Pines - nobles of the global woodlands

Exploring the many gifts offered by Pine trees in the context of Food Forest Design. This is Installment #18 of the Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet series.

This post serves as the 18th post which is both part of the above mentioned (Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Apothecary series) as well as constituting the 5th installment of the Befriending The Boreal series.

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There are many species of Pine, however, as is the case with Birch trees, covering them all comprehensively in the context of Regenerative Agroforestry would require writing an entire book. Thus, I will be focusing on several main species (listed in large bold letters below). These are either the species I am most familiar with and have worked with extensively in both Ontario and BC, or they are species I am learning about, and/or experimenting with harvesting from and cultivating now as they are ideal for including in Food Forest designs for temperate (and some semi-arid) climates.

For the edible nut pines, they have many advantages over some other deciduous nut trees in the fact that they may be grown in a more far-reaching range of climatic zones, across not only all parts of Ontario; but also Canada, United States, and large portions of Asia and Europe ranging from Zone 1 to 8.

The species I will explore here will include:

Pinus strobus, Pinus monticola, Pinus resinosa, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Larix, Tsuga canadensis, Tsuga heterophylla, Pinus Sylvestris, pinus koraensis, Pinus cembra (and Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica) and Pinus monophylla

Eastern White Pine in a mixed hardwood forest in Ontario

Pine trees (and other trees that are in the Pinaceae family) have always been close to my heart. Growing up in the midst of the towering Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock of the coastal range along the sea to sky corridor (from Whistler to Van city) and exploring the babbling brooks where forest transitions to alpine meadows in the mountains underneath the larch trees these beings have a special place in my heart.

I would spend entire days exploring around the base of 500 year old plus giants as a child, laying down on their moss covered roots underneath their majestic canopies, leaning against their deeply furrowed bark and listening to the wind make their branches and foliage speak. While that was nourishing to my heart and spirit, I only began to discover how many medicinal and even nutritional gifts those beings also offered as a young adult.

me looking up to one of my elders, standing next to an old Douglas Fir (which is in the Pinaceae family). The younger trees on the edges are Tsuga heterophylla or Western Hemlock.

In more recent years, after moving out east, I fell in love with the Eastern White Pine and the Eastern Hemlock as I explored in the wooded lakes and rolling hills of the Eastern Woodlands.

Eastern Hemlock and Eastern White Pine growing together by a lake in Algonquin Provincial park.

Eastern White Pine growing above a lake in Algonquin Provincial park.

I discovered that the towering white pines provided nesting habitat for Bald Eagles, Osprey, Hawks, Owls and a range of other birds and marvelled at the amount of Reishi mushrooms growing on the fallen logs in old growth Eastern Hemlock groves. The more I learn about these majestic, noble, long lived and generous rooted beings the more I realize how underutilized these trees are in permaculture and food forest designs.

Eastern White Pine and Eastern Hemlock Growing in Killarney Provincial Park

me on a cliff next to some Eastern White Pine growing out of the side of a large Quartzite rock formation in Growing in Killarney Provincial Park

With my research and creative energy now focused on Regenerative Agroforestry and Food Forest design I wanted to re-visit a number of species that I have begun to experiment with integrating into food forest guilds and regenerative medicine garden designs in the hopes I might inspire some of you out there to get yourself a handful of seeds for a pine species (which produces edible foliage, seeds and pollen) that grows well in your area and make the long term investment into the gift economy of planting some of these “nobles of the wood”, so you can watch them grow, and so you can allow future generations to also be able to receive their many gifts.

In a similar way to what I described in my article on Birch trees, this ancient tree family is found in al most the entire Northern Hemisphere meaning that the pine tree is one of those tethers to the ancient indigenous histories of all people who have ancestors that called the northern hemisphere home. In fact, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, I would go as far as to say that each and every one of our respective ancestors had a close relationship with at least one type of pine tree and that it played an integral part in their daily life, their traditions and their means for surviving.

Thus, the tall rooted elder beings of the pine family offer a sacred reminder of a time before arbitrary lines were drawn in the sand by statists for greed and ego back to an era when many of our ancient ancestors knew the trees intimately and had a reciprocal relationship with them. Long before people were swearing allegiance to kings, queens and flags they were swearing allegiance to the living Earth and recognizing our ancient kin (such as these Nobles Of The Global Woodlands we know as Pines) and the many gifts they shared with us.

If your ancestors hail from the northern hemisphere Pine trees offer you a sort of universal language to perceive the common ground you share with the ancestors of those now residing in nation states far and wide. This tree offers you a glimpse into your own indigeneity and your ancestors relationship to place. Yes all of us have an indigenous past connected to our blood and our soul. For some of us, that indigeneity is buried under multiple millennia of bloodshed, oppression, re-writing of history and statist propaganda. Though it may be buried deep and many may have sought to erase that part of your heritage from the stories of modern cultures, this part of you exists nevertheless. This part of your ancient heritage when you ancestors lived close to the land and the forest, recognizing more than human beings as deserving of our respect as conscious beings.

After you read the article below and learn about all the beauty , blessings and the many gifts offered to us by Pine trees I invite you to take a moment next time you see one to touch his bark, smell his foliage as you look upon him with gratitude and reverence for all that he shares with the world you will be choosing to see the world through the eyes of your ancient ancestors.

Through seeing trees like Pines as those who’s blood flows in your veins now did millennia ago you begin the unlearn the lies, self important delusions and separation mentality that is inherent in modern civilization. In that act to see the noble Pine tree with the understanding and reverence of those who came before you and walked the earth with respect eons ago, you are building a tangible bridge that connects you to your honoured elders and ancestors and a bridge that also directs you towards a more Regenerative, humble and hopeful future.

Such are the blessings we are given when we learn to see the living earth and our rooted elder kin as the ancients did, as wise teachers, protectors, healers, sources of inspiration, regeneration and renewal.

When we learn to perceive and interact with our rooted kin (such as the pine tree) as our ancestors did we shatter the modern illusion of separation that nation states attempt to impose on us and begin to speak a universal language that connects us all as equals.

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Growing edible pine nut trees is a great addition to a cold climate food forest. Some of the edible pine nut tree varieties are cold hardy to zone 1. If nothing else might grow, pine nuts could still grow. Some varieties can also grow in the arid regions of southern US and Mexico so these trees can provide a critically important source of protein and healthy fats in an extremely long lived perennial crop.

Before Choosing a tree it would be wise to compare seed size of different pine species

The edible pine nut trees also make beautiful ornamental trees and can be part of a shelterbelt.

Many of these species can live for many hundreds of years, they are extremely resilient to the cold, drought tolerant and they produce several forms of food and medicine that though often unrecognized, are nutrient dense and highly beneficial medicinal gifts which can become an integrated facet of a multi-generational food forest design.

My ancient Gaelic ancestors had a reciprocal and reverent relationship with one of these species (Scots Pine, or Pinus sylvestris in their case). The Druidic traditions (evolving into the Brehon Laws of ancient Ireland) placed a special emphasis on honoring the beings they considered to be “Nobles Of The Wood”. They so revered the Pine that he was given an honored standing in their living Ogham tree alphabet.

The Celtic Ogham A stands for Ailm. Ailm means conifer – or Scot's Pine. In their tree lore the conifers of Ailm are associated with healing, and a person's life work and divine purpose. These nobles or “chieftains” of the kingdom of our tall standing rooted kin were protected under ancient Brehon law.

In ancient times the medicine women and men of my indigenous Gaelic ancestors tribes (the Druids) would prescribe not only pine needle tea, pine needle infused baths and pine needle poultices but they would also prescribe walking in a pine forest as a type of medicine in and of itself. They were well aware of the benefits of this thing that some call “Forest Bathing” in modern times and encouraged those seeking healing and improved health to spend time in the midst of these nobles of the wood to receive their many gifts.

Thus, it feels apt that I now invite you to come on a journey with me as to learn more about our rooted elders in the Pinaceae family and imagine ways in which we can weave reciprocal relationships with these beings into our lives and our communities as we seek to align with the wisdom of the ancients that saw forests as the best design structure for how to grow food and medicine.

Eastern White Pine foliage (picture taken in Algonquin Provincial Park 2022)

Family: Pinaceae

Part used for medicine/food: foliage (“needles”), cones, seeds, pollen, resin/pitch, bark.

Constituents:

Edible pine needles (such as Pinus Strobus and the other species listed above) contain many beneficial constituents useful for the prevention of colds and flu such as Suramin, Alpha-Pinene, Beta-Pinene, Beta-Phellandrene, D-Limonene, Germacrene D, 3-Carene, Caryophyllene, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Eastern white pine needles also contain shikimic acid.

Edible Pine seeds (such as the seeds produced by the species mentioned above): Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Vitamin E (tocopherol- alpha and Tocopherol-gamma), Calcium, Copper, Selenium, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B-6, Folate, Choline, beta-Carotene, Beta-sitosterol, Tryptophan, Threonine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Valine, Glutamic acid, Glycine and fiber.

Edible Pine (and spruce) Pollen:

Pine (and spruce) Pollen has over 200 bioactive compounds:

Including phytoandrogens, antioxidants, flavinoids, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals – including:

– Brassinosteroids: bio-identical to DHEA and testosterone

– Glutathione (helps with glyphosate detox)

– 20+ Amino acids (complete profile)

– MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) MSM has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Sulphur, which is a major component of MSM, plays an important role in making collagen and glucosamine, both of which are vital for healthy bones and joints, and in the production of immunoglobulins, which help your immune system.

– Superoxide Dismutase (anti-inflammatory)

– Vitamins: C, D, E and B’s

– Calcium, magnesium, potassium, silica, copper, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc

The pollen grain carries everything it needs for germination. 15% amino acids, 1-2% lipids-sterols, various polyphenols and antioxidants, including 2% flavonoids, myoinositol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, lignin, and various polysaccharides (complex sugars)—two of which are vital to immune health; arabinogalactan, and xylogalacturonan and on top of that boasts liver detoxifying agents like glutathione, MSM, SOD.

It also has vitamin D2/D3, magnesium, selenium, silicon, potassium, calcium, iron, strontium, phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine, manganese, and various other vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids such as L-dopa and Arginine that help with blood flow and the nitric-oxide cycle. (Wild harvested Pine Pollen goes for $127.00 CAD per 80 grams (less than 3 ounces)

Edible Pine Bark: phenolic compounds, including monomers (catechin, epicatechin and taxifolin), and condensed flavanoids (procyandins and proanthocyanidins) [17]. Pycnogenol also contains phenolic acids, such as caffeic, ferulic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acids [17].

Medicinal actions: anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, anti-leishmania, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, analgesic, antibiotic resistance modulation effects, cytoprotective properties, nutritive, expectorant, circulatory stimulant, mild diuretic, pectoral, immune stimulant, grief support, anti-cancer, anabolic, pro-survival, antiviral, stem cell/immune response activation, vulnerary, pain reliever, antiseptic qualities, and “drawing” preparation to remove splinters and anti-aging effects.

Pharmacology:

Pinene

A monoterpene found in the essential oils of many plants, including conifers, juniper, and cannabis. Pinene has many pharmacological properties, including:

• Antimicrobial: Pinene has been used to treat respiratory tract infections for centuries.

• Antifungal: Pinene can be used as a fungicidal agent.

• Anxiolytic: Inhaled α-pinene has been shown to have anxiolytic effects.

• Sleep enhancing: Oral administration of α-pinene can increase the duration of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) and reduce sleep latency.

• Pine pollen

  A rich source of macronutrients and bioactive compounds, pine pollen has many health benefits, including:

  • Antioxidant

  • Anti-inflammatory

  • Optimizes Reproductive Health

  • Antimicrobial

  • Antiviral

  • Anticancer

  • Hepatoprotective

• A plant-based extract from the bark of pines, is used to produce “Pycnogenol” which has been used to treat inflammation and improve health. Research suggests that Pycnogenol may improve cognitive function.

• Pine tar

  A medication used to treat itchy, inflamed, and flaky skin conditions.

Cold Hardiness: 1-8

Native Range: All throughout the northern hemisphere. They are particularly abundant in mountainous areas, though also present in the flatter areas of the Eastern Woodlands of Turtle Island and are a key part of taiga (boreal forests), coniferous forests, and mixed forests.

Here are some regions where pine trees are native:

• North America: There are 49 species of native pines in North America, (including the white, hemlock, tamarack, douglas).

• Mexico: Mexico has the highest species diversity of pines.

• Europe, Mediterranean, and West Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia: including (Pinus Sylvestris, pinus koraensis, Pinus cembra (and Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica among others)

• Himalayas

Pine trees are evergreen conifers that produce cones that contain reproduction seeds (which are often edible). They can survive in extreme weather conditions, such as deserts and rainforests, but they prefer mountainous regions (in general).

Growth Form: Widely Varies based on species and soil/climate where they are grown (growth form info on individual species covered in this article listed below each species spubsection.)

Reproduction:

Pines reproduce by seed, a multigenerational unit, which in the case of conifers contains both an embryo and the female gametophyte that produced the egg that was fertilized to form the zygote that grew into the embryo.

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Recipes:

Each of the species covered here can be used in the recipes below with regards to foliage (needles), pollen, cones, seeds, bark and sap/resin.

Pine Needle Cookies

Mushroom, Seaweed and Pine Needle soup, from a book called “The Healing Mushrooms”

My own more recent take on the soup above:

Cream of Pine and Mushroom Soup (with fermented ramp leaves, nettles and sea greens).

I used eastern white pine needles, kelp, shiitake mushroom stems Egyptian walking onion bulbs and bok choy stems to build a hearty broth. Then I added dried powdered nettle and fermented ramp leaves from the garden/forest, and instead of using dairy I used homemade pine nut cream/milk to thicken up the broth and give it a really nourishing, foresty, stick to your bones character. Using mushrooms like Oyster, Shiitake and Lion's Mane offer a potent array of medicinal benefits and flavors (but any mushrooms will work) the seaweed adds another layer of umami and medicinal benefits and then the pièce de résistance is the double essence of forest goodness provided with the finely diced eastern white pine needles (that offer a more subtle yet present rosemary-esk flavor) and pine nuts (adding richness). It is a very satisfying soup. i`ll post the full recipe on my blog some time this winter

Pine Needles

Pine needles are also quite pleasant tasting when prepared in an ideal way. Their needles are rich in vitamin C (particularly White Pine), and can form the basis for a lovely winter (or spring) immune tea, especially when combined with Rose Hips, and Ginger. I have also experimented with adding diced up pine needles to fermented preserves such as sauerkraut and kimchi (pics shown below) which turned out beautifully.

Some of the ingredients that went into one of my eastern white pine needle infused sauerkraut/kimchi batches

Pine needles are perhaps the most versatile part of the tree. Believe it or not, even more than pine nuts, as they can be made into a tasty tea, or mixed into just about any recipe savory or sweet for a spicy kick. They’re also medicinal, which is a lovely bonus.

Externally, pine needles are added into salves for skin care “because pine is astringent, it reduces pore size and fine wrinkles. And pine is a powerful antioxidant which means that it may help to prevent premature aging, and may even help to reverse skin damage.”

Adding pine needles to homemade bath salts can help relieve headaches, soothe frazzled nerves, relieve muscle pain and treat skin irritation. A pine needle hair rinse can be used to treat dandruff and eczema while adding shine to your hair.

Internally, pine is high in vitamin C, which makes it perfect in a nutrient-rich pine tea or pine needle soda.

If you’re looking for a fizzy, fermented refresher that is also downright pretty, prepare a batch of this fermented pine needle soda!

Pine needles are also naturally antibacterial, antifungal and expectorant so they make a great pine cough syrup when combined with honey.

Pine Needle Cough Syrup from Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Besides their medicinal uses, pine needles are just plain tasty. They add a peppery winter warmth to Douglass Fir infused eggnog or pine needle vodka.

As notes above, I also love to add diced up pine needles to fermented preserves, such as sauerkraut and kimchi.

adding diced pine needles to the sliced cabbage to bruise and mix together before adding to jars to ferment

this jar of kraut includes diced white pine needles, tulsi, caraway seed, black pepper corns and lemon balm

I have also experimented with using a cheap espresso machine to extract the essential oils/beneficial compounds from the needles after which combined with some other ingredients and made pine needle infused immune system optimizing ‘gummies’ (pics shown below)

Freshly harvested Eastern White Pine Needles ready to be rinsed, diced and added to the espresso machine for extraction.

Adding diced Eastern White Pine needles to espresso machine to extract essential oils and beneficial compounds before using to make gummies, infused bath salts and to drink as a strong tea.

Some of the ingredients that went into making my immune system optimizing pine needle infused gummies (I also included, Cannabis infused coconut oil, echinacea root extract and matcha powder). The gummies were created to be a great source of vitamin C, antioxidants, essential oils, and medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), minerals, nootropic compounds (such as L-Theanine, Epigallocatechin Gallate and Pterostilbene) and serve to stimulate increased levels of mitochondrial biogenesis.

Another ingredient I included in the pine needle infused immune system optimizing gummies I created

Pouring the pine needle extract infused gummy mixture into a silicone mold to create individual servings in a fun shape.

