Winter’s Medicine
Spruce Tip & Rose Hip Tea
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February in my opinion is the dead of winter—at least here in Colorado. Not so much in terms of date, as we are getting closer to the spring solstice. But in that it feels like everything is crunchy, browned, and deeply underground or frozen. That is, except for the conifers. While most of the land sleeps or gestates deep underground, the conifers maintain providing food and medicine for us year round. And they provide JUST the exact medicine our bodies need most during this time of year—loads of vitamin C.
Conifers are a magnificent group of gymnosperm plants (cone-bearing plants that produce seeds without fruit or flowers) that are found on every single continent with the exception of Antarctica. Conifers hold the records for the world’s tallest, widest, oldest and largest trees. They include some incredible trees such as the Giant Sequoias of North America that can grow close to 400 feet tall, and the Bristlecone Pine that can live nearly 5,000 years. The earliest conifers in the fossil record date back to about 300 million years ago. And conifers appear to be one of just a few families that actually benefited from the Permian–Triassic extinction, “the Great Dying”, which sent 83% of all genera into extinction.
Conifers are evergreens, meaning they don’t lose their needles in winter. They are actually remarkable—many of them seasonally alter their biochemistry to make them more resistant to freezing. The great majority are trees, though a few are shrubs. Some types you might be familiar with include cedars, firs, cypresses, junipers, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews. Although the total number of species is relatively small, conifers are ecologically important. While tropical rainforests have more biodiversity, the immense conifer forests of the world represent the largest terrestrial carbon sink.
Their Story
For our ancestors, no matter where you have come from, trees have been particularly important sources of food and medicine, especially during the difficult winter months. On this continent, native peoples have been using pine needles and bark for thousands of years. The Iroquois tribes saw the pine tree as a symbol of peace, and burned pine wood as an incense to pacify ghosts and banish nightmares. Among tribes of the Great Basin and Plateau, pine trees were often associated with rain, and pine cones or wood were burned in hopes of changing the weather to be more favorable. In the Southwest, the piñon pine is considered sacred by some tribes; its sweet-smelling wood is burned as incense, and its pine gum is used as protection against witchcraft. Pine pitch and bark are also used as medicine herbs in many tribes, and pine nuts are an important food source for many Western tribes, particularly in California and the Southwest. Pine needles are also used in some traditional kinds of Native American basketry.
Pine needles purportedly have three to five times more vitamin C than an orange, depending on what source you read, but there’s no hard and fast rule for how much C is in a pine needle. Regardless of the exact percentage, pine needles and pine bark make an excellent natural vitamin C supplement and are at least potent enough to cure scurvy, a chronic condition caused by vitamin C deficiency.
One historical account relates early colonists in the northeast part of Turtle Island who were beginning to suffer from scurvy after months of nutritional deprivation at sea were cured when given a tea of pine needles and bark by the Iroquois in that area.
Medicine
There are many different species of conifers that are edible and medicinal, but please consult a guide book to make sure you are foraging for the right tree as there are a few that are toxic, most notably those in the Yew family. Around here, the most commonly used for medicine are Ponderosa Pine (with that most delicious butterscotch smell), Blue Spruce, and Douglas Fir.
Pine needles make a very pleasant tea just for the taste, but they have important medicinal functions as well. As noted already, they are super high in vitamin C. Additionally, they have a good amount of vitamin A, as well as many minerals and other antioxidants. They have a mild diuretic function and can be used for respiratory ailments, aiding in the elimination of congestion and mucus. There have been a number of studies done on the nutritional qualities and healing powers of pine needles and bark which indicate they might be helpful in cancer prevention, cardiovascular health, immune function, and that they might even be beneficial for dealing with anxiety and depression.
For me, I simply like the taste of pine needle tea and love the ability to connect with a bit of green during these dark and cold days of winter. It does seem to lift my spirits ✨
My favorite is to make a tea from Blue Spruce tips and Rose Hips. The mega super antioxidant most jam packed with vitamin C tea there might be!! Nature just knows exactly what we might need, when we need it most, and always she most graciously provides. If you’re curious to make this delicious tea and would like to learn more about harvesting Rose Hips, check out my Hunting for Rose Hips blog post to find out more about that part. Read on for more on pine needle harvest.
Some Precautions
Avoid pines that aren't really pines—meaning, make sure you are correctly identifying your trees with a good guidebook. And stay away from the highly toxic Yew (genus taxus).
Some sources warn of the possibility of abortion from drinking tea made with from pine needles. According to Green Deane Jordan of EatTheWeeds, pine needle tea drunk in moderation shouldn't cause any problems unless you're allergic to pine. Always exercise moderation though and use caution if you are pregnant.
A NOTE ON FORAGING:
It is a beautiful offering to forage herbs and plants. When we do this in a good way we are helping the plant to live out their life purpose, giving us their fruits to feed, nourish and sustain us. This being said, when you head out to harvest there are a couple of things that are good to be aware of.
Always ask permission from the plant to harvest and make an offering. Some people offer tobacco, some a strand of hair. I say, offer whatever it is that is sacred to you. Maybe a song, a prayer, or something you’ve made. It is a way to acknowledge the generosity of the plant and give a little something in gratitude for all that we receive from them.
Only take what you need and have a plan for. Know that what you harvest has an effect on the life of the plant and other animals around. Harvest in gratitude for what you need, and leave what you don’t.
Always leave enough for the plant to stay vibrant and reproduce for the coming year. A good rule of thumb is to never take the first, never take the last, only take what is given, and never take more than half.
Spruce Tip & Rose Hip Tea
You can make this tea with any one of the conifers that are growing in your area. I really enjoy the taste of Blue Spruce.
After connecting with and asking permission from the tree, just clip a little branchling off that is maybe about 4-6 inches long. For Ponderosa Pine, you’ll just pluck off needles from the cluster. Remove the needles and give them a little chop (this helps release the nutrient dense and flavorful oils). Put a small handful of the needles in your mug, along with another handful of rose hips. Then, fill your mug with boiling hot water and let steep at least 5-7 minutes.
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Voila!
You are now drinking love straight from the plants that our ancestors connected with and bringing some much needed vibrancy to these beautiful bodies during these dark days of winter.
Enjoy! And let me know how your winter foraging adventures go.