Salicylates Within and Without Us
By Logan Keister
Recently while in a plant pathology course, the instructor began speaking about the research he had done using synthetic salicylate sprays to induce an SAR (systemic acquired response) in orchards at risk of contracting fungal infections. SAR is the innate immune response that is triggered once the plant recognises that there is a pathogen present. The affected plant will begin to produce and release phytoalexins throughout its entire being, which are often antimicrobial or antioxidative in nature. Even introducing a pathogen to one part of the plant will trigger this immune response throughout the plant, to ready its defences against any pathogens that may be sneaking their way around to other areas.
Clearly it is of value to a grower who notices the early signs of infection to want to get his flock of plants primed and prepped for a sudden pathogen invasion. As I described above, I could see this as akin to when we as herbalists use an alterative to strengthen our bodies defences in the face of disease through working through various catabolic and anabolic processes. I see the most similarity in the use of Thuja occidentalis for triggering that innate immune response rather than the whole arsenal of acquired immunity that may accompany the use of an alternative.
I wasn't impressed by the fact that the study the instructor presented involved the use of synthetic salicylates when we find a full arsenal of naturally occurring salicylates growing right in the waterways surrounding many of our farms. These are the salicylates of our willows, poplars and oaks! Though I would recommend the use of willows here since they are far more prevalent and thrive on disturbance.
How do they thrive on disturbance exactly? Look closely at the habitats of our riparian willows. Growing right up to the edge of the waterways. They seem so peaceful with contentment when their long slender leaves sway lazily over the water on a warm summer day. Now think months ahead of the rainy season. The rising water level and the rapid currents that follow. Rapidly rising right into the willows embankments. The torrents of water tearing through, ripping off limbs and branches and carrying them far downstream. How has willow adapted to such intense disturbance? Through the magic of salicylates!
Some of us may be aware that willow tea makes a potent root growth hormone that can be used to root cuttings of other plants that are immersed in the tea. If one has ever tried planting willows before then you may know that you can simply stick a live cut branch in the dirt and as long as there is adequate moisture, it will likely root. Willow’s salicylates work as the root growth hormone that allows willow to propagate itself far downstream as the rising currents of water rip off their branches.
Taking this back to Salicylates effects on stimulating innate immunity, you can imagine how a branch torn off and carried by water currents downstream would be extremely susceptible to infection as it has its open wounds from torn bark, expose cambium and strewn about across the wet shores.This combination of potent root growth hormone and intense innate immune response is what has allowed willows to dominate the edges of our riparian zone.
I have experimented with this by taking cuttings with either flowering Cannabis sativa material that was unlikely to root or taking cuttings of catnip (Nepeta cataria) when conditions were too cold to be likely to stimulate root growth outdoors. These cuttings left in willow tea did not root, yet remained green and healthy for weeks. When I swapped out the tea in one jar with plain old fresh tap water, the mature cannabis cuttings were shriveled and sick within a couple days (chlorine in tap water killing off beneficial bacteria on cuttings may have played a part as well).
My plant pathology instructor showed us another study. This one showed plants that had been genetically engineered to have the SAR gene turned on all the time, meaning that this systemic response of immunity was turned on genetically to be constantly expressed. These plants were not susceptible to the pathogen that they were exposed to, where the control group without the engineered on SAR gene were all affected by the pathogen. The one caveat was that the foliage of these SAR gene plants was tiny compared to the control.
The question I wanted answered was how big were the roots of these engineered plants? These traits are polygenic, meaning that their effects are not restricted to just one genetic function. This correlation with salicylates being both stimulators of innate immunity and root growth make some think that having the SAR gene on constantly would cause smaller foliage with low pathogen susceptibility like the study showed, but also an increase in root mass. Unfortunately the study apparently did not look at the roots.
Salicylates like salicylic acid are used in humans as well. The most common is its use through aspirin. It provides analgesic pain relief and temporarily reduces inflammation in humans. While reading an article by Ryan Drum on the use of poplar oil for its external effects of reducing inflammation and pain wherever applied, a spark popped off in my head when he mentioned its use on fungal skin issues. Salicylates are also used as food preservatives, fungicides and antiseptics. This crossover between plant medicines used on plants having similar effects to how the plant medicine affects people gets my head buzzing! I am always looking to bridge those gaps of difference, duality and nonduality. Physiology is a great way to demonstrate such similarities between kingdoms.
I would like to conclude with what I think we should take from these studies. The use of salicylates shows much promise as a great way to trigger plant immunity in the face of potential disease, but we don’t have to rely on a company producing a synthetic version. Harvest your own willow branches, soak them, make tea and apply them yourself. It is so cost effective, easy to do and anyone can do it. The added benefit of having riparian willows to aid in the biofiltration of runoff from agricultural systems is another added bonus. Clearly engineering the genetics of this plant in such a way came with a cost of altering the plants physiology in a way that does not serve it or us. Just give it a cup of tea instead! We already have all the answers, why waste time searching for complex solutions.
We are all composed of different archetypes to varying degrees. These archetypes are reflected throughout all kingdoms, be it animal, plant or mineral. Just as willow must learn to live with the seasons changes as waters look to break parts of it away, so she takes these pieces and gives herself a new life, new homes, new communities. So must we use her innate wisdom in such a way upon ourselves. As seasons change and we experience parts of ourselves breaking against the roaring currents, so must we let the broken pieces of ourselves scatter and see what sticks, allow that to root and let us grow into these new territories that circumstances guide us to. Willow allows us to heal the wounds of this process, to help us manage the pain that comes with this growth and to ready ourselves to call into our bodies innate wisdom when the infectious nature that comes with new territory looks to break us down. That innate wisdom that protects us when all seems foreign to us, that is the nature of willow. She shows us that we can grow again after the storm because the wisdom to do so already exists within us.
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