Foraging, Harvesting and Using Pine for Your Wellness...and How to Make Pine Needle Tea!
NOTE: This article is about foraging, identifying, harvesting and using pine tree parts for food and wellness. You’ll find out how to do all these things, plus some incredible ways to use your pine needles, resins, and cones.
Using plants (like pine) you forage for food and home remedies is one of the most powerful self-reliant feelings you can imagine. Once you make that cup of pine needle tea with needles you harvested yourself your life will change. Just knowing that the foraged herbal pine tea is filled with immune-boosting compounds, including extremely high levels of vitamin C, can actually help kick your cold to the curb is immensely satisfying.
Knowing how to forage for your needs is incredibly useful any time. But these days, more than ever, there is a resurgence and interest in foraging for wild food and medicine.
Realizing that you can gather plants right in your yard…or simply take a quick trip to a nearby pine forest is so empowering. Pine is one of the easiest plants to forage and use, but you do need to know how to identify it properly.
There are several kinds of evergreen conifers found in the wild that have uses, like the Western Red Cedar. It’s easy to confuse pine trees with other conifers such as spruce or fir trees. Pines have some special indicators you can look for, to be sure you’re about to forage and harvest actual pine needles and not something else.
Anytime you go out foraging, it’s a good idea to use proper and safe practices. Here’s an article with 15 Tips for Safe Foraging that will help you get started on your own foraging path!
A Quick Cautionary Note:
I get asked every winter if it’s OK for a person to use their Christmas tree? My answer is, “It depends on where it came from.”
You see, if your tree came from a Christmas tree farm, it’s very likely been sprayed. Do NOT use your commercial Christmas tree for food or medicine.
However, if your Christmas tree came from the wild, then it’s probably just fine to use.
How to Identify a True Pine Tree
In pine trees, the needles come in groups of two to five or more with a small papery wrapping, or sheath, at the base of the needles that holds the little bundle together.
The needles of pine trees are also longer, in general, than other conifers. There is just one exception to this rule, and it is for a species of pinion found in the pinion-juniper belts of the Southwest deserts. The needles on this tree are only about one and a half inches long.
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Pine needles are housed in a papery sheath on the stem, and they grow in groups of two or more. If you look closely, you can see the pairs of pine needles.
The cones of pine trees are more woody and quite stiff compared with those of spruce or fir trees. Also in contrast, the cones of fir trees stand upright, while other conifers including pine, are not necessarily upright.
Male pine cones (catkins) are softer than the female cones. The male cones give off pollen in the spring, and they grow quite long before finally falling off the tree. It’s the female cones that are more woody and grow the little pine nuts or seeds between the scales. Some female cones take years to open, while others open annually. (Wiles)
Here’s an example of a female pine cone that has opened. You can see how woody and hard it is.
Most pines are found from about 5,000 feet to timberline, which is usually around 10,000 feet. Some pines will grow at lower altitudes, though, especially ones cultivated for landscaping. I’m thinking about the Mondell pine that used to grow in many yards in Las Vegas before water restrictions. Pinions can also be found at somewhat lower altitudes, in the Pinon/Juniper belts, depending on the area.
Pines’ wood ranges in hardness, and to an extent, the leaves can tell you which type of wood (softer or harder) the tree has. In general, hard wood pines tend to have needles in groups of two or three, while the softer wooded trees from needles in larger groups of four or five.
Harvesting, Drying, and Storing Pine:
The best time to harvest pine depends on the part you need.
The Resin:
Resin is best gathered in the late summer or early fall, as it will harden on the tree and becomes easier to scrape off. The resin oozes from the tree when there is a wound of some kind. You can wound the tree yourself to obtain the resin, however, I prefer to find the resin naturally on the tree.
Using hardened resin that’s already on the bark of the tree is a lot less messy….and honestly, I don’t like the thought of hurting the tree unless I have to.