White Pine Needle, Lemon, Ginger and Matcha infused full spectrum cannabinoid gummies (these offer spike protein detox and innate immune system optimizing benefits as well as nootropic and radioprotective benefits as well). Full Recipe available here.

I began using an espresso machine to extract essential oils and other beneficial compounds after I came across two studies where researchers had utilized an off the shelf espresso machine to extract potent medicinal phytochemicals (such as Eugenol from Cloves and Shikimic Acid from Star Anise).

An espresso machine creates conditions similar to the conditions used in industrial essential oil extracting processes (pressurized hot water extraction at approx 90.5 to 96 degrees Celsius with water/steam at 7-15 bars of pressure).

https://pages.uoregon.edu/chendon/coffee_literature/2015%20Org.%20Lett.,%20Shikimic%20acid%20extraction%20from%20anise%20using%20espresso%20machine.pdf

That paper is published in Science Direct and was also published in Organic Letters in 2015, and appears as a PDF at the University of Oregon website.

From the abstract of that study:

ABSTRACT: A new, practical, rapid, and high-yielding process for the pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) of multigram quantities of shikimic acid from star anise (Illicium verum) using an unmodified household espresso machine has been developed.

This operationally simple and inexpensive method enables the efficient and straightforward isolation of shikimic acid.

In other words, they are taking advantage of the pressurized chamber of an espresso machine to conduct a heat + pressure extraction of shikimic acid from star anise.

And then this second study using similar methods to extract another beneficial compound: https://www.scribd.com/document/475104899/37-11

I share this info relating to using off the shelf espresso machines to extract essential oils and beneficial phytochemicals so that any of you DIY-ers and intrepid herbalists/natural medicine enthusiasts out there can experiment with using this technique increase your ability to make powerful homemade medicines with your favorite herbs (including foliage from all of the species covered in this article).

Pine needle (and other conifer foliage) infused vodka

Buttery cookies and cakes really compliment the spicy conifer needle flavor, like in these redwood needle shortbread cookies, or these Douglass fir shortbread cookies. Similarly, pine needle sugar cookies strike just the right balance between earthy spice and sweet.

I love the idea of incorporating Douglass fir needles into a pear tart, as both pears and conifer are wonderful winter flavors.

Douglas fir pear tart from Nitty Gritty Life

For something delicious and dainty, try your hand at these profiteroles with Douglas-fir, orange, and cinnamon crème patissiere. (Don’t be too intimidated by the name – they are basically cream puffs, and they sound spectacular!)

A smart way to incorporate pine needles into various meals with only one recipe is this pine needle salad dressing, which will compliment a bowl of fresh garden greens, but I would also love to try it as a marinade or drizzled over braised veggies.

Add some woodsy flavor and vitamin C to your next herbal tea with a spoonful of pine needle infused honey.

Pine salve is great for dry, cracked skin! Infused with the aroma of pine, this easy-to-make herbal salve not only moisturizes and heals but also offers a delightful aromatherapy experience.

Pine Pollen

This stuff is a lesser known medicinal superfood and goes for $127.00 CAD per 80 grams (less than 3 ounces) but you can forage for and grow your own for free if you have patience.

Most people know of pine pollen as that annoying yellow powder that blankets their cars and sidewalks in the springtime. Once your neighbors start complaining about their dirty cars, it’s time to get out foraging.

Pine pollen season is short, and it’s variable depending on climate. Many pines produce cones way out of reach 50+ feet in the air, but if you can find smaller trees, or large trees with low branches, you can harvest your own pine pollen.

after tapping this pine branch with ripe pollen sacks, you can see how much is airborn.

Pine pollen can be used to replace flour in most recipes, provided you don’t replace more than 1/4 of the total amount.

Spaghetti with Pine Pollen Sauce and Marigolds

Pine Pollen pancakes are nutritious and delicious. They're good, especially drizzled with pine cone syrup.

For more on Cooking with pine pollen:

https://foragerchef.com/pine-pollen/

Pine Bark

Harvesting pine bark often causes severe damage to a tree, and bark should only be harvested from trees destined to be cut down for other reasons. Pine bark has been harvested for food for hundreds of years, and one reason we know this is because the scars of pine bark harvesting are still present in Scandinavian trees after more than 700 years.

According to the Herbal Academy’s online Botany and Wildcrafting Course, “As a rule, never harvest from the trunk of a living tree. Only harvest bark from a tree that has been recently cut down for some other reason or has recently fallen over on its own. The timing here can be tricky, as you only want to harvest from recently fallen trees (within a few weeks of falling or being cut down) and not those that have begun to rot and decay. Never, absolutely never, cut a tree down simply just to harvest its bark or its root bark. This is not only unethical, but unsustainable, and is the reason why so many tree species used in herbalism, such as slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), are currently at risk from over-harvesting.”

The author of A Boreal Herbal notes, “The inner bark (cambium layer) has long been used as a survival food and can also be eaten in raw slices. I like to use the soft, moist, white inner bark for making pesto. Most pesto recipes call for pine nuts. But one day, when I was making pesto I didn’t have any around. Remembering the flavor of the pine’s inner bark, I thought, why not? I’ll try it. It was wonderful— I haven’t used pine nuts since. The inner bark contains lots of starch and many sugars and can be boiled or ground and then added to soups and stews.”

Tamarack (aka Larch) is a related conifer. In Rogers Herbal Manual, Herbalist Robert Rogers gives a recipe for tamarack bread: “Scrape off the softwood and inner bark of tamarack, mix with water, and ferment into a dough to be mid with rye meal. Bury under the snow for a day. As fermentation begins, the dough can be cooked as a camp bread or as dumplings, the sweet wood pulp acts as a sugar for the yeast in the rye.”

Both the inner and outer bark of pine trees has been used as a food source by the Sami, an indigenous people from northern Scandinavia, and not just as a famine food.

The inner bark especially is a rich source of vitamin C, and as Nordic Food Lab notes, “The phloem of the pine is rich in ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), which during the 1800s helped the Sami of the interior of Norway and Sweden avoid the scurvy that was at the time devastating the coastal populations of non-Sami farmers.”

Flour made from the inner bark contains about 1/4 of the calories as wheat flour, but since it’s a good source of scarce vitamins it was eaten by the richest in society. The outer bark is not rich in calories, but it was also ground into flour to help bread and crackers keep, and because it contains tannins that science has since shown to support healthy cell function.

Pine Sap, Resin or Pitch

woodpecker holes oozing sap that becomes resin/rosin

pine rosin extracted from the tree in pic above without me having to harm the tree. (I left some on the wound the tree was attempting to heal)

Similar to harvesting bark, intentionally wounding a tree to harvest pine resin will scar a tree and provides access to insects and microbes that could stunt or kill the tree. Harvesting from small branches or existing wounds is a better more ethical option. Only harvest resin from the trunk of a tree that’s destined to be cut down for other reasons. If you have a mature pine tree in your garden, food forest or a pine stand in a forest nearby, and you are observant, you will inevitably witness instances where natural events wound a tree and the resin or pitch begins to flow out, coagulating either on the bark or the ground nearby, and that is a great opportunity to harvest this versatile substance for saving for later use.

Sometimes woodpeckers will help you have such an opportunity

woodpecker activity on this dying Scots Pine allowed me to collect much Pine Resin from the bark and base of tree without harming a healthy tree (shown below)

For more info on the tree I sourced the Scots Pine Resin from above read:

Pine resin is used medicinally for a variety of issues, both internally and externally. Externally, it’s made into a pine resin salve that is very effective against rashes, but “It’s also an effective healing agent on cuts and bruises, helps to draw out splinters, and can be rubbed on your chest for congestion.”

It’s naturally antibacterial, so pine resin has been chewed as a gum for mouth complaints as well as sore throats. A tea made from pine resin is supposedly good for arthritis as well.

I have found the pitch or resin from the White Pine to be an extremely useful remedy for any external wound or infection. This is not the same as the sap. The sap is the fluid that runs inside the tree through its vascular tissue.The resin is found anywhere on the outside of the tree where there has been some previous wounding to the trunk. The resin forms as the trees method of healing sort of like our own skin would form a scab. Please, keep this in mind when you are gathering, as this is the trees' protective mechanism. I am careful to only gather loose or dripping resin. In the warmer months, the resin will be stickier and sometimes even almost liquidy. It is then that it can be used as natural stitches that will hold the edges of a wound together. It is also amazingly drawing and will draw out slivers, pus and infections while at the same time providing antispetic medicine that will reduce and prevent infection. When it becomes colder out the resin becomes hardened and more difficult to remove. This is when I will look for loose pieces that just chunk off. These can be softened by making an infused oil and then a salve. Infused oil of Pine resin must be heated well and I suggest a hot water bath either on top of the wood stove or any conventional stove top. Here are detailed instructions from New Mexico herbalist Kiva Rose on how to make Pine pitch(resin) salve.....http://bearmedicineherbals.com/pine-pitch-salve.html

The resin or sap from pine trees has a variety of uses, most of which don’t involve eating it. It’s been used to create waterproof sealants for clothing and can be made into a wood stain/waterproofer. It’s also used as an impromptu glue and firestarter.

For more info:

• Pine Resin: How to render it for remedies : https://www.naturalbodylab.com.au/blog/pine-resin-how-to-render-it-for-remedies

• How to Forage & Use Pine Resin : https://unrulygardening.com/forage-use-pine-resin/

• Processing Pine Pitch for Use in Personal Care & Health Products: https://redheadedherbalist.com/harnessing-pine-resin-for-skincare/

• How to prepare Winter Medicine with Pine Tree Resins: https://apothecarysgarden.com/blogs/blog/preparing-winter-medicine-with-tree-resins

• https://www.savvyjack.us/blog/pine-resin-survival-uses

• https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/pine-resin-soap/

• https://theherbalacademy.com/blog/make-pine-resin-salve/

• https://www.naturalbodylab.com.au/blog/pine-resin-how-to-render-it-for-remedies

For some scientific studies that provide additional context on Pine resin processing and storage:

"Effect of Temperature on Various Rosins and Pine Gum" :

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/i360027a006

"Effect of heat treatment at mild temperatures on the composition and physico-chemical properties of Scots pine resin" :

https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3897681/v1/dabce1f4-7803-46ef-85b5-ba0edadcc0c2.pdf?c=1715112515

"Quality aspects during pine resin storage: Appearance deterioration, turpentine chemical components change" :

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926669024020521#:~:text=However%2C%20the%20quality%20of%20pine,a%20six%2Dmonth%20storage%20period.

"A study of the physico-chemical properties of dried pine resin" :

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334547739_A_study_of_the_physico-chemical_properties_of_dried_maritime_pine_resin_to_better_understand_the_exudation_process

For more info on my recent experiments with pine resin read this comment.

I have used heated resin to seal up holes in my work boots and they held together for months longer than I expected.

Pine Cones

this pic shows part of the process involved in making “Mugolio”: Pine Cone Syrup

Some of you may be thinking. Pine cones!?!? Those can’t possibly be edible. Well, I thought that too until I followed the instructions in Alan Bergo’s Forager Chef book and made myself a jar of Muglio (aka Pine Cone Syrup) and is it ever delicious!

You can also use them to make a traditional Russian preserve called Varenye.

Russian Pine Cone Jam (full recipe here)

Pine cones, specifically young, meristematic/tender ones can be eaten, and are traditionally used in the Caucuses and Russia in a preserve known as Varenye, sometimes called pine cone jam, or pine cone honey.

pine cone jam on Bree cheese and a cracker

Apparently, they are edible and were eaten historically. According to A Boreal Herbal, Indigenous peoples in Canada consumed not only the bark but also the cones of subalpine pine and fir trees. “The cones can also be used as food. They can be ground into fine powder, which in the past was mixed with fat. The result was considered both a delicacy and a digestive aid.”

Pine cones can be used to add flavor to dishes. There is a traditional Mongolian bbq recipe that involves by smoking mutton over a slow burning fire of pine cones. That practice sounds like it would imbue a lot of great flavor and I imagine it could be adapted for roasting other types of food as well.

Pine Seeds (aka pine “nuts”)

These tasty and nutritious little beautes can run you $46.33- $120.00 per pound here in Canada depending on the year but you can harvest and grow your own if you have patience and plan ahead.

Here are some ways to use pine nuts in cooking:

• Pesto: Pine nuts are a classic ingredient in pesto, and toasting them enhances their flavor. You can also try making a pesto with wild ramps instead of garlic.

  

  

  

  

  full recipe for pesto from my first book

• Mushroom based dishes: Pine nuts pair beautifully with umami flavors.

Fried Wild Mushrooms and Pine Nuts on Grilled Sourdough

• Rice Dishes: pine nuts offer protein and a lovely texture to balance out rice based dishes.

  

  Wild Rice Salad with Arugula/Pine nut Pesto

  

  Mediterranean Wild Rice w/ Pine Nut Cheese

  

  Wild Rice Salad with Pine nuts, Cranberries and Mint

• Salads: Pine nuts add crunch and flavor to salads. You can try tossing them into a lemony kale salad with golden raisins.

  

  Spinaci alla Romana (Roman Greens with Raisins and Pine Nuts)

  

  Spinach with chickpeas, pine nuts & raisins

• Crusts: Pine nuts can add flavor and crunch to meat or fish crusts.

  

  Pine Nut Crusted Salmon with Shallots and Puy Lentils

  

  Crispy Skin Salmon with Pine Nut and Parsley Crust

• Dukkah: Pine nut dukkah can add flavor and texture to dishes like baba ganoush.

• Stuffed Grape Leaves, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls or Stuffed bell peppers: Adding pin nuts to stuffed foods (especially when they are vegetarian recipes) adds a lovely texture flavor and nutritional/protein rich punch to the mix.

  

  Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves With Pine Nuts

  

  

  Turkish Cabbage Rolls With Pine Nuts

  

  Mini Bell Peppers Stuffed with Bulgur and Pine Nuts

  

  Toasted Pine nut Stuffed Peppers with Saffron Rice

• Tarts: Pine nuts pair well with honey in tarts. You can try making a pine nut and honey tart.

• Pancakes: Take your pancake game to the next level by infusing them with pine nuts.

  

  Acorn Pancakes with Pine Nuts

• Sweet treats: Pine nuts combine well with figs in sweet treats like a fig and pine nut treacle galette.

• Stuffed cabbage: You can add pine nuts to stuffed cabbage.

• Korean pine nut noodle soup (Kalguksu).

  

  Korean Pine Nut Kalguksu

• Jatjuk: In Korea, pine nut porridge is called jatjuk and is often given to people recovering from illness.

Here are some tips for cooking with pine nuts:

• Toasting pine nuts brings out their flavor. You can toast them in the oven, skillet, or microwave.

• Pine nuts can be eaten raw, but most people who are allergic to other nuts are also allergic to pine nuts.

• You can substitute blanched, slivered almonds for pine nuts in many recipes, but not for pesto.

• Ground pine nuts can be used in baked goods and confections. You can make your own ground pine nuts in a food processor or spice grinder.

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Species Profiles on the pine varieties listed above

this image exemplifies a small sample of the diverse varieties of pines that exist globally, though I do not cover info on each of these in the article.

Now I will offer a brief species profile on each of the species I listed below so that you can more effectively strategize for incorporating these noble and generous trees into your food forest designs in a way that is appropriate for your region and the scale of your project.

All of the species I cover below have edible needles, cones, seeds and pollen (with varying sizes for each species).

As the trees shed older needles they offer you a valuable resource that you can use to strategically acidify soil for growing nutrient dense crops like blueberries and mulching around shrubs that produce fruit low to the ground ensuring they do not have too much competition and the fruit stay intact until you pick them.

Through thoughtfully creating spaces for long lived evergreen species such as pine in our food forest designs we open up the potential for creating ideal spaces for long term outdoor medicinal and gourmet mushroom cultivation functions to be stacked into our food and medicine production. The year round partial shade provided by the species I list below can provide ideal protection for growing mushroom species (such as Shiitake, Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Enoki, Reishi and Oyster on hardwood logs (which can be produced by other members of your food forest).

shiitake mushrooms growing on inoculated maple and oak logs underneath a pine and spruce canopy providing natural shade.

As you plan to incorporate these species into your design, I encourage you to not only imagine them in their mature form, but also to imagine all their life stages, and how you can stack functions throughout the time you will be tending to them as they grow. This opens up the potential for stacking functions through time and space. When they are younger you can selectively prune foliage for making medicine and tea and then as they mature you can prune some trees strategically so that some lower branches will be accessible for collecting pollen and seeds for eating while also allowing some trees to reach their full height and become important super canopy “Mother trees” in the distant future, providing nesting habitat for birds of prey, and providing a central foundation for protecting and building soil for countless other beings.

Think about how you might stack functions over years, and decades, growing things that naturally thrive in pine forests and mixed forests where pines are present, like blueberries, edible viburnums, lupins, bilberries, alpine strawberries and cloudberries.

These trees can become life long companions and teachers, noble, watchful and patient guardians that we can gift to future generations so that they may also receive the many gifts offered by these Nobles Of The Wood.

