Wendy's Healing Compendium 13.37: That Badass Black Oak Guide

Black Oak (Quercus velutina) is one damn impressive tree that's been helping people get their shit together for centuries. This freaking massive beast can grow up to 100 feet tall and live for hundreds of years, making it one tough son of a gun in the oak family. Native Americans weren't messing around when they discovered this tree's amazing healing properties, using every damn part from the bark to the acorns. The aggressive tannins in Black Oak make it a powerhouse for treating all kinds of crap that can go wrong with your body. Anyone interested in herbal medicine should get their butt familiar with this incredible healing tree.

Description

Black Oak stands out with its dark, rough-as-hell bark that looks like it's been through some serious stuff. The leaves are shaped like a bunch of pointy middle fingers, with bristle-tipped lobes that can grow up to 10 inches long. The inner bark is bright yellow-orange and bitter as hell, which is where a lot of the medicinal properties come from. Young trees have smooth bark that gets increasingly badass and furrowed with age. The acorns take two years to mature and are covered with a scaly cap that looks like tiny armor.

Cultivation Section

Black Oak doesn't take any crap from poor soil conditions and can thrive in dry, acidic environments where other trees would just give up. You'll want to plant this beast in full sun because it doesn't play well with shade. The tree grows slow as molasses but is tough as nails once established. Don't bother trying to transplant a mature Black Oak - it'll tell you to go screw yourself with its deep taproot. These trees need about 30-50 feet of space between them because they don't like sharing their territory.

Medicinal Uses

Digestive Issues

The tannins in Black Oak bark tea will kick your digestive problems right in the teeth. This stuff works wonders for diarrhea and stomach inflammation by telling your angry gut to calm the hell down.

Skin Conditions

The bark's astringent properties make it perfect for telling skin infections to back off. A strong decoction can be applied directly to rashes, minor wounds, and other annoying skin problems that won't go away.

Throat and Mouth

Gargling with Black Oak bark tea will make your sore throat shut up real quick. The astringent properties also help with bleeding gums and mouth ulcers that are being a pain in the neck.

Internal Bleeding

Black Oak's powerful astringent properties help get internal bleeding under control fast. The tannins work by telling your blood vessels to tighten up and stop leaking everywhere.

How to Use