Pine: Medicinal Properties

The Pine has many medicinal properties along with being a wild edible.

Uses: A valuable remedy in bladder, kidney, and rheumatic affections and diseases of the mucous membrane and respiratory complaints such as Bronchitis, Colds, Cough, Peptic ulcer and Tuberculosis.

Pitch (sap, resin) poulticed to “draw out” boils, draw embedded splinters, felons, abscesses, also used for rheumatism, broken bones, cuts, bruises, and inflammation.

Identification: Evergreen tree, cone-bearing. Needles vary in length, usually long and slender occurring along the twigs. Bundles of 2 to 5 needles are common. Two-needle clusters indicate a red pine tree, three indicate a yellow pine and five indicate a white pine.

Infusion: The needles and young twigs of the white pine are used for coughs and as an antiscorbutic; use two teaspoons per cup of water and simmer for twenty minutes. Chop needles into smaller pieces. Bruise or smash the needles to let some of the essential oils out when the hot water hits it.

Massage Oils.The oil is used externally to relieve rheumatic pain, chronic bronchitis, sciatica, pneumonia, and nephritis. Simply cover the needles with a good quality olive oil and simmer at low heat for twenty minutes, or place in a low (180°) oven overnight. The resin heals the kidneys, liver and lungs. The scent is calming to the lungs and nerves.

I'm certainly not a doctor. These are just some natural remedies people can utilize if ever in a survival situation.

S&F Natural remedies are always good to know. Especially with big pharma more interested in keeping us sick than in making us well.

Pine is an antiseptic, antibiotic, and antiviral plant. From memory it was also used as one of the purifying/banishing plants by the Native Americans, but I could be wrong about that.