First up…

The Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

Common Name: known as “zhingwaak” to the First Nation Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes area. Eastern White Pine is also referred to as the White Pine, Northern White Pine, Northern Pine, and Soft Pine. In Britain, this species is also called the Weymouth Pine – in honor of English explorer Captain George Weymouth, who took Eastern White Pine seeds to English from Maine in 1605. The Eastern White Pine is the state tree of both Maine (the Pine Tree State) and Michigan and the provincial tree of Ontario.

Cold Hardiness: 3 - 8

Longevity and growth form: 300- 450 years.

The Eastern White Pine is the largest eastern conifer, often growing up to 220 (and sometimes 240!) feet tall and up to 84 inches in diameter, depending on the soil. Michael Kudish lists a 275-year-old Eastern White Pine in Paul Smiths that was 49 inches in diameter.

The tallest (living) tree on record in New York State is an Eastern White Pine. This tree, which can be seen in the Elders Grove (also known as the 1675 grove) in Easy Street (near Paul Smiths in Franklin County), is 160.4 feet tall, with a circumference of 13.1 feet and a diameter of 50.1 inches. This tree is one of about fifty Eastern White Pines, most of which are 330 plus years old. Taller trees exist in older records, sadly, though they could have still lived today, they were all cut down for profit and for perpetuating the war racket (for british navy ship masts about 120 years ago).

Native Range:

After visiting Algonquin Provincial Park and hiking deep into the heart of the forest I found that the tree there that moved my heart the most was the Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus).

White pines are magnificent trees that often tower above the already grand Sugar Maples in the forest here in the eastern forests of Canada (and the US). Standing tall and proud above their neighbors, they seem to be looking over the landscape with a watchful, protective eye.. lovingly reaching their inviting branches covered in soft needles out towards the horizon as if to say "Behold, this forest is my home, these fellow trees my revered family, we are a community that provides food, medicine, clean air and shelter for countless winged, four legged, finned and invertebrate sistren and brethren. We can provide for you too. We can prevent many serious illnesses that impact your species and all we ask is that you respect our family and give in return for what you take".

I took this picture in Algonquin provincial park in 2021

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

The Eastern White Pine is found in areas where the July temperature averages between 65 and 74 degrees. It can grow in a wide variety of soils, ranging from light, sandy soils to heavy, textured soils. The species is most frequently found on well-drained outwash soils, but is also present on well-trained tills. Eastern White Pine will also grow on imperfectly drained soils, but does poorly on the poorly drained sites. It is tolerant of drought, but cannot tolerate atmospheric pollution. The species is mid-tolerant to intolerant of shade; the tree must receive full sun at least for a good portion of the day.

Given these rather flexible requirements, Eastern White Pine flourishes in a wide variety of wet to dry habitats, including mixed wood forests, lowland conifer forests, and wetlands. It is frequently seen on the edges of lakes and ponds. Although it can be found in pure stands, this tree usually needs disturbances or openings to establish, and is therefore only a small component of the tree canopy in many forests.

Wildlife Value of the Eastern White Pine

Mammals: Red Squirrels are among the mammals which consume Eastern White Pine seeds.

The Eastern White Pine ranks among the very top plants in terms of its importance to wildlife. The tree is is valuable for both food and cover for a wide variety of mammals and birds, and its bark, buds, foliage, and cones, are consumed by a number of insects.

Mammals that eat the seeds, bark, and foliage of Eastern White Pine include American Black Bears, American Beavers, Snowshoe Hares, North American Porcupines, Gray Squirrels, and Eastern Cottontails.

With continuous change over time our perceptions of what habitat trees like Eastern White Pine provide have become increasingly divorced from historical realities – for wildlife species, this allows us to continuously chip away at habitat and be largely unaware of it. When we think of grizzly bears, we think of uninhabited mountain ranges with meadows and river valleys where humans rarely travel. But if we read history, we know that grizzly bears once inhabited the great plains and foothills of Canada and the United States, where the amount of prey alone (huge herds of bison along with deer and antelope) would indicate that the this habitat was far superior than the mountains to which the bears are now relegated. Humans eliminated the bears from these prime areas and so history has altered our perception of what high quality grizzly bear habitat really is.

• White-footed Mice, Eastern Chipmunks, and Red Squirrels are the dominant mammal seed eaters. If you see large piles of stripped cones and cone scales at the base of a pine, it usually indicates a Red Squirrel midden, a term that refers to both the food cache and the debris that accumulates over months of stripping cones on a nearby log, branch, or stump.

• Snowshoe Hares feed on the twigs, buds, and bark during the winter. The Martin/Zim/Nelson study (1951) estimates that these foods comprises 25 to 50% of the Snowshoe Hare's diet in winter in northern New York.

• White-tailed Deer also consume Eastern White Pine, but only if little else is available. This species, like other pine species, is considered a starvation food in New York State.

Eastern White Pine is a common tree species in the breeding habitat of a wide variety of birds, including:

• Golden-crowned Kinglet

• Hairy Woodpecker

• Northern Saw-whet Owl

• Northern Parula

• Eastern Whip-poor-will

• Magnolia Warbler

• Chipping Sparrow

• Pine Warbler

• Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

• Canada Warbler

• Mourning Warbler

• Blackburnian Warbler

  

Species of songbirds that consume seeds of the Eastern White Pine include Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Warbler, Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Pine Siskin.

Blackburnian Warbler on the John Brown Farm Trails (22 June 2018).

Eastern White Pine is a common tree species in the breeding habitat of many Adirondack birds, including the colorful Blackburnian Warbler.

Eastern White Pines are used as nest sites by a number of birds, both year-round residents and summer migrants. Large pines are favored nesting sites for hawks and owls. Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks usually place their nests on large branches next to the trunk. Broad-winged Hawks may build their nests in a crotch near the top of the tree. Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, and Long-eared Owls reportedly adapt old hawk or crows nests for their own. Barred Owls often nest in trunk cavities and use the tree as a roost.

Eastern White Pines also provide nest sites for Boreal Chickadees, Orchard Orioles, Least Flycatchers, Blue Jays, Common Ravens, American Crows, and Common Grackles. Species which build nests on horizontal limbs or in branch foliage include Mourning Doves, Olive-sided Flycatchers, Magnolia Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Blackburnian Warblers, Bay-breasted Warblers, Pine Warblers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, Purple Finches, and Pine Siskins. Pine needles are used as nest materials by several species of songbird, including Alder Flycatchers and Philadelphia Vireos.

Eastern White Pine is present in all successional stages. It is a pioneer species on old fields and other disturbed sites, reforesting abandoned fields, burned areas, and blowdowns. Eastern White Pines also become established after logging operations, particularly clearcuts. Eastern White Pine also functions as a long-lived successional species, and is a component of some climax forests throughout its range.

• Characteristic companion shrubs include blueberries and Northern Wild Raisin.

• in their native habitat you can often look on the forest floor for wildflowers such as Clintonia, Bunchberry, Wintergreen, Canada Mayflower, Starflower, and Cow-wheat, as well as Eastern Bracken Fern.

• Mosses, such as Schreber's Big Red Stem Moss, and lichens may be common to abundant.

  

  base of old white pine in Algonquin

Here is a short video I recently recorded where I talk about the history of Eastern White Pine in Southern Ontario:

Old-growth forest was once abundant in the Ottawa valley, but the best growing conditions would have been in southern Ontario. While I was researching Ontario’s old-growth forests I found a description in the Canadian archives of a white pine that was cut from southern Ontario, a portion of which was displayed at the international exhibit of London in 1862. It was over 200 cm (7 feet) in diameter, 67 metres (20 stories) tall, and the first branch was more than 10 stories above the ground – higher than the tops of most pine trees today. The tallest white pine in Ontario today is only 47 metres tall, a little over two thirds the height of this historic tree. The 1862 pine contained enough wood to build six modern three-bedroom bungalows. Near the shores of Lake Erie the larger pines were reported to often reach 60 metres in height and over 7 feet in diameter.

The forest sites with the best soils and climate were long ago plowed under for farming, and generally remain as farmland to this day unless they have been paved over or built on. Average sizes for many of Ontario’s hardwoods would have been 37 to 40 metres in height and 80 to 90 cm in diameter – but they commonly grew larger. We have some anecdotal evidence of how large trees could grow given the best soils and climate – for example in his 1853 autobiography, Samuel Strickland describes a tree known as the Beverly Oak, in Cambridge Ontario. “I measured it as accurately as I could about six feet from the ground, and found the diameter to be as near eleven feet as possible, the trunk rising like a majestic column, towering upwards for sixty or seventy feet before branching off its mighty head.” Strickland measured other trees, such as an oak tree on his land that was 1.6 metres in diameter at a point 7.3 metres up the trunk, or a black cherry that was over one metre diameter and 15 meters to the first branch. Southern Ontario had old-growth forests that were much closer to west coast old-growth forest than we could imagine today, and there were consequences to clear cutting them.

What this multi-generational clearcutting and destruction of every single last climax/old growth expression of an entire species of tree has resulted in is something called “Generational amnesia”. It refers to how each generation considers how it first experienced a place as its true baseline, and any change that comes after it is abnormal or unnatural. Here in southern Ontario, I have experimented with asking about a hundred people that were born and raised here if they have ever visited a particular forest conservation area (which is an area that contains the very last un-logged primary old growth Carolinian Forest in this entire county). The result is that over 70% of them have never heard of the place (despite it being within 50 km of where they live). These people have never experienced the land and forests here as God intended them to be. They look at second growth (overcrowded, human manipulated and ecologically unbalanced places, such as Point Pelee, where the park staff spray round up to “control invasives” and there are no apex predators left to keep the numbers of deer down) as “normal”.

That kind of generational amnesia can create a sort of numbness, apathy and ecological illiteracy that cannot be addressed unless they actively seek out the last remaining patches of primary old growth forest that exist (here or elsewhere) and spend meaningful amounts of time in those forest ecosystems developing their pattern recognition faculties. Sadly, from what I have seen, in the era of digital addictions, materialism, 9-5 daily work grind and anthropocentrism, many of them are uninterested in doing so. Some of these people have never left the confines of southern Ontario and have no intention on doing so in the future. Through their total separation from any form of intact climax forest ecosystem from birth to adulthood, and their total lack of seeking to perceive anything else than the ecologically degraded landscape they are accustomed to, what this is resulting in is entire generations of human beings that see forests as nothing more an obstacles in the way of “sustainable development” and monoculture farming, or at best, they perceive forests places that we should preserve in the form of a weekend entertainment venue for humans, with parking lot like camping sites choking out the land, and a few scattered trees remaining as a sad memory of what once was. In essence, their plant blindness leads to a sort of impoverishment of the soul. That "plant blindness", leading to spiritual blindness is a serious issue that we must endeavor to remedy if we want our regenerative efforts to be able to stand the test of time.

One of the most significant species to go extinct due to the alteration of the eastern forests was the passenger pigeon. Numbering an estimate three to five billion individuals, passenger pigeons were once North America’s most numerous bird, moving in flocks that literally blocked the sun and took hours to pass overhead. The common narrative is that we hunted the passenger pigeon to extinction – but while hunting certainly tipped the species over the edge, it was primarily the destruction of eastern North America’s old-growth forests that caused the extinction of the passenger pigeon, by eliminating the large mast crops of nuts that were essential for successful breeding. As their habitat dwindled, passenger pigeons populations declined and were increasingly concentrated in small areas where hunting was easier.

Range recession over time of woodland caribou in Ontario. In 1880 Caribou ranged as far south as Algonquin Park. Map adapted from Schaefer 2003.

The passenger pigeon story is dramatic, but it is comfortably in the past. Today, however, we’ve seen severe and ongoing range declines in woodland caribou, and declines in American marten, and forest songbird populations, to name a few examples. These trouble us, but perhaps not as much as they should, because shifting baselines lull us into quiescence – for example we think of woodland caribou as being a far northern species, but caribou once ranged as far south as Algonquin Park. As the range continues to shrink, we think of caribou as something far away, not as a once-ubiquitous species being pushed ever closer to the brink. We know, thanks to the North American breeding bird survey, that songbird populations have been declining since at least the 1960’s when the survey began. Our knowledge of bird populations before the 1960’s is more limited, but the decline in songbirds is another example of an incremental decline that is hard for most people to perceive.

White Pines that towered high above the oaks, maples, hickory, basswood, walnut and other canopy trees in the forests of Ontario used to be common place (living 400 years plus and providing beauty and super canopy ecological roles in that ecosystem).

In a similar way to how my Gaelic indigenous ancestors of Ireland and Scotland had special laws and traditions that protected the elder rooted beings of the forest against human greed (and only cut one down after much deliberation, with an intent to use every bit of the tree and with a ceremony expressing gratitude for the gifts of the tree) the indigenous people of the Great Lakes region where I live now had safeguarded and ensured the flourishing of those towering giants for millennia (until the shortsighted, anthropocentrically motivated and greedy Europeans showed up that is).

As I documented in my in depth article on Shagbark Hickory, the most aggressive and arrogant deforestation of Southern Ontario (peaking in a clearcutting frenzy about 120 years ago) was in large part instigated and encouraged by the “Dominion of Canada” government putting out advertisements offering “free land” to anyone that would clear the forest, sell the old growth trees to the military for their ship masts and grow a monoculture annual crop on the land. The government propaganda conditioned settlers to view the forest as an “obstacle” and something that needed to be cleared to bring “order” to the land. One of the main motivations behind that push was to get people to do the dirty work of chopping down the 250-400 year old white pine to supply British with masts for the Navy to be able to perpetuate it’s war racketeering operations.

For more info:

• https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/news/ontarians-tell-government-stop-logging-algonquin-provincial-park

• https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/pdf/10.5558/tfc26243-3

For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Pinus+strobus

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/plant-pinus-strobus

For another great post on this species check out:

White Pine

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Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)

red pine trunks

Cold Hardiness: 2–7

Native Range:

Longevity and growth form: Red pines can reach 500 years-old.

red pine profile

old growth red pine trunk

Red pine has an average height of 75 feet (23 m), but under ideal conditions (in other words, when greedy human do not chop them all down before they reach old age) they may grow as tall as 200 feet (50 m).

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

The ecological niche of the red pine (Pinus resinosa) includes:

• Soil

  Red pines grow best in well-drained, acidic, sandy to loamy sand soils with a pH of 5.2 to 6.5. They can tolerate a variety of moisture levels, including poor, rocky, and sandy soil. However, they are intolerant of high water tables and poor aeration.

• Light

  Red pines grow best in full sun, but can tolerate partial sun/shade. They are shade intolerant.

• Fire

  Red pines are fire resistant and typically limited to habitats that experience fire. They frequently colonize areas that have burned recently.

• Wildlife

  Red pines provide cover, nesting sites, and some food for many species of birds and animals. They attract songbirds, upland game birds, and mammals.

• Competition

  Red pines are often the dominant overstory species, but can also occur as an understory species with eastern white pine and/or jack pine. On more fertile soils such as loams, red pines are typically outcompeted by other species.

• Location

  Red pines are found in the deciduous and mixed forest zones, primarily in western Québec and across most of Ontario. They are also found in the USA in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Pinus+strobus

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/plant-pinus-strobus

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Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

picture source

Cold Hardiness: 3-7

Native Range:

Longevity and growth form: at least 460 years. (A hemlock in Algonquin Park that is 408 years old is part of an unprotected forest licenced by the government for logging).

The government tells us that our tax money is used for Provincial Parks for the purpose of creating and maintaining a “protected area of land and/or water that's designated by a provincial government for several purposes, including: Nature protection, Historical preservation, Recreation, Tourism, and Education” yet that same government is still giving the greenlight for logging old growth within the park. This Orwellian Doublespeak and duplicitous greed must be called out for what it is and stopped immediately.

Read the full PDF report which the screenshots above are from here: https://www.oldgrowth.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/prb6.pdf

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

The hemlock's shallow root system excels along riparian corridors, where the soil remains moist throughout the year. These shade-tolerant trees form dense canopies that provide cool refuge for fish and other wildlife. These trees are guardians of the quality of water, protecting and cleansing streams and ensuring our water table remains stable.

• Habitat

  Eastern hemlocks thrive in moist, shady areas, such as along waterways, in moist bottomlands, and on north-facing slopes. They are shade tolerant and can grow in a variety of soils, including shallow loams and silt loams over granite, gneiss, and slate bedrock.

• Forest structure

  Eastern hemlocks create a unique ecosystem by forming dense canopies that reach from the forest floor to the top of the tree. This structure provides a ladder-like habitat for wildlife, and creates microclimates that moderate temperatures and support a variety of plants and animals.

• Water dynamics

  Eastern hemlocks affect water dynamics in the forests they grow in by transpiring water year-round, especially in the spring. This helps regulate stream flow and water temperature, and improves water quality downstream.

• Wildlife habitat

  Eastern hemlocks provide food and shelter for many species, including deer, moose, ruffed grouse, wild turkey, black-throated green warblers, blackburnian warblers, and Acadian flycatchers.

EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OLD EASTERN HEMLOCK TREES:

Large, old trees, logs and snags; unprotected Old-growth forests have significant biodiversity, genetic diversity, ecosystem services, recreational, educational and scientific values that can accumulate with stand age (Buchert et al. 1997, Mosseler et al. 2003a, Mosseler et al. 2003b, Luyssaert et al. 2008, Shaffer 2009). It is therefore useful to be able to identify old trees / old forests without necessarily using an increment borer. However, diameter is often a poor indicator of age in old-growth forests (Pederson 2010). For example, the three oldest trees in the Cayuga Lake Tract were also the three smallest. While current sample sizes is still too small for rigorous analysis, observations suggest the following for eastern hemlock.

• Eastern hemlock trees over approximately 200 years in age tend to have low trunk taper, and commonly have large upper branches.

• Eastern hemlock trees over approximately 300 years in age often have pronounced bark ridging in the upper 25% of the trunk and sometimes have pronounced curves and twists in upper branches, and/or high trunk sinuosity.

• Eastern hemlock trees growing with a combination of sun exposure and deep soil (lakeshores, some ridge locations) may have exaggerated old-age characteristics and be younger than they appear.

Significant old-growth forest remains unprotected in Algonquin Park, often rivalling (or even surpassing) the quality of forest singled out for protection in Algonquin Park’s system of nature reserves. Eastern hemlock forests are of particular concern because they are threatened across most of its range. It is alarming that forests exceeding 400 years in age are still available for logging in Algonquin Park, and that no effort has been made to identify and protect the Park’s remaining old-growth forests.

For info on the old growth Eastern Hemlock groves of the Laurel Highlands of PA, read:

https://thedruidsgarden.com/2014/07/20/returning-to-the-hemlock-grove-old-growth-forests-as-sacred-sites/

For more info on specific ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Tsuga+canadensis

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/ethnobotanical-plant-tsuga-canadensis

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

When Douglas firs grow in dense forests, they self-prune their lower branches so the conical crown starts many stories above the ground. Trees growing in open habitats, especially younger trees, have branches much closer to the ground. Coast Douglas firs are the faster-growing and larger of the two varieties, and they commonly grow up to 250 feet (76 meters) in old-growth forests and can reach five to six feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) in diameter. Rocky Mountain Douglas firs measure about the same in diameter but only grow up to 160 feet (49 meters).

Douglas firs were used by the indigenous people of Turtle Island for building, basketry, and medicinal purposes. Ailments that Douglas firs were used to cure include stomach aches, headaches, rheumatism, and the common cold.

trunk of 900 year old Douglas Fir on Vancouver island

me at the base of that same tree looking up at the canpoy

Cold Hardiness: 4-6

Native Range:

The two Douglas fir varieties grow in very different habitats, as evidenced by their names. Rocky Mountain Douglas firs are the inland variety that grow in the mountainous Pacific Northwest and in the Rocky Mountains. They are much more tolerant of cold than the coast Douglas fir, which is suited to moist, mild climates on the west coast.

Longevity and growth form: 900- 1300 years

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees have a growth form that changes as they age, and their shape is influenced by a variety of factors:

• Young trees: Have a narrowly conical crown that often extends to the ground.

• Old trees: Have a short, columnar, flat-topped crown.

• Individuality: As Douglas firs age, they develop a unique shape due to factors such as shading from other trees, storm damage, decay, and their specific growth environment.

• Whorl-based growth: Douglas firs grow in whorls, which is a growth pattern common to many conifers.

• Dead branches: Dead branches can remain on the trunk for years.

• Branch loss: In denser forests, Douglas firs lose their lower branches as they grow taller, so the foliage can be high off the ground.

Douglas firs also have other characteristics, including:

• Needles

  Long, flat, spirally arranged needles that are yellow- or blue-green in color.

• Cones

  Hanging oblong cones with three-pointed bracts that protrude from the cone scales.

• Bark

  Thin, smooth, grey bark on young trees that becomes thick and corky on mature trees.

• Fire resistance

  The thick bark of mature Douglas firs makes them one of the most fire-resistant trees in the Pacific Northwest.

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

Douglas fir seeds provide food for a number of small mammals, including chipmunks, mice, shrews, and red squirrels. Bears eat the sap of these trees. Many songbirds eat the seeds right out of the cone, and raptors, like northern spotted owls, rely on old-growth forests of Douglas firs for cover. One species that relies on Douglas firs almost exclusively is the red tree vole. These tiny rodents seek cover in nests constructed in the crowns of Douglas firs and eat the needles. Red tree voles even obtain water from the tree by licking moisture off the needles. The largest coast Douglas firs commonly live to exceed 1,000 years (when humans are not chopping them down before they can fulfill their purpose). Rocky Mountain Douglas firs have a shorter lifespan, usually living no more than 400 years.

The ecological niche of Douglas fir trees includes a variety of roles in the environment and as a habitat for many species of plants and animals:

• Biodiversity

  Douglas fir forests are home to a wide range of plants, animals, and fungi.

• Environmental services

  Douglas fir forests help mitigate irratic weather patterns via initiating raindrop nucleation and slowing rain as it falls, improve air quality, and prevent erosion.

• Food source

  Douglas fir seeds are a food source for many small mammals, including chipmunks, shrews, and mice. The needles are eaten by the blue grouse in the spring, and black-tailed deer browse on new seedlings and saplings in the spring and summer.

• Cover

  Douglas fir forests provide cover for the northern spotted owl and other raptors. Red tree voles nest in the foliage of Douglas firs and eat the needles.

• Habitat

  Douglas fir forests are home to sensitive plant and animal species.

• Climate

  Douglas fir trees grow in a variety of climates, including cool temperate, boreal, and cool mesothermal. There are two main varieties of Douglas fir: the coast Douglas fir, which grows in moist, mild climates on the west coast, and the Rocky Mountain Douglas fir, which grows in the Rocky Mountains and the mountainous Pacific Northwest.

Relentless human greed and ignorance has led to scenes like the image shown below becoming the norm in the last remaining patches of old growth habitat for these majestic trees.

For more information on this tree and how to protect the last few remaining ancient Douglas fir in BC, read this: https://ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/big-lonely-doug-and-clearcut/

“How Tall Can Douglas-fir Get?

Although a Coast redwood is presently the tallest tree found to date, there is evidence that the coastal Douglas-fir has the biological capacity to surpass the redwoods in stratospheric height. Once trees reach the limit beyond which water can no longer be pumped to the top, the leader experiences 'drought stress' and dies off.

"In 2008, a study proposed that the maximum height for a Doug­las fir -- one of the world's tallest trees -- is about 453 feet (138 meters)." [source]

A Douglas-fir is the third tallest tree in the world (or second, depending on other accounts), and some believe a Douglas-fir could be, or once was, the tallest. Upper height limit estimates for the species go as high as 476 ft, and before logging began in the 19th and 20th centuries, plus 400 foot trees were probably fairly common.

Historical Accounts Of 400 Foot Douglas-fir

Some accounts of the tallest of the tall may be loggers' tales, but others are documented measurements.

You can read a post here where the author discussed 400 ft plus Douglas-fir trees. An informed reader posted a couple of comments in response. They contain information regarding the historical heights once attained by the king of the Pacific Coast Forest, the Douglas-fir.

See comments below photo.

Industrial logging has removed most of the tallest Douglas-fir, historical photo, Washington

Reader Comments Regarding Tall Douglas-fir

"A Douglas fir measured 415 feet high, (127 meters) in 1902 at the Alfred John Nye property in Lynn Valley. Diameter was 14 ft 3 inches 5 feet from the ground.


A 352 footer was felled in 1907 in Lynn Valley. Diameter was 10 feet.


In 1897 a 465 foot (142 m) Douglas fir was felled in Whatcom, Washington on the Alfred Loop ranch near MT. Baker. Diameter was 11 feet, and 220 feet to first branch. Board footage was 96,345 feet of top quality lumber.


A 400 footer was felled in 1896 at Kerrisdale, BC, sent to Hastings mill. J. M. Fromme measured the giant at 13 ft 8 in diameter.


Records of even taller fir trees exist, but I am in the process of collecting a complete and up to date list of old champions long forgotten."

And a follow-up comment:

"They measured a Redwood tree near the Oregon border in 2006, it is 115.6 m tall above average ground level, but to the lowest end of the trunk it's about 117.6 m total height.


Michael Taylor, Chris Atkins, and Mario Vaden, are the top guys searching the forests for new tallest tree species. They just located last week a new record Douglas fir west of Roseberg, Oregon it is 98.3 meters tall, live growing top. They're hoping to find a monster fir over 100 meters, and I think they will. Thousands of hectares of Oregon forest is relatively unexplored.


But sadly, over 90% of the really big old growth has been cut down in the North West, so finding a 120 meter fir is unlikely -- Not impossible though.


I posted the list in a wikipedia talk section, titled, "Historically Reported Douglas-Fir Exceeding 300 and 400 Feet." I also made a couple experimental Youtube videos dealing with the super tall reports, the 400 foot and up class."

Is it possible that the Coast redwood is not the tallest tree species on earth?” (source)

The very last stands of an intact watershed composed of one thousand year old plus Douglas Fir (and Western Cedar) trees are under threat by corporate and government corruption in BC, Canada, you can learn more about that situation here:

and here:

For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Pseudotsuga+menziesii

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/ethnobotanical-plant-pseudotsuga-menziesi

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Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)

As one of the most shade-tolerant tree species, western hemlock is prevalent in nearly all of the few old forests left in Washington and BC. Although it is often overlooked when growing with its much larger associates – Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, or western redcedar – western hemlock can occasionally reach impressive dimensions. It has been recorded to 78.0 m tall, 290 cm in diameter, and with a volume of 121 m3. Even though it only represents a fraction of the wood volume in old growth forests, it nearly always represents more than half of the foliage (Figure 83). Accordingly, western hemlock controls the understory light environment in these old stands. A mature hemlock tree casts a very dense shade, only allowing shade-tolerant plants to persist.

Cold Hardiness: 4-6

Native Range:

Longevity and growth form: 800 - 1200 years

Western hemlock is a large evergreen conifer growing to 50–70 metres (165–230 feet) tall, exceptionally 83 m (273 ft), and with a trunk diameter of up to 2.7 m (9 ft).

Old Growth Douglas fir and western hemlock (these two trees have a long term symbiotic relationship with each other)

The western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) has a broad, conical crown when young, and becomes cylindrical in older trees:

• Crown

  When young, the crown is broad and conic with a drooping leader shoot. In older trees, the crown becomes cylindrical and may have no branches in the lowest 30–40 meters.

  

• Branches

  Most branches sweep down.

• Bark

  The bark is smooth when young, and becomes dark reddish-brown, thick, and strongly grooved with age.

• Needles

  The needles are short stalked, flat, finely toothed, and of unequal length. They are dark green to blue grayish-green.

• Seed cones

  The seed cones are ovoid, short-stalked, brown, with many thin papery scales. They hang down at the end of the twigs.

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

The western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) has a diverse ecological niche that includes providing food and shelter for many wildlife species.

• Food and shelter: Western hemlock provides food and shelter for many animals and birds, including:

• Deer and elk: Browse the leaves

• Snowshoe hares and rabbits: Eat the seedlings

• Deer mice and small birds: Eat the seeds

• Northern spotted owl: Found in forests with western hemlock and Douglas-fir

• Northern flying squirrel and red tree vole: Live in western hemlock forests

• Yellow-bellied sapsucker and northern three-toed woodpecker: Use the trees for nesting

  

  Old-growth western hemlock forests are threatened, and only a small percentage are protected:

  Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) zone is a unique ecosystem that stretches along the north Pacific coast of North America, including most of coastal British Columbia (BC). However, only 2% of CWH ecosystems in the Salish Sea region are protected

  For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Tsuga+heterophylla

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/ethnobotanical-plant-tsuga-heterophylla

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Western White Pine (Pinus monticola)

If ever a tree loved to live in the mountains, it's the western white pine. You'll find it getting along quite happily in the high country of California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

It occurs in mountain ranges of northwestern North America. It is the state tree of Idaho and is sometimes known as the Idaho pine.

Cold Hardiness: 1-7

Native Range: Western white pine occurs in the Pacific Northwest. The northern boundary of its range is at Quesnel Lake, British Columbia, latitude 52 deg. 30 min. N., and the southern boundary is at Tulare County, California, latitude 35 deg.

Western White Pine range in BC

Longevity and growth form: 400- 600 years

This 45-150 ft., sometimes taller, evergreen forms a slender crown in thick stands or becomes more open and spreading when exposed. Branchlets are stout, bearing soft-textured, blue-green needles in groups of five. Bark is gray and smooth at first, becoming checked with flaking scales.

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

• Soil

  Grows well in moist, well-drained, acidic soils, and in calcium-rich soils. It can also grow in poor, rocky soils. However, it doesn't grow well in very acidic peat bogs.

• Elevation

  Can be found at elevations of 600 to 3,100 meters (2,000 to 10,200 ft) above sea level.

• Sunlight

  Grows best in full sun.

• Forest types

  Often occurs in forests with fir and hemlock species, especially those that tolerate shade.

• Disturbances

  Benefits from disturbances that clear away competing species, including low fires that don't destroy all of its cone-protected seeds.

For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Pinus+monticola

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/ethnobotanical-plant-pinus-monticola

• https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pinus-monticola/

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Scot's Pine aka “Baltic pine” (Pinus sylvestris)

Scots Pine with Heather blooming underneath, taken in the Highlands of Scotland Photo credit: Neil Wakeling www.inspirationalimage.co.uk

Spots pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia, ranging from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains and Anatolia, and north to well inside the Arctic Circle in Fennoscandia.

Interesting Facts about the Scots Pine Tree:

1. They are among the oldest living organisms in Ireland and have witnessed centuries of history and environmental change.

2. Ecosystem Engineer: Scots Pine trees play a key role in shaping and maintaining forest ecosystems. They provide habitat and food for a wide range of wildlife species, contribute to soil stabilisation and nutrient cycling, and help regulate local climate and hydrology.

3. Fire Adaptation: Scots Pine trees are adapted to survive and even benefit from wildfires. Their thick, fire-resistant bark helps protect the cambium layer from heat and flames, allowing the tree to recover and regenerate after a fire. Additionally, some Scots Pine cones require the heat of a fire to open and release their seeds, promoting new growth and regeneration in fire-adapted ecosystems.

   

   

   

   For more pics of this seedling that I grew from the seeds in the other pic above and his little brothers check out: https://archive.org/details/scotspine This little guy is now about a foot tall and three of his brothers are doing well at about 9 inches tall as well.

4. Symbolism: Scots Pine trees have cultural and symbolic significance in Celtic, Norse, and other European traditions. They have been associated with strength, resilience, and longevity, and have been used as symbols of national identity and pride in Scotland and other countries where they are native.

   

   Scots Pine at Loch an Eilein in Scotland Photo credit: Neil Wakeling www.inspirationalimage.co.uk

Longevity and growth form: This species can grow up to 35m in height and can live for up to 700 years. He would have been known to my ancient Celtic ancestors for his medicinal gifts and was a symbol of durability, as in the Gaelic proverb:

Cruaidh mar am fraoch, buan mar an giuthas (Hard as the heather, lasting as the pine)

Native Range:

The native range of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) includes:

• Scotland

• Scandinavia, excluding Denmark

• Northern Europe

• Northern Asia, extending to the Caucasus Mountains and the Okhotsk Sea in eastern Siberia

• The Mediterranean

The Scots pine is the most widely distributed pine in the world, and can grow from sea level to about 8,000 ft.

The Scots pine was introduced to North America and is now naturalized in the Northeast and Great Lakes states. In Ontario, it was imported in the early 1900s to help stabilize soil on abandoned agricultural lands. It's now a significant component of many forests in southern Ontario.

The Scots pine is a keystone species in the Caledonian Forest, where it was once the largest and longest-lived tree. However, the forest has declined due to overgrazing and clearcutting for profit.

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

The Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plays a critical role in the ecosystems it inhabits as a keystone species:

• Habitat

  The Scots pine provides food and shelter for a wide range of wildlife, including birds, mammals, insects, and other organisms. For example, the tree's bark provides shelter for insects, while its needles are eaten by caterpillars. Birds eat the insects and seeds, while squirrels and mice cache the seeds. The Scots pine also provides nesting sites for songbirds and cover for other birds.

• Soil stabilization

  The Scots pine's extensive root system helps stabilize soil, prevent erosion, and improve soil structure.

• Nutrient cycling

  The Scots pine absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releases oxygen through photosynthesis. It also cycles nutrients through its needles, branches, and roots, contributing to soil fertility.

• Lichens

  Lichens grow on the bark and branches of the Scots pine, especially in wet areas. These lichens fix nitrogen from the air, which is then absorbed by the soil when the lichen decays.

