WHAT IS SAFEDA TREE? EUCALYPTUS TREE - MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES: HOW TO MAKE EUCALYPTUS LEAVES TISANE

EUCALYPTUS TREES, SAFEDA IN URDU

There are around seven hundred species of eucalyptus trees, which have their origins in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. They are a fast-growing species that can withstand drought because their deep roots can take up underground water. This hardy species of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) have now spread around the world to the Mediterranean region, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent and to the US among other places. As members of the myrtle family they are related to cloves, allspice and guava (amrood).

  The tree that predominates in Greece and Pakistan is Eucalyptus camaldulensis and this is the one featured in this post. The medicinal oil comes from E. globulus or the Blue Gum, which gets its Latin name because it resembles a globe-shaped button that was popular in France towards the end of the 19^th century when the tree was given its botanical name. Flowers on different species may be single ones or bloom in clusters which are on the whole without stalks, or which have tiny ones. Be careful as the bark of some species of eucalyptus can cause dermatitis.

  In Australia koalas like to eat leaves from these trees, and can consume between 2½ to 3 pounds a day. Eucalyptus honey is prized as is the oil which is obtained from the leaves and tops of branches. The tree also yields timber which is durable and strong and can be used as fuel. However care should be taken not to burn freshly cut branches as the wood and seeds emit sparks that can easily start a fire and burn you if you are too close.

  Some species are on the threatened list in their native Australia and are under threat in Pakistan where they are believed to be destroying native plants by depleting the ground of water. Originally trees were imported and planted to help reduce flood waters, and because they are fast-growing and give plenty of shade; also they are able to withstand adverse weather conditions. In the province of Punjab they line the roads and fields, but they are being cut down to be replaced by native trees such as the kikar (Acacia nilotica), neem (Azadirachta indica), and kachnar (Bauhinia variegata) trees. 

The planting of eucalyptus tree in Pakistan began in the 1960s and gathered pace in the early 1990s when aid was received for reforestation from USAID. Now they are being blamed for consuming “underground water unnecessarily” by a Pakistani spokesman for the IUCN, the world conservation union. They were also described as “environmentally unfriendly” in 2006 by a spokesman from the Environmental Protection Department of Punjab province.

  However they are useful in the match-stick making industry and in the process of tobacco curing, as 200,000 are felled annually for those industries.

  In some countries where planting began earlier, the trees deep roots were welcomed as they could dry marshy land which was a breeding ground for malaria bearing mosquitoes, so the trees had their uses. In Pakistan the leaves are gathered and hung close to a baby or young child to protect him/her from diseases and to keep insects away.

  Most people have resorted to menthol and eucalyptus lozenges when they have blocked sinuses, a cold, cough or sore throat, and the tisane made from the chopped leaves given below can be used for the same purposes. However if you have asthma don’t touch eucalyptus as it can bring on an attack. The tisane can also help to reduce fevers.

  The oil from eucalyptus is traditionally used to treat diabetes, and medical research is proving that this may be a correct treatment, although more research needs to be done before it is proved conclusively. Eucalyptus oil can be used for arthritis, to get rid of boils and sores, heal and clean wounds and to repel insects. It is rich in cineole which is a powerful antiseptic that kills the bacteria that cause bad breath (halitosis). It is also effectively used as smelling salts if someone faints.

  The leaves contain tannins which have astringent qualities, and which can reduce inflammation, and flavonoids such as quercetin, which has strong antioxidant properties.

  In 19^th century British hospitals, eucalyptus oil was used to thoroughly clean some medical items, as it has anti-bacterial qualities.

  The Aborigines, the native Australians, used the eucalyptus trees to make boats, boomerangs and spears. They also used it medicinally, using ointments made from it to heal wounds and to cure fungal infections such as ringworm.

  Eucalyptus has many uses, but is often not a good imported species as is so often the case.

TISANE OF EUCALYPTUS LEAVES

Ingredients

½ tsp chopped fresh eucalyptus leaves

1 cup boiling water

a few sprigs of mint

Method

Pour the boiling water over the leaves and leave to steep for 10-15 minutes before straining and drinking.

