The Medicinal Uses of Red Cedar

We’ve covered the medicinal uses of pine and spruce species of conifers, so I figured it must be time to give cedar its fifteen minutes of fame.  Except that there isn’t much info on it, so we’ll have to shorten it to two minutes.

PREPARATIONS

Tincture:  Fresh needle or leaf, 1:2.  Dosage is 5-15 drops in water, up to 4x per day.[1]

USAGE

• Cardiovascular
• Heart problems
• Leaf tea, internally[2]
• Dental/oral
• Toothache
• Green buds, chewed[3] [4]
• Infusion[5]
• Gastrointestinal
• Diarrhea
• Infusion
• Bough or bark, internally[6]
• Boughs, sweetened with honey[7]
• Internal pain
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[8]
• Stomach pain
• Infusion
• Cones[9]
• Leaves[10]
• Poultice
• Leaves, strong infusion[11]
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[12]
• Musculoskeletal
• Arthritis
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[13]
• Back pain
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[14]
• Painful joints
• Bough or bark tea, internally[15]
• Rheumatism
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[16]
• Respiratory
• Common cold
• Infusion
• Boughs, sweetened with honey[17]
• Bough or bark tea, internally[18]
• Cough
• Infusion
• Boughs, sweetened with honey[19]
• Bough or bark tea, internally[20]
• Leaf tea, internally[21]
• Fever
• Infusion, seeds or small branches[22]
• Infections
• Leaf tea, internally[23]
• Sore throat
• Infusion
• Boughs, sweetened with honey[24]
• Tuberculosis
• Bough or bark tea, internally[25]
• Skin
• Athlete’s foot
• Tincture[26]
• Dandruff
• Hair rinse with strong leaf tea[27]
• Impetigo
• Tincture[28]
• Infection
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[29]
• Jock itch
• Tincture[30]
• Leprosy
• Infusion
• Cones[31]
• Nail fungi
• Tincture[32]
• Sores
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[33]
• Swellings
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[34]
• Urogenital
• Kidney problems
• Infusion
• Bark and twigs[35] [36]
• Promote menstruation
• Bough or bark tea, internally[37]
• Other
• Antiseptic
• Bath, poultice, or wash with strong leaf tea[38]
• Food
• Moist inner bark gathered in the spring and eaten fresh or dried[39]

Cautions: Do not use if pregnant or lactating or if kidney disorders are present.[40]  Do not take large doses internally.[41] Use tinctures only in very small doses for short periods for infections.[42]  Dust from the wood may occupational asthma. [43] [44] [45]

---

[1] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, 2012, 378.

[2] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[3] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[4] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[5] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[6] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[7] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[8] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[9] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[10] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[11] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[12] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[13] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[14] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[15] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[16] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[17] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[18] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[19] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[20] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[21] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[22] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[23] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[24] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[25] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[26] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[27] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[28] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[29] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[30] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[31] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[32] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[33] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[34] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[35] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[36] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[37] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[38] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[39] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[40] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains, 2000, 31.

[41] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[42] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[43] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 336.

[44] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8116639/

[45] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8360398/