• Mycorrhizal associations

  The Scots pine has a special relationship with fungi, where the fungi's threadlike filaments wrap around the tree's root tips, exchanging nutrients.

elder Scots Pine in Scotland, image source www.inspirationalimage.co.uk

For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pinus+sylvestris

• https://www.extrasynthese.com/594-pinus-sylvestris

• https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/18/2331

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/plant-pinus-sylvestris

Tamarack aka “Larch” (Larix laricina)

Tamarack (or Larch) is known as “The Medicine Woman” tree to some, she is the protector and purifier of our sacred waters, the medicine provider, the golden glowing one and the soft and delicate one.

a larch branch reaching gracefully over an alpine lake, as if she is blessing the waters with her delicate foliage

The way her soft needles reach out in all directions absorbing the sunlight and then turning her needles the bright color of the golden sun in the autumn, the way she grows along the lake shores, in the peat pogs and beside the babbling brook and the alpine flower fields reminds me of our connection to the celestial beings above (known as “stars”) and our connection the water that breaths life into these bodies we inhabit.

This ancient medicine woman protects the mountain sides, the lake shores, the peat bogs and the arctic tundra. She is resilient and provides many gifts to those who take the time to pay attention and respectfully receive the gifts she shares.

The pictures above and below show Larch trees in their natural habitat and were captured through my lens over the years (unless stated otherwise).

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Cold Hardiness: 1-7

Native Range:

The native ranges of different types of larch include:

• Western larch

  Native to the western United States and Canada, including southeastern British Columbia, western Montana, northern Oregon, and Idaho. It grows in the Columbia River drainage, from the Cascade Range to the Continental Divide. Western larch can grow up to 200 feet tall, and can survive in temperatures as low as −50 °C (−58 °F).

  

• Eastern larch

  Native to eastern Canada, Alaska, and the northeast United States, including the Great Lake states and northern Minnesota. It can grow in dry upland soils, or in wet peaty soils like bogs and swamps.

  

• Subalpine larch

  Native to northwestern North America, including the Rocky Mountains of Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and Alberta. It can grow at high altitudes, from 1,500 to 2,900 meters (4,900 to 9,500 ft). It can survive in low temperatures and on thin rocky soils.

  

Longevity and growth form: 300- 2600 years

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

Below an excerpt from Arboretum Borealis: A Lifeline of the Planet

by Diana Beresford-Kroeger :

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species of larch are native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and also south into the upper northeastern United States from Minnesota to Cranesville Swamp, West Virginia; there is also an isolated population in central Alaska. The word akemantak is an Algonquian name for the species and means "wood used for snowshoes".

Larch and Balsam Fir growing on the lake’s edge in the alpine

(not my photo)

an old growth larch tree growing on a granite boulder in the alpine (the critical role of Mycorrhizae in allowing these and other related conifers becomes clear in images like this)

The following is an excerpt from Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask : Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings

by Mary Siisip Geniusz.

Next an excerpt from The Healing Trees : The edible and herbal qualities of Northeastern Woodland Trees

by Robbie Anderman

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For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Larix+laricina

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/ethnobotanical-plant-larix-laricina

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Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra)

*These trees produce large edible seeds

Cold Hardiness: 1-9 It is very tolerant of severe winter cold, hardy down to at least −50 °C

Native Range:

The native range of Pinus cembra, also known as the Swiss stone pine or arolla pine, is the mountainous regions of central Europe and southern Asia:

• Europe: The Alps, Carpathians, Poland, Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania

• Asia: Southern Asia

The Swiss stone pine is a slow-growing, long-lived conifer that can thrive in cold, harsh subalpine climates. It can grow in pure stands or mixed forests with other conifers, and can establish itself on mineral soils or rocky surfaces.

The Swiss stone pine is often used to protect slopes and valleys against avalanches and soil erosion. However, its habitat is threatened by clearcutting for profit and tourism development, such as ski runs, ski lifts, roads, and parking lots.

Longevity and growth form:

Swiss stone pine can live for 500 to 1000 years, with long generation intervals, which limits its opportunity to genetically differentiate over short periods; this may explain low differentiation between populations in the Alps and Carpathians.

• Growth: The Swiss stone pine grows slowly.

• Shape: The Swiss stone pine has a dense, low-branched, narrow pyramidal shape when young. As it ages, it becomes more broad and flat-topped.

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

• Climate

  The Swiss stone pine is found in the subalpine and alpine zones of continental climates, at elevations of 1,100–2,700 meters. It can tolerate temperatures as low as -43°C in the winter and -6–-10°C in the summer.

• Habitat

  The Swiss stone pine is native to the mountainous regions of central Europe, including the Alps and Carpathians. It can grow in pure stands or mixed forests with other conifers, and can establish itself on rocky surfaces or mineral soils.

• Role in the ecosystem

  The Swiss stone pine is a dominant tree in European mountain forests, and plays an important role in nature conservation. It provides habitats for various species, helps prevent erosion and avalanches, and stabilizes mountain soils.

For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• https://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/p/pinus-cembra=swiss-stone-pine.php

• https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pinus+cembra#:~:text=Medicinal%20Uses&text=The%20turpentine%20obtained%20from%20the,of%20rheumatic%20affections%5B4%5D.

The Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra) has many ethnobotanical uses, including:

• Wood: The wood is durable and resistant to decay, making it a valuable resource for carvings, paneling, furniture, and turpentine. However, the tree's slow growth and irregular shape limit its use.

• Erosion control: The tree's protective function helps stabilize mountain soils and reduce erosion and avalanches.

• Edible seeds: The tree's large seeds are rich in nutrients and tasty.

• Alcoholic distillates: The tree's cones can be used to flavor alcoholic distillates.

• Tree-ring chronology: The tree is the main species in a tree-ring width chronology that covers 9,111 years, making it the longest high mountain chronology in the world.

As is the case with all the other species covered here (and despite lacking info online given how far in the distant past indigenous European use of this tree for medicine occurred) this species also has many medicinal uses, including:

• Respiratory system

  Turpentine from the resin of the pine tree is used to treat respiratory conditions like colds, coughs, influenza, and TB.

• Skin conditions

  Turpentine is used as a liniment, poultice, or steam bath to treat skin complaints, wounds, sores, and burns.

• Kidney and bladder complaints

  Turpentine is used internally to treat kidney and bladder complaints.

• Rheumatic affections

  Turpentine is used internally and as a rub or steam bath to treat rheumatic affections.

Other parts of the pine tree also have medicinal uses:

• Bark: The bark is astringent and anti-inflammatory, and can be used to treat skin conditions, gynecology, gastro-intestinal conditions, and dentistry.

• Needles: Needles can be applied as a cataplasm to reduce inflammation.

• Pine cones and seeds: Pine cones and seeds are astringent and slightly warming, and can be used to treat coughs and chest conditions.

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Korean Stone pine (Pinus koraiensis)

These trees produce large edible seeds

Cold Hardiness: 1-7

Native Range:

The native range of the Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) is eastern Asia, including:

• Korea

• Northeastern China

• Mongolia

• The temperate rainforests of the Russian Far East

• Central Japan

In the northern part of its range, it grows at altitudes of 2,000–3,000 ft, while in Japan it grows at altitudes of 2,000–2,600 ft.

Longevity and growth form: it can grow to 100 feet tall and lives from 700 - 1000 years.

Fastigiate, columnar form with bluish needles.

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

The ecological niche of the Korean pine, or Pinus koraiensis, includes:

• Water and soil conservation

  The tree's roots store a large amount of water, which ecologists call a "small reservoir".

• Biodiversity maintenance

  The Korean pine is a key species in mixed cold temperate forests in Northeast Asia.

• Forest ecosystem stability

  The Korean pine is an important coniferous tree in northeast China that helps maintain the stability of the forest ecosystem.

• Support for wildlife

  The Korean pine provides a food source for the Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae and other species such as deer and wild boar, which are the Amur tiger’s primary prey. Thus, this species is critical in protecting engandered species such as Siberian Tigers

  Korean pine, sometimes called “cedar pine,” is among the most abundant tree species in the forests of Russia’s southern Far East. Or was. Rising global demand for the pines for use in everything from furniture to makeup pencils has led to rampant illegal logging.

  Within the Amur tiger range, logging rates more than doubled between 2000 and 2008. In response, WWF helped Russia get the Korean pine listed in Appendix III of the trade treaty CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). The new rules, for which Klenzendorf points out WWF advocated over many years, created a new layer of protection for the species; exports of Korean pine now need CITES permits, making it harder for the illegal timber trade to continue. In 2010, in advance of the Global Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin added Korean pine to the list of species for which all logging is banned—so now no logging of Korean pine is permitted in the Russian Far East. Thankfully, tiger forests have now notched a few important wins.

  (for more on that read: https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/fall-2014/articles/forests-pine-nuts-and-tigers )

The Korean pine also has very high value to both animals and humans, as every part of the plant can be used. The nuts, needles, bark, and resin are used for food, medicine, and other purposes.

The Korean pine prefers a cool, moist climate and well-drained sandy or gravelly loam. It can tolerate drought once established, but it dislikes poorly drained moorland soils. The Korean pine is winter hardy to USDA Zone 3, but it generally doesn't like the heat and humidity of hot and humid summers.

For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/ethnobotanical-plant-pinus-koraiensis

• https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pinus+koraiensis

• https://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Pinus+koraiensis

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Siberian Stone Pine (Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica)

*These trees produce large edible seeds

Siberian Stone Pines produce a good sized edible seed, they can grow in areas with extreme winters, provide soil protecting benefits, medicinal foliage and a range of other gifts that benefit humans (throughout their potentially immense lifespan).

Cold Hardiness: 1 - 7

It is very tolerant of severe winter cold, hardy down to at least –60 °C, and also of wind exposure.

Native Range:

This sub-species occurs in Siberia from 58°E in the Ural Mountains east to 126°E in the Stanovoy Range in southern Sakha Republic, and from Igarka at 68°N in the lower Yenisei valley, south to 45°N in central Mongolia.

The native range of the Siberian pine, Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica, includes:

• Asia: Siberia, the Altai Mountains of Russia, eastern Kazakhstan, northern China, and central Mongolia

• Europe: The Urals and central Europe

The Siberian pine is a subspecies of the Swiss pine, but has slightly larger cones and three resin canals in its needles, compared to the Swiss pine's two. It can grow up to 120 ft tall, with a trunk diameter of about 4.5 ft. The Siberian pine's leaves, or needles, are deciduous and grow in bundles of five, extending 2-4 in long.

The Siberian pine grow naturally in a variety of habitats, including peat bogs, grassy plains, dry foothill slopes, and subalpine screes.

Longevity and growth form: 700 - 1200 years

• Size

  Can grow up to 30–40 meters tall and have a trunk diameter of 1.5 meters.

• Appearance

  Has a narrowly conical shape, but can have an ellipsoid crown when young. The bark is pale brown or gray-brown, and the branchlets are yellow or brownish yellow.

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

The ecological niche of Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica, also known as Siberian pine, includes:

• Climate: Grows in continental climates in the timberline of the alpine and subalpine zone. It can tolerate temperatures as low as -60°C in the winter and -6°C to -10°C in the summer.

• Elevation: Grows naturally at elevations of 1,200–2,300 meters (but can grow at lower elevations as well).

• Soil: Helps prevent soil erosion and avalanches.

• Food source: Provides a nutrient dense food source for humans, local wildlife and historically for indigenous peoples through its large, wingless seeds. The Eurasian nutcracker is the primary distributor of these seeds.

• Medicinal properties: The seeds of Pinus sibirica have a wide range of traditional medicinal properties.

• Biodiversity: Provides habitats for various species in mountain ecosystems.

Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica is also resistant to white pine blister rust, a fungal disease that has caused severe mortality in other white pines

and for those south of me looking to plant a food forest i`ll throw in the following tree profile as well..

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Piñon Pine (Pinus monophylla) aka single-leaf pinyon

Mature tree in the City of Rocks, Idaho [C.J. Earle, 2021.09.08]

The Pinon Pine tree is responsible for the creation and survival of the cultures that inhabited the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin and down to Mexico as early as 6,000 years ago (but likely way longer than this in reality) according to the archaeological findings of Pinon charcoal and nutshell remnants found in old cave dwellings (Lanner). This includes the Great Basin dwellers of Washo, Shoshone, Paiute and the southwest dwelling Hopi, Zuni, Pueblo, and Navajo and more. Bountiful Pinon shaped the creation stories, the physical objects of everyday life, and was the main source of food for Native peoples who dwelled on these lands, and still dwell on these lands. How each group and culture used and treated the plant varies according to location and time. There is no denying the importance of this tree, a fairly new inhabitant of the western deserts of the United States in geological time. (source -

Kelly Moody

)

*These trees produce large edible seeds

Cold Hardiness: 6-8

The singleleaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) is cold hardy to USDA Zone 6, which is an average annual minimum temperature of -10 to 0°F (-23.3 to -17.8°C):

• Hardiness zone: USDA Zone 6

• Cold hardiness limit -23.2°C to -17.8°C

Native Range:

The native range of the single-leaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla) is a semi-arid region that includes:

• United States: Southern and eastern California, Nevada, western Utah, southeastern Idaho, parts of Arizona and New Mexico

• Mexico: Northern Baja California

The single-leaf pinyon is the predominant tree species in the isolated mountain ranges of the Great Basin. It's often found in piñon-juniper woodlands, where it tends to grow at higher elevations, while the juniper grows at lower elevations. At high elevations, it commonly occurs with the bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva)

Beginning as early as 35,000 years ago in some locations (Lanner, Pinon Pine), and through many ice ages and warming spells Pinon moved up and down mountains, moved north and then back south towards Mexico and even reached close to the California coast near the SF bay at one point according to archaeological evidence. Before the Sierras formed creating an orographic weather effect where the moisture from the ocean got blocked by the physical height of the mountains and kept from the interior, the Great Basin actually contained Redwood trees now only confined to California and Oregon's coasts. The Pinon Juniper woodland moved into this space as the Great Basin's water dried up or drained to be held deep underground and filled the niche it knows best. It deals with tough climates where water is rare or sporadic. Yet, while usually traveling with some species of Juniper and Sagebrush , it can be found inhabiting spaces with all kinds of other plants on the ecological edges of many zones.

There are many other species of Pinon that scatter into southern Arizona, southern Texas and Mexico varying in needle numbers and cone sizes and often are endemic populations only known to grow in specific canyons or mountaintops. -

Kelly Moody

Longevity and growth form: 450- 800 years

• Growth

  The singleleaf pinyon is a slow-growing tree that can take 250–350 years to reach maturity. It can grow up to 12 meters tall.

• Cones

  The singleleaf pinyon begins producing cones at around 35 years old, and typically produces heavy crops of cones every 5–7 years. The cones take two summers to mature.

a small, multi-stemmed evergreen tree that's native to parts of western and southwestern North America:

• Height: 30 feet

• Spread: 20 feet

Habitat and Ecological Niche:

The ecological niche of the singleleaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla) is characterized by a variety of conditions, including:

• Climate

  The singleleaf pinyon can grow in more arid conditions than any other pine in the United States. It's drought tolerant and can grow in hot and dry locations.

• Soil

  The singleleaf pinyon grows best in well-drained, coarse-textured Mollisols. It's tolerant of high levels of calcium carbonate.

• Sunlight

  The singleleaf pinyon requires full sunlight to grow to its maximum height.

• Topography

  The singleleaf pinyon grows on a variety of terrains, including pediments, ridges, dry slopes, and alluvial fans. It's rarely found in valleys.

• Associated plants

  The singleleaf pinyon is a major component of the Pinyon-Juniper forest cover type, and is often found mixed with Utah juniper.

• Altitude

  The singleleaf pinyon grows at altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 2,300 meters, but can be found as low as 950 meters and as high as 2,900 meters.

The singleleaf pinyon is native to North America, and can be found in the following regions:

• Southernmost Idaho

• Western Utah

• Arizona

• Southwest New Mexico

• Nevada

• Eastern and southern California

• Northern Baja California

Colorado Pinyon – young

Colorado Pinyon – mature

As you will see below, Pine nuts are loaded with healthy fats, antioxidants, and are protective from heart disease.

Piñon pine

Piñon pine nuts

Pine sap is alcohol and oil soluble at best, and not so great as a tea. Unless of course you are gently brewing the needles into a tasty diaphoretic and Vitamin C rich hot drink. Internally, in addition to it's antimicrobial qualities capable of slowing and stopping infection on the inside, Pine sap is also an expectorant. It's slightly irritating quality breaks up stuck infection, ready to purge and renew the body as sickness exits. Each pine has a different personality when engaging our bodies in this way, and Pinon's way is no exception. The sap again can be infused in alcohol, honey, and vinegar, and even combined together thereafter for a wintertime cough syrup to add to medicinal teas. Pine resin, and again Pinon is no exception, has also been historically used as a glue and waterproofing agent for vessels, boats and baskets or as a non-stick agent on cooking utensils. It can also be used in combination with other plant materials to make a incense to be burned in habited or uninhabited spaces. source - Kelly Moody

pic by Kelly Moody from article linked below (source)

For more info on ancient indigenous Ethnobotanical uses of this species:

All things ethnobotany of Piñon Pine and some thoughts on ancestral connections to plants

• https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/ethnobotanical-plant-pinus-monophylla

• http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Pinus+monophylla

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Medicinal Gifts offered by Pine Trees to human beings:

Pine tree needles (as well as Douglas Fir and Eastern Hemlock needles) contain many beneficial constituents useful for the prevention of colds and flu such as Suramin, Alpha-Pinene, Beta-Pinene, Beta-Phellandrene, D-Limonene, Germacrene D, 3-Carene, Caryophyllene, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Eastern white pine needles also contain shikimic acid, the same molecule found in star anise herb used historically in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat plagues and respiratory illness.