Drink a cup three times a day for colds, sinus obstructions, coughs, sore throats (also a gargle and wash for skin problems), fevers and flu.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment). 

MANGOSTEEN FRUIT - INFORMATION: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF MANGOSTEEN FRUIT

MANGOSTEEN, GARCINIA MANGOSTANA

Despite the similarities in their names, mangosteens and mangoes are not related. The mangosteen belongs to the Clusiaceae family of plants, although formerly it was in the Guttiferae one; this means that this fruit is related to st john's wort. It gets its name from a Malay word, manggusta, the name for this fruit. The slow-growing fruit tree with a pyramid shaped crown, which grows to between 20 and 82 feet, was named in honour of the French explorer of the 18^th century, Laurent Garcin.

  I think on the whole I prefer rambutan, and don’t see what the hype surrounding mangosteens is all about. They are not related, but taste a little like each other. Mangosteen has segments surrounding the long flat seeds, and these look like fleshy garlic cloves. They are easy to peel although people seem to need a knife on other web sites; maybe they haven’t had really fresh fruit. You have to be careful though as the purple juice stains your fingers. However, you can eat them as you wander around if you are thirsty. They are sold alongside rambutans in Thai markets and on stalls that line the road when they are in season, in May through June. To me they taste like a cross between a strawberry and a lychee, with a hint of vanilla.

  The flowers of the rambutan tree are hermaphrodites, in other words they have both male and female parts, so it’s easy for them to pollinate. This is partly why they have been moved to the Clusiaceae family. They like humidity and rainfall and although they have been introduced to various countries since their “discovery” by Europeans, they have been difficult to grow on a large scale, and thrive best in hothouses.

  It is believed that they have their origins in the Sunda Islands and the Maluccas, although it can be found wild in the forests of Kemaman, Malaya. Perhaps it was first domesticated in Thailand, but the experts are not sure. They were first planted in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1800 and then in India in 1881, and some trees still grow there. They were also introduced to Queensland, Australia, where largely unsuccessful attempts have been made to cultivate them since 1884. There are some plantations in the West Indies, and in Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. The fruits have to be harvested by hand when they are fully ripe, and any that fall are not taken to market.

  In Thailand the non-fruiting trees are felled and used for timber in the construction industry and furniture making. In the past they were used to make spear handles and pounders for rice.

  The fruit contains the minerals potassium, phosphorous, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc, along with some others. It also has vitamins A, C and E as well as some of the B-complex ones. The rind of the fruit contains tannins and xanthones, and is used dried in traditional medicine systems in South-East Asia for dysentery and diarrhoea. A decoction of the dried fruits is used for skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis and is drunk as a remedy for cystitis and gonorrhoea.

  In the Philippines, a decoction of the leaves and bark is used to reduce fevers, for urinary tract problems, dysentery and diarrhoea, and candida (thrush). In Malaysia a decoction of the roots of the tree is used to regulate menstruation, and an infusion of the leaves mixed with a little benzoin and an unripe banana is used to stop infection after circumcision of male babies.

  A bark extract from the tree has been found to contain derivatives of mangostin; mangostin-e, 6-di-O-glycoside which depresses the functions of the central nervous system, and can cause a rise in blood pressure in lab-tested animals. There is some evidence to suggest that the mangosteen tree may kill cancer cells, and it has antioxidant properties, but a lot of research is still needed as none of the studies so far carried out have been on people.

  In the 19^th century as well as in the 21^st there was a lot of hype surrounding this fruit which is regarded as the “Queen of Fruit” in South-East Asia, with Durian being the King. Indian and Pakistanis would dispute this saying that mango is the king, while shareefa is the fruit of kings.

