There is nothing quite like being in the midst of pine trees. They tower into the sky while softly padding the ground beneath with a plush bed of fallen needles and cones. The scent of a pine tree forest is fragrant and unmistakable. The photo above shows a tall stand of mostly Red Pines, Pinus resinosa, and a much younger understory of Eastern White Pines, Pinus strobes. I often find myself wandering through the pine trees; there is something truly comforting about being in the presence of the Pines.
Pine trees are members of the Pinaceae family, along with Spruce, Fir, Hemlock and Tamarack. Before harvesting you must be 100% sure that you have properly identified a Pine tree. While all Pine (Pinus) trees can be used interchangeably in folk medicine, not all evergreen trees can be used interchangeably. The needles of Pine trees come in bundles of 2-5, gathered at the base. Spruce, Fir and Hemlock trees all present single needles, while Tamarack needles are bundled into groups of 12-30. So, get yourself a good field guide, head into the woods and spend some quality time getting to know the Pines around you. You won’t regret it!
Check out these different types of Pine with photos and indicators below:
Eastern White Pine, Pinus strobus. The needles of White Pine are bundled into groups of 5, while most other pines have their needles paired into 2’s. An easy trick to remember this is that the word white has 5 letters, just like the number of needles clustered together on the White Pines. Note the soft, flexible nature of these needles.
Red Pine, Pinus resinosa. Notice the long 4-6 inch, stiff, straight needles. The needles of Red Pine are always bundled into pairs of 2. When bent, these brittle needles will break. Red Pines are also commonly called Norway Pines, although they are native to North America and not to Norway.
Scotch Pine, Pinus sylvestris. The needles of scotch pine are clustered into groups of two, but they are shorter than those of the Red Pine, 1.5 - 3 inches long. Another notable difference is that Scotch Pine needles have a twist to them. Scotch Pines are not native to North America. These trees were first brought here by European settlers, and they are now naturalized in our area.
This photo shows the difference in form and color between Red Pine and Scotch Pine. Scotch Pines show off a bright orange shade of bark near the tree top, and often have an irregular bending trunk shape. Red pines have straight trunks and show a more true shade of red in the bark. White Pines, pictured in the first photo at the top of this page along side Red Pines, have bark that is more grey/brown in color.
In the areas of the Twin Cities that I frequent, I tend to see White Pines, Red Pines, and Scotch Pines most often. However, we also have Jack Pines, Austrian Pines and Ponderosa Pines here in Minnesota. Pine trees are pretty easy to identify, and even easier use. When learning to ID Pines (and all plants really), use a trusted field guide, cross reference your information and always use scientific names. Common names will introduce some degree of confusion because they can change quite drastically depending on your location. The plant uses discussed below are for the genus Pinus.
Traditional Uses for Pine
For ages, Pine has been used all around the world, and in a surprisingly similar fashion across cultures. Depending on the plant part and how you choose to use it, Pine can be a good food source, healthy beverage, fancy cocktail or medicinal preparation.
Pine nuts come from the cones of female pine trees. All Pines produce nuts that are edible, but based on their size and ease of harvesting, it doesn’t make sense to harvest nuts from all types of Pine trees. The Pine nuts we find in our grocery stores come from Pinyon Pine trees, which are native to southern regions of North America. Pine nuts are delicious, and are often used in pesto dishes. I have not harvested my own Pine nuts yet, but I do harvest Pine needles.
Pine needles can be used to make a tea, infusion, simple syrup & cocktails. Pines needles are one of the best sources of vitamin C that we have here in the North. Surprisingly, Pine needles have a higher vitamin C content than most citrus fruits (Pine needle tea was used to cure scurvy back in the day). The amount of vitamin C does vary between the different types of Pines, and also between new growth needles and needles that have been on the tree for a longer period of time. The taste varies as well, so go ahead and nibble on the needles. Getting your taste buds involved in the learning process always helps the experience to stick. Pine trees are abundant here in Minnesota, and the needles are easy to find, harvest and prepare. A simple tea can be made by steeping a spoonful of chopped Pine the needles, covered, in a cup of hot water. A stronger infusion is made by simmering chopped needles in water on low for 20 minutes, and then allowing that mixture to sit and cool overnight before straining out the needles. To make Pine simple syrup for cocktails, warm 2 parts pine needle infusion with 1 part sugar, until dissolved, bottle & store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. My favorite holiday cocktail is made by pouring 1/2 oz. Pine simple syrup & 1 oz. Gin into a champagne glass. Then fill the class with Champagne or sparkling water to the top. Add fancy ice cubes with cranberries and spruce needles frozen inside for a really impressive presentation! When making any of the above preparations, it is okay to include the small stems/bark with your needles.
Now that we’ve covered culinary uses for Pine, we will move on to traditional medicinal uses which include taking Pine internally, inhaling it & applying topical preparations to the skin. Pine trees are rich in volatile oils. These oils are responsible for the strong aromatic fragrance of Pines. When these volatile oils become oxidized, resin forms. Pine preparations are stimulating, antiseptic and have an anti-inflammatory effect. Pine is a diuretic, acting on the kidneys and an expectorant, helping to bring mucus up and out. Pine has been used traditionally for colds, flus & respiratory infections. When using pine medicinally, it is important to know that excessive or long term use can irritate the kidneys. Moderation and drop dosing is always best.
Both the needles and the bark of Pine can be used internally as a tea or a tincture. These preparations will boost vitamin C, aiding a healthy immune system response. Internal use of Pine preparations can help move sticky mucus up and out of the body. I’ve heard the expectorant action of Pine described in two different ways. First, that resins attach to old sticky mucus helping to pull it up and out, and second, that the resins coat the throat and help mucus slide out with more ease.
Inhaling Pine needle preparations can help the sinuses and respiratory system when stuffy and congested. Using Pine as an inhalant opens up the nasal passages and bronchial tubes. The easiest way to do this is to pour boiling water over chopped needles or resin. Hold your face above the bowl and cover the back of your head with a towel, trapping in the steam. Then, breathe deeply. This practice can help you to breathe easier when suffering from sinus congestion or respiratory infection. Lightly simmering pine needles and allowing the steam and scent to float about your house cleanses the air in a way similar to smudging.
There is also a history of topical use for Pine preparations. Indigenous people in North America gathered Pine pitch to make a liniment. The sap from White pine was most prized for it’s strong fragrance, but any pine sap can be used. Liniment was applied topically to relieve sinus congestion and pain. In some cases, it was used topically to aide wound healing.
Pine trees have proven themselves to be helpful plant allies in so many different ways. In this age of social distancing, it is still okay to spend time with trees. Sit and observe them, meditate and breathe in their woodsy scent. While we can’t hug each other right now, we most certainly can embrace the magical and majestic Pine trees all around us.
References
Elpel, T.J. Botany in a Day, The Patterns Method of Plant Identification. HOPS Press; 2016
Geniusz, M.S. Plants Have So Much To Give Us, All We Have To Do Is Ask, Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings. University of Minnesota Press; 2015
Tekiela, S. Trees of Minnesota, Field Guide. Adventure Publications; 2001
Wood, M. The Earthwise Herbal Volume II: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. North Atlantic Books; 2009