Anne Stobart

Hi Folks, there has been a spate of funding and resources available for agroforestry in Ireland. There are certain regulations and application details that need to be fulfilled for successful applications (I am not the expert). But if this is of interest then you can find out more from the Irish Agroforestry Forum. They are planning a seminar to include a mention of medicinal agroforestry along with speakers on permaculture and forestry advice. Here are the details:
Friday 18 October 2024 at 8 pm (Dublin time)
Guest speakers Donal Chambers, Eugene Curran, Anne Stobart,
Online Forest Gardening Webinar hosted by the Irish Agroforestry Forum
Registration at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E6ga10oKQD6y6xQE3r3GGw
You can hear about available support, application process, forest garden design, management tips. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Many thanks for the link Joylynn! I have recently been asked about Amazon ordering of Trees and Shrubs That Heal by people in Europe - it is now (thanks to Brexit) much  more difficult to post things from UK, very frustrating indeed. Some people have qualms about using Amazon as a source. So now my view is that I am happy to encourage orders from Amazon as well as good booksellers (Chelsea Green also in USA). It would be especially wonderful if buyers could leave a review of the book on Amazon to help other people decide if it is a book suitable for them!

I have recently posted some information about coppicing cramp bark, sometimes known as European or highbush cranberry, actually Viburnum opulus, which is a good alternative to black haw (Viburnum prunifolium) used in many women's complaints.  You can see details on my Substack newsletter 'Medicinal Tree Woman' (choose the free subscription option).
https://annestobart.substack.com/p/medicinal-tree-harvest-1

Think I forgot to mention the species! Here are the trees and shrubs covered in my latest book Trees and Shrubs That Heal.

The MEDICINAL TREES AND SHRUBS INCLUDED
Alder, Alder buckthorn, Arborvitae, Ash, Aspen, Barberry, Bayberry, Bearberry, Beech, Bilberry, Black chokeberry, Black mulberry, Black walnut, Blackcurrant, Bramble, Butcher’s broom, Butterfly bush, Chaste tree, China tea, Cider gum, Cornelian cherry, Crab apple, Cramp bark, Dog rose, Douglas fir, Elder, Fig, Forsythia, Foxglove tree, Fringe tree, Ginkgo, Glossy privet, Goji, Hardy rubber tree, Hawthorn, Hazel, Hibiscus, Horse chestnut, Italian cypress, Jujube, Juneberry, Juniper, Lavender, Lily magnolia, Manuka, Myrtle, Oak, Olive, Oregon grape, Pagoda tree, Partridge berry, Prickly ash, Quince, Raspberry, Red root, Rosemary, Rowan, Scots pine, Sea buckthorn, Siberian ginseng, Silk tree, Silver birch, Silver fir, Small-leaved lime, Spicebush, Spindle, Sweet almond, Sweet bay, Sweet chestnut, Sweet gum, Tree paeony, Trifoliate orange, Virginian witch hazel, White willow, Wild cherry, Wild hydrangea, Winter savoury, Winter sweet, Winter’s bark, Wintergreen

I used a lot of clinical references to support the material in the book although there was not room to include them. But you can obtain the 500 reference list (not exactly bedtime reading and 40 pages long) free online as a download from the Medicinal Forest Garden Trust website here
Trees And Shrubs That Heal references.

I have been busy for a while working on another book about trees. Now I am so pleased to announce that my new book Trees and Shrubs That Heal just published by Permanent Publications in the UK is available in the USA. Drawing from my own experience as a clinical herbal practitioner and grower I have profiled 80 trees and shrubs of medicinal interest that can do well in temperate climates. So the book may be useful for anyone planning or extending a forest garden who is interested in including native or introduced species that can be sustainably harvested for a range of herbal remedies. Every tree and shrub profile includes a recipe.

The description from the publisher says ‘The book is laid out in two parts. Part One introduces the potential of the healing trees in the medicinal forest for therapeutic use, remedies for common complaints, medicines for repair and recovery from illness. There are straightforward  explanations of plant chemistry which help to understand specific herbal actions. Part Two incorporates the directory of 80 woody species, from large trees to small shrubs, offering a range of plants for any sized growing space. Each profile comes with illustrated and accessible content on identification and habitat, medicinal parts and uses, safety advice, suggested preparations alongside a practical recipe. Fully illustrated, the book has a comprehensive index and useful appendices of concise information for the trees and shrubs, and for a range of ailments, with suggestions for seasonal harvests and further sources of information.’

