Common Name: |
Longleaf Pine |
Other Names: |
Pitch Pine, Southern Yellow Pine |
Botanical Name: |
Pinus palustris |
Genus: |
Pinus |
Family: |
Pinaceae |
Native Location: |
SE USA |
Cultivation: |
Well-drained, neutral to acid soil in sun. Pinus sylvestris thrives in both acid and alkaline soils. Pinus palustris tolerates drought and poor soil but needs warmth and humidity. Remove dead branches in winter. Restrict the leading shoots. Foliage may be damaged by adelgids, caterpillars of the pine-shoot moth, sawfly larvae, canker, dieback, Botrytis, and rust. Trees may be killed by honey fungus. |
Propagation: |
By seed sown in spring (species and varieties only); by layering (P. mugo Pumilio Group); by grafting in late winter (cultivars). |
Harvest: |
Leaves and young shoots are collected during the growing season and usually used fresh for decoctions and syrups (P. sylvestris). Resin is tapped by cutting vertical grooves in the bark and collecting the exudate; oil is distilled or solvent extracted from wood and bark (P. palustris). Oil is distilled from leaves (P. mugo Pumilio Group). Oils are processed into ointments, gels, emulsions, inhalants, and rubbing oils. Tar is distilled from roots (P. sylvestris). |
Height: |
30m (100ft) |
Width: |
5m (15ft) |
Hardiness: |
Z7-8 |
Parts Used: |
Oil (turpentine), resin (colophony, rosin) |
Properties: |
An aromatic, antiseptic herb that improves blood flow locally. |
Medicinal Uses: |
Externally for boils, ulcers, bronchitis, and ringworm (resin), rheumatism and muscular stiffness (oil, resin). |
Economic Uses: |
Oil is used as a solvent. Resin is used in varnishes, printing inks, sealing waxes, and for treating bows of stringed instruments. Oil is used in perfumery. |
Bibliography: |
Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited. pp 318-319 |