WHITE PINE
Pinus strobes
COMMON NAMES: Eastern white pine, soft pine, deal pine.
FEATURES: Pine is the common name of the largest and economically most important genus (Pinus) of the
pine family (Pinaceae). Of the ninety or more species of pines, thirty are native to North America,
distributed from north of Mexico to eastern, northern, and western states.
The outstanding characteristics of the genus are: mostly erect, much branched, twigs with long shoots
with scaled leaves, and dwarf branched, bearing long needles surrounded by scaled leaves at the base;
the leaves are either primary, solitary, scalelike, or spirally arranged, and usually deciduous some weeks
after their appearance. The unisexual flowers (cones, strobile) appear in the spring on the same tree.
Conifers often produce twin trees, resulting from the presence of more than one embryo in a single ovule.
Traditionally the genus Pinus is subdivided into two main groups: (1) the soft, or white, pines and (2) the
hard, or yellow, pines.
MEDICINAL PARTS: Inner bark, sprigs.
SOLVENT: Boiling water.
BODILY INFLUENCE: Expectorant.
USES: Pine trees played an important part in the domestic life of Native Americans. They used pine
needles for sewing, resins as cement, and the nuts as food and decoration. The use as medicine and food
is, to us, the most outstanding. Pine nuts were made into a paste consistency and added to soups for infants
and adults. They chewed the gum resin for sore throats; the same was also dried, powdered, and applied
to the throat with a swab. The resin and parts of some other plants, such as small twigs of juniper
(Juniperus osterosperma), were used as a tea for colds, rheumatism, tuberculosis, influenza, chronic
indigestion, kidney trouble, etc. The bark and new sprigs are useful as an expectorant, to modify quality
and quantity of mucous secretions, and to favor its removal in bronchial and catarrhal trouble,
rheumatism, scurvy, all chest affections, tonsilitis, laryngitis, croup, and the like.
It is best to combine 1 teaspoonful of each of the following with 2 teaspoons white pine and 1 pint of
water: wild cherry bark (Prunus serotina), sassafras (S. albidum) and spikenard (Aralia racemosa);
steep ½ hour; administer ½ teaspoonful to a mouthful every hour, depending on age and condition. Of use
in diabetes with bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), marshmallow (Althaea), and poplar bark
(Populuas tremuloides). Prepare as above and take 3–4 cupfuls daily; of the tincture, ½–1 fluidram.
EXTERNALLY: The heated resin is used as a dressing to draw out imbedded splinters or to bring boils to a