NEW! 2025 Lunar Calendar ~ Trees: medicine, food & craft
A limited print run, riso-printed in gold ink on deep emerald green heavyweight cartridge paper (A3: 29.7x42cm) crafted by me and printed by the lovely folks at Risotto Studio in Glasgow.
This year’s calendar features some of my favourite trees ~ all of which have been used traditionally as food, medicine or craft material. I’ve made this calendar so you can get to know some of them as they grow and change through the year. I’ve included some information about their traditional uses below, but be sure to consult foraging guides before consuming anything, and have a wee gander for more information and recipes for crafts and medicine!
Beech, a beautiful be-speckled building timber once popular for furniture making, you can also eat the leaves when young, and beech nuts after processing…
Hornbeam, from “horn” (hard) and “beam” (tree), a mighty building material, and the hardest wood in Europe. Commonly mistaken for Beech, but distinguished by the serrated edges of its leaves.
Wych Elm, with it’s tasty “keys” that taste like a sugar-snap pea!
Willow, ultimate weaving material, and source of pain-killing medicine from which aspirin is derived
Hawthorn, the young leaves, flowers and haw berries all provide incredible heart medicine that strengthens heart muscles and tones blood vessels, and is a powerful herbal ally for community resilience!
Hazel, edible young leaves and nuts, and incredible bendy craft material used in split-hazel basketry, and as the “wattle” in wattle and daub structures
Birch, you can tap birch water to drink, make wine or syrup, eat the young leaves, and make a bright yellow dye. Used in colder climes in roofing, and woven into all sorts of baskets and containers. Known as a “pioneer” species, Birch is quick to establish, and die back, creating new habitat for others to flourish… find the powerful medicine of Birch Polypore growing solely on decaying Birch wood!
Alder, famously used for making lowland clogs, as resilient against rot. Found growing in swampy areas, identified by cones and catkins, and kinda stumpy leaves… You can also make a deep brown ink and dyes from alder cones.
Rowan, a jam is oft made from Rowan berries, but did you know you can also infuse the flower buds and blooms to make amaretto-flavoured syrups and liquors?! Close relative, Whitebeam, can also be used in this way or in combination! Folklore attests to the protective attributes of Rowan, leading to it being planted outside of homes.
Oak, one of the best natural inks is made from oak “apples” (a woody marble-like form, formed in response to an Gall Wasp), and it’s a wonderful string timber to work with, and a resilient material for split-wood basketry too! Rich in tannins, oak is also used in tanning (preserving hides), and a wine can be made with the young leaves. It’s also a great dyestuff - producing browns, and blacks with the addition of iron. It’s highly astringent, and can be used for gum health!
Elder, known as the medicine tree, almost every part of elder has been used traditionally as medicine. Elder berries and flowers provide amazing immune system support, and the pithy heart wood can be removed from sticks to create whistles! Think twice before cutting down an elder, or risk being cursed by the fae…
Blackthorn, beautiful blooms appear before leaves on the dark thorny branches, eventually giving way to sloe berries, used to create sweet sloe gin! You can also make a pretty good sowing needle from these long thorns but try not to get got in the process.
Sweet Chestnuts, these are delicious roasted and have a range of culinary uses… They often fall in masts - as local trees coordinate to create masses of fruit every four or so years in order to create more than natural predators like squirrels could possibly consume. Sweet Chestnut wood is also a wonderful building material.
Ash, recognised in winter by the black hoof-like buds of ash sticks, Ash is another excellent wood to build furniture with, and make split-wood baskets from.
Scot’s Pine, evergreen blue-green needles can provide a source of vitamin C in the winter, taken as a tea or made into syrups…
Linden/Lime, delicious young leaves are great stuffed and roasted, or eaten raw in a salad. Linden blossom is an amazing smoothing, calming herb, a mild painkiller with soporific effects, often used in tea blends for sleep.
Larch, you can make a citrus-flavoured tea, a fermented syrup by layering the young green cones in sugar or honey, or use the sap as an antiseptic wound seal (for people and other trees like Birch, to seal against infections if you’re tapping the trees…). It’s also one of the most resilient soft woods to work with as a building material, and often used as cladding.
Yew, the longest-lived tree in Europe, and known as the “tree of the dead” for it’s looming presence in ancient graveyards. All of Yew is DEADLY POISONOUS, apart from the aril - the flesh of the fruit - which is sweet and likened to honey, but must be tasted cautiously as the seeds, like the rest of the plant, are toxic. Yew was also used traditionally to make the most powerful battle bows, as the different layers of the wood have different strengths in compression and in tension.