I have included some information on coppicing and pollarding in the book because I am keen to promote sustainable harvesting. If anyone has tried this with medicinal trees and shrubs then it would be great to hear of your experience.

Hi Luke,
Great to see your video about using herbs! Looks like we are both in the UK! Also for info to share, I did a talk last autumn on infusing herb oils which is a great way to capture some of the wonderful aromas for a healthy lifestyle. The Youtube link is https://youtu.be/ffqUvXcanjE and is a recording of a talk (about 50 min), giving an online overview of herb oils from the medicinal forest garden. I drew on my experience in the UK at Holt Wood Herbs growing native and introduced trees and shrubs. Herbal infused oils are so easy to make and can offer benefits for many body, hair and skin conditions. The talk includes examples of trees, shrubs and other plants that can be safely harvested and infused in carrier oils to make a range of body care preparations. Advice is provided on ensuring quality in harvesting, making and using infused oils. This talk was given as part of My Green Community, in September 2022.
I think it is excellent that you are looking at ways to deal with abundance! Right now I am infusing a number of conifers that dropped branches in recent windy weather - they also dry incredibly well, cheers, Anne

Great, more suggestions! I will have a go at creating a blog post listing on coppicing medicinals next year on our Medicinal Forest Garden Trust website with more pics - and will post a link when set up. Meanwhile here is the cheerful Virginian witch hazel flower for you Lina, it grows well in our acidic soil in Southwest England. I have not tried coppicing it to the ground because I found the best way to manage was to take a 'haircut' of all the twiggy growth in spring, the young leafy twigs make a superb aromatic distilled water, which is very effective for all manner of skin and joint problems as anti-inflammatory and astringent (we added 14-15% orgnaic alcohol as a preservative for sale purposes). I guesstimate that a grown shrub (about 2 m high and wide by 6+ years) haircut makes at least 0.5 litres distillate per year.

Great to hear of further suggestions, thanks everyone, so far I think including:
- blackcurrant for leaf
- cherry for bark
- hawthorn for flowers, leaf and berries
- mimosa for flower and bark
- poplar/aspen for buds
- rosemary for leaf and flower
- sea buckthorn leaf and berries
- slippery elm for bark
- sweet chestnut for leaf
Some suggestions refer to pruning regimes as well as coppice and pollard. And especially helpful are Mark Krawczyk's comments - thanks.  It seems like bulk supplies of buds, leaf and young bark are definitely benefits of coppicing. For really vigorous growers like willow I have pollarded (at 1-2 meter height) and then taken off branches individually over a period of several years as needed. But for me the key question Mark raises is the variable time after coppicing before flowering and fruiting. For example, in the past I have coppiced lime (Tilia species) and gained abundant leafy matter - but what I would like is to know if there is a minimum period before flowers will appear?

In the UK we rarely see grown elm trees now because usually before they reach 15-20 years they are attacked by Dutch elm disease (and these are not the same species as slippery elm anyway). I believe that the slippery elm bark in North America ideally comes from trees of 10 years or older. So if a coppice cycle can be established for slippery elm of 10+ years then that might provide a supply. It is best not to use wild-harvested and there is more on this and alternatives at the United Plant Savers site
https://unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk-list/slippery-elm-ulmus-rubra/

I have always thought that coppicing and pollarding are the way to go for sustainable supplies of botanicals! But there seems to be limited traditional experience around of coppicing for medicinal bark, leaves etc. So it is brilliant to see Mark Krawczk's book on Coppice Agroforestry getting publicity, and I hope it will encourage more growers to discover the possibilities of coppicing with a wider range of species. Apart from willow species, for my own part I can suggest at least 3 medicinal species worth having in woodland or forest garden plantings:
Elder (Sambucus nigra and other species), can be coppiced on a three-year rotation for flowers and fruit on one-year-old stems. Both used widely in herbal remedies for colds and flu.
Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus), the European variety, can be coppiced in rotation, stems from 2-3 year old coppice are especially good for harvesting bark in spring which can then be dried and powdered for capsules to use in muscular pain  including menstrual cramps.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), once established does coppice well, and this is how much commercial leaf supply is obtained, recent research shows that coppiced leaf is richer in active ingrdients! The leaves can be harvested late summer and dried for use in herb tea as anti-inflammatory.
Would love to hear about other medicinals that do well on a coppice management schedule! Pic shows our coppiced cramp bark after one year growth - needs fairly open site to do this well.