Practical
Plants

Pinus albicaulis

White-Bark Pine

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Pinus genus in the family Pinaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Pinaceae
Genus
Pinus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
20 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[10].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - raw or cooked[11]. They can also be ground into a powder and then used as a flavouring in soups etc or can be added to cereal flours when making bread, biscuits, cakes etc[11]. Large and sweetly-flavoured, the oil-rich seed is up to 9 x 7mm[8] and has a thick shell[18]. It has a pleasant slightly resinous flavour[K]. Eating the raw seeds in quantity can cause constipation[13]. Inner bark[4][6][13]. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood[8].

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Inner bark
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The turpentine obtained from the resin of all pine trees is antiseptic, diuretic, rubefacient and vermifuge[14]. It is a valuable remedy used internally in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints and is used both internally and as a rub and steam bath in the treatment of rheumatic affections[14]. It is also very beneficial to the respiratory system and so is useful in treating diseases of the mucous membranes and respiratory complaints such as coughs, colds, influenza and TB[14]. Externally it is a very beneficial treatment for a variety of skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, boils etc and is used in the form of liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths and inhalers[14].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles[5]. The needles contain a substance called terpene, this is released when rain washes over the needles and it has a negative effect on the germination of some plants, including wheat[9]. Oleo-resins are present in the tissues of all species of pines, but these are often not present in sufficient quantity to make their extraction economically worthwhile[15]. The resins are obtained by tapping the trunk, or by destructive distillation of the wood[14][15]. In general, trees from warmer areas of distribution give the higher yields[15]. Turpentine consists of an average of 20% of the oleo-resin[15] and is separated by distillation[14][15]. Turpentine has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for making varnish, medicinal etc[14]. Rosin is the substance left after turpentine is removed. This is used by violinists on their bows and also in making sealing wax, varnish etc[14]. Pitch can also be obtained from the resin and is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative etc. Wood - soft, light, coarse grained, brittle[18]. Used occasionally for fuel[12].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Herbicide
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Western N. America - British Columbia to California.
Habitat
Often found on rocky ridges and bluffs, it is reduced to a prostrate gnarled mat at the highest elevations and exposures, but the best specimens are found at lower elevations in sheltered canyons[12]
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 2+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, drought
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

It is best to sow the seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise in late winter. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°c can improve the germination of stored seed[16]. Plant seedlings out into their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them for their first winter or two[2]. Plants have a very sparse root system and the sooner they are planted into their permanent positions the better they will grow[K]. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm[8]. We actually plant them out when they are about 5 - 10cm tall. So long as they are given a very good weed-excluding mulch they establish very well[K]. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[8]. Cuttings. This method only works when taken from very young trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot. Disbudding the shoots some weeks before taking the cuttings can help. Cuttings are normally slow to grow away[17].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam in a sunny position[1][2]. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils[1]. Established plants tolerate drought[8]. Plants often colonise exposed mountain slopes in the wild, their root system anchoring them firmly[11]. A long-lived but slow-growing tree in the wild[12]. It grows well in Britain[17], coning regularly at Kew[2], but not doing so well in the milder parts of the country[3]. It is best suited for growing in northern areas at higher elevations[3]. Trees do not produce large numbers of cones but small numbers are formed annually[12]. The cones are up to 8cm long, they ripen in late summer and do not open on the tree but fall intact to the ground[17][18][8][11]. This species is the only N. American pine with this habit and it is thus considered to be a primitive species[11]. The seed is extracted by breaking up the soft scales of the cone[8]. Birds and mammals often open the cones and eat the seeds before they mature[1]. Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby inhibiting the growth of other plants below the tree[7]. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[8]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[8]. This species is closely related to P. flexilis[2], differing mainly in the cones[11]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. ? The Plantsman. Vol. 2. 1980 - 1981. Royal Horticultural Society 1980-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

  5. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  7. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10

  9. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩

  10. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩

  11. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  12. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  14. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  15. Howes. F. N. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Faber

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  16. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩

  17. Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X

    ↩1↩2↩3

  18. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2↩3

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