  The mangosteen was first grown in Britain in the mid 19^th century on the estate of the Dukes of Northumberland by their gardener, John Ivison, and won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gold Banksian Medal which was the first time it had been awarded to a single fruit; this was in 1855. Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch at that time, seems to have eaten her first mangosteen in 1891 which she received from Trinidad. Her personal secretary wrote in thanks to Sir Frederick Broome, who had been instrumental in supplying the fruit, that the Queen thought her gift “quite excellent.” However, this may be a case of damning with faint praise, as a thing is either excellent or not.

KITCHARI OR KETCHEREE, THE ORIGINAL KEDGEREE: TASTY EASY VEGETARIAN RECIPE

KITCHARI OR KETCHEREE

Kitchari or ketcheree is the original dish which the British changed into kedgeree, with the addition of smoked cod or herring instead of, or as well as, moong beans. This is a traditional dish in the Punjab, Pakistan and is prescribed for those who are recovering from illnesses as it is very nutritious. It is popular with children, and made in different ways in Pakistani homes. It is a light dish that can be eaten for lunch, perhaps with pickles.

  Kitchari means mixture and this refers to the mix of pulse and grain, rice and green moong beans. Red lentils can also be added to the dish, or, if you can’t find moong beans they may be substituted with red lentils.

  This is a very healthy dish, and excellent for a vegetarian meal.

 

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice

1 cup moong beans

1 onion, chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger root

1 tbsp cumin seeds (zeera)

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp turmeric (haldi)

1 tsp garam masala

½ cup oil

fresh coriander leaves shredded (optional)

Method

Clean the rice and moong beans and then mix together and soak in water for two hours.

Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the ginger, garlic, cumin seeds for 30 seconds, then add the onion, and fry until this is brown.

Pour 4 cups of water into the pan and add the freshly ground black pepper, coriander seeds, turmeric, moong beans and rice.

Stir well and bring to the boil.

Add the green chillies and garam masala, and boil for 2 mins.

Reduce the heat to low and cover, and cook for 10 mins.

Remove from the heat and add the fresh coriander leaves if using.

Remove the lid and allow the dish to cool for 5 minutes.

Serve alone or with pickles.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

DEODAR TREE ( CEDRUS DEODARA) - INFORMATION: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF DEODAR TREE

DEODAR TREE, CEDRUS DEODARA

The deodar is the national tree of Pakistan and is a member of the pine tree family in particular the cedars, making it a relative of the Biblical Cedar of Lebanon. As a member of the Pinaceae family of trees it is also related to the pine trees which bear pine nuts, including the chilgoza pine nuts. It is an evergreen coniferous tree that is native to Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and western Nepal. They can live for more than a thousand years, but up until now, they have not, as far as we know, beaten the Jurupa oakand the yew in the longevity stakes. The old trees can grow to heights of 250 feet and have girths of 14 feet. These trees are revered and can be found planted around temples.

  The name deodar comes from a Sanskrit word, davadaru which means the timber of God or divine timber. However the tree is prized for its medical properties, and not just for its fragrant wood, which is, admittedly, put to many uses.

  Walking through a forest of these trees is breathtaking as they emit the pine resin smell that scents the air. I see why it is used in aromatherapy to clear the mind. Because the wood is fragrant it is used like sandalwood for chests, and smaller items such as ornamental boxes and picture frames. Deodar wood repels insects and so chests and barrels are made to store grains such as rice in. The oil can also be diluted and sprayed on crops as a natural insecticide, and you can smear it over your arms to prevent them being bitten by mosquitoes.

  In former times in Pakistan, beggars pretending to be holy men would waft incense burners around shops for protection against evil and for good luck and inside the burners would be deodar charcoal or sandalwood. Now, however, they use any kind of charcoal and so their services are no longer welcomed. In fact they are not allowed in shops.

  Deodar oil and resins as well as the pine needles and bark of the tree have been used in traditional and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, to cure illnesses ranging from STDs, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis to less serious coughs, colds and hiccups.

Deodar trees in winter

  Modern medical research has shown that extracts from the needles have a pain killing and antiseptic effect, and that the tree has antioxidant properties. It has been found to contain new lignan compounds (lignans are found in flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and broccoli and have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties). A new flavonoid has also been discovered, and the tree has also yielded two new types or sesquiterpenoids ά – and β-himachalines along with deodarone and deodardione.