TREES ARE AMAZING!
A limited print run, riso-printed in gold ink on deep emerald green heavyweight cartridge paper (A3: 29.7x42cm) crafted by me and printed by the lovely folks at Risotto Studio in Glasgow.
This year’s calendar features some of my favourite trees ~ all of which have been used traditionally as food, medicine or craft material. I’ve made this calendar so you can get to know some of them as they grow and change through the year. I’ve included some information about their traditional uses below, but be sure to consult foraging guides before consuming anything, and have a wee gander for more information and recipes for crafts and medicine!
Beech, a beautiful be-speckled building timber once popular for furniture making, you can also eat the leaves when young, and beech nuts after processing…
Hornbeam, from “horn” (hard) and “beam” (tree), a mighty building material, and the hardest wood in Europe. Commonly mistaken for Beech, but distinguished by the serrated edges of its leaves.
Wych Elm, with it’s tasty “keys” that taste like a sugar-snap pea!
Willow, ultimate weaving material, and source of pain-killing medicine from which aspirin is derived
Hawthorn, the young leaves, flowers and haw berries all provide incredible heart medicine that strengthens heart muscles and tones blood vessels, and is a powerful herbal ally for community resilience!
Hazel, edible young leaves and nuts, and incredible bendy craft material used in split-hazel basketry, and as the “wattle” in wattle and daub structures
Birch, you can tap birch water to drink, make wine or syrup, eat the young leaves, and make a bright yellow dye. Used in colder climes in roofing, and woven into all sorts of baskets and containers. Known as a “pioneer” species, Birch is quick to establish, and die back, creating new habitat for others to flourish… find the powerful medicine of Birch Polypore growing solely on decaying Birch wood!
Alder, famously used for making lowland clogs, as resilient against rot. Found growing in swampy areas, identified by cones and catkins, and kinda stumpy leaves… You can also make a deep brown ink and dyes from alder cones.
Rowan, a jam is oft made from Rowan berries, but did you know you can also infuse the flower buds and blooms to make amaretto-flavoured syrups and liquors?! Close relative, Whitebeam, can also be used in this way or in combination! Folklore attests to the protective attributes of Rowan, leading to it being planted outside of homes.
Oak, one of the best natural inks is made from oak “apples” (a woody marble-like form, formed in response to an Gall Wasp), and it’s a wonderful string timber to work with, and a resilient material for split-wood basketry too! Rich in tannins, oak is also used in tanning (preserving hides), and a wine can be made with the young leaves. It’s also a great dyestuff - producing browns, and blacks with the addition of iron. It’s highly astringent, and can be used for gum health!
Elder, known as the medicine tree, almost every part of elder has been used traditionally as medicine. Elder berries and flowers provide amazing immune system support, and the pithy heart wood can be removed from sticks to create whistles! Think twice before cutting down an elder, or risk being cursed by the fae…
Blackthorn, beautiful blooms appear before leaves on the dark thorny branches, eventually giving way to sloe berries, used to create sweet sloe gin! You can also make a pretty good sowing needle from these long thorns but try not to get got in the process.
Sweet Chestnuts, these are delicious roasted and have a range of culinary uses… They often fall in masts - as local trees coordinate to create masses of fruit every four or so years in order to create more than natural predators like squirrels could possibly consume. Sweet Chestnut wood is also a wonderful building material.
Ash, recognised in winter by the black hoof-like buds of ash sticks, Ash is another excellent wood to build furniture with, and make split-wood baskets from.
Scot’s Pine, evergreen blue-green needles can provide a source of vitamin C in the winter, taken as a tea or made into syrups…
Linden/Lime, delicious young leaves are great stuffed and roasted, or eaten raw in a salad. Linden blossom is an amazing smoothing, calming herb, a mild painkiller with soporific effects, often used in tea blends for sleep.
Larch, you can make a citrus-flavoured tea, a fermented syrup by layering the young green cones in sugar or honey, or use the sap as an antiseptic wound seal (for people and other trees like Birch, to seal against infections if you’re tapping the trees…). It’s also one of the most resilient soft woods to work with as a building material, and often used as cladding.
Yew, the longest-lived tree in Europe, and known as the “tree of the dead” for it’s looming presence in ancient graveyards. All of Yew is DEADLY POISONOUS, apart from the aril - the flesh of the fruit - which is sweet and likened to honey, but must be tasted cautiously as the seeds, like the rest of the plant, are toxic. Yew was also used traditionally to make the most powerful battle bows, as the different layers of the wood have different strengths in compression and in tension.
