Wild Cherry, Prep & Dose

Cherry bark can be harvested at any time, but ideally in the autumn after leaf drop, or just before budding in early spring. Prune off small branches, (1cm – 4cm), aiming to thin the upper growth without spoiling the shape of the tree. Larger branches should have a proprietary sealant applied to the cut end to avoid diseasing the tree. Discard twiggy growth. Stripping Cherry Bark is achieved by a painstaking mixture of whittling and scraping with a hand-knife. Be sure to get all the inner bark which is the most potent part.

Textbooks always recommend the Wild Cherry, Prunus serontina, a native of America. However, experiments with modern cultivars of P. avium, the Sweet Cherry, show that a very good result can be derived from prunings of these fruiting garden subjects, having enjoyed the cherries earlier in the year. Whether other species or ornamental Flowering Cherries are viable is open to experimentation.

The inner bark of the branches or root is harvested in the midsummer or fall (when the cyanogenic compounds are lower) and dried immediately for later use in a tea or extracted in a syrup or tincture. One can harvest branches of smaller trees and use a knife or vegetable peeler to peel off the thin outer and inner bark, as opposed to harming a larger tree by taking the bark off its trunk. The fermented bark and leaves of wild cherry are said to be toxic, so never harvest these from the ground. Once harvested, peel and dry bark immediately in a food dehydrator to ensure fermentation does not begin.

Use the cold infusion or tincture of the preferably fresh bark. Astringent washes or swabs should be used with eye inflammation. The dried Cherry fruit is sour cool in quality and may be used symptomatically to clear empty heat in Shao Yin type low fevers.

Tincture Many authors insist the dried bark tincture is the safest and best preparation, however, after much experimentation, others such as Tom Easley find that the fresh bark tincture is superior.

Fresh bark (1:3, in 40% alcohol) ;10-40 drops 1-4 times daily

Cold Infusion (Strong): 1-5 ounces 3-5 times daily

Infused Wine Dried bark (1:5 in sherry) 1-2 ounces 3-5 times daily

Glycerite Fresh or dried bark (1:8, 60% glycerin, cold maceration for 3 weeks; do not use heat); 1-2 tsp, 3-5 times daily

Syrup Make a strong cold infusion and add 50% honey