74 Forestand the

Druggist

Extension Bulletin 797 October 1961

Cooperative Extension Service Oregon State University Corvallis

Contents

This bulletin was prepared by C. Ralph Voris, assistant Public relationsdirector, Oregon State Forestry Department as a revision of the drugs sectionof the publication Secret Treasures in the Forests which has been discontinued.Acknowledgment is made to the original editor Lynn F. Cronemiller, formerpublic relations director, State Forestry Department. The assistance of manyother persons in checking the manuscript and making valuable suggestions isalso acknowledged, Among these were Dr. Roy Young, Jr., Kenton Chambers,and Warren P. Randall of Oregon State University.

The Cascara Tree . .

Cascara Supply and Demand

Harvesting Cascara Bark

The Cascara Plantation

The Foxglove Plant

Douglas-fir Pitch

Miscellaneous Plants

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The Forestand the Druggist

The forests of Oregon and Wash-ington contain many plants withmedicinal values. Though the eco-nomic importance of these plants hasdeclined over the years, there is stilla limited demand for their use. Mostimportant is the half million dollarcascara industry. Minor markets existintermittently for other crude drug ma-terials, including Prince's pine (com-mon pipsissewa), Oregon grape, fox-glove, wild ginger, and Douglas-firpitch.

Other species by the hundreds, fromthe white fir tree to skunk cabbage andeven poison oak are credited from onesource or another with medicinal prop-erties. Historical records indicate theiruse with varying degrees of successby the early inhabitants of the PacificNorthwest. A surprisingly large num-ber of these plants are Potentiallypoisonous depending upon the strengthof the dosage used. It is thereforesuggested that a little knowledge inthis field can be dangerous and thatthe preparation of drugs be left to

The cascara tree is limited in itscommercial range to northwestern Cali-fornia, western Oregon and Washing-ton, and southern British Columbia. Byfar the largest percentage of bark isgathered in western Oregon and Wash-ington, as it is here that the tree at-

The Cascara Tree

pharmaceutical companies.Cascara sagrada (Phamnus pur-

shiana, De Candolle) came to theknowledge of the white man whenmembers of the Lewis and Clark ex-pedition noted it "on the banks of atributary of the Columbia River." Olddocuments indicate that "without doubtthis species was first used by theAmerican Indian from whom its vir-tues were learned by the Spanishpriests of old California." Thus itscommon name, cascara sagrada (sacredbark) is of Spanish origin and itwas so named because the wood wassupposed to be identical with the "Chit-tim" wood used in the Arc of theCovenant.

Cascara was introduced into themedical profession in 1877 and quicklyattained popularity. It was said thatcascara sagrada used as a cathartic hadno peer. Within the last decade itsneed has gradually been reduced bythe use of fresh fruits and vegetablesthat have become available throughoutthe year.

tains its best development and is foundin greatest abundance.

The tree grows to a height of 20to 40 feet with a diameter of 6 to 15inches. Exceptional trees have beenfound to be as much as 2 to 3 feetin diameter and 60 feet tall. When

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open grown, cascara has a short trunkand a bushy crown. When it has tomeet the competition of other trees ithas a clear trunk and small crown.

The cascara tree is not difficult toidentify. The full-grown leaves aredistinctive and although they resemblered alder to some extent, they aremore oblong in shape and a somewhatdarker green. The edges of cascaraleaves are very finely toothed whilealder leaves have large blunt-toothededges. The veins of the cascaraleaf are very prominent, remarkablystraight, and parallel to each other. Thefruit is a small, black, pulpy berry(drupe) that contains two or threehard, smooth, olive-green seeds.

The market price for dry cascarabark has fluctuated greatly over thepast years, ranging as low as 6 centsa pound in about 1940 to as high as30 cents in 1947. The 1957 price wasaround 20 cents per pound (dryweight), which would indicate eithera downward trend in the market or anoversupply of bark. This trend isfurther emphasized by the fact thatthe 1947 total annual production ofcascara bark was 5 million pounds andin 1957 the annual production wasabout 2 million pounds. It would ap-pear that present annual requirements

The season for collecting cascarabark varies somewhat according to lo-cation and elevation, but it usuallystarts in April and may continue aslate as August. During this time the

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Cascara Supply and Demand

Harvesting Cascara Bark

In the winter, with the absence ofleaves and fruits, the tree can be mostreadily identified by the large terminalbuds which have no protective scales.The embryonic leaves are thereby ex-posed, giving the impression that theyare just breaking out for their initialspring growth. Also the fine venationin these small, dark-brown leaves canbe readily detected. Another distinctidentifying feature is the yellow colorof the freshly cut bark and its bittertaste.

