Rhamnus purshiana
Family: Rhamnaceae
Cold-hardy tree. Native to the western coast of North America
and the Rocky Mountains. The mountain folks who peel the whitish
bark of this handsome, mid-sized tree have a special name for it, not "chittam"
but rather "shittum." The reason for this is obvious, for the anthroquinone
molecules found in the bark are a very effective laxative. So effective,
in fact, that the peelers sometimes have to hit the bushes simply from
the transdermal effect of having the tree juices on their hands. The bark
is dried and cured for at least a year, after which it may be tinctured
or made into an infusion. Two swallows of the cold infusion taken
before bed will produce a strong effect come morning. If your
digestion is very slow, it may take up to a day longer. Anthraquinone
laxatives should not be taken on a daily basis, and are obviously contraindicated
when there is intestinal blockage. However, they can be
quite relieving when constipation gets the better (or worse) of you. Cascara
Sagrada bark provides the main active constituent for many modern laxative
products. The trees are sometimes (incorrectly) stripped standing,
which kills them. Surprisingly, the more ecological practice is to
cut down the tree with a high stump. The bark may then be stripped,
and the stump coppices (re-sprouts). Cultivation: Extra care.
Sow these dried-pea-sized seeds in the fall, midwinter or early spring,
for germination as the soils warm. Alternately, a one-week moist
conditioning in the refrigerator will aid rapid germination. Grow
out seedlings for one year in gallon pots, then transplant to the landscape.
This tree is a sun and water lover.
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