Simple Living With Nature

Grow Forage Cook Ferment logo
  • Grow
  • Forage
  • Cook
  • Ferment
  • Herbalism
  • Homestead
  • Start Here
  • Resources
  • Books
    • Healing Herbal Infusions
    • Wildcrafting Weeds
    • Simple Mead Making
    • Healing Kitchen Herbs
    • The Backyard Forest Garden
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact
  • Foraging Course
  • Subscribe!
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home » Herbalism » Herbal Remedies » Teas » Conifer Needle Tea with Pine, Fir or Spruce

Conifer Needle Tea with Pine, Fir or Spruce

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on December 20, 2021. Last updated on December 14, 2022

727 shares
  • 396
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Top picture is a clear glass mug of water with conifer needles and a cinnamon stick with a natural background of greens. Bottom picture is a top view of the mug with conifer needle tea, water with conifer needles, and a natural dark brown dirt in the background. In the middle is an olive green banner with white lettering saying "conifer needle tea" and below, "pine, fir, spruce, hemlock."

Making conifer needle tea is one of the best – and easiest – ways to use foraged conifer needles. Often called pine needle tea, this is a wonderful and simple way to use pine or other conifer needles medicinally. Ease your mind and heal your body with this delicious conifer tea!

a hand holding a clear mug of tea steeping with conifer needles and a cinnamon stick.

What is Conifer Needle Tea?

There are many edible and medicinal uses for foraged conifer needles, and making a tea out of them is a wonderful use of their powers.

Often called “pine needle tea,” this warming drink is simply made with foraged conifer needles steeped in boiling water in order to ingest this lovely flavored and health-beneficial tea.

The aromatics of this tea alone will help you feel calm and comforted, just like you’re walking through a forest.

The best part is, your health also benefits from drinking conifer tea! It’s truly a tea to heal your body and mind.

Related: 30+ Conifer Needle Recipes: Drinks, Desserts, Syrups, Balms & More!

Top view of a clear mug filled with water with fir needle twigs floating at the top, held by a hand on the right. Background is earthy colored dirt and some greens growing.

Types of Conifer Needles That Can be Used for Tea

Some common and edible types of conifer needles you can use for conifer needle tea are most pine, fir, and spruce species.

Most conifer and pine trees can be foraged year-round, so are perfect to gather during the fall and winter when other plants are sparse.

It’s important to properly identify any tree that you are wanting to use for tea or anything else.

The main conifer trees to avoid for consumption is the Yew family because they are highly toxic.

Find more in-depth information in these two posts: how to identify conifer trees and foraging for pine needles.

Feel confident correctly identifying and foraging conifer and pine needles with this guidebook.

a mug of pine needle tea with a cinnamon stick in the snow

Pine Needles to Use for Tea

Some great varieties of pine trees to use for tea are eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), western white pine (Pinus monticola), red pine (Pinus resinosa), and sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana).

While most species of pine needles are safe to use for tea, there are a few varieties that you may want to avoid, especially if you are pregnant.

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) are not recommended to be used internally by pregnant women as there is a chance that they could cause miscarriage in large doses.

That said, ponderosa pine has been used medicinally by Indigenous Americans for hundreds of years.

Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is another possibly mildly toxic conifer tree (it is definitely toxic to pets), but it is not actually a true pine.

Fir Needles to Use for Tea

As far as my research has shown, all fir trees have edible needles.

Some great fir species to use for tea are white fir (Abies concolor), grand fir (Abies grandis), noble fir (Abies procera), and balsam fir (Abies balsamea).

I will also say that Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga spp.), while not a true fir, is an excellent choice for tea making!

Try this recipe for fir needle forest chai for a different twist on fir needle tea!

A clear mug in a hand filled with water and fir needle sprigs, and a cinnamon stick at the bottom of the glass. The background is natural green and brown foliage.

Spruce Needles to Use for Tea

Again, as far as my research, all spruce trees have edible needles. In fact, spruce tips in the springtime are a wonderful treat! I love making spruce beer with them.

Some great spruce species to use for tea are blue spruce (Picea pungens), norway spruce (Picea abies), sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), and white spruce (Picea glauca).

Hemlock Needles to Use for Tea

Hemlock tree needles are edible and can also be used for tea, though not to be confused with poison hemlock which is a highly toxic plant and not a tree.

There are three common species of hemlock trees: western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), and mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana).

Other Conifer Needles for Tea

Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) needles can be used to make redwood tea!

I would avoid making tea from most cedars and junipers (but many juniper berries are ok to use) as many of them have toxic compounds if used internally in large amounts.

For any tree you’d like to use be sure to properly identify and check for edibility first!

How to Make Conifer Needle Tea

The first step is to correctly identify and forage conifer needles.

You will want to strip or snip the needles off the branch, and if they are really long (like many pines are), cut them into smaller pieces.

Place a spoonful of the needles at the bottom of a mug.

a mug with broken pine needles and a cinnamon stick in the snow

Pour boiling water over the needles and steep for about 5 minutes.

Feel free to use a tea strainer if you prefer!

top view of a mug of pine needle tea in the snow with white pine needles

For a stronger flavored tea, boil the prepared needles in a pot of water for a few minutes, and strain them out as you pour into your favorite mug.