  Ayurvedic practitioners use preparations from the deodar tree to treat urinary tract problems, diabetes, obesity, to relieve pain, for skin problems, to aid digestion and to strengthen the heart muscles and to improve blood circulation. The oil is used for headaches, coughs, colds, hiccups, arthritis and a number of other ailments including gout.

  Rudyard Kipling mentions deodar trees in three of his books, and they have been mentioned frequently in Indian and Pakistani writings. Here are the quotations from Kipling.

   “One of the young men of fashion - he who was found dead at the bottom of a well on the night of the earthquake had once given him a complete suit of Hindu kit, the costume of a low caste street boy, and Kim stored it in a secret place under some baulks in Nila Ram's timber-yard, beyond the Punjab High Court, where the fragrant deodar logs lie seasoning after they have driven down the Ravi.”  (From “Kim”) Note: the Ravi is a river.

  “The pass was crowned with dense, dark forest--deodar, walnut, wild cherry, wild olive, and wild pear, but mostly deodar, which is the Himalayan cedar; and under the shadow of the deodars stood a deserted shrine to Kali--who is Durga, who is Sitala, who is sometimes worshipped against the smallpox. “ (From “The Second Jungle Book”)

  “He further increased his revenues by selling timber to the railway companies, for he would cut the great deodar trees in his own forest arid they fell thundering into the Sutlej River and were swept down to the Plains, 300 miles away, and became railway ties.”

(From “Mine Own People”)

SUGAR PALM AND TODDY SEEDS NUTRITIOUS AND HEALTHY: HOW TO MAKE COOLING TODDY PALM SEEDS AND COCONUT WATER DRINK

SUGAR PALM, ASIAN PALMYRA PALM, BORASSUS FLABELLIFER

This fan palm is notable for the fact that its sap is used to produce gur (jaggery) but what is little known outside its natural habitat, South and South-East Asia, is that its fruit when immature, has jelly-like seed kernels inside it, called toddy seeds, considered a delicacy in India, and sold in markets in early summer for a limited period only. You can find these in cans in Asian stores, but they are usually canned in sugar syrup which makes them too sweet. When fresh they are moderately sweet and are a little crunchy, so are sliced into thin strips or chopped into small pieces and then used to make cooling drinks or in desserts with fruits such as papaya, pineapple and mangoes with vanilla ice cream.

   The fruits themselves resemble coconuts, which is not surprising as the trees are in the same botanical family of Arecaceae along with the date palm. The Borassus genus has seven known members, which are native to Asia, Africa (including the island of Madagascar) and New Guinea.

  In India the sugary sap from the tree is called toddy, as is the liquid that can be sucked from the fruit through the wiry fibres. These white fibres are either coated with white or orange pulp and inside there are the toddy seeds. When the fruit is young the toddy seeds are hollow, translucent and soft. They have a jelly-like consistency and are translucent. They are extracted from the fruit by roasting then breaking open the fruit, and peeling the pale brown skin from them.

  In drinks, with coconut water, like in the recipe below they rival sattu, gond katira (Tragacanth gum) and tukh malanga (basil seeds) as coolants for the body in the heat of a South Asian summer. The fruit contains B-complex vitamins, vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid and vitamin A, plus the minerals zinc, iron, potassium, calcium and phosphorous. A recent study (2011) has concluded that this fruit if grown on a larger commercial scale could help solve the world’s malnutrition problem.

  The whole tree has positive benefits for us as another recent study has shown that some of the traditional uses of parts of this tree in medicine have some basis. It could have anti-diabetic properties; it has antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory ones. The male flowers have anti-inflammatory properties, and contain dioscin and steroid saponins and studies are underway to discover what other properties and constituents different parts of Borassus flabellifer have.

