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 Herbal
Glossary | Medicinal Glossary
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White Pine
Common Names Parts Usually UsedInner bark, young shoots, twigs, pitch, leaves Description of Plant(s) and CultureWhite pine is a large North American evergreen tree; reaches a height
of 150 feet or more, the tree is covered with deeply fissured, gray-brown
bark. Its branches are arranged in regular whorls. The soft bluish-green,
needle-like, linear leaves grow in clusters of five, the clusters
spirally arranged on the branches. The male flowers grow in axillary,
catkinlike cones, the female in slightly larger lateral or nearly
terminal cones. The slender, cylindrical seed cones are from 3-8 inches
long and are often curved. The winged seeds are brown, mottled with
black. Where FoundGrows from Newfoundland to Georgia mountains and central Iowa, west
to northern Illinois. Medicinal PropertiesExpectorant, demulcent Legends, Myths and StoriesThe Native Americans used white pine for making a bread from the ground-up bark. Long been used for lumber and wood pulp, the timber has been used
for ship masts, houses, other buildings. UsesThe inner bark off white pine is a remedy for coughs and congestion due to colds and bronchitis, flu, croup, laryngitis, as a tea or as an ingredient in cough syrup. Some Native American tribes used the inner bark or the sap as a poultice or dressing for wounds and sores. Pitch poulticed to "draw out" boils, draw embedded splinters, felons, abscesses, also used for rheumatism, broken bones, cuts, bruises, and inflammation. Twig tea used for kidney and lung ailments. Bark and/or leaf tea used for sore throats, poulticed for headaches. Combined with uva ursi (bearberry), marshmallow, and poplar bark, it is excellent for diabetes. A hot resin can be spread on a hot cloth and applied as you would
a mustard plaster for treating pneumonia,
sciatic pains, and general
muscular soreness. Formulas or DosagesInfusion: steep 1 tsp. inner bark or young shoots in 1 cup water. Take a mouthful at a time, as needed. Add a little honey for sweetening if desired. Tincture: a dose is from 2-10 drops in water. Mixture: steep 1 tsp. white pine inner bark and 1 tbsp. each
of wild cherry bark, sassafras bark, and American spikenard root in
1 pint of boiling water for 30 minutes. Take 1 tsp. every hour. How SoldA ready-made combination of pine with other herbs is available at
many herb shops, with the directions for use on the container.
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