COTTONWOOD TREE HARVESTING

When the bees emerge from their hives on the early warm spring days, they collect the resin from the cottonwood buds and mix the resin with their own enzymes and begin using this as an antimicrobial glue to line the insides of their hives. This glue is known as propolis.  If you've never smelled it, the sweet honey-like aroma of the buds of the Cottonwood trees are divine. Add a gentle touch of Lavender, Frankincense, Cedar Wood and Balsam Fir essential oils and you have a salve that calms the mind and brings a sense of comfort. I have experienced that animals respond kindly to the use of the salve on cuts and scrapes.  The buds themselves are picked in early spring in the Bitterroot valley here in Montana. I make small batches of salve at a time. Gently infusing the buds with cold-pressed Avocado Oil and organic cold-pressed Olive Oil. The buds are rich in antioxidants acting as a natural preservative to prevent spoilage