TREES ARE AMAZING!
A limited print run, riso-printed in gold ink on deep emerald green heavyweight cartridge paper (A3: 29.7x42cm) crafted by me and printed by the lovely folks at Risotto Studio in Glasgow.
This year’s calendar features some of my favourite trees ~ all of which have been used traditionally as food, medicine or craft material. I’ve made this calendar so you can get to know some of them as they grow and change through the year. I’ve included some information about their traditional uses below, but be sure to consult foraging guides before consuming anything, and have a wee gander for more information and recipes for crafts and medicine!
Beech, a beautiful be-speckled building timber once popular for furniture making, you can also eat the leaves when young, and beech nuts after processing…
Hornbeam, from “horn” (hard) and “beam” (tree), a mighty building material, and the hardest wood in Europe. Commonly mistaken for Beech, but distinguished by the serrated edges of its leaves.
Wych Elm, with it’s tasty “keys” that taste like a sugar-snap pea!
Willow, ultimate weaving material, and source of pain-killing medicine from which aspirin is derived
Hawthorn, the young leaves, flowers and haw berries all provide incredible heart medicine that strengthens heart muscles and tones blood vessels, and is a powerful herbal ally for community resilience!
Hazel, edible young leaves and nuts, and incredible bendy craft material used in split-hazel basketry, and as the “wattle” in wattle and daub structures
Birch, you can tap birch water to drink, make wine or syrup, eat the young leaves, and make a bright yellow dye. Used in colder climes in roofing, and woven into all sorts of baskets and containers. Known as a “pioneer” species, Birch is quick to establish, and die back, creating new habitat for others to flourish… find the powerful medicine of Birch Polypore growing solely on decaying Birch wood!
Alder, famously used for making lowland clogs, as resilient against rot. Found growing in swampy areas, identified by cones and catkins, and kinda stumpy leaves… You can also make a deep brown ink and dyes from alder cones.
Rowan, a jam is oft made from Rowan berries, but did you know you can also infuse the flower buds and blooms to make amaretto-flavoured syrups and liquors?! Close relative, Whitebeam, can also be used in this way or in combination! Folklore attests to the protective attributes of Rowan, leading to it being planted outside of homes.
Oak, one of the best natural inks is made from oak “apples” (a woody marble-like form, formed in response to an Gall Wasp), and it’s a wonderful string timber to work with, and a resilient material for split-wood basketry too! Rich in tannins, oak is also used in tanning (preserving hides), and a wine can be made with the young leaves. It’s also a great dyestuff - producing browns, and blacks with the addition of iron. It’s highly astringent, and can be used for gum health!
Elder, known as the medicine tree, almost every part of elder has been used traditionally as medicine. Elder berries and flowers provide amazing immune system support, and the pithy heart wood can be removed from sticks to create whistles! Think twice before cutting down an elder, or risk being cursed by the fae…
Blackthorn, beautiful blooms appear before leaves on the dark thorny branches, eventually giving way to sloe berries, used to create sweet sloe gin! You can also make a pretty good sowing needle from these long thorns but try not to get got in the process.
Sweet Chestnuts, these are delicious roasted and have a range of culinary uses… They often fall in masts - as local trees coordinate to create masses of fruit every four or so years in order to create more than natural predators like squirrels could possibly consume. Sweet Chestnut wood is also a wonderful building material.
Ash, recognised in winter by the black hoof-like buds of ash sticks, Ash is another excellent wood to build furniture with, and make split-wood baskets from.
Scot’s Pine, evergreen blue-green needles can provide a source of vitamin C in the winter, taken as a tea or made into syrups…
Linden/Lime, delicious young leaves are great stuffed and roasted, or eaten raw in a salad. Linden blossom is an amazing smoothing, calming herb, a mild painkiller with soporific effects, often used in tea blends for sleep.
Larch, you can make a citrus-flavoured tea, a fermented syrup by layering the young green cones in sugar or honey, or use the sap as an antiseptic wound seal (for people and other trees like Birch, to seal against infections if you’re tapping the trees…). It’s also one of the most resilient soft woods to work with as a building material, and often used as cladding.
Yew, the longest-lived tree in Europe, and known as the “tree of the dead” for it’s looming presence in ancient graveyards. All of Yew is DEADLY POISONOUS, apart from the aril - the flesh of the fruit - which is sweet and likened to honey, but must be tasted cautiously as the seeds, like the rest of the plant, are toxic. Yew was also used traditionally to make the most powerful battle bows, as the different layers of the wood have different strengths in compression and in tension.
TREES ARE AMAZING!