  In traditional medicine practices, the young plant is used to stop vomiting and nausea, for dysentery and gonorrhoea, while the young roots are used to get rid of internal worms and as a diuretic. A decoction of the roots is said to be god for some respiratory diseases. When mixed with black salt the decoction of bark is used as a mouth wash. Even the sap from the flower stalk is used as a tonic, diuretic, stimulant, laxative and expectorant. Also sugar from this sap is supposed to be an antidote to poisoning and used for liver problems. The fresh toddy is heated to fermentation point and bandaged onto ulcers too, while the pulp from the mature fruit is used on the skin for dermatitis. Different parts of the tree are used for spleen and liver enlargement. 

  It has uses outside of the medicinal field too, as the fronds can be used for thatching and mats. Parts of the tree are used to make jewellery, and baskets are woven with it. Fans, hats and parasols are made with it too, and of course if you require a temporary shelter, then the palm fronds can be utilized for this purpose too. In ancient India a kind of papyrus was made from the tree for the sacred writings, so it has a special place in history and religion. The tree is reputed to have 800 uses, both medical and more practical ones, as the timber is strong too and can be used in construction. The sugary sap or “toddy” can be fermented to make arrach an alcoholic beverage.

  So this tree caters to a person’s physical, spiritual and recreational needs in one way or another.

TODDY PALM SEEDS AND COCONUT WATER DRINK

Ingredients

4 young seeds cut into small pieces

2 cups fresh coconut water

½ cup crushed ice

sugar to taste if necessary

4 mint leaves, shredded  

mint sprigs to garnish

Method

Blend all the ingredients together and garnish with the sprigs of mint.

This has Taste and is a cooling Treat.

BEECH TREE - SQUIRREL'S FAVOURITE TREE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEECH TREE

COMMON OR EUROPEAN BEECH TREE, FAGUS SYLVATICA

The beech tree is a common sight in southern England and parts of South Wales. The name comes from the Old English Boc through to the Anglo-Saxon Boece and has left its mark on place names. There is the famous Burnham Beeches, near Slough, just outside London and Buckholt in Hampshire, and Buckhurst in Essex, both meaning ‘beech wood’ as well as Bockhampton in Berkshire which means ‘settlement where beech trees grow.’ The beech tree is a member of the Fagaceae family along with the oak trees, and sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa). “Fagos” is the Greek word which means to eat, and the trees are so-called because they bear edible nuts. In the case of the beech, these are known as beech masts, probably referring to the triangular shape of the two nuts that are contained in a prickly outer casing. The word sylvatica comes from the Latin for wood, sylvis. It is a distant relative of the witch hazel as they are part of the wider family of Hamamelidadae.

Copper beech

  The other beech tree that can be found in the British Isles is the Copper beech (Fagus sylvatica var. purpurea) which is a spectacular tree with purple-copper leaves. These can be dried and preserved with glycerine to make attractive decorations.

  The nuts from the tree are bitter tasting, but I used to enjoy looking for them when I went for walks up the mountain with my grandfather, who would open the cases for me. We would often see squirrels in the tree, and badgers and small rodents would feed on then nuts when they fell. Apparently they are toxic and you shouldn’t eat too many of them.

  In times of scarcity the nuts can be ground to powder and used with flour to make bread etc. They can also be roasted and ground as a coffee substitute. It is said that the oil extracted from the nuts can be used to stimulate hair growth too.

  The tender young shoots and leaves may also be eaten raw in a mixed salad, so the tree provides ‘famine food’ for humans and in autumn, food for animals and birds. In that season its leaves are golden and are a wonderful sight with the sun streaming through them.

  The branches can produce a creosote or tar through a dry distillation process, which is a stimulant, antiseptic and expectorant, which can be used also for skin diseases.  It is said that the pure creosote brings fast relief from toothache, but it tastes vile.

 The leaves may be boiled and made into a hot poultice for headaches, while the buds of the beech tree are said to help the kidneys function well as well as having diuretic properties.

  It has been found that there are lignans in the bark of the tree, which have powerful antioxidant properties. These are found in flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and broccoli among other vegetables. It also contains suberin which is a fatty, waxy substance which gases and water cannot permeate, found in cork.

