Paud’ Arco

Pau d’arco is a tree that grows in the Amazon rainforest and other tropical regions of South and Central America. Pau d’arco wood is dense and resists rotting. The name “pau d’arco” is Portuguese for “bow tree,” an appropriate term considering the tree’s use by the native peoples of South America for making hunting bows. The bark and wood are used to make medicine. People use pau d’arco for conditions such as infections, cancer, diabetes, stomach ulcers, and many others, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Using pau d’arco can also be unsafe, especially at higher doses.