My first time harvesting white oak bark did not go well. In fact, I might describe it as more of a wrestling match between myself and a much bigger and stronger tree that was not at all happy to have an inexperienced herbalist cutting at its branches. It was in the very early days of my studies of herbal medicine, and I had only recently learned that white oak is considered a valuable healing herb. I did some research one morning and found out that oak is a powerful astringent and antiseptic agent, and that it has been used in traditional medicine in every place it grows. 

Since there are so many white oak trees in my area of Wisconsin, I decided I needed to harvest some and try it out for myself. Once I reached the oak trees on my family’s property, I quickly realized that even the lowest branches of our smallest oaks were well above my head. On top of that, it was below freezing out and my gloveless hands were already going numb. I’m sure I was quite a sight, standing on tiptoe with my arms stretched as high as they could reach, trying desperately to cut through a branch that was a lot thicker than it had originally seemed! 

Hours later, I finally had my branch - but actually removing the inner bark proved to be another challenge, both because I had no idea what I was doing and because winter is the worst time to harvest bark. Ideally, it should be gathered in spring, when the new layers of bark are forming.

Once I finally had a decent amount of bark, I began to experiment. I knew that white oak has traditionally been used to clean the teeth and strengthen the gums, so I started by making toothpaste. I found that it makes a tea with a pleasant, earthy taste that can be used to heal stomach complaints, relieve diarrhea, and reduce inflammation; or it can be applied as a fomentation for varicose veins. I learned that about 20% of the bark and 70% of the galls consists of tannins, which make it extremely astringent and antiseptic, so I began to apply it to small cuts and scrapes. I discovered that combining white oak bark tea with comfrey powder makes a paste that hardens and forms a protective covering over a wound. This is an easy way to keep herbs on an injury at all times, even on active young children. 

All this research became quite useful a few months later, when, while cooking for a friend’s wedding, I managed to slice my finger right through the nail, almost completely detaching a small section of it. I stopped the bleeding with cayenne pepper and wrapped it up as best as I could, but it was about thirteen hours before I was able to take a closer look. By then it looked pretty bad! First, I covered the finger with the comfrey and white oak paste. This stayed on for about a week, until I could remove it without removing part of the finger with it. Then, I began soaking it in Dr. Christopher’s BF&C, which contains both white oak and comfrey along with other healing herbs. At this point, the finger began to heal incredibly fast! In a week I could go without a bandage, and in three weeks there wasn’t even a scar. Which was just in time for me to slice my thumb, this time while chopping onions! Thankfully, this time I knew just what to do. Out came the cayenne, followed by comfrey and white oak, and finally BF&C. This injury healed even faster than the first: after a week or two it felt quite normal. 

Obviously, I have come a long way in my understanding and appreciation of the many uses for white oak. But perhaps my very favorite thing about the oak tree is that it points to something greater than itself. For thousands of years, the oak tree was honored as a symbol of life, strength, and wisdom. How much greater is the one who created the oak tree! The oak provides food, shelter, and medicine; God is our provider, shelter, and healer. The oak tree can live up to 500 years, my God is the source of eternal life - and unlike the oak tree, he cannot be injured by gypsy moths! Every time I see an oak tree, I marvel at its beauty and remember the wisdom, power, and goodness of God.

Laura Tsao is a graduate of the School of Natural Healing. She is passionate about herbal medicine and healthy lifestyle, and especially loves creating healthy meals and desserts. She is located in Wisconsin, where she also enjoys foraging, reading, and playing and teaching piano. You can connect with Laura by emailing laura.rixine@gmail.com.