The Cones:
Male pine cones can be harvested in the springtime, when they are full of the yellow pollen. In some places, like Lake Tahoe, the pollen can cover the street by half an inch with pollen in just a day! If the pollen puffs from the cone, you know it’s ready to harvest. Just drop them into a paper bag, let the cones dry out for a few days, and shake them.
You can also harvest the pollen directly from the trees, also using a paper bag and shaking the branches into the bag.
Pine pollen has become a trend in the health food market lately. You can add it to your foods, smoothies, and enjoy the benefits.
Female cones are only gathered for their ripe nuts, in the fall, and for species that are open, such as pinion. (Wiles) These nuts, which are actually seeds, are full of vitamins and fatty acids.
You can see this example of a male cone is much softer than the female cone.
The Leaves:
Pine needles can be gathered all year! But the new growth in the spring can be less tough and may yield more vitamin C. I happen to harvest pine needles all year long, even in the winter time. They make a delicious tea. The resin compounds are helpful for the respiratory system, while the vitamin C boosts the immune system.
Storing Pine Plant Parts
Since you can gather the fresh pine needles all year long, I don’t store these. Also, they simply don’t store well, as they become dry and brittle. I’ve found the best results with the fresh needles.
If you’re fortunate enough to gather pine nuts, these can be stored just as you would any other nut, in an airtight container after removing the inner nut from the shell. You can also store them with the shell on, however, I like to have them ready to go, since removing the nut from the shell can be a bit tedious.
As far as the resin goes, I like to gather this in the winter or the colder months, while it’s hard. Then I store it in glass jar until I need it. Usually, I’ll infuse some oil with the resin, so I often go right ahead and get this process started. You can also tincture the resin in a high proof vodka as well.
You can find out more about making herbal infusions here:
How to Make an Herbal Infused Oil
How to Tincture Herbs Correctly
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Ways to Use Pine
There are a whole slew of ways to use foraged pine parts. Here are some ideas for you to try:
Herbal Tea:
As a hot or cold infusion, use approximately 1 tbsp. Fresh chopped needles and twigs or the pollen (which you can buy at certain times) to a cup of water.
Drink 1-2 cups 2 or 3 times a day, to help with respiratory complaints. (Wiles)
Personally, I recommend a short decoction for the needles for around 15 minutes, due to the fact that the needles (and twigs) are harder than typical plant leaves.
Find out more about Herbal Water Infusions here.
Tincture:
Pine needles and resins can be tinctured. This tincture is useful as an external liniment (although very drying). It’s also a good medicinal for helping relieve coughs and stuck mucous in the lungs.
Just like with the sage sore throat spray (found in the Sage course), you can easily make a spray using Pine tincture or tea and a little honey.
Pine also has mild diaphoretic action, which can help stimulate the fever response and potentially your body kill off the bacterial infection faster.
**The pollen can also be tinctured and is good for its high nutritional value, as well as being potentially useful for older men. According to S.H. Buhner, use 1:5 ratio in 95% alcohol for a tincture of pollen for men.
Or
Use 1 part fresh needles, twigs, resin, or pollen to 2 parts 75% (150 proof) alcohol. Take one dropper full 3 times a day for respiratory complaints. (Wiles)
For a standardized tincture formula, tincture the needles at a 1:5 ratio (weight of herb to liquid measurement, metric system). S. Buhner recommends 60 percent alcohol (120 proof).
Acetum:
Pine needles make a wonderful infused vinegar. This can be used as a liniment externally or internally for medicinal reasons. You can also simply use it to make a delicious salad dressing!
Salves and Creams:
The resin can be melted down and added to oils in order to create a lovely pine salve. A pine infused oil or salve makes a nice chest rub, especially when additional essential oils that support lung health (pine, fir, rosemary, eucalytpus, camphor, etc.) are added too.
Hydrosol:
Because of the volatile oils found in pine needles, you can absolutely make a hydrosol with this amazing herb. You can find directions on my website: How to Make a Hydrosol, and use it as a spray to freshen the air. If you want to strengthen the scent, feel free to add a few drops of pine essential oil.
Find out how to distill your own hydrosol right in your own kitchen—no special equipment is needed.
