Pau d’ Arco Bark

Pau d’arco, also called tabebuia avellanedae, is a canopy tree from the Bignoniaceae family with extremely hard wood. Its name is the Portuguese word for “bow stick.” This is an appropriate term because the tree was actually used by native South Americans for making hunting bows.

The bark and wood of the tree are used externally and internally to treat:

arthritis
pain
inflammation of the prostate gland
fever
dysentery
boils
ulcers
various cancers