Cascara trees make their best growthin low river bottoms, along the bordersof streams, and on flats and bencheswhere the soils are deep, rich, andsandy or humus.

are being well supplied, contrary topredictions made some years ago thatthe natural supply of cascara barkwould not be adequate.

Bark may be sold either wet (green)or dry. The weight of dry bark is about50% less than that of wet bark andthe price is about 3 to 1. While drybark is selling for around 20 cents perpound, the price of green bark runsfrom 5 cents to 8 cents per pound. Thepurchaser of green bark must not onlyconsider the loss of weight but alsothe added cost of drying, breaking, andsacking.

trees are in full leaf and the sap mostactive, which accounts for the relativeease with which the bark will slip inthe peeling operation.

Trees should be felled before peel-

A "spud" is used to peel cascara bark from the felled tree. This tool has a recurved point for use insplitting the bark vertically and around the trunk

ing, leaving an unpeeled stump cutto a height of about 6 inches with asmooth, sloping top surface to shedrain and retard decay. This practiceis essential if the tree is to live andproduce new sprouts to provide for acrop some 10 to 15 years later.

It is not desirable to peel trees under4 or 5 inches in diameter as the bark isquite thin and consequently lighter inweight. A tree of this size is growingbark at a maximum rate and to cut itwould be to harvest the crop prema-turely. On the other hand, limbs andbranches of the felled trees should bepeeled down to a diameter of 1 inchfor complete utilization.

Often the bark is covered with mossand lichens and they should be re-moved since clean bark is more salable.The bark can be cleaned by scrapingwith the peeling tool before it is re-moved from the tree, or by rubbingthe trunk and limbs with a gunnysack.

In removing the bark, various typesof knives or "spuds" are used. Oneof the most acceptable is made ofspring steel and has a blade about 7inches long with a 5-inch handle. Theblade is a little over an inch in width.The end is rounded with a recurvedpoint at one edge of the rounded point.The sharpened point is used for split-ting bark vertically to the trunk of the

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tree and also horizontally so that itcan be removed in sheets about 2 feetor so in length. The rounded end andthe blade of the spud are used to prythe bark loose.

Good peelers, under favorable condi-tions, can peel from 100 to 250 poundsof dry bark per day. In terms of wetbark this weight should be doubled.

Bark should not be collected duringrainy weather because drying is diffi-cult and staining or blackening oftenresults. Wet bark moulds quickly andresults in serious loss in grade. Barkis normally cured in the open, spreadout on a canvas or platform with theinner bark placed face down. Cascarabark must be covered during the nightif there is a heavy dew, and at all times

Although at present it appears thatthe demand for cascara is being ade-quately supplied by its voluntarygrowth in forests, this might not alwaysbe the case. Certain people with favor-able circumstances might find it profit-able to grow a domestic supply ofcascara. Thus a guide for planninga cascara plantation is needed.

The cascara grower should bear inmind that he is going into a projectthat is to carry over for a period ofnot less than 12 to 15 years beforehe gets a return on his investment.Initial costs and annual carryingcharges are just as great on poorersites as on good ones. The choice ofa location, together with subsequentcare, can mean the difference betweena profit and a liability.

The plantation can be started eitherfrom seeds or through purchase of 1-year-old seedlings from the State For-estry Department. Starting from seed

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The Cascara Plantation

during rain. Properly dried bark has aclear-orange or golden-yellow color andyields the highest percentage of chemi-cal content. Four days of sunnyweather will suffice for drying. Intesting for dryness, the bark shouldsnap with a clean fracture. Curlingbark is the result of drying.