What is Shikimic acid? Shikimic acid is an active constituent that works in the metabolism of plants. It is a pathway not found in animals. It is a 7 step route used by bacteria, fungi, algae, parasites and plants to synthesise specific amino acids. Including Phenylalanine, tyrosine and Tryptophan. We can not synthesise phenylalanine and tryptophan as they are essential amino acids and we need to get them from our diet. This pathway is responsible for the production of these amino acids plus vitamins E and K, folate cofactors and ubiquinone. It is a plant phytochemical that assists in platelet aggregation. Shikimic acid is utilised and the starting material for the synthesis of the antiviral class Oseltamivir which is the drug used against the H5N1 influenza virus and is used to treat and prevent all known strains of the influenza virus. Platelet aggregation is our body response when an agonist (interfering external source ie virus) provides a diagnostic patterning that results in different disorders of platelets which changes their function. Platelet aggregation and thrombosis are the key phenomena in atherosclerosis and Cardio Vascular Disease. Platelets stick to the damaged vessel wall to form a plaque, and then stick to each other (aggregate) and release adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2), which promote further aggregation. Shikimic acid is researched to prevent the platelet aggregation and I have attached an link here to an article which gives an excellent scientific explanation of how this active constituent works and should give you confidence in its effectiveness as an anti thrombotic agent.

Several compounds found in pine needles have been identified as a potential antidote to the current spike protein contagion resulting from the chimeric SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and the potential pathogenic transmission of the spike protein from the experimental mRNA injections.

Pine needles have been used by indigenous populations around the world as both food and medicine for thousands of years. Fresh pine needles from eastern white pine trees and other appropriate trees have been used for centuries as sources of vitamin C and other phytochemicals that Native Americans used to treat respiratory infections and other ailments. Vitamin C is a known cure for scurvy, as scurvy is a disease of vitamin C deficiency. Pine needles contain many other substances that appear to reduce platelet aggregation in the blood, potentially preventing blood clots that lead to strokes, heart attacks, and pulmonary embolism diagnoses.

In essence, Shikimic Acid contained in certain pine needles shows promise in being able to inactivate and neutralize the pathogenic activity of the spike proteins which are produced in the bodies of people who have received synthetic mRNA injections (bioweapons being fraudulently marketed as medicine).

A 2011 Korean study demonstrated using pine needles in tea was the best way to access the antioxidant benefits from pine needles. The study demonstrated that the hot water extract of pine needle proanthocyanidins and catechins offer the highest levels of antioxidant benefits compared with chemical extract processes.

There are other known medicinal benefits that pine needle tea and the tea made from other conifers share, which include: Analgesic, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Antiseptic, Antitumor, Antitussive, Antiviral, Aromatic, Astringent, Decongestant, Detoxifying, Disinfectant, Diuretic, Expectorant, Immuno-modulating, Improves circulation, Invigorating, Lymphatic, Relaxing, Relieves nervous exhaustion and fatigue and also Relieves sore muscles.

Restorative Tonic Medicinal Uses: Specific for respiratory and bronchial complaints, especially when wet and cold in nature. A tea of the needles, or the needles with thin twigs included, is said to be helpful in promoting expectoration and removal and thinning of mucous from the lungs. It was traditionally used for coughs, colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, croup. The needles are widely known to be extremely high in Vitamin C and are a great addition to a tea for the common cold or as a winter immunity tea. Once used to treat scurvy! They are actually reported to be 5x as high as oranges, per volume, in Vitamin C! A deficiency of Vitamin C can also negatively impact the adrenals, as well as the integrity of tissues in the body. Of course Vitamin C is heat sensitive, but it is so abundant in pine needles that steeping in hot water as a tea still provides a great source of this vitamin. The needles and twigs also make for a fabulous steam for congestion in the lungs.

The inner bark is the part that was offical to the Electics (the Herbal doctors of the late 1800's and early 1900's). and was considered to be very useful as an expectorant as well and can be decocted and sweetened with honey- best used after the infectious, feverish stage of a sickness has passed. The pea-sized piece of the pitch can also be chewed to promote expectoration. It is also considered to be a gently warming circulatory stimulant and I can be used to make bath salts. The fresh needles of white pine can be infused into salts for a warming winter bath, and also for general aches and pains. It is invigorating and enlivening in nature, and the ample essential oils are quite immune-activating too. You can add oil to the bath salts to make it into a salt scrub, which can be very immune-boosting, as it stimulates lymph flow.

Evergreens like white pine can also be used to create nice, warming, circulatory stimulants- using the essential oils. They can be employed externally in massage oils, salt and sugar scrubs, and bath salts for this use and there’s nothing like an evergreen hot toddy made with an elixir and honey to warm the body up!

On an energetic level these trees are said to lift the spirits. They are said to have a warming and slightly energizing disposition and, especially when enjoyed in the winter months, can help keep spirits bright during the darkest days of the year. I believe that when we work with the local plants growing abundantly around us we begin to attune to and harmonize with our local landscape, ecosystem, and its rhythms (via naturally occurring exomic RNA that modulate our epigenetic expression). In other words when you consume native plants you are 'tuning in' with the Earth and her subtleties, seasonal shifts and more.

The sap is considered by traditional healers to offer a whole host of topical applications including splinters, sores, boils, sore muscles and rheumatism, cuts and swellings and is sometimes mixed with fat for this. To remove woody debris and bark from collected pitch, gently heat on low and strain. Sap dissolves readily into warmed oils to be added to salves. It is said to contain “abietic resins” which stimulate topical circulation, inflammatory response and the “foreign body response”- meaning pus and fluids will build up much more quickly on a wound that is dressed with pine pitch. The other side of the coin is that one moves through the healing process much faster and avoids infection. It's quite important to note that the modern herbalists learned of the medicinal properties of this North American plant from indigenous peoples, including the Algonquin, Chippewa, Ojibwe, and likely many more.

𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀: Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Vitamin E (tocopherol- alpha and Tocopherol-gamma), Calcium, Copper, Selenium, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B-6, Folate, Choline, beta-Carotene, Beta-sitosterol, Tryptophan, Threonine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Valine, Glutamic acid, Glycine and fiber.

I was not able to find information on whether or not the seeds contain Shikimic Acid (as the foliage and bark does) but it seems likely to me that they would given a seed is a template for all those parts of the adult tree to form.

In addition to what was listed above, one serving of white pine seeds (28 grams) contains:

-169 milligrams of potassium (4% of the daily value)

-9 grams of protein (7% of the daily value)

-1 milligrams of thiamin (7% of the daily value)

-6 milligrams of iron (8% of the daily value)

-7 milligrams of vitamin E (9% of the daily value)

-8 milligrams of zinc (12% of the daily value)

-163 milligrams of phosphorus (16% of the daily value)

-71 milligrams of magnesium (18% of the daily value)

-3 micrograms of vitamin K (19% of the daily value)

Some of the Health benefits offered by eating Pine Seeds include:

1. Promoting heart health:

Pinolenic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid isolated exclusively in pine seed oils.

Pinolenic acid may help lower LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Rat studies have suggested that pinolenic acid causes the liver to take up and metabolize more LDL cholesterol from the blood

2. Enhancing Brain Health:

As stated above, Pine seeds are rich in iron, which is a mineral required for storing and transporting oxygen. However, iron is also important for brain health too.

Also, research shows that other nutrients in Pine seeds, like magnesium, can help treat anxiety, depression, and stress. One study proved that dietary intake of magnesium could help improve the condition of adolescents with depression and anxiety disorders. Higher levels of magnesium can lead to lesser emotional outbursts and other behaviors associated with mood disorders

3. Lowers Cancer Risk:

The cancer health benefits of Pine seeds can be attributed to their magnesium content. This mineral has been linked to a lower risk of various types of cancer. One study shows that a decrease in serum magnesium by 100 milligrams per day can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer risk by 24 percent. Therefore, increasing your blood magnesium levels may help to lower such risk.

4. Strengthening Bones

Calcium is well-known for its bone health benefits. Did you know, though, that vitamin K can help bones too? One study talks about how this vitamin can help in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. It not only increases bone mineral density but also reduces fracture rates.

And here’s something quite interesting. One very common reason for the deficiency of vitamin K is the intake of cholesterol-lowering pharmaceuticals. But when you take White Pine seeds, you may not need any cholesterol-lowering medication since the nuts have cholesterol-lowering potential, not to mention that they provide a rich source of vitamin K.

5. Boosts Immunity:

The manganese and zinc in Pine seeds can do a great job at boosting immune health. While the former helps maintain the body’s hormonal balance and strength of connective tissue, the latter boosts immunity and aids wound healing.

As per one report, additional zinc in the diet can help boost the immune system in older adults. Zinc is associated with an improvement in the function and number of T-cells, which are a type of white blood cells that destroy invading pathogens

6. Improves Vision Health:

Pine seeds contain a lot of lutein, which is an antioxidant also known as the eye vitamin. Several surveys have revealed that most Americans taking the Standard American Diet don’t consume adequate amounts of lutein.

There are about 600 carotenoids your body can utilize, of which only about 20 are transported to your eyes. Of these, only two are deposited in your eyes in large amounts. One is lutein, and the other is zeaxanthin. Both these nutrients help prevent macular degeneration and glaucoma by fighting free radical damage.

7. Enhances Skin And Hair Health:

High concentrations of various essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants make Pine seeds amazingly helpful for skin care. Vitamin E and antioxidants work to hold back the aging process. And thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, White Pine seed oil is very suitable for sensitive skin types. It nourishes the skin and protects it from various common conditions. Moreover, it also has great moisturizing effects on the skin.

Pine nut oil is well known for massage therapy because of its healing property, White Pine seed oil offers the same benefits. It helps to reduce a number of skin issues like itching, psoriasis, pimples, eczema, scabies, and sores. This nut oil gives the skin a revitalized and fresh look.

In addition, Pine seeds contain a high concentration of proteins. The protein content in the nuts protects the hair against damage and keeps it strong, healthy, and lustrous.

Pine and Spruce Pollen has over 200 bioactive compounds:

Including phytoandrogens, antioxidants, flavinoids, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals – including:

– Brassinosteroids: bio-idential DHEA and testosterone

– Glutathione

– 20+ Amino acids (complete profile)

– MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)

– Superoxide Dismutase (anti-inflammatory)

– Vitamins: C, D, E and B’s

– Calcium, magnesium, potassium, silicon, copper,

manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc

The pollen grain carries everything it needs for germination. 15% amino acids, 1-2% lipids-sterols, various polyphenols and antioxidants, including 2% flavonoids, myoinositol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, lignin, and various polysaccharides (complex sugars)—two of which are vital to immune health; arabinogalactan, and xylogalacturonan and on top of that boasts liver detoxifying agents like glutathione, MSM, SOD.

pine pollen

It also has vitamin D2/D3, magnesium, selenium, silicon, potassium, calcium, iron, strontium, phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine, manganese, and various other vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids such as L-dopa and Arginine that help with blood flow and the nitric-oxide cycle.

Pine pollen health benefits come from a huge number of bioactive molecules needed for germination.

Pine pollen also has five other potent plant hormone compounds, required for germanaiton burst: Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins, Ethylene, Abscisic acid- all with biological activity, such as; antiviral, anti-cancer, anabolic, pro-survival, stem cell/immune response activation, and anti-aging effects.

Compounds found in Pine needles and bark such as a-pinene offer potent medicinal benefits, some of which are described in the table below.

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History and Cultural Relevance of Pine Trees:

According to historical records, pine species, such as Abies alba Mill., Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold, and Pinus sylvestris L. are widely used in the world for different purposes.

Throughout human history, pine species have been used in traditional medicine for various ailments [3]. Ethnobotanical surveys carried out in different countries of Europe reported several medical uses of pine species, e.g., in the treatment of respiratory problems (e.g., colds, coughs) [4,5], skin diseases (e.g., abscesses, furuncles, and wounds) [6,7,8], and are also used as a vitamin source [9].

The knowledge and experience about the medicinal use of species from the Abies, Picea, and Pinus genera were gained over centuries and reported in written form in the official materia medica. In the work of Matthioli [10], the resin and oleum of Abies spp. and Picea abies have been regarded as curative emplastrum for wounds, verrucas, and as diuretics in the adjuvant treatment of minor urinary complaints. The cones, bark, seeds, and resin of Pinus spp. have been applied as Vinum medicinalum for fevers, colds, coughs, tuberculosis, urinary inflammation, toothaches, furuncles, as well as externally as emplastrum for wounds, blaze, burns, and lachrymation [10]. The resin of Picea abies has been described as emplastrum and unguentum to treat skin diseases and inhalation in coughs associated with the common cold [11].'

The data about the medicinal use of pine species have appeared in the Extra Pharmacopoeia, which gave details Pinus sylvestris in galenical formulations, such as enema, emulsion and liniment. The medicines derived from these trees are recommended for fever, lumbago, rheumatism, and as a mild stimulant inhalation in chronic laryngitis [12].

In the national pharmacopoeias of the Habsburg Empire and Austro-Hungarian Monarchy issued between the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 20th century, several official drugs were derived from Pinus sylvestris [13,14,15,16,17]. In the Pharmacopoeia Hungarica (editions I–VIII, 1871–2006) [18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25], the medicines of the Picea, Pinus, and Larix genera of the Pinaceae family were mentioned: resin (e.g., Emplastrum adhaesivum borussicum), essential oil (e.g., Oleum pini sylvestris pro inhalatione), and balsam of turpentine and turpentine oil (e.g., Terebinthinae communis liquatae et colatae). In the last (10th) edition of Romanian Pharmacopoeia, the volatile oil of Pinus mugo (Pini montanae aetheroleum) was discussed for its antiseptic effect [26]. At the beginning of the 21st century, the therapeutic significance of pine species gradually vanished, and currently, only Pinus sylvestris aetheroleum is officially listed in The European Pharmacopoeia [27].

A growing number of studies suggest that pine species have an important role in medicine. They have been investigated for antioxidant [28,29,30,31], anti-inflammatory [32,33,34], antibacterial [29,35], antiviral [36], anticancer, and cytotoxic activities [37,38,39]. Yang et al. [40] suggest that the crude extracts and some chemical constituents of the Pine species were found to possess antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antitussive activities. The species of the genus Pinus are reported for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties [41,42]. They can also be used in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases [41,43]. The antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the Picea species extracts were confirmed in several studies [44,45,46].

Traditional plant use has played a significant role in Transylvania (North-West Romania) [48]. Due to their isolation and insufficiency of official medical care, the inhabitants of several Transylvanian villages have valuable archaic knowledge of plants [49,50]. Comprehensive ethnobotanical research was carried out in the second part of the 20th century, mainly focusing on isolated settlements [51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58]. The recent ethnobotanical surveys focus primarily on the maintenance of the traditional harvesting methods, applied drugs, ethnomedicinal use of plants, and treating disorders in human and veterinary medicine [59,60,61,62,63,64,65]. Currently, the decline in the implementation of the traditional use of medicinal plants is caused by the alteration and degradation of the environment and more expanded availability of official medicines and modern pharmaceuticals in several regions of Romania. Moreover, the transmission of traditional knowledge from elderly people is also declining due to increased migration of the young generation to larger cities or abroad [64]. Nevertheless, several ethnic groups still preserve their ethnomedicinal heritage through home practices and oral transmission of their knowledge.

This tree is not only tall and majestic, but is an excellent source of medicine especially for the upcoming Winter months. It is considered a food source and is highly nutritious, but mostly used as a last resort starvation food by the First People of Turtle Island. The inner bark can be eaten and, both the bark and needles are high in Vitamin C. The nutritional value of White Pine was not widely known by the first European settlers when they arrived here and many of them died of scurvy in the forests below these Vitamin C filled trees. I have heard many variations of myths from the First People about the White Pine. It is commonly thought that word "Adirondack" means "bark eater". In a story by Abenaki elder Joseph Bruchac, he tells of a stand off between the Kanienkeha/Mohawk(gan-yun-GEH-ha) and the Abenaki's at Lake Champlain. The stand off went on long into the Winter and the supplies of food became scarce. The Kanienkeha warriors survived by eating the inner bark of the White Pine and the Abenaki used this activity to taunt them and called them "bark eaters".

The Haudenosaunee/Iroquois(Ho-deh-no-shaw-nee) named the Eastern White Pine The Great Tree of Peace. The Bear Clan Elder of the Mohawk, Tom Porter (Sakokewnionkwas,) tells the story of how this became so. It's the story of the Peacemaker who was born into a time of great war and destruction for the Iroquois people. Through his efforts peace came, and he used the image of the White Pine and its roots as a symbol of the peace treaty that had been created between the five nations. It is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever heard of the human capacity for cooperation, compassion and unity.