Herbal Syrup:
You could certainly make an herbal syrup using pine needles, and beginning with the hot or cold water infusion. You can find basic directions on my website here: How to Make an Herbal Syrup with Rosehips.
An herbal syrup is basically a simple syrup made with a strong herbal tea.
Powdered Pine:
You can powder the resin and/or the dried needles for topical use in poultices and compresses. The powders can also be used in tincture as well.
Incense from Pine:
Pine has been a base in incense across the globe for thousands of years. Some of these cultures include Native American, Mesoamerican, Chinese, Tibetan, Indian, Egyptian, and European societies to clear and purify the air as well as to remove negative energy, clear stagnation in the body, etc. You can use either/or the resin or the needles in homemade incense. You can powder the needles or use them whole or chopped! Very versatile.
Electuaries:
If you choose to powder some pine needles, you can certainly add the powder to honey for a nice toast spread! Or, make a thick paste with some added almond butter and honey and roll into little balls to make pastilles. Delicious and full of Vitamin C!
Electuaries are simply sweet herbal pastes or pastilles (candies).
Here’s a recipe for an electuary that supports liver health.
Essential Oil:
The essential oil must be purchased, as it takes a massive amount of plant matter to obtain, but I thought I’d mention it here because as a medicinal preparation to have in your apothecary, it’s very useful. Unless you have a still, the essential oil will be impossible to make yourself (although a hydrosol is a good option).
Usually, the volatile essential oil is steam distilled from sawdust and wood chips from the roots and heartwood of the tree, which are the waste from timber mills. (Lawless)
Herbal Steam:
Pine needles, resin, and the twiggy pieces can be wonderful additions to an herbal steam meant to open the sinuses and help clear congestion in the respiratory system.
When you’re feeling congested, with a lot of stuck mucus or an unproductive cough, an herbal steam can really do the trick! Find out how to properly do an herbal steam safely and effectively here.
Pines are beautiful, stately trees found in nearly every ecosystem, even the deserts.
Making a Batch of Pine Herbal Tea
Pine tea is delicious….and it’s full of anti-oxidants and Vitamin C. In fact, it has more Vitamin C than an orange! Crazy, right? People head to the local drugstore to get vitamin C tablets made in a lab, when right outside many of our doors….we can reach for pine needles and rose hips too!
I like to cut the needles to about a half inch to an inch long, then place in an infuser mesh. Place this inside your mug and pour your boiling water over. Cover the cup with a cover of some type (I like a wide-mouth Mason jar lid), and allow to steep for around 20 - 25 minutes. Remove the strainer. Add a bit of honey and lemon if you desire.
Enjoy!
Final Thoughts on Foraging Pine and Using the Parts in Practical Ways
I love foraging all the plants I can, both for foods and medicines. Pine is one special plant you can harvest from all year. It’s a giving tree that God has created for our use, and it helps us on so many levels.
I hope you’ll look at that pine tree on your street differently now! And if you don’t have any near by, I promise you can find them fairly close. Even when I lived in the middle of the urban monster, Las Vegas, Nevada, in the middle of the harshest desert environment imaginable, Mondale pines could be found right in the city. Farther up in the mountains were pinion pines. And even farther up the mountain at a higher elevation, were ponderosa pines.
Do a little research, and find out what pine trees grow near you! You won’t be sorry!
Here are some other articles you might be interested in:
Foraging, Identifying, Harvesting and Using Chaparral
Foraging, Identifying, Harvesting, and Using St. John’s Wort
Foraging, Identifying, Harvesting, and Using Wild Fennel
Foraging, Identifying, Harvesting and Using Lambsquarters
Foraging, Identifying, Harvesting and Using Juniper
And there are a TON more on my website! I hope you’ll go explore!
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Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,
Heidi
P.S. You might prefer to get a FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and a Handy Cheat Sheet for using common herbs to keep in your kitchen or home apothecary! You can get that here: Yes! I want the Herbal Remedy Guide and Cheat Sheet!
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