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yth'elhp

"Unripe"

 

Red Alder

Alnus rubra

Red Alder - IMG_9857_edited.jpg
red alder (catkins) - IMG_4229.jpeg

Indigenous

 

Food and Medicinal Uses:

The cambium of xéyth'elhp is edible in the spring.

Buds are also edible.

 

Xéyth'elhp is used as a spring tonic.

It has anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and diuretic properties.

Used as an astringent.

It also soothes insect bites and skin irritations, stops bleeding, aids digestion, constipation and diarrhea, and treats jaundice and tuberculosis.

 

Other Uses:

The bark could be processed to produce dyes that ranged in colour from brown-black and dark red, to orange. The dyes were used to colour and decorate baskets, mountain goat wool, wood carvings, porcupine quills, and buckskin.

Xéyth'elhp wood is excellent for smoking fish and was used in steaming pits because it burns slowly and with a steady heat.

The wood is smooth, with an even grain, and was carved into spoons and dishes.

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