Beech in autumn

  Pollen from the catkins (flowers) of this tree has been found in fossils from the Pleistocene period, so like the yew it is a prehistoric tree. It has male and female flowers on the same tree, like the hazel.

   This tree can grow to heights of 40 metres and is a shade tree, it lets little light through to the forest floor, and beech woods are very dark places. Beeches grow along with oaks and hazel trees in ancient woodlands in Britain. They can live for at least 300 years, but are babies in comparison to the ancient yews and Jurupa oak in California.

RAMBUTAN - EXOTIC FRUIT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF RAMBUTAN: EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD RECIPE

RAMBUTAN, NEPHELIUM LAPPACEAE

Rambutans look and taste like large juicy lychees, although they come in a hairy or spiny outer case, which is how they got their name; from a Malay word, rambut which means hair. The tree is a member of the Sapindaceae of which reetha, or the soapnut tree (Sapindus mukorossi) is a member. Synonyms for the rambutan tree are Euphoria nephelium DC and Dimocarpus crinita Lour.

  It is a large evergreen tree that can reach heights of between 15 – 25 metres (50 to 80 feet).It bears fruits every alternate year and has long leaves (10-30 cm) which consist of 3-11 leaflets. It is a native of South East Asia where it is now cultivated, but the fruits are rarely exported. It is also cultivated in Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Cuba as well as in Australia. 

    They like humidity and a well-distributed rainfall, which is why, I suppose they have the name Nephelium. In Greek mythology, Nefeli or Nephele was a nymph married to Athamantia, lord of Boetia, which was the central part of the Greek mainland, and she had two children, Frixus and Ellie. Alternatively she was shaped from clouds by Zeus into the form of his wife, the goddess Hera. She had complained to Zeus that King Ixion had attempted to rape her, and to test the truth of her story Zeus made the cloud woman, Nephele, and sent her to the king, who raped her. She conceived and gave birth to the Centauri, the tribe of centaurs, during a rain storm on Mount Pelion. Either way, Nephele has the association with rain and clouds.

  The rambutan was introduced into the Philippines in 1912 from Indonesia and again introduced in the 1930s and then more plants were exported from Malaysia. They were introduced into the US too, but are not grown there.

  Normally people eat the fruit raw, but they can be stewed and made into jams too. They are also used in traditional medicine, for a number of ailments. A decoction can be made from the bark of the tree and used to get rid of thrush or candida. Internal worms can be removed with a decoction made from the roots it is said. The leaves are made into a poultice and applied to the forehead, to relieve headaches, and a decoction of the dried skin, which contains tannins, is used for dysentery and diarrhoea. The seeds are said to be toxic and so should not be eaten raw, although they are OK roasted and are used in the treatment of diabetes. The leaves can be dried and made into a paste with a little water and this can be used on the scalp and hair to condition it. The dried skin is also used for fevers and is sold in markets in Malaysia.

  The fruit may help in a weight loss diet and may also help to lower blood pressure. Eating the fruit is also supposed to help you have softer skin and to improve its health.

  The young shoots from the tree can be used to produce a green dye on silk which has already been dyed yellow with turmeric (haldi), while the fruit produces a black dye for silk. The seed oil, which looks like cacao butter, can be used to make candles and soap.

  Rambutans are high in vitamin C and eating ten of them will give you twice as much of his as is recommended for your daily diet. It also contains niacin B1 and traces of the vitamin A. It also contains the minerals, iron, phosphorous and calcium.

EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients

10 rambutans, skin and stone removed

2 kiwi fruit, peeled

1 small ripe pineapple,

250 gr strawberries, hulled

1 bunch black grapes,

orange liqueur

Method

Slice the pineapple at 2 inches from the top and use a sharp knife to remove the flesh. Keep the shell to put the fruit in. Chop the pineapple into bite sized chunks.

Slice the kiwi fruit.

Put the fruit (not the grapes) into a bowl and pour orange liqueur over them- don’t overdo it!

