Pinus sylvestris 1:1 extract: Scots pine in liquid form
Scots pine has the widest natural range of any pine. It grows from Spain and Scotland through Scandinavia and deep into Siberia and northeast Asia, and the Changbai pine on the label points at that Asian end of the range, around the Changbai mountains on the border of China and Korea. The variety growing there, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, is set apart mainly by its longer needles of roughly four to twelve centimetres. The species is easy to recognise: needles sit in pairs, blue green and twisted along their length, while the bark is grey brown and fissured low down but flaky and orange red further up the trunk. On a warm day the air under such a tree smells spicy and resinous.
This extract is made from plant material of that pine. The 1:1 marking describes the concentration: roughly one gram of plant material per millilitre. A stronger extract such as 2.5:1 holds more than twice as much in the same millilitre, so this ratio stays close to the plant itself. The bottle holds 10 ml and comes with a dropper. In European herbal tradition it is mainly the young shoots and the needles of pine that have been used, and infusions of pine and spruce needles were drunk through the winter in the days when fresh fruit was scarce.
Dosing and use
Shake the bottle briefly and measure a few drops into a glass of water or a cup of tea, or take them under the tongue. The taste is resinous and sharp, so start small; you can always add another drop.
Storage and precautions
Keep the bottle cool, dry and dark, tightly closed and out of reach of young children. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication, talk to your doctor first. Avalon Magic Plants carries dozens of other 1:1 extracts in the same category, among them Valeriana officinalis, Matricaria chamomilla, Echinacea purpurea, Eucalyptus globulus and Urtica dioica.
