Spent a beautiful few early Sunday morning hours wild harvesting Larrea tridentata , aka creosote bush, to make chaparral salve.
This beautiful piece of Chihauhauan desert is just two blocks from the 6th Avenue shala.
All a part of my backyard. In a manner of speaking.
Larrea tridentata does not play well with others.
Typically not much grows around creosote bush plants. It seems that the roots are so efficient at absorbing water that they leave little for other species.
On the other hand, Larrea Tridentata does seem to play well with humans, featuring as an important healing herb in Native American medicine.
It seems the oil distilled from the leaves offers antiseptic, anti microbial and wound healing benefits. For a full list of healing properties of creosote oil see here .
Though some warn of kidney and liver damage when taken internally, tea from dried leaves is used in alternative cancer treatments.
The desert-after-rain smell of the salve is far better than the bitter, tar taste of the tea. Trust me on this.
