pye (Eupatorium purpureum) or wild bergamot (Mondara fistulosa). When used for fevers the remedy should always be taken hot. I sometimes like to give folks a tincture blend and then have them take it in a cup of tea. Its success in increasing peripheral circulation means that elderflowers can be helpful when there is poor peripheral circulation or when we want to increase elimination via the skin.
Elderflowers are not often one of the herbs we first think of when we think about herbs for conditions of the nervous system but they do have a gentle action that can work on states of emotional distress. I find that they are soothing and that the very gentleness of their effect is part of how they heal. I feel they help us to integrate our feelings – particularly feelings of loss and grief. I was talking to a man recently who was concerned because he was losing weight and could not sleep. His father had died just a month previous. While I could understand his concern and his desire for a solution I did not see these “problems” as “problems” He was a son who had lost his father. To be lost and bereft was …..human. Elderflowers would have been a good support for him.
I haven’t yet tried this myself but I have read that the flowers/leaves can be used in an infused oil for salves for sprains and strains. I think I might give that a try this summer.
A person would never harvest anything from an elder tree without first asking permission of the Hylde-moer. This is the Elder-mother, a guardian spirit who watches over the tree. To harvest without her permission is to bring about bad luck. If you were by the tree on Midsummer’s eve it is said you can see the Faery king ride by. Elder wood crosses used to be placed on graves to help the newly dead to find peace and elder wood crosses hung over doors and windows so as to disappoint the charms of witches. Burning elder is said to bring death to the family while a pregnant woman who kisses an elder tree will bring luck to the baby.
“If the medicinal properties of its leaves, bark, and berries were fully known, I cannot tell what our countryman could ail for which he might not fetch a remedy from every hedge for sickness and wounds.” John Evelyn, 17th century