All plants /Tree /Loblolly Pine
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda, pine family. Abundant in East Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Green needles for tea; inner bark in survival use
- How
- Needles chopped and steeped
- When
- Year-round
- Where
- The dominant pine of East Texas
- Value
- Vitamin C
Caution: True-pine needle tea is safe and vitamin-rich, but pregnant women should avoid pine needle tea, and never use yew or other toxic evergreens: confirm a true pine. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Long needles in bundles of three and big scaly cones. The workhorse pine of the East Texas timber belt.
Uses
A handful of chopped green needles steeped (not boiled) makes a piney, citrusy tea high in vitamin C.
Photo: JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.