This method makes a lovely strong tea, but it does diminish the vitamin C content some.

In either method, you can add a cinnamon stick for some extra warmth of flavor or a dollop of pine needle infused honey for added sweetness.

a hand holding a mug of pine needle tea with snow and pine needles in the background

Benefits of Conifer Needle Tea & Pine Needle Tea

Traditionally consumed throughout winter to keep scurvy away, this delicious piney-tasting tea will give you a good dose of vitamin C.

Most pine and conifer needles can be used as an expectorant for coughs, to relieve chest congestion, and respiratory ailments. For extra throat soothing, add some raw honey into this tea when needed.

Try my pine needle cough syrup which takes pine needle tea to the next level!

Conifer and pine needles also have pain-relieving and antibacterial properties, which adds to the magical essence of this tea.

The aromas and flavor of this delicious tea will comfort and warm you, heal your body, and relax your mind!

Clear glass tea mug filled with water and fir needle sprigs, with a cinnamon stick at the bottom. Natural background with greens and brown tree branches.

More Foraged Conifer Needle Recipes

  • Pine Needle Cough Syrup
  • Conifer Hot Toddy with Rose Hips and Ginger
  • Conifer Infused Oil for Body and Mind
  • Winter Spice Pine Soap Recipe
  • Conifer Needle Shortbread: Foraged Holiday Cookies
  • Conifer Infused Vodka for Winter Cocktails
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Conifer Needle Tea (Pine Needle Tea)

Making conifer needle tea is one of the best - and easiest - ways to use your foraged conifer needles. Also called pine needle tea, this is a wonderful and simple way to use pine or other conifer needles medicinally.
Course Drinks, Herbal Remedy
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 1kcal
Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Equipment

  • Tea strainer
  • Mug

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tbsp conifer needles pine, fir, spruce, or hemlock work best
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • water

Instructions

  • Prepare the conifer needles, rinse and snip to smaller size if necessary.
  • Place a spoonful of the needles into the bottom of the mug or into a tea ball or strainer. Add a cinnamon stick to the mug if desired.
  • Pour boiling water to fill the cup, and let steep for 5-10 minutes.

Notes

  • It’s important to properly identify any tree that you are wanting to use for tea to make sure that it is edible.
  • For a stronger flavored tea, boil the prepared needles in a pot of water for a few minutes, and strain them out as you pour into your favorite mug. This method makes a lovely strong tea, but it does diminish the vitamin C content some.

Nutrition

Calories: 1kcal

 

  • Join My Free Foraging & Herbalism Email Course!

  • This will also subscribe you to the Grow Forage Cook Ferment newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please see my Privacy Policy.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Previous Post: « Mushroom Cookies with Maple Icing and Candy Cap Mushrooms
Next Post: Immune Boosting Herbal Tea Blend »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ryan says

    February 9, 2023 at 8:37 am

    Great article, thanks for sharing your knowledge! Do you know of any recordable companies that sell Redwood Tea? I’m trying to find a trusted source.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      February 9, 2023 at 9:24 am

      I’m sorry, I don’t!

      Reply
  2. Megan says

    July 1, 2022 at 2:51 pm

    I did a different recipe by putting simmering whole pine needles for 7-10 minutes. It came out in a wonderful amber color! The taste was slightly tasteless and bitter but I added honey and it tasted geat!

    Reply
  3. KC says

    April 25, 2022 at 10:48 am

    Any info on Slash Pine…Pinus Elliottii

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      April 27, 2022 at 9:55 am

      I’m unfamiliar with that species, but a quick search says they are edible.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hello there! I’m Colleen.

I want to inspire you to live seasonally, become more self sufficient, and protect your health. I share information on foraging and wildcrafting, fermenting and preserving, cooking whole foods from scratch, permaculture gardening, and making herbal products. And that’s just the beginning! Learn more.

CBD

Browse my homemade CBD recipes & how-tos

My Books

Spring Favorites

purple dead nettle uses benefits look alike

Foraging for Purple Dead Nettle: an edible backyard weed

50+ Dandelion Recipes: Drinks, Sweets, Soap, Remedies + More!

Lilac Flower Infused Honey

Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey)

Popular Posts

How to Make Soap For Beginners + Calendula Soap Recipe

5 Easy to Identify Edible Mushrooms

10 Reasons to Grow Mint (Without Fear)

How to Make and Use Dandelion Salve

What to Forage in Spring: 20 Edible and Medicinal Plants and Fungi

how to make mead

How to Make a Gallon of Mead: A Simple Mead Recipe

How to Make Hard Cider: Homebrew it!

Fermented Honey Garlic

Mountain Rose Herbs
×

Join list.

More info

Footer

Explore

  • Grow
  • Forage
  • Cook
  • Ferment
  • Herbalism
  • Homestead

Learn To Forage

The gather + root online foraging course will help you to safely identify, harvest, and use common edible and medicinal plants with confidence.

Enroll Now

As Featured On

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Amazon Affiliate

Copyright © 2023 Grow Forage Cook Ferment & Cocos Creations LLC.

727 shares
  • 396