Latin name: Frangula alnusGenera: Buckthorn family: Goutwood, dogberry, cobbler wood, powder wood Its berries are poisonous! Plant description: Inconspicuous, greenish flowering shrub, dark, light gray dotted bark. Its name is based on the putrid smell of fresh bark.
The branches are thornless (in contrast to the buckthorn). The berries, which are blue-black when ripe, reach almost the size of blueberries and are slightly poisonous. Flowering time: May to July Occurrence: Undergrowth of moist forests throughout Europe
Medicinally used plant parts
The bark, which is processed after one year of storage. Fresh drug induces nausea. It is peeled in spring and then dried.
Ingredients
Frangulin and Glucofrangulin as main active substances, tanning agents.
Curative effects and application
Used for constipation and constipation. Contained tanning agents dampen the laxative effect and so the bark of the alder buckthorn acts as a mild laxative. Also vegetable laxatives should not be used longer than a few weeks. It makes sense to achieve a normalization of the intestinal activity in the long run through a diet rich in dietary fiber, sufficient fluid intake and physical exercise.
Preparation of the digestive tree
Tea from decaying tree bark: 1 teaspoon of cut bark with 1⁄4 l cold water pour over, 12 hours allow to pull out, stir thereby more frequently. Strain this extract and drink it lukewarm before going to bed. Instead of a cold extract, the bark can also be doused with hot water.
Leave to infuse for 10 minutes and proceed as above. This tea has a gentle, mild and symptom-free laxative effect. The effect often only sets in after a few hours.
Combination with other medicinal plants
You can add some fennel to the above mentioned tea to improve the taste. Purgative tea: rotten tree bark 20.0 g/caraway fruit 10.0 g/fennel fruit 10.0Thousandthousand centaury 5.0 g mixed. Mix 2 teaspoons of this mixture with 1⁄4 l cold water and let it stand for 12 hours. Stir occasionally. Finally strain and drink a cup lukewarm in the evening before going to bed.
