Scots pine: how to identify it and what it gives a bushcrafter
Paul Kirtley's latest tree profile covers Scots pine, a species that is wild, wonderful and widespread across Eurasia. It is a good one to learn first.
To identify it, look for a tall straight trunk, branchless low down, with an open crown. Needles come two per bundle, blue-green and twisted, about 5 to 7 cm long, and smell sweetly resinous when crushed. Young bark is orange-pink and papery; on older trees the lower trunk is grey-brown and fissured while the upper trunk and branches stay orange-brown and flaky, which is the best cue from a distance. Cones are 5 to 8 cm and bluntly conical. Lookalikes include black pine (darker bark, longer needles), lodgepole pine (prickly cone scales) and red pine (needles 12 to 18 cm).
For bushcraft, the wood is resinous and burns fast with a bright flame. Straight, knot-free splits make good feather sticks and kindling, and resin-rich pieces are excellent tinder. Dead needle bundles still attached to twigs can boil a quick brew. Roots can serve as binding, needles steep into a vitamin C rich tea, and the inner bark was historically eaten by the Sámi, dried and pounded into flour. Bow-drill works only if the wood is bone dry and not too resinous.
He gives no dosage or safety guidance for the edible uses, so research those before trying them. I appreciate the reminder to cross-check several features, since lichen can hide bark colour.
Source: Paul Kirtley
To identify it, look for a tall straight trunk, branchless low down, with an open crown. Needles come two per bundle, blue-green and twisted, about 5 to 7 cm long, and smell sweetly resinous when crushed. Young bark is orange-pink and papery; on older trees the lower trunk is grey-brown and fissured while the upper trunk and branches stay orange-brown and flaky, which is the best cue from a distance. Cones are 5 to 8 cm and bluntly conical. Lookalikes include black pine (darker bark, longer needles), lodgepole pine (prickly cone scales) and red pine (needles 12 to 18 cm).
For bushcraft, the wood is resinous and burns fast with a bright flame. Straight, knot-free splits make good feather sticks and kindling, and resin-rich pieces are excellent tinder. Dead needle bundles still attached to twigs can boil a quick brew. Roots can serve as binding, needles steep into a vitamin C rich tea, and the inner bark was historically eaten by the Sámi, dried and pounded into flour. Bow-drill works only if the wood is bone dry and not too resinous.
He gives no dosage or safety guidance for the edible uses, so research those before trying them. I appreciate the reminder to cross-check several features, since lichen can hide bark colour.
Source: Paul Kirtley
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