Medicinal Monday - Beautiful Bayberry

Bayberry is a small tree or a large shrub that grows in North and Central American and even on some of the islands in the Caribbean.  European settlers learned about the medicinal qualities attributed to this hardy shrub from Native Americans.  The root bark of bayberry was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1916 to 1936.  Sometimes called wax myrtle this plant has a rich heritage of use by Native Americans.

About Bayberry Shrubs

Bayberry bushes are tough, hardy plants that have pleasantly scented foliage and berries. They usually have an upright rounded shape with a fragrance that makes them easy to identify.  This shrub can grow to a height of five to eight feet and has oval dark green leaves that are referred to as "simple" because they don't have any sections. The female plants of the bayberry bush species produce small waxy, gray-blue berries in the fall. The bushes are usually evergreen, although some plant species lose their leaves.  Bayberry bushes grow well in sandy salty soil near the ocean and can be found growing on sand dunes.  They can also be found in bogs, marshland and wet woodlands.

Medicinal Uses of Bayberry

Native Americans had numerous uses for the stems, leaves, and roots of the bayberry plant.  Many Native Americans made an infusion from the dried roots of this plant to treat coughs and colds. The Mohegans treated kidney disorders with tea made from the bayberry plant.  A wash was made from the bark of this shrub to treat skin infections. Bayberry contains a chemical called myricitrin that has antibiotic properties.

The Choctaw used a decoction of the leaves of this plant and stems to treat fevers.  A decoction of the roots was used to treat a sore throat. The Koasati used a decoction of roots to treat stomachaches in children. The Micmac used a poultice of hot pounded water-soaked roots to treat inflammation.

In addition to using a decoction of leaves for headaches and fevers and stomachaches, the Seminole used a decoction of the wood ashes as a love medicine. The decoction of the wood ashes would be placed on the tongue to cleanse the body and strengthen the marriage. They also used this plant as a tobacco substitute.

A beverage was made out of the berries, bark, and leaves that would have a stimulating effect and was called the "black drink."  Many Native American tribes, especially in the Southeast used the "black drink" in seasonal ceremonies. Osceola, a great chief of the Seminoles was named after this ceremonial drink. His name means"black drink singer."

Did you know....

A wax can be obtained by boiling the berries in water making the wax float to the top and easy to skim off.  The wax was and is still used to scent candles.

Birds love the berries of the bayberry bush.  They are an important source of food for quail, pheasant, the ruffled grouse and migrating songbirds such as eastern bluebirds, thrushes, and tufted titmice.

The wax from bayberry plants was used to scent candles in Colonial America.

European settlers to North America learned about the medicinal uses of bayberry from Native Americans and a description from 1737 states that the plant "removes air and relieves all kinds of pain caused by cold, and is a good remedy for colic, paralysis, convulsions, epilepsy and other disorders."

Modern research has found that bayberry has an astringent and antibacterial quality.

Because this plant contains a high amount of tannin it should be used with caution.