Leave the bowl, covered in the fridge tossing the fruit in the liqueur every so often to make sure it is coated.

Put the fruit in the pineapple shell and serve.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS BAIKAN OR DHARAIK? CHINABERRY TREE - CULTURAL AND MEDICINAL SIGNIFICANCE

CHINABERRY TREE, BAIKAN, DHARAIK, MELIA AZEDARACH

This tree is native to northern India, Pakistan, Myanmar and northern Australia. It was introduced into the US in the latter half of the 18^th century as an ornamental and is now considered invasive in some states. Like the English yew tree and the aak and datura plants it is poisonous and should be treated with extreme care. 

It is a sacred tree in Iran, Malaysia, India and Pakistan, and is revered like the Neem tree. The Baikan is a fast-growing shade tree, which doesn’t usually last for many more than twenty years.

  Its timber can be used to make small items of furniture, and beams, but it rarely is, perhaps because it is considered to be sacred, rather like its “sister” the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). It grows extensively in Pakistan and India and is used by local people for its shade. To sit and gossip under, like the bohar or banyan tree, although this fast-growing tree does not reach such great heights or girths. Its leaves resemble those of the ash tree, but this chinaberry tree is a member of the mahogany family.

  It has cherry-like green fruits which wrinkle and turn yellow when they mature, and as the leaves fall they are clearly seen, the hanging drupes, await small boys who play marbles with them and then pelt each other with them if an argument ensues. These fruits are called tarkona in Punjabi, while the tree is called dharaik. It is bakain in Urdu. In English it is known as the Ceylon Cedar, the Persian Lilac tree, Pride of India and the Bead tree.

  It got the name bead tree, because when the pulp is boiled away from the 5 seeds it hides, the seeds have round holes in their middles, which are just right to make necklaces, prayer beads (tespih) bangles and earrings.

  Even though the tree’s parts are poisonous medical preparations are prepared by the traditional healers, or hakims, who know exactly what they are doing. The leaves and flowers are used to relieve nervous headaches, applied in a poultice, while the leaves, bark and fruit are natural insect repellants. The oil extracted from the seeds is used for rheumatism, and extract of the bark is given for asthma. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat skin problems such as eczema, acne and ulcers as they have antiseptic qualities.

  The berries produce a highly inflammable gas which gives a clear light, and the roots produce oil which can also be used for lighting. The hakims use the oil to promote hair growth and it is applied to bald spots.

  Medical research has proved it to have antiviral properties, and to be good at ridding the body of tapeworms. The antiviral properties come from the meliacine extracted from the leaves. Extracts from the tree have also shown that it can be used as an alternative to pharmaceutical medication for the HSV-2 genital infection. It may even have anti-cancer properties, but this is far from conclusive as yet.

  Despite the poisonous nature of this tree, it has health benefits for us, but it should nonetheless be treated with due care and respect.

 

YEW TREE - PREHISTORIC TREE - POISONOUS BUT MEDICINALLY USEFUL TREE

THE ENGLISH YEW TREE, TAXUS BACCHATA

Yews or ywen in Welsh, are primordial trees having their roots in the Triassic Age as fossilized parts of the yew have been found dating back to this and the later Jurassic periods of prehistory. They survived the last Ice Age, and comprised an estimated 79 % of forests in Europe as the glaciers and ice receded to the north. There can be little surprise, then that this tree is steeped in history, and there are specimens which are believed to be between 4 and 5,000 years old. The Jurupa oak in California is thought to be 13,000 years old so is the oldest living tree found so far. The ancient yew in a churchyard at Llangernyw village in North Wales is one of these trees, and is located in the churchyard of St. Dygain. It was a sapling in the Bronze Age and is in the world’s top 5 oldest living organisms. The yew is opposite two standing stones, erected by the Celts, and the church stand in the middle of these ancient relics.

