THE POWER OF PINE (AND SPRUCE AND FIR)
The coniferous denizens of the Northern Forest possess powerful healing properties.
I’m enthralled by these evergreen sentinels of my alpine world. The more I learn about them, the deeper in love I fall.
Evergreen needles, resin, bark, and cones are featured in many of my oil blends and salves.
Not only do the infused creations smell like heaven, but they contain the power of this mighty tree!
THE POWER OF PINE:
Antiseptic
Astringent
Anti-microbial
Anti-fungal
Anti-Cancer
Anti-inflammatory
Pine oils enhance mood & reduce stress
Every spring, my husband and our doggies drive an hour down a winding dirt road from the high country to a little-known wilderness trail that follows a modestly sized, freestone creek filled with all sorts of bugs and trout.
When snow is still in the high country and the evergreen needles have not yet come out on the trees in my yard here at 9’000 feet in the high mountains, we can be certain this favorite spot at 6’000 feet will provide us with ample amounts of fresh needles for my first spring infusions! Fresh shoots and buds are just starting to burst from the damp ground and the branches of millions of trees.
It is the perfect day. After months of enjoying the stillness of our frozen winter landscape, the dancing river and the new spring growth bursting out of dry ground make us giddy with joy.
The views of the high peaks still blanketed with winter snow are breathtaking. As far as we can see up river are miles of dark evergreen trees, their tips dotted with vibrant new growth. It's a sure sign of spring! That, and the precious few morels we discovered on the banks of the creek.
We wander from spruce tree to pine tree to fir tree, harvesting the bright green baby evergreen needles.
We snack on the fresh needles which are very soft and tender, and very! This astingency is from the high amounts of vitamin C. And while tree leaves are not generally a source of vitamin C, fresh conifer needles are an exception.
Here on the ground, at the foot of the tree I collect harden nuggets of resin which have fallen to the earth. Most of the resin I collect in the summer is done this prefer way.
We are also collecting nuggets of hard, golden resin that exudes from wounds in the evergreen trees. The resin flows out of wounds, either white or gold-yellow, and then hardens in the air. Often, the hard chunks fall off and land at the base of the trees. This is what you see in the image below. We collected about 2 cups of resin from this stash! The resin is antimicrobial, analgesic, antifungal, antiseptic, and disinfectant. It is also known to be warming when applied to the skin, stimulating both blood flow and the local immune response.
The "pine" (pine, spruce, fir) resins are known to possess anti-cancer properties. The healing powers of this resin are similar to those found in Frankincense, but this is not widely known. I melt the chunks of resin into unrefined jojoba and meadowfoam seed oil, then create other products for skin healing. My customers report excellent results in healing and soothing the most dry skin eczema with my WILD FOREST FORCE PINE PITCH SALVE.
I learned long ago that when we ask plants to provide us with their healing power, we must infuse the plant parts as FRESH as possible. So, as soon as we get home, I chop my basketful of spring needles - enjoying the sweet, tangy aroma as I slowly infuse them into into organic oils. After some time, the goodness of the enduring evergreen needles is imparted to the oil, along with the beautiful, clean scent of the alpine forest. I will use this oil to craft a variety of skin care and soap which I hope to share with you.
IMPROVE MOOD, SLEEP DEEPER, AND FIGHT CANCER
Keep in mind that all the pine tree species are rich in aromatic compounds which are proven to enhance mood and reduce anxiety for long periods of time.
There are long-term and short-term benefits to spending time amongst the pines (and why live Christmas Trees make us feel good, sleep better, and smile more).
MAKE YOUR OWN: PINE NEEDLE COUGH SYRUP (super easy)
Carefully remove a big handful of needles from the branches of your tree.
Cut them up into smaller pieces or pulse them in an herb grinder. You’ll use 1 cup of cut-up needles to make a pint jar of syrup.
Add your 1 cup of needles to a pint mason jar. Pour boiling water over them and allow them to steep until cool. You can also add them to the pot of boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes before allowing them to cool. The vitamin C content will diminish some with the simmering technique, but the infusion will be stronger than steeping, and the flavor and aroma will also be more intense.
Strain out the pine needles and stir in 1/2 cup of honey. If you want to make more, scale up your recipe.
Store the syrup in a covered jar in the refrigerator for one month. To save some for later, freeze ice cube trays filled with the syrup and thaw them to use the next time you need to sooth a cough or sore throat.
RELEVANT PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH:
STUDIES AND REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READINGS: