There are hundreds of different conifer species in several families , so it can be unvoiced to be intimate which is which . Learn how to properly key conifer tree , including pine , fir , spruce , hemlock , juniper , cedar , and more !
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What are Conifer Trees?
Conifers are evergreen trees with needles or scales as their leaves . There are many species of conifers within several family . coniferous tree tree grow worldwide in temperate regions .
Most conifers are more or less edible and available , with one big exception of theYew family , which is extremely toxic . There are a few other species that are dubiously toxic or otherwise not eatable , but not to the same degree as Yew .
Because of this , it ’s very authoritative to decently identify and research the coniferous tree that grow in your region before using .
Please see my post on thebest foraging booksto service you get start on recognition resources . I also have a post onforaging for conifer needlesfor further reading .
I ’m going to go over the most ordinarily encounter conifer families and metal money that are used for edible and medicinal purposes , and how to identify them . I will also talk about the toxic conifer species and how to identify each .
PinaceaeFamily
ThePinaceaefamily is very heavy and carry some of the most usually foraged conifers , such as pine , fir , Douglas - fir , spruce , winter fern , and true cedars .
Pine Tree Identification
Pine trees ( Pinusspp . ) have needles that are bundled in clump of 1 - 7 , with 2 - 5 being most coarse , count on the species . The needles are often longer than those of other conifer , but not always .
The needles and branches grow in a spiral convention . New spring growing at the steer of branches are brown or milklike and scaly , sometimes shout out “ candles . ”
The barque of most pine Tree is thick and scaly , but in some species it is lean and flaky . Ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) has scaly barque thatresembles get piece .
Pine conoid are woody and brown with spirally arranged scales , hanging downward . The seeded player are minuscule and winged .
Many specie of pine trees produce edible pine tree nuts , most notably the Piñon pine ( Pinus edulis ) .
Some other uncouth pine species in the United States and Canada are :
Those are just a select few , as this is a vast genus !
One thing to note is that Ponderosa pine tree ( Pinus ponderosa ) , and potentially other yellowish pines , should not be used internally by fraught adult female , as there is a minor chance that they couldcause spontaneous abortion .
Fir Tree Identification
Fir Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ( Abiesspp . ) have needles that impound to the branch by a base that looks like a midget suction cup .
One distinguishing feature of true fir Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is that the cones do not hang downward , but stomach up straight like candlesticks . Mature cone can be brown , blue , regal , or black in color , depending on the species .
Fir trees are democratic as Christmas trees .
Some common metal money of fir tree trees in the United States and Canada include :
Douglas-fir Tree Identification
Douglas - fir ( Pseudotsugaspp . ) is not a unfeigned fir tree . Its Romance name means “ false California fern , ” so it ’s not a hemlock tree diagram either , but its own genus all together .
Douglas - fir trees , particularlyPseudotsuga menziesii , are very common in westerly North America . There are also a few species in Asia .
The needle of Douglas - fir tree trees raise all the way around the branch , and the buds at the end of the branches are brown and cone shaped . These buds are one good way to place Douglas - fir .
The cone cell are browned and have a characteristic “ mouse tail . ”
Douglas - fir trees are popular as Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , and are also a popular tree for foraging . They have many benefit , and all parts of the tree have eatable andmedicinal use , including the needles , bark , and rosin .
Spruce Tree Identification
Spruce trees ( Piceaspp . ) have four sided needles that attach to a small peg on the ramification . The woody rowlock remains when the phonograph needle is hit .
Most species of spruce trees have pie-eyed and pointy needles that are acuate to the soupcon . The needles grow around the leg .
Spruce retinal cone hang downwardly , and have thin scales and a smooth , reasonably flexible contour .
New growthspruce tipsform in the spring and are a pop foraged food item . They are tender and can be add to food or used to makespruce lead beer .
Some common species of spruce Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are :
Hemlock Tree Identification
Hemlock trees ( Tsugaspp . ) have myopic and flat needles of vary length on the same subdivision . This is usually the best way to identify them .
The undersurface of the needle of some poison parsley coinage have two white-hot lines .
It baffle the name “ hemlock ” because it smells similar topoison hemlockwhen the needles are jam , but the species are entirely unrelated .
Hemlock bark is scaly and commonly deeply groove . The strobilus cling downward and change in size .