After the peeling season is over thedried bark should be broken into smallenough pieces for sacking and placedin ordinary burlap sacks for sale andshipment. From 50 to 75 pounds ofdried bark can be put in a sack. Thebark is easy to break up and it doesnot deteriorate with age. If the pricedrops during the season after harvest,bark can be stored until the price isright.

or seedlings can be secured by goingis not generally recommended for theamateur, since the seeds are ratherdifficult to handle and germination isquite low. However, if seed is to beplanted the berries should be gatheredin the fall when they are ripesome-time in August or early September.

Berries can be either dried or de-pulped in water. Treatment duringwinter consists of stratification in moistsand. The berries should be planted ina garden spot in the spring, ratherthickly in rows, with the rows 18 inchesto 2 feet apart. They should be weeded,cultivated, and watered throughout thesummer. During the winter or earlyin the following spring, before thegrowth starts, they should be planted atthe site of the permanent plantation.

By far the easier method is to secureseedlings from the Oregon forest nurs-ery near Corvallis. A card to the stateforester at Salem will bring a treeplanting bulletin and an order blank,

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directly to the nursery. Frequently de-mands exceed the supply of seedlingsand in such instances supplies arerationed. For this reason it is advisableto place orders early in the fall. How-ever, production is being stepped upand it is expected that the state nurs-ery will be able to meet all normal de-mands in the future.

The minimum spacing recommendedfor field planting is 6 by 6 feet whichwould require 1,200 trees per acre.Closer spacing than this tends to crowdtrees and restrict their growth. Ifplenty of space is available, the treesmay be planted either 6 by 8 or 8 by 8.Wider spacing contributes to ease ofcultivation where mechanical equip-ment is used.

Since young cascara trees grow veryslowly in the shade, steps should betaken to cultivate the plantation priorto planting. If this is difficult because

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Cascara seedlings are available for planting from the Oregon State Forestry Departmentnurseries.

of rocks, stumps, or other obstructions,brush and other growth should be re-moved around each tree and the treemulched. After trees get above the lowgrowth of ferns, grass, and shrubsthey do not require much care otherthan protection.

Care of the plantationCare in the early stage is important.

The grower must not take the attitudethat "this is just another forest tree"and that it will make good growthunder the same conditions it would inthe forest. This definitely is not so. Thecascara farmer must realize that a newplantationat least in its early stagesshould receive care that approachesthat given a young fruit orchard. Thiscare pays dividends in acceleratedgrowth.

Some pruning of lower branches

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may be necessary for the first fewyears to produce long, clean-boledtrees. If these branches are left, toomuch growth will develop laterally atthe expense of height. Pruning will alsoallow more room for cover-crop culti-vation.

Fire and trespass are two threatsto the cascara plantation. Every pre-caution should be taken to prevent fires.Good firelines should be constructedaround the area, and if it is of anyconsiderable extent it should be brokeninto blocks. Cascara bark is quiteattractive to trespassers, especially dur-ing years when prices are high or whenthere is a depression and jobs arescarce. For this reason plantationsshould be near habitations where theycan be watched.

All kinds of stock find cascara quitepalatable and hence the plantationcannot be grazed. It is questionablewhether it can be grazed even afterthe trees reach a size where they arenot damaged by browsing. Tramplingthe ground tends to damage trees andslow down their growth. Cascarashould be considered as a single cropand the farmer should reconcile him-self to the fact that multiple-use isnot possible.

In areas where deer are plentifulthe grower will definitely run intotrouble and the project may even haveto be abandoned. Deer repeatedlybrowse tender shoots and branches.Only a deer-proof fence will keepthem out and this is a costly project.It requires a 4-foot hog-proof fencewith several strands of barbed wireabove.

Another threat to the plantation isthe mountain beaver or boomer, arodent of a social nature that lives inthe ground and is found widely scat-

tered throughout the range of thecascara. This animal will cut all treesin the plantation and drag them to hisunderground den. Cascara plantationsshould not be established in or nearone of these beaver colonies. Sincethese colonies are somewhat migratorywith the seasons, they may invade anestablished plantation. They can betrapped by placing steel traps in theirdens. Some research work has beencarried on in control by poisoning, buta successful formula has not yet beendeveloped.

