Cornus florida, Dogwood, Flowering Dogwood, Pink Dogwood, Dogwood in fruit

Cornus florida, flowering dogwood bark of the trunk and roots, twigs, flowers (bracts), buds, and fruits were all employed medicinally. Common folk steeped the glossy crimson fruits in brandy, sipping it before breakfast as an agreeable, yet bitter digestive tonic. A decoction of the twigs and buds was preferred over more popular bitter tonics such as gentian for people with weak stomachs. A tea made from the flowers was given to treat colic, fevers, and used as a digestive tonic. The twigs were a popular chewing stick for cleaning the teeth. The inner bark was used to treat malaria.

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