Hello, I'm a new member to this forum, and I have been getting into bushcraft lately, today I went out and on my travels I found a pine tree (or what im sure is a pine tree). I know that pine needles are supposed to make a nice tea, and I am curious to try it. Anyway, I pulled some needles off the tree, and I noticed that the needles start as a singular brown 'sheathe' and then spreads into Two needles, about 4 inches long each, they done seem to have any pattern to how they grow, they just cover the whole end of the branch. Please, if anybody could let me know if I can go ahead and make some tea? T.I.A
Help with identification
- Thread starter VoxPopuli
- Start date
Hello, I am not using a computer or laptop, I'm using my tablet so I can't post images on here, I will send you an email as I can attach an image that way. One moment.
The needles look pretty much identical to the ones I have, but the branch I collected, the needles are much more abundant. I would say that there are about 20-30 pairs of needles just on the last inch of the branch I collected. I don't know if this is any help.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=2...2FNews%2520columns%2FDead.pines.htm;1200;1600
well I found it from this search !
well I found it from this search !
Trying to identify conifers in the UK is a nightmare, even if you have got them right in front of you. Without even a picture it is absolutely hopeless. There are only 4 native conifers, but there are well over 100 quite common introduced conifers, including loads of species of pine.
Well it is a pine, I can say with confidence, so you should be ok for making pine needle tea. As to which species, good luck with that...
Haha! So I can make pine needle tea, but I could also get poisoned while doing so. I think I'll give this one a miss until I can positively identify what I'm looking at! But thanks you for all the help guys, and sorry for the trouble, still really getting used to all of this. 
The two pines I saw most of in the UK were the Scots pine which has leaves in pairs like yours and the lodgepole which is mainly in forestry lots which also is in pairs.
I can;t speak for every pine tree but I aint never heard of a poisonous one yet.
I can;t speak for every pine tree but I aint never heard of a poisonous one yet.
I agree. I am not aware of any poisonous pines, or even