Pinus rigida
Mill.
Pitch pine, Rigidasonamu
(c) Michael Ellis, some rights reserved (CC BY)
(c) Michael Ellis, some rights reserved (CC BY)
(c) Michael Ellis, some rights reserved (CC BY)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Cones, Needles
A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of resins released from the pulpwood.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant.
Asia, Canada, Korea, North America, St Helena, USA,
How to Identify
A medium-growing evergreen tree reaching 15m tall by 7m wide, hardy to UK zone 4. Foliage persists year-round with seeds ripening January to February. Wind-pollinated and monoecious, it requires full sun and well-drained soil, tolerating poor soil and drought. Grows in light sandy or medium loamy soils with mildly acidic to neutral pH.
How to Grow
Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils. Plants can grow on almost sterile soils, rocky or sandy. Established plants tolerate drought. Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby reducing the amount of plants that can grow under the trees. Because of its tolerance of poor soils, the northern pitch pine is used in America for re-afforesting worn-out lands. It is planted on a small scale for timber in many European countries. Growth of young seedlings is slow, but from the age of about 5 years they are fairly fast growing with average annual increases in height of almost 30cm. Growth soon tails off in areas where the tree is not well suited. Most trees in Britain are found in S. England. The cones are 3 - 9cm long, they open and shed their seed whilst still attached to the tree and can persist on the tree for 10 years or more. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus. Sucker shoots are often produced from the trunk. This is the only species of pine known to produce suckers. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.
Propagation: Sow seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, or in late winter if necessary. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°C can improve germination of stored seed. Plant seedlings into their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them through their first winter or two. Because plants have a very sparse root system, early transplanting is important for good establishment. Trees should be moved to their final positions when small — between 30 and 90cm — though in practice planting out at around 5–10cm tall works well, provided a thorough weed-excluding mulch is used. Larger transplants establish poorly, putting on little growth for several years, which also compromises root development and wind resistance. Cuttings can be taken, but this method only works on trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot attached. Disbudding the shoots a few weeks before taking cuttings can improve success. Cuttings are generally slow to grow away.
Medicinal Uses
The turpentine derived from pine resin is antiseptic, diuretic, rubefacient, and vermifuge. Taken internally, it is a valuable remedy for kidney and bladder complaints, and is used both internally and as a rub or steam bath for rheumatic conditions. It also benefits the respiratory system, making it useful against diseases of the mucous membranes and complaints such as coughs, colds, influenza, and TB. Externally, it treats skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, and boils, and is applied as liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths, or inhalers.
Other Uses
A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles. The needles contain terpene, which is released by rain and negatively affects the germination of some plants, including wheat. Burning the leaves produces smoke that has been used to drive out fleas. The tree is a good source of resin, though it is not exploited commercially. Oleo-resins are present in all pine species but are often insufficient for economical extraction; they are obtained by tapping the trunk or by destructive distillation of the wood, with warmer-region trees giving higher yields. Turpentine makes up an average of 20% of the oleo-resin and is separated by distillation for use as a solvent, in varnish-making, and medicinally. The remaining rosin is used on violin bows and in sealing wax and varnish. Pitch from the resin is used for waterproofing and wood preservation. The knots are so resin-saturated that they resist rot, burn readily, and have been fitted to sticks to serve as torches. The wood is coarse-grained, light, soft, brittle, not strong, very durable, and resinous, weighing 32lb per cubic foot. It is used mainly for charcoal and fuel, and is occasionally sawn into lumber.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Pinus rigida, the pitch pine, is a small-to-medium-sized pine. It is native to eastern North America, primarily from central Maine south to Georgia and as far west as Kentucky. It is found in environments which other species would find unsuitable for growth, such as acidic, sandy, and low-nutrient soils.
References (1)
- Pemberton, R. W. & Lee, N. S., 1996, Wild Food Plants in South Korea: Market Presence, New Crops, and Exports to the United States. Economic Botany, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 57-70