Words from the Peacemaker:

"I will plant the Great Tree of Peace. And it will be so tall that it will pierce the sky. And it will be the symbol of sharing, the symbol of brother- hood and the symbol of peace in the world. And the roots will be so big and they will be white, one to the north, the east, the south, and the west. And they will carry peace to the world. And those roots are white, so they can be noticed by all. And when people see the white roots, if they want peace, they can follow them. And they can make their mind know where the Tree of Peace was planted, in Onondaga country. And there they will seek to sit in peace, in the shade of the tree, with all of us Iroquois nations." Tom Porter from Iroquois Teachings as passed down through the oral tradition.

The following pages are from The Living Wisdom of Trees: A Guide to the Natural History, Symbolism and Healing Power of Trees by Fred Hageneder

The Ogham A: The Celtic ogham A stands for Ailm. Ailm means conifer – or Scot's Pine / Spruce / Silver Fir. In tree lore the conifers of Ailm are associated with healing, and a person's life work and divine purpose.

The following pages are from To Speak for the Trees: My Life's Journey from Ancient Celtic Wisdom to a Healing Vision of the Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Below are some pages from an excellent book called “The Healing Trees” (by Robbie Anderman) which pertain to the cultural relevant and ethnobotanical uses/medicinal benefits of eastern white pine.

Functions In The Wilderness and in the Food Forest:

Ecological Functions

bald eagle in white pine in spring

Pine trees provide many ecological functions, including:

• Habitat: Pine forests provide shelter and food for a wide range of wildlife, including birds, mammals, and insects.

  

  owl in pine tree

• Erosion control: Pine trees are hardy and can survive in most soil conditions, and their roots help to hold the soil in place.

• Water filtration: Pine forests contribute to water filtration.

• Carbon sequestration: Pine forests contribute to carbon sequestration.

• Ecosystem succession: Pine trees can facilitate ecosystem succession and the growth of other conifers.

• Pioneer species: Pine trees are pioneer species that can withstand harsh conditions, and have been used to reforest degraded landscapes.

• Sand dune stabilization: Pine trees can stabilize sand dunes.

Pine trees are also culturally significant in many cultures around the world, symbolizing longevity, resilience, and regeneration.

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Food Forest Primary Uses:

• Edible Nuts – raw or cooked. Considered a delicacy throughout the world!

• Nut Butter

• Flour – Seeds can be dried and ground into a flour; best when mixed with cereal flours.

• Medicine from foliage (tea, salves, extracts and medicinal broth)

• Edible Cones – young, very small cones can be cooked and ground into a powder to be used as a flavoring or flour adjunct. If the cone is large enough the center can be eaten after cooking.

Practical Uses:

Basket Weaving materials.

Fire starting materials.

Building materials.

Medicine.

Food.

Soil protection.

beauty.

shade for growing mushrooms underneath.

Secondary Uses:

• Ornamental Plant

• Windbreak Species – this plant can be used to block, or break the path, of wind.

• Scaffolding for vines – Pines make great natural scaffolding to vining plants that can grow in the unique soil conditions created by the pine needles. The Pine tree does not bear every year, and the cones are often harvested by hand from the tree, so undergrowth should be tolerated well. Also, since many Pines take a number of years to start producing, a short lived vine can grow on the maturing Pine tree for a few years as needed.

• Tea Plant – young needles can be steeped in hot water. This tea is high in vitamins A and C.

• Wildlife shelter – mainly birds and small mammals

• Wildlife food source – many animals will eat the seeds and fruit, especially birds and small mammals

• Drought plant – Pines are tolerant of drought once established, due in part to their large taproot

• Tan/green dye from the needles

• Source of tar, pitch, rosin, turpentine

The needles provide Excellent mulch material for established garden beds – One of the benefits is due to terpenes in the needles. Terpenes are chemical molecules said to retard germination. When you use ‘pine straw’ (pine needles as mulch) in established beds is contributes to the retardation of weed seeds. The pine needles also add nutrients to the soil as they decompose. It's sustainable. No trees are harvested to produce it. It promotes soil health. The soil breathes better, doesn't compact, and allows for better water infiltration with pine straw than with other mulches. Another benefit of using pine needles as mulch is they interlock as to prevent blowing away in the wind.

Restorative Tonic Medicinal Uses: Specific for respiratory and bronchial complaints, especially when wet and cold in nature. A tea of the needles, or the needles with thin twigs included, is said to be helpful in promoting expectoration and removal and thinning of mucous from the lungs. It was traditionally used for coughs, colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, croup. The needles are widely known to be extremely high in Vitamin C and are a great addition to a tea for the common cold or as a winter immunity tea. Once used to treat scurvy! They are actually reported to be 5x as high as oranges, per volume, in Vitamin C! A deficiency of Vitamin C can also negatively impact the adrenals, as well as the integrity of tissues in the body. Of course Vitamin C is heat sensitive, but it is so abundant in pine needles that steeping in hot water as a tea still provides a great source of this vitamin. The needles and twigs also make for a fabulous steam for congestion in the lungs.

The inner bark is the part that was offical to the Electics (the Herbal doctors of the late 1800's and early 1900's). and was considered to be very useful as an expectorant as well and can be decocted and sweetened with honey- best used after the infectious, feverish stage of a sickness has passed. The pea-sized piece of the pitch can also be chewed to promote expectoration. It is also considered to be a gently warming circulatory stimulant and I can be used to make bath salts. The fresh needles of white pine can be infused into salts for a warming winter bath, and also for general aches and pains. It is invigorating and enlivening in nature, and the ample essential oils are quite immune-activating too. You can add oil to the bath salts to make it into a salt scrub, which can be very immune-boosting, as it stimulates lymph flow.

The sap is considered by traditional healers to offer a whole host of topical applications including splinters, sores, boils, sore muscles and rheumatism, cuts and swellings and is sometimes mixed with fat for this. To remove woody debris and bark from collected pitch, gently heat on low and strain. Sap dissolves readily into warmed oils to be added to salves. It is said to contain “abietic resins” which stimulate topical circulation, inflammatory response and the “foreign body response”- meaning pus and fluids will build up much more quickly on a wound that is dressed with pine pitch. The other side of the coin is that one moves through the healing process much faster and avoids infection. It's quite important to note that the modern herbalists learned of the medicinal properties of this North American plant from indigenous peoples, including the Algonquin, Chippewa, Ojibwe, and likely many more.

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Seed Propagation:

All edible nut pine seeds need only cold stratification, except Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) and Siberian pine (P. sibirica), which require first warm and then cold stratification. Warm stratify seeds by mixing them with damp peat moss and storing the mix in a waterproof container such as a large freezer-type bag in a dark, temperature controlled location (68°-70°F) for 3 weeks. This ripens embryos that may be immature. Cold stratification consists of storing the seed and damp peat moss mix at a temperature between 33°-36°F until ready to plant. We normally plant the seeds in the first week of June.

I have used three-foot wide seedbeds for planting. Start seedbed preparation in the fall the year before planting by working mycorrhizal inoculant into the soil so the germinating seedlings can use it immediately. In the spring, work the seedbed up to 8 inches (12 cm) deep, then rake aside approximately 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) of soil where you will plant the seeds. Add more mycorrhizal inoculant to this removed soil while scattering the seed quite thickly, then cover with the freshly inoculated soil and water thoroughly. Damping-off is seldom a problem because of the inoculant.

The three-foot wide seedbed accommodates a simple wooden cover to protect the seed and germinated seedlings from rodents and birds. We make a rectangular box with 1 inch (3 cm) thick unfinished pine 12 inches high and 4 feet wide by 12 feet long (30 cm x 1.3 m x 4 m). We place it over the seedbed burying it 3 inches (8 cm) deep in the soil-the 12 inch height protects seedlings for 2 years of growth. We run 2 X 2 inch spruce the length of the box, with two more crosswise for support and cover it with a 1/4 inch (5 mm) galvanized wire mesh. Simple handles enable us to remove and replace it for periodic weeding. This size lets us plant a large amount of seed each year, though anyone could make the same covering sized to their needs.

Cultivation details:

Stone Pines (which produce large edible seeds) prefers full sun

Hemlock tolerate shade but seeds are small and food and medicine is largely attained from the foliage.

Pinus strobus, Pinus monticola, Pinus resinosa, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Larix, Tsuga canadensis, Tsuga heterophylla, Pinus Sylvestris, pinus koraensis, Pinus cembra (and Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica) and Pinus monophylla

Moisture:

• Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) moist, well-drained soil, but can tolerate a range of conditions

• Western White Pine (Pinus monticola) prefers moist, well-drained soil, but can tolerate a range of moisture levels

• Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) can tolerate a variety of moisture levels, but it prefers well-drained soil and can tolerate dry conditions

• Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, and will die in standing water.

• Larch (Larix) It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water

• Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) grows best on very moist sites

• Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) prefers moist to mesic soils and humid climates with frequent precipitation and fog during the growing season

• Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris) prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape.

• Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra) Prefers moist soils, but tolerates very dry soils once established

• Siberian Stone Pine (Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica) Prefers moist soils, but tolerates very dry soils once established

• Korean Nut Pine (Pinus koraiensis) – Prefers dry to moist soils

• Single-leaf Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla) Prefers dry to very dry soils

• Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) – Prefers moist soils, but tolerates very dry soils once established

• Mexican Pinyon (Pinus cembroides) – Prefers dry to moist soils

• Colorado Pinyon (Pinus edulis) – Prefers rather dry soils, but tolerates moist soils

pH:

• Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) 5.5 - 6.5

• Western White Pine (Pinus monticola) 4.5 - 6.8

• Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) 5.2 - 6.5

• Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) 5 - 6

• Larch (Larix) 4 - 7.8

• Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) 4 - 6.5

• Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) 4 - 6.3

• Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris) 4.5 - 6

• Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra) 5 - 7.4

• Siberian Stone Pine (Pinus cembra ssp. sibirica) 5.2 - 6.6

• Single-leaf Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla) 6 - 8

• Mexican Pinyon (Pinus cembroides): 5.1-7.0

• Colorado Pinyon (Pinus edulis): 6.1-7.0

• Korean Nut Pine (Pinus koraiensis): 5.1-7.0

• Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea): 5.1-7.5

Special Considerations for Growing:

• Pine roots really need to establish a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi to grow well. Inoculation is strongly recommended. This can be as simple as obtaining some soil from an established pine forest and mixing this into the compost in the hole the seedling is placed. There are places that sell specific inoculant for specific species of pines.

  All pine trees benefit from mycorrhizal fungi. Korean, Siberian, Swiss stone, Armand, and Siberian stone pine seeds will germinate, but the survival rate is very low to nil without inoculant. The inoculant basically produces hair-like fungi that attach to the feeder roots enabling the tree to absorb minerals and other essential elements from the soil. While developing our inoculants, we tried several from different regions of North America, but none worked in our area. These inoculants were adapted for these regions and worked where they were developed but failed in other regions.
  
  

• High elevation is considered a benefit for some pine nut production as several Pine Nut trees are found between an elevation of 6,000-8,500 feet (1,800-2,600 meters) above sea level. It is thought that the higher elevation moderates ambient air moisture and maintains stable humidity. It appears that nut production can still be high at lower elevations if the tree has relatively constant access to water through the Spring and Summer.

Propagation:
Typically from seed 4 -12 weeks of cold stratification improves germination rates. Due to their taproots, most pines are either best grown in air pruning beds or best planted into their permanent position as soon as possible (no more than 3 feet/90 centimeters). Some species can be propagate through cuttings.

Sources for pine seeds and seedlings:

• https://www.nuttrees.com/edible-nut-trees/edible-pine-nut-trees

• https://www.twisted-tree.net/seeds/korean-nut-pine

• https://northernfoodforest.ca/product/korean-pine/

• https://www.hardyfruittrees.ca/?s=pine

• https://www.balkep.org/pinus-koraiensis.html

• https://www.prairiehardynursery.ca/

• https://twiningvinegarden.com/shop/trees-shrubs/foliage/pinus-siberica-siberian-pine-russian-cedar-seeds/

more info on Establishing a Nut Orchard in Northern climates:

https://www.songonline.ca/establishing_orchard.htm

Harvesting Pine Nuts:
The cones will ripen at various times according to the species (P. pinea ripens in April, P. koraiensis ripens in September, P. edulis and P. cembroides ripen in October). However, ripening times will vary greatly on species and local climate/enviroment.

Pine nuts are ready for harvest about 10 days before the green cones begin to open. The cones are harvested with either long poles (often bamboo), long-handled pruners, or long-handled saws which knock the cones down or by a person who climbs the tree and harvests each cone by hand (the “piñero”). The harvested cones are placed in a bag (burlap is most common) and then exposed to heat (sunlight is most common). In about 20 days, the drying process causes the cone to fully open and the nuts can be extracted, usually by swinging the bag into a hard surface causing the cones to shatter and release the seed. It is possible, but difficult to harvest the seed from the ground after the cone opens on its own. Conversely, animals are very good at harvesting fallen nuts as a food source.

The nuts will need to be shelled after collected from the cone. This can be time consuming if done by hand with a hammer. There are commercial shellers available which are rather expensive. There are also a number of plans for do-it-yourself shellers available online. I have not attempted making or using these, so I cannot speak to their efficacy; however, I hope to do some experiments with them in the future. I will share that information as I get it.

For another perspective on harvesting the edible seeds with some additional botanical context:

Pine 'nuts' are actually seeds, as they come from the cone-bearing group of plants called gymnosperms (so basically all conifers), much older that common flowering plants. So they are seeds without a fruit, as a fruit is a mechanism used by flowering plants. I originally was going to write this piece to explain how to harvest Pinon pine nuts. I have a friend who harvests edulis in Colorado and primarily uses fire and the sun's heat to open the sticky cones and extract the nuts, also roasting the nuts in the process. He puts the closed cones in sacks and puts them next to a fire to encourage them to open and uses the sack to swing and bang the cones onto the ground to release the nuts. Friends who harvest in Nevada wait for the nuts to fall out of the cones and land on the ground, and they go through and pick the darkest colored nuts, for they are less likely to have a debunk nut inside. Others use extended arms much like my dad's 'pine cone picker-upper' except they use the contraption to reach up not down to get to the pine cones that are hard to get to hanging. The cones are then collected and the nuts are manually plucked out with sticks or butter knives, paying attention to the sandy colored ones that most likely are no good inside. Some people roast the nuts to expand the flavor and others do not. If you do choose to roast, the time is short and nuanced and it is not a multitasking scenario for fear of potentially scorched nuts. They are generally roasted in the shell, and this also melts off the pine sap residue often left on (so use a junk pan), hence why my nut cracking tends to come with a little bitter taste of resin, because I have not roasted mine this year. Also keep in mind that storing the Pine nuts out of their shell will greatly reduce their storage time, hence why they are often found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. So, you're better off to store them in their shells in sacks. -

Kelly Moody

Yield: 10-20 lbs (5-10 kg) is a large crop from an average tree.
Storage: Pine nuts can be stored for many years after dried.

Additional info on Pines and protecting endangered pine habitats offered in video format

• https://corbettreport.com/solutionswatch-pinetree/

  https://odysee.com/@corbettreport:0/solutionswatch-pinetree:c

For more info on protecting places like Algonquin against government and corporate greed: https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/news/ontarians-tell-government-stop-logging-algonquin-provincial-park

For more info on protecting old growth in the west with excellent photos:

https://www.tjwatt.com/blog/2024/11/28/my-tedxvictoria-talk-one-last-shot-to-protect-old-growth-forests-in-british-columbia

References:

• Antioxidant Potential of Bark Extracts from Boreal Forest Conifers https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665433/

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8222632/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500518/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8027044/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647905/

• https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/b81-287 From the study: “Green tissues offer high moisture content, vitamin C, folic acid, minerals and other biofactors. Teas, prepared by steeping or boiling leaves from conifers, served as refreshing drinks and a tonic of medicinal value..”

• https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003054689/traditional-plant-foods-canadian-indigenous-peoples-harriet-kuhnlein-nancy-turner

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10775384/

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9506106/

• https://tcpermaculture.com/site/2013/11/13/permaculture-plants-pine-trees-for-pine-nuts/

• https://www.acornherbschool.com/pine

• https://northernhomestead.com/growing-edible-pine-nut-trees/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8069155/

• From the Abstract: “Pinus needle tea are very popular in Eastern countries such as Japan, Russia, Korea, and China. Pine needle tea is claimed to have significant anti-aging effects, but no clear evidence has supported this until now. In the present study the results suggest the flavonoids are responsible for the potential anti-aging effects of pine needle tea.”
  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.98.2541.241 and https://www.karger.com/Article/PDF/228462

• https://therootcircle.com/blog/2018/4/28/getting-to-know-white-pine

• https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pseudotsuga+menziesii#:~:text=Edible%20Uses&text=Young%20shoot%20tips%20%2D%20used%20as,in%20vitamin%20C%5B183%5D.

• https://pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pinus+cembra+sibirica#:~:text=Pinus%20cembra%20sibirica%20is%20an,the%20seeds%20ripen%20in%20September.