Yew at Llangarnyw

  There is a local legend that the Recording Angel, Angelystor, frequented the yew at this churchyard every year at Halloween and in a resonating voice, called out the names of the parishioners who would die the following year. One year a foolhardy local, Sion ap Robert, was drinking in the pub with his mates on Halloween and scoffed at the legend. To prove how much he doubted the legend he walked through the churchyard, and passing under the yew, heard his name called. He was terrified and said that he wasn’t ready to die. Nevertheless that coming year he was buried in the churchyard.

  In Llangadwaladr in North Wales, there is another ancient yew tree, again in a churchyard, that was planted in an avenue of yews, perhaps by the ancient Celts who planted these trees along ley lines linking water, wells, springs and high points of power. This one is linked to St. Cadwaladr, Prince of Gwynedd and the stories surrounding the Pendragons. (Uther Pendragon is said to have been the father of King Arthur.)  This extract from a poem by W. Cowan demonstrates how the Druids regarded yews.

      “Here Druid priests their altars placed.

          And sun and moon adored

           ………………………….

            A tree – the sacred Yew,

            Symbol of immortality-

            Beside their altar grew.”

The ancient Celts and their priestly caste of Druids regarded the yew as the doorway to the Otherworld and believed that at Samhein and Beltane, there could be better communication between those living in this world and ancestors in the Otherworld. The yew was a link between life and death symbolizing death, rebirth and immortality. Shamans would sniff the vapours from the yew which it emits in high summer to gain visions.

  Another famous yew tree is the one at Fortingall in Perthshire, Scotland, which is also in a churchyard and is thought to be at least 4,000 years old. It stands at the entrance to Glen Lyon and is associated in legend with Pontius Pilate, Christ and the Glastonbury thorn. Cuttings from this tree have been planted at Glastonbury and at the Seat of Scone in Scotland, as well as other historic places.

  It is extremely difficult for dendrologists to estimate the age of yew trees as they tend to split and the one in Llangernyw once housed a tank between the split in it which is shown in the picture. Yews may seem to die, but new saplings grow from the roots so regenerate. It is believed that they all come from an original species, Paleotaxus rediviva which basically means ancient yew tree reborn. They have managed to survive the climatic changes that the Earth has gone through for more than two hundred million years.

  Yews are slow-growing trees with a close, tight grain and have been used to make agricultural implements, decorative items and weaponry through the centuries. The Mediaeval longbows (the weapon of choice in those days) were traditionally made from yew. However if you are thinking of carving yew wood, you need to be very careful as it is poisonous, and even the sawdust can be harmful-use protective clothing. The only part of the tree that is not poisonous is the fleshy red aril which grows around the toxic seeds. Smart birds eat this fleshy part but reject the seed inside it. Some arrows were tipped with poison from these trees.

Yew hedge

  The trees were sacred to the pagan Celts in the British Isles and they were so full of power, people believed that churches were built very close to them. They are a symbol of death as they grow in churchyards, but originally they were symbols of death and rebirth. Christianity changed beliefs a little but not entirely. Well-preserved carved items have been found near wells and springs, which might have been votive offerings, as the Druids in particular, thought that natural sources of water had magical powers, as may be seen in the legends of the hazel trees and the wise salmon.

  The yew is believed to have protective powers against all evils, and is a bringer of dreams for soothsayers. It is also a Celtic “forbidden tree” as it can be used to abort foetuses.

  The yew, like the birch and the rowan or mountain ash, can grow well in the shade of other trees, and the male tree has small yellow flowers which have pollen in February, while the female tree has the distinctive red berries, which should not be mistaken for juniper berries. It is related to the Himalayan oak, and like it the bark contains taxol which can be made into an anti-cancer drug. The Pacific yew was harvested almost to the point of extinction for its taxol, and a similar fate may yet meet its Himalayan relative. In Britain the ancient trees, at least are protected, but it also contains this substance.

  Despite the fact that the yew is poisonous it has been prepared by traditional healers to cure various diseases, such as those of the heart and kidneys and gout, as well as neuralgia, cystitis, headaches and failing eyesight. However it is advisable not to try any remedies with yew that you have prepared yourself. Leave it to the people who have had the information about herbs and other plants handed down through their families for generations.