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| The first Red Pine I ever harvested resin from at my mother's. I'm sure it was quite a sight watching me shimmy up this guy! |
Pinus resinosa, Norway Pine, Red Pine. It goes by many names. I love these trees! They are lesser known for their medicine than say Ponderosa or White Pine, but they are my favorite to harvest medicine from. I love the sour, resinous taste of their needles. And the resin, oh the resin is ever so abundant!
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| Pinus RESINosa. Sweet abundant medicine! |
Red Pine Resin
Taste: Aromatic, Pungent, Bitter, Sweet
Impressions: Aromatic, Resinous, Warm, Dry, Diffusive
I feel that Red Pine resin tincture is very similar to the taste and impressions of propolis and acts in similar medicinal fashion as well.
Red Pine Needles
Taste: Sour, Slightly bitter
Impressions: Aromatic, Astringent, Warm (slightly less than resin), Dry
A tree's resin it it's immune system, its protective medicine. PLEASE! if you are harvesting resin, do so with utter respect and love for the tree. Only take that which is easily given to you. When I harvest resin, if I tug on a piece that is dried and dripping from the wound, and it falls off easily, I feel it has been gifted to me by the tree. Red Pine's have the most abundant resin in my opinion.
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| Red Pine bark up close. The holes are most likely made by bugs, the resin seeps out in order to protect the tree from disease. |
Medicinal Action and Uses:
Because the energy of both the needles and the resin is warm and dry, you can probably guess that it is more suitable for those folks that tend to run cold and damp (kaphic types). Very good for those phlegmy type folks who always have a rattling cough and are constantly hacking up phlegm. The warm, diffusive nature stimulates the circulatory system, great for cold hands and feet, Usually for this type of issue I will use Red Pine (resin and needle tincture, in small amounts) in concert with other circulatory medicines such as Rosemary, Safflower, Gotu Kola, and a teeny tiny bit of cayenne (1-3 drops in a tincture to potentize). When tincturing the resin be sure to use 95% alcohol in order to extract all of the goodness.
The needles and resin can be steeped in oil (for the resin, the oil must be warmed in order to get all of that sweet medicine out. I prefer to use a crockpot for this.) I use the needle oil in cooking, (Mmm, pine oil used in biscuits, oatcakes, biscotti...) as well as in salves. A Red Pine needle and resin salve is great for cold, stiff, dull, achy muscles. Great for the elderly, or other dis-eases such as chronic fatigue, "fibromyalgia" with signs of coldness and deficiency. Great for what used to be known as "rheumatism" (usually a cold/damp issue). Red Pine salve also makes a great chest rub (I use other herbs in concert here).
Another part of Pine's medicine to me, is energetic. When I play with, hug, ingest, or burn a smudge of Red Pine, I feel its strength infusing me. Strong and optimistic. I feel so much hope for the future. I feel ideas circulating, and an air of "I can be anything I want to be when I grow up!" The Red Pine gives me hope, and they are great huggers! ;)
I also use the needles and resin in homemade incense and body butters, and I use the needles in tea blends and liqueurs. There are so many abundant uses for this wildly generous tree friend! How do you use your local pines? or other conifers? I'd love to know!
Evergreen Blessings,
Jessie
P.S. Oh! And one more use, let's not forget that the Red Pine also makes quite an exquisite jungle gym!