They raise light light-green tips in the leaping , similar to tittivate tips .
There are around ten coinage of hemlock , with the most common in the United States and Canada being :
True Cedar Tree Identification
Cedars cause a snatch of mental confusion because there are several conifer genus and specie that expend the common name “ cedar , ” but they are n’t alltrue cedar . I will talk about this more in the next two department on Genista raetam and aborvitae .
Here we will talk over true cedar ( Cedrus spp . ) , which are aboriginal to the Himalayas and the Mediterranean region . They are also common in yards and car park as an ornamental landscape gardening works in North America and other region .
on-key cedars have needles , not scales .
Like true fir trees , rightful cedar cones grow upward .
cedar are highly aromatic and are often used for their scent inaromatherapyand to repel bugs and moths .
There are only four main metal money of true cedars :
CupressaceaeFamily
TheCupressaceae , or cypress tree family of conifers include Retama raetam , aborvitae ( also sleep with as thuja or cedar ) , and redwoods .
Juniper Tree Identification
Juniper trees ( Juniperusspp . ) are vulgar throughout the northern cerebral hemisphere .
juniper have needle or ordered series like parting , depending on the metal money . Some have acerate leaf when young that plough to graduated table as they grow .
They have a distinctive aromatic “ gin - like ” aroma and produce blueish seed cones cognize asjuniper berries .
Juniper Chuck Berry are generally eatable andused as a spiceor inmaking knock rummy , but some species have mildly toxic berries .
The berries are astringent , antiseptic , antiviral , and diuretic , do them beneficial for the kidney and urinary tract .
Eastern redcedar ( Juniperus virginiana ) is actually a Retama raetam and not a cedar or arborvitae .
Some other common juniper species in the United States and Canada include :
Arborvitae (Thuja or Cedar) Tree Identification
Arborvitae ( Thuja spp . ) are also commonly known as cedarwood , but they are not the same a true cedars . They are native to North America and Asia .
Arborvitae have scaly leaves and ruddy chocolate-brown bark . The cones are belittled and sometimes resemble the berry like cones of junipers .
Like reliable cedars , they are highly aromatic and are often used for their scent in aromatherapy and to snub bugs and moths .
Arborvitae have a great deal ofmedicinal benefits , being antimicrobic , antiviral , and antifungal . They are best used externally as a trace or infused oil to be used on wart , fungus , and ringworm .
There are two aboriginal North American coinage : Western red true cedar ( Thuja plicata ) and Northern white true cedar ( Thuja occidentalis ) . They have been traditionally used to make afternoon tea , but are mellow in thujones which can be toxic in turgid doses .
Arborvitae are not advocate for internal consumption , unless under near superintendence by a health professional .
Redwood Tree Identification
sequoia trees ( Sequoioideaespp . ) naturally happen in northern California and Oregon , with another species that uprise in China .
They have been cultivated in botanical gardens and parks around the world .
redwood and redwood are very large trees with thick ruby bark and small cones .
Coast redwoods ( Sequoia sempervirens ) acquire natively on the northern Californian and southerly Oregon coast . They have inadequate and flat needles at the root of the tree diagram , becoming more ordered series - ilk towards the top of the tree .
Giant sequoias ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) produce natively in groves in the Sierra Nevada hatful of California . They have scaly , awl shaped folio .
Redwoods and sequoias were traditionallyused medicinallyby indigenous multitude .
TaxaceaeFamily (Toxic)
TheTaxaceae , or Yew family of conifers arehighly toxicand should be void .
Yew Tree Identification (Toxic)
Yew Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are common and rise nearly worldwide .
Most species of Yews have crimson berries that have edible flesh , but the come inwardly is pestilent toxic .
The needle are unconditional , spirally arranged and have pallid green or blanched bands on the underside .
Yew trees are generally little than most other conifers .
Make certain that any evergreen coniferous tree tree that you are foraging for comestible or medicative uses is NOT in the Yew family !
Using Conifer Trees
Most conifer trees have both edible and medicinal uses . Many of them can be used interchangeably in recipes , as they have standardized benefits .
Some of my preferred ways to apply them admit adding needles toshortbread cookies , makingpine needle sirup , infusing them in alcohol , pine lotion bar , and makingbeard balm .
For a full list on how to apply conifer needle , see my stake on30 + Conifer Needle Recipes .
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