They’re also medicinal, which is a lovely bonus.Įxternally, pine needles are added into salves for skin care “because pine is astringent, it reduces pore size and fine wrinkles. 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. Pine needles are perhaps the most versatile part of the tree. They have a buttery flavor, which makes them especially good in cookies. Pine nuts are famous for their use in pesto, but really they’re useful in all manner of recipes, savory or sweet. I’ll be able to report back on their taste in about a decade or so…
Up here in zone 4 edible nut pines are not a great foraging option, but there is a species of Korean nut pine that’s hardy to zone 4. Worldwide there are roughly 20 species with large edible pine nuts, and most of those grow in warm climate areas. While all pines have edible seeds, most are too small to be worth the bother. You will, on the other hand, get bonus points for foraging your own or growing your own. Your mother likely eats them on occasion. They find their way into fancy foods, and you don’t really get extra forager points for eating them. The most obvious pine edible is the tasty nuts. Every part is useful including the bark, needles, resin, nuts, and cones. Most conifers are not only edible, they’re also medicinal. Watch the pine cones over time.A while back I took a winter foraging course at our local herbal school, and I was truly amazed at how many ways you can eat a pine tree.
Place the pine cones somewhere where they can dry inside. Which one closes faster? The one in the hot water bowl or cold water bowl?Īfter the pine cones close up, use a slotted spoon or other tool to remove the pine cones from the water. Watch carefully and you’ll see the pine cones begin to close. Does the pine cone float or sink? What else do you notice? Leave the pine cones in the water. (Ask an adult to help make sure it’s not too hot!) Fill the other bowl with cold water. Take a walk and gather at least two pine cones.Īt home, fill two bowls with water. If a good spot for the seed is available, a new pine tree will grow! However, there are many ways fertilized pine seeds can move from place to place. If the pollen reaches a female pine cone, this process is called pollination.Īfter pollination, and as time passes (usually about two to three years), the pollinated pine seeds grow and eventually peel loose and off of the cone and fall to the ground. The male cones release their pollen, which is carried around the air by blowing wind, and hopefully to another female pine cone on a different pine tree. Male pine cones produce pollen, which is like a powder. Each female pine cone has numerous spirally arranged scales, with two seeds on each fertile scale. They keep their seeds safe so the seeds can hopefully be pollinated and grow. They are soft and spongy.įemale pine cones use their woody structure to keep their seeds safe. Male pine cones do not make the hard-shelled woody case like the female pine cones do. This is because male pine cones are much smaller and live only for a short length of time, usually in the spring. When you imagine a pine cone, you are probably imagining a female pine cone with woody, spirally scales. This is to prevent the pollen from falling on the female cones of the same tree. Typically, the male cones, which produce pollen, are located on the lower branches of the tree. Usually, male and female pine cones are born on the same tree. They are how pine trees reproduce, or, in other words, make more trees.
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