Complete information as to theamount of bark than can be expectedfrom a plantation is not available. Mostdata have been secured by peeling na-tive trees. This would result in a lowerproduction figure since native treesare grown under somewhat adverseconditions and could not be expectedto produce the amount of bark thatwould come from a plantation. How-ever, it appears that a grower couldexpect a production of about 12 to15 pounds per tree over a period of15 years if his trees have been plantedon a favorable site, properly spaced,and given reasonable care during thegrowing period.

At the time the first crop is har-vested, the second rotation can be as-sured without replanting by followingapproved methods of peeling. Stumpsshould be cut to a height of about 6inches and should not be peeled. Thestumps will then put out a number ofsprouts and these can be thinned tothe two or three that are the mostvigorous. At a later period of therotation, all except one of the sproutscan be removed and peeled. Eventu-ally the area will have to be replantedsince stumps lose their vigor throughrepeated coppice.

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Foxglove is the plant from whichthe well-known heart medicine, digi-talis, is derived. Although the presentmarket for this plant is in doubt, ithas future possibilities. Foxglove isa native of Europe and was broughtto America as an ornamental. Hereit escaped from cultivation and is nowfound throughout the western part ofOregon on open sidehills, creek bot-toms, and around meadows.

Mature green foxglove leaves shouldbe picked in the spring and fall. Theyshould be cut at the junction of theleaf and stem. Long stems and buttscannot be used. In the late spring

The Floxg love Plant(Digitalis purpurea)

when the center stalk appears, it shouldbe left since it produces flowers andthe eventual seed crop.

Leaves are packed in burlap sackswith the picker's name attached fordelivery to the nearest plant. Theyshould be taken to the drying planton the day they are picked. This limitsthe areas of picking to within a fewmiles of the market. There are oc-casions in cool weather when leavescan be stored in shady spots for aday or two without spoilage.

In some years, when there has beena considerable demand, a price of 3 to4 cents per pound has been paid.

A foxglove plant ready for harvest. The mature green leaves are picked in the springand fall.

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Gathering crude pitch from old-growth Douglas-fir of the west coasthas been quite an industry in the past,especially during depression days whenjobs were scarce. Lately, however,there has been little activity, althoughthe demand remains steady and thereis always a market for this product.

Securing the pitch consists of boringa hole low down at the base of thetree and slanting downwards so thatpitch may run out. A hollow pipeshould be inserted and the pitch caughtin a container, usually a 5-gallon tin.

Pitch occurs in pockets or pitchseams in the tree and a single tree

Many other medicinal plants arefound in forests. Bark and roots ofthe false Oregon grape (Berberis ner-vosa) found commonly in coniferouswoods are listed as used in the treat-ment of jaundice.

For many years woodsmen and log-gers have crushed the leaf of Prince's-pine (Chimaphila umbellata) in waterand used it for rheumatism and hearttrouble. The leaves of this low ever-green herb, common in deep, dry co-niferous woods are said to serve as atonic, astringent, and diuretic.

Another perennial herb, widely dis-

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Douglas-fir Pitch( Pseudotsuga Inenziesii)

Miscellaneous Plants

may produce up to 100 gallons ofthe product, although this amount isexceptional.

Experts are able to pick out withsome degree of accuracy the trees thatare likely to produce pitch. They con-sider size, shape of butt, looks of bark,presence of decay, and other exteriorappearances. Generally, leaning, swell-butted, wind-blown trees are the bestsource. Resin should be kept as cleanas possible. Prices run about 90 centsper gallon. Fir pitch is processed andused in paints, soap, India ink, formedical purposes, and as a substitutefor Canada balsam in optical work.

tributed in moist, shaded forest areasis wild ginger (Asarum caudatum).This aromatic plant is said to be effec-tive in gaseous stomach conditions.

Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foe-tidus) is a large-leaved herb whoseroots form the chief ingredient of thepatent medicine "Skookim." Reputedto be a stimulant and emetic, it is saidalso to have been made into a salvefor ringworm and swellings. Enumer-able other herbs, shrubs, and trees ofthe forest are credited with variouschemical properties considered of valuefor medicinal purpose.

Cooperative Extension work in Agriculture and Home Economics, F. E. Price, director. Ore-gon State University and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Printedand distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914.

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