• https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Douglas-Fir

• https://www.songonline.ca/library/articles/edible_pine_nuts_northern_climates.htm#:~:text=For%20the%20edible%20nut%20pines,from%20Zone%201%20to%208.

• Antioxidant activity and analysis of proanthocyanidins from pine needles:

  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7153330/

  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7827367/

• Shikimic acid as intermediary model for the production of drugs effective against influenza virus (2020):

  - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10482-014-0340-z

• Shikimic acid, a base compound for the formulation of swine/avian flu drug: along with its application as an antibacterial agent

  - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocd.14136

• Shikimic acid in the light of current knowledge:

  - https://www.dovepress.com/current-perspectives-on-applications-of-shikimic-and-aminoshikimic-aci-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-RRMC

• Current perspectives on applications of shikimic and aminoshikimic acids in pharmaceutical chemistry :

  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027869150900266X

• Anti-platelet and anti-thrombogenic effects of shikimic acid in sedentary population:

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27480079/

• Content Analysis of Shikimic Acid in the Masson Pine Needles and Antiplatelet-aggregating Activity:

  https://xueshu.baidu.com/usercenter/paper/show?paperid=2fd30a89868f16bc7c8527610814597c&sc_from=pingtai4&cmd=paper_forward&title=Content+Analysis+of+Shikimic+Acid+in+the+Masson+Pine+Needles+and+Antiplatelet-aggregating+Activity&wise=0

• Comparative Evaluation of Physicochemical Properties of Pine Needle Powders Prepared by Different Drying Methods:

  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500518/

• Quantitative Changes of Flavonol Glycosides from Pine Needles by Cultivar, Harvest Season, and Thermal Process:

  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8027044/

• “Effect of extracts from pine needle against oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis induced by hydroxyl radical via antioxidant activity” (2009):

  - https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-99513/v1_covered.pdf?c=1631846105

• "Structural basis for repurposing a 100-years-old drug suramin for treating COVID-19." (2020):

  - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.06.328336v1 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32513797/

• - https://www.nutriplanet.org/2014/05/5-reasons-to-eat-spruce-tips-8-ways-to-use-them/#:~:text=Spruce%20needles%20are%20exceptionally%20high,relieving%20coughs%20and%20sore%20throats.

• https://pinenutsyndrome.wordpress.com/pine-nut-species/

• - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7570650/

• - https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-011-0455-5_35

• - https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Concentration-of-shikimic-acid-in-spruce-needles_fig2_336003783

• - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/316/1/012048/pdf

• “Suramin Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Cell Culture by Interfering with Early Steps of the Replication Cycle” (2020):

  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7526844/

• Ten Health Benefits Of Pine Needle Tea:

  - https://familyhealthadvocacy.com/10-unbelievable-things-you-never-knew-about-pine-needle-tea/

• - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28461070/

• https://www.growforagecookferment.com/conifer-needle-recipes/

• Suramin inhibits Zika virus replication by interfering with virus attachment and release of infectious particles (2017):

  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41594-021-00570-0

• Henß, L. et al. Suramin is a potent inhibitor of Chikungunya and Ebola virus cell entry. Virol J 13, 149 (2016):

  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4185360/

• suramin identified as a clinical candidate for the treatment of EV71 infection—suramin inhibits EV71 infection in vitro and in vivo : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7294092/

• Suramin exposure alters cellular metabolism and mitochondrial energy production in African trypanosomes :

  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951423/

• Structural Bases of Norovirus RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase Inhibition by Novel Suramin-Related Compounds : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6362832/

• Repurposing suramin for the treatment of breast cancer lung metastasis : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3103726/

• Suramin Inhibits Renal Fibrosis in Chronic Kidney Disease - https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO199324457070772.page

• Mooon, Jeong-jo, Young-bok Han, and Jin-suk Kim. "Studies on antitumor effects of pine needles, Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc." Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 33, no. 4 (1993): 701-710:

  -https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16411766/

• Understanding the mechanism of the antimitogenic activity of suramin :

  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241895/

• You can read more about the history of Suramin – One of the active components of White Pine Needles here:

  -https://archives.simplelists.com/nfu/msg/16539359/

• Eastern White Pine Tree Needles: A Natural Source of Anti-Infective Compounds :

  -https://www.biologicalmedicineinstitute.com/post/eastern-white-pine-tree-needles-a-natural-source-of-suramin

• Betsholtz, Christer, Ann Johnsson, Carl-Henrik Heldin, and Bengt Westermark. "Efficient reversion of simian sarcoma virus-transformation and inhibition of growth factor-induced mitogenesis by suramin."

• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 83, no. 17 (1986): 6440-6444. - Coffey Jr, Robert J., Edward B. Leof, Gary D. Shipley, and Harold L. Moses. "Suramin inhibition of growth factor receptor binding and mitogenicity in AKR‐2B cells."

• Journal of cellular physiology 132, no. 1 (1987): 143-148. - Sartor, Oliver, Catherine A. McLellan, Charles E. Myers, and M. M. Borner. "Suramin rapidly alters cellular tyrosine phosphorylation in prostate cancer cell lines."

• The Journal of clinical investigation 90, no. 6 (1992): 2166-2174. - Hosang, Markus. "Suramin binds to platelet‐derived growth factor and inhibits its biological activity."

• Journal of cellular biochemistry 29, no. 3 (1985): 265-273 - Spigelman, Zachary, Amy Dowers, Susan Kennedy, Dennis DiSorbo, Michael O'Brien, Ronald Barr, and Ronald McCaffrey. "Antiproliferative effects of suramin on lymphoid cells."

• Cancer research 47, no. 17 (1987): 4694-4698. - Stein, C. A., R. V. LaRocca, R. Thomas, N. McAtee, and Charles E. Myers. "Suramin: an anticancer drug with a unique mechanism of action."

• Journal of Clinical Oncology 7, no. 4 (1989): 499-508. - Myers, Charles, Michael Cooper, Cy Stein, Renato LaRocca, M. M. Walther, Gary Weiss, Peter Choyke, Nancy Dawson, Seth Steinberg, and Margaret M. Uhrich. "Suramin: a novel growth factor antagonist with activity in hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer."

• Journal of clinical oncology 10, no. 6 (1992): 881-889. - Kartnig, Theodor, Franz Still, and Franz Reinthaler. "Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of young pine shoots (Picea abies L.)."

• Journal of ethnopharmacology 35, no. 2 (1991): 155-157.

  PINE POLLEN RESEARCH

  HUMAN TRIALS, ANIMAL MODEL, CELL BIOLOGY, AND BIOCHEMISTRY, RESEARCH WITH PINE POLLEN’S PHYTOANDROGENS AND HORMONES:

  –

• The Potential Effects and Use of Chinese Herbal Medicine Pine Pollen (Pinus pollen): A Bibliometric Analysis of Pharmacological and Clinical Studies (World J Tradit Chin Med. Shi-Bing Liang 2021 Jul 28.)

• Clinical study of chrome-rich pine pollen in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, (Fang Zhaohui, see Translation 2019)

  – Analysis of pharmacological effects and clinical application of pine pollen. (Sheng wise et al, 2018)

  – Effects of Pine Pollen Extract in Relieving Hot Flushes in Sex Hormone-Deficienct Rats. (Thisayakorn, 2017)

  – Androgenic and Anabolic Effects of Pinus tabulaeformis Carr Pollen in Clarias gariepinus. (Ausussto S Jr, 2017)

  – Plant Hormone Cytokinins for Modulating Human Aging and Age-Related Diseases. (Jiří Voller, 2017)

  – The Plant Hormone Abscisic Acid is a Prosurvival Factor in Human and Murine Megakaryocytes. (Malara A, 2017)

  – Immune-Enhancing Effects of Taishan Pinus massoniana Pollen Polysaccharides on DNA Vaccine Expressing Bordetella avium ompA (Fujie Zhu, 2016)

  – Effect of pine pollen extract on experimental chronic arthritis; (Axenov-Gribanov DV, 2016)

  – Analysis of human food safety and laxative function of pine pollen Wen Ping Jing, 2016)

  – The protective effects of Masson pine pollen aqueous extract on CCl4-induced oxidative damage of human hepatic cells. Jin X, 2015)

  – Characterization and Biological Activity of Taishan Pinus massoniana Pollen Polysaccharide In Vitro (Shifa Yang, 2015)

  – Actinobacteria possessing antimicrobial and antioxidant activities isolated from the pollen of scots pine; (Gen-Xiang Mao, 2012)

  – Antiaging Effect of Pine Pollen in Human Diploid Fibroblasts and in a Mouse Model Induced by D-Galactose (Gen-Xiang Mao, 2012)

  – Pine pollen inhibits cell apoptosis-related protein expression in the cerebral cortex of mice with arsenic poisoning, Yanhong Luo, 2012)

  – Mechanisms of natural brassinosteroid-induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. Steigerová J, Food Chem Toxicol. 2012)

  – Brassinosteroids inhibit in vitro angiogenesis in human endothelial cells (LucieRárová, 2012)

  – Brassinosteroids and analogs as neuroprotectors: Synthesis and structure–activity relationships Author (JihaneIsmaili, 2012)
  Rapid effects of novel phytoandrogen adjuvant therapy (PAT) onmetabolic health: a gender, age and BMI matched case-control study (Ong YC, 2011)

  – Anabolic effect of plant brassinosteroids. (Debora Esposito, 2011)

  – Oxidative activation of indole-3-acetic acids to cytotoxic species— a potential new role for plant auxins in cancer therapy. (Lisa K.Folkes, 2011)

  – Brassinosteroids cause cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of human breast cancer cells. (Steigerová, 2010)

  – Anti-fatigue Effects of Flavone in Pinus Massoniana Pollen on Mice (WU Jing-jing,2010)

  – Antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity of pine pollen extract in vitro. (Lee KH. (2009)

• – Model Induced by D-Galactose Pine pollen polly-sacchrided on reactive oxygen species,(Lee KH1,2009)

  – The phytohormone auxin induces G1 cell-cycle arrest of human tumor cells. (Ester K, 2009)

  – Allergenicity and cross-reactivity of pine pollen. (Gastaminza G, et al. ,2009)

  – Anticancer and antiproliferative activity of natural brassinosteroids (JanaMalíková, 2008)

  – Abscisic acid is an endogenous stimulator of release from human pancreatic islets with cyclic ADP ribose as second messenger. Bruzzone S, 2008)

  – Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of pine (Pinus densiflora) pollen extract. ( Wang YM, 2007)

  – Effects of pine pollen polysaccharide and its sulfate on the production of ROS in cardiomyocytes (Geng Yue, 2007)

  – Effective Components and Pharmacological Function of Pine Pollen (He Xiaoyan, 2007)

  – Chen Wei; Study on Extraction and Determination of Choline in Pine Pollen ( Li Ying ;2006)

  – Pine pollen hits cell defense Yan Zhenli, 2006)

  – Analysis of pine pollen by using FTIR, SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. (Guang Pu, 2005)

  – Interventional effects of pine pollen in rats with hyperplasia of prostate, (T. Cong, 2005)

  – Analysis of pharmacological effects and clinical application of pine pollen in combination with other Chinese patent formulas in clinical trials. (In benign prostatic hyperplasia: Wang Fuchang, 2004, and in primary hypertention, Hu Guocan et al 2005)

  – The mechanism and clinical application of pine pollen. (Zhao Lixin, 2004)

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old white pines and maples in northern Ontario

If you made it this far you are an exceptional human being that obviously has a passion and curiosity for learning about and working with the noble and beautiful tall rooted beings we call Pines. Thank you for coming on this adventure with me and I hope this information will inspire you to plant some pine trees on your property and interact with them reciprocally so that you can have access to medicine, food and beauty, and also so you can gift those things to future generations.

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The above post was the 18th installment of a series titled Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Apothecary as well as constituting the 5th installment of the Befriending The Boreal series.

You can learn more about these series in the links below

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I know times are tough for many right now due to government scams and oligarch chicanery deflating the value of our currency and exponentially increasing grocery/energy bill costs, so I am currently offering a limited time 50% off sale on Annual Paid Subscriptions to my newsletter.

I am doing this so that getting access to the heirloom seed bonus offer I describe in this post (which can be turned into exponentially increasing amounts of nutrient dense food and medicine year after year) is more affordable for those going through tough times and also so those that want to support my educational, ecological regeneration and heirloom seed protection endeavors can do so in a way that may be more manageable at this point in time.

Seven Sisters Seeds

The link to the 50% off annual paid sub sale can be found below:

https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/882a866a

The above annual paid subscription offer holiday heirloom seed bundle package that comes with each new annual paid subscriber can opt to receive. It is called the The Seven Sisters.

The ancient traditional Three Sisters Guild of Turtle Island’s horticulturally adept indigenous peoples has many variations based on the particular region, time frame and peoples applying the companion planting technique. This Seven Sisters version is one of the variations I have found to be great for producing a balanced nutrient dense diet of corn, beans and squash, while also simultaneously, attracting/nourishing native pollinators as well as beneficial predator insects with echinacea, anise hyssop, sunflowers and holy basil.

The ‘supplementary sisters’ not only feed our winged friends nectar (resulting in better pollination rates for our other crops and providing them a sanctuary to weather the manmade nectar deserts and killing chemical fields our native pollinators have to contend with due to Big Ag) they also each provide their own medicine and food for the human body. I also like to sometimes substitute either a tall Amaranth variety, or a tall sunflower variety for corn in the Three sisters guild (depending on soil, climate type, dietary goals/preferences and seed availability in a particular garden design) so I have lots of Hopi Red Amaranth and Hopi Black Sunflower seeds available should those who are receiving the seed set prefer those over corn.

I grow each of these in my garden not only for the nutrition, medicine and pollinator benefits but also because of the beauty these rooted beings bring into my life in the form of poetry for the senses. Thus, the Seven Sisters not only nourishes the body, mind, soil and local ecology, but also the soul.

Thus, these seeds offer many gifts to humans and non-humans to build up the gift economy in your yard, your community and in your heart.

I want to express a huge thanks to everyone that is helping support my work in preserving and sharing heirloom seeds like these through your generous donations as a paid subscriber.

The act of saving seed from your heirloom garden crops is an act of love and hope for tomorrow. Not only does this act save a person money and ensure food security for a person household (and local community) but, it also offers a person the unique sense of satisfaction that comes from the knowing that each successive year seeds are saved the varieties of seeds are becoming more genetically customized (via the natural processes inherent in seeds adapting) to flourish in the specific climate and soils they are being raised in.

Each time we save and share seeds (and share the resulting abundance of crops) we are taking steps towards divesting from/boycotting centralized food and monetary systems which are corrupt and do much harm to the Earth and our collective future.

Therefore, one of the the most powerful forms of peaceful resistance we can engage in these times of government overreach, pharmaceutical tyranny and corporate corruption begins with a handful of seeds and some tlc.

Mother earth has her arms outstretched and hands open inviting us to embrace her as our ancestors did to find strength and grace in challenging times through reciprocity and symbiosis. We can create oases of health, resilience, and abundance in each of our communities.. we can become the solution, break from dependence on centralized systems and help others to do the same. It begins with the soil and the seeds.

With the right knowledge, a little practice and some tlc you will be able to perpetuate the cycle of garden abundance, honor our ancestors, engage in reciprocity with Mother Earth and have extra crops and seeds to share with others, thus sending out regenerative ripple effects into the world around you and building up the Gift Economy where you live.

If we combine Regenerative Agroforestry (Food Forest design) with seed saving (and seed sharing) we can create such overwhelming abundance and resilience in each of our communities that we will no longer be susceptible to the economic warfare tactics of the plutocracy and we will plant the roots for a way of living that will render their centralized parasitic systems obsolete so we can one day leave them behind.

Such is the power of saving (and sharing) heirloom seeds, learning from the genius of Creator’s design that is embodied in a functioning ecosystem and investing in the living economy of the Earth with our hands and our hearts. This simple act is an investment that provides exponential gifts in one's life (and in one’s community).

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Give a person a basket full of fresh veggies and he can eat for a day, give a person a copy of Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table and a handful of heirloom seeds and they can not only feed themselves for a lifetime, but also send out ripple effects of abundance, resilience and hope into their local community (through sharing seeds and knowledge so others can do the same).

Given that I take the reader all the way from a handful of seeds, to planting them, tending, harvesting, preserving, composting, seed saving and perpetuating the cycle, Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table is an excellent gift as it is in essence a fractal seed that aligns with the inherent gift economics and regenerative capacity of the Earth. When planted within a fertile mind, that seed can unlock a great many gifts which are accessible throughout one’s entire lifetime.

Each copy of my book purchased between now and dec 24th will have heirloom seeds saved from my garden slipped between the pages so that the reader will not only have the knowledge but also the living seeds to get started investing in the living Gift Economy of the Earth.

For those that missed it, I am offering a limited time 40% discount on the digital (ebook) version of Recipes For Reciprocity : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table and a 20% discount on physical copies of my book (from now until December 24th).

The limited time offer discount code for both is:

the gift that keeps on giving