Just thought we could make a list of trees generally considered ornamental only but have medicinal or other permacuture uses. Many plums almonds etc are pretty but thinking here of ones that are not necessarily thought of as Useful Permaculture Plants I'll start with this one often found in the Gardens of SE Oz states Magnolia officinalis (bark). i could use some help on exactly what species of Magnolia are used in China .https://chinesemedicinenews.com/2008/01/08/magnolia-bark-may-be-good-antidepressant/
Weeping willow is generally seen as a ornamental tree, but it can be used for willow baskets, rooting hormone, fodder, etc/ https://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Salix+babylonica Edible Uses Edible Parts: Inner bark; Leaves; Manna. Edible Uses: Tea. Inner bark - raw or cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then added to cereal flour for use in making bread etc. A very bitter flavour, it is a famine food that is only used when all else fails. Young shoots and flower buds - cooked. Not very palatable. Older leaves are used to adulterate tea. A source of a manna-like substance. Medicinal Uses Anodyne; Antirheumatic; Astringent; Febrifuge; Poultice; Skin. The leaves and bark are antirheumatic, astringent and tonic. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of abscesses, carbuncle, fever, rheumatism, skin diseases, ulcers etc. An infusion of the bark has been used to treat diarrhoea and fevers. The bark can be used as a poultice. The stem bark is used in the treatment of skin eruptions due to parasites. The root bark is used in a bath for the treatment of parasitic skin diseases. A gum from the stems is used in the treatment of foul sores. The down of the seeds is used in the treatment of fevers, haemorrhages, jaundice, rheumatism etc. The fresh bark of all members of this genus contains salicin, which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body. This is used as an anodyne and febrifuge. Other Uses Basketry; Hair; Soil stabilization. The stems are very flexible and are used in basket making. The plant is usually coppiced annually when grown for basket making, though it is possible to coppice it every two years if thick poles are required as uprights. The extensive root system makes this species useful for binding soils. A decoction or infusion of the bark has been used as a wash to make the hair grow.
Bioactive metabolites from medicinal plants in Anglo-Saxon England Evidence suggests that some plants used in Anglo-Saxon formulations have pharmacological actions that are relevant for treating the conditions cited in the ancient medical texts [7]. One Leechbook remedy for spleen pain, states ‘pound green willow bark, boil it alone in honey, give it to him to eat, three pieces, having fasted overnight’ [8]. Aspirin, a synthetic derivative from willow bark Salix alba L. was patented in 1900 and sold as a tablet to relieve headache, muscular and joint pain. Anglo-Saxon pharmacopoeia revisited: A potential treasure in drug discovery. Watkins F., Pendry B., Corcoran O., Sanchez-Medina A. Drug Discovery Today. 16 (23-24) (pp 1069-1075), 2011
good thread ! does a plane tree have any uses///? cretaegus (hawthorn )is good for your heart last year i dried a few kg of seed intending to market it but jersey cow thought she needed it more, no harm done casurina is anti fungal does anyone have any salix alba?
camelia oil (pressed from seedpods) is the preferred treatment for japanese saws and chisels. it appears to be popular as a skin treatment also.
I picked a kilo of camelia seed once and sold some of it on Ebay (before I had a big fight with them) I was approached by a cosmetics manufacturer that wanted heaps.??? I wonder why? I have heaps of "useless" camelias Hawthorne berries, flowers, leaves are cardioprotective and regular use will reduce BP When i had a commercial nursery i noticed cassurina leaves that had fallen into plant pots stopped germination of weed seeds. Just an observation; but pots close by, without the leaves, had weeds germinating. Cassurinas are said to fix nitrogen too so are good colonising trees (there is a better word for that?). What is botanic name of Plane Tree?
platanus and it is usfull for taking particulate carbon out of the air it is tolerant of pollution i too thought camellias to be usless note to self b more tolerant
Camellias is where you get your green, and black teas from. I'm not talking about herbal teas either, but real tea: Camellia sinensis. Growing tea is only half the battle. Once your tea plant is growing well, you'll need to harvest and process your tea leaves. From your plant, you can make black, green or oolong tea. Green Tea * Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds. * Blot the leaves dry, and let dry in the shade for a few hours. * Steam the leaves (like you would vegetables) on your stove for about a minute. * For a different flavour, try roasting them in a skillet for 2 minutes instead of steaming. * Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 250F for 20 minutes. * Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container Oolong Tea * Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds. * Spread them out on a towel under the sun and let them wilt for about 45 minutes. * Bring your leaves inside and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours. * Make sure to stir the leaves up every hour. * The edges of the leaves will start to turn red as they begin to dry. * Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 250F for 20 minutes. * Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container. Black Tea * Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds. * Roll the leaves between your hands, and crush them until the leaves start to darken and turn red. * Spread them out on a tray, and leave them in a cool location for 2-3 days. * Dry them in the oven at 250F for about 20 minutes. * Store in an air-tight container. I am currently trying to spawn 5 from seed, but the seeds are still sleeping I guess under the soil. I can only hope they take else I am buying more seeds and trying again.
Absolutely, it is actually what I have been taught to use with my tools. For those in the US, we can get the oil from www.japanwoodworker.com
AB The oil of tea seed (Camellia oleifera Abel.) is used extensively in China as cooking oil. The objectives of this study were to investigate the antioxidant activity of tea seed oil and its active compounds. . . . . The results indicate that both compounds isolated from tea seed oil exhibit remarkable antioxidant activity. Apart from the traditional pharmacological effects of Camellia oleifera, the oil of tea seed may also act as a prophylactic agent to prevent free radical related diseases. 2006 American Chemical Society. Apart from the traditional pharmacological effects of Camellia oleifera,?? Hepatoprotection of tea seed oil (Camellia oleifera Abel.) Lee C.-P., Shih P.-H., Hsu C.-L., Yen G.-C. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 45 (6) (pp 888-895), 2007 Not sure if it is just the tea camellia or that this is the one just easily available. You could easily harvest a Ute load of ornamental Camellia seed ( camellia japonica) from Sydney Gardens in late autumn Camellia japonica oil (CJ oil) may be an anit-wrinkle agent. Possibly the most intersting use for Australians??