Hydrolats

Plant Description

History and Origin

 Black spruce can reach 8 to 20 meters in height and presents a conical shape, usually straight and sharp. It likes granitic, sandy or peaty and humid soils. It is found in numerous regions of Quebec. Black spruce forms dense clusters, stopping sunlight from reaching the ground, therefore creating thick moss layers over a humid, dark and deep soil. This tree is largely used to produce paper pulp because its fibre is relatively soft and because it is subject to twisting. Besides, black spruce is traditionally used to prepare spruce beer beverage, dating from the French colonies.

Native people have been using black spruce as a medicinal aid for numerous pathologies. As an example, Cree people use it as an antidiarrheal (preparing a decoction from the cones). They also prepare a balm with the resin to treat severe burns and chew the cones to relieve toothache. As to the Montagnais, they use it to prepare an infusion against sore throat.

Plant Description

History and Origin

There are numerous species of this plant, over a hundred. These grow in a wide variety of environments, and that characterizes the landscape of St. Lawrence Valley and North America in general. Goldenrod easily spreads owing to its prolific downy fruits (between 15 000 and 20 000 by plant). Once planted, goldenrod finds its way with its rhizomes. Goldenrods are also numerous and abundant in Europe. They are sometimes even considered as a weed plant, just like in North America. Numerous measures are taken in order to eradicate it. Goldenrod species are abundantly used by native people. Therapeutic uses are numerous. To name only a few, the plant is used as a liver stimulant, antipyretic and antidiarrheal. The Meskwaki people would also use it in children having difficulty starting to speak or laugh.

Plant Description

Plant Description

History and Origin

Bay laurel natively grows as a shrub around the Mediterranean Sea. During Antiquity, laurel was the very symbol of victory and prestige. Associated to the divinity of the Greeks Apollo, Romans and Greeks used to crown their leaders and elite members with its leaves. The classic image of Jules Cesar is associated to laurel.

The use and reputation of laurel is well established, yet, today, its culinary use often offsets its therapeutic properties.

Herbalists used to advise laurel in cases of mild nervous disorders, atonic amenorrhea, chronic bronchitis and breakdown. As an herbal tea, it was also used to treat loss of appetite and atonic dyspepsia. Crushed leaves were applied to cure ulcers and disinfect wounds.

Plant Description

History and Origin

True Lavender is a subshrub growing on the dry and sunny hillsides of southern France and other countries around the Mediterranean Sea. It comes with a long-standing reputation as a popular remedy. Known since Roman Antiquity as a perfume and aromatic, Lavender was named from Latin term lavare (meaning “to wash”). Not only using it to perfume linen, Romans also used it in private and public baths. But lavender was also known as a popular remedy against digestive disorders as well as a cosmetic care and insect repellant.

Plant Description

History and Origin

Italian Helichrysum or Everlasting is a perrenial plant. Helichrysum comes from the greek words "helios", sun, and "chrysos", gold, because its flowers look like little gold suns. It is found almost everywhere around the Mediterranean area and in Corsica, by the sea and inland. It is used for its particular biochemical compounds.

Plant Description

History and Origin

Daucus carota, originally from Eurasia, is present in undulating lands of South-Western Quebec. It doesn’t reach further North because of the drop in temperatures. Wild carrot is a pubescent herbaceous plant with umbels of white flowers. In Native herbalism, an infusion of the full-blooming blossoms is taken for diabetes. The decoction of the roots is taken by men to treat blood disorders, pimples, paleness and loss of appetite. In women, it is used to treat fallen womb. Besides, the decoction is used for urine stoppage.

Plant Description

Botanical information

History and Origin

Balsam Fir is one of the typical trees to our Boreal Forests. This evergreen can reach up to 40m high. The term Balsam refers to the soothing properties of certain plants on different problems. Fir forms an important part of our cultural heritage. Around this evergreen tree, our families gather to celebrate love, abundance and warmth in the middle of winter.

In the past, branches of Fir were used to build encampment during the winter but was also a big part of the Native's traditionnal medecine for its immunitary et anti-infectious fonctions. 

Native Americans also use the fresh shoots to make infusion and collect the resin on the bark of the trees. These extractions can be used to make pomades for superficial wounds and mosquito bites, as a laxative and analgesic, for cardiac, renal and pulmonary disorders, for irregular menstruations, as well as to treat gonorrhea, cancer and rheumatisms. 

"The Anneda: The Tree of Life", by Jacques Mathieu, restores the Balsam Fir as the real "Tree of Life" that was quoted in many historical stories from the early colonies. This healing tree saved Jacques Cartier's marines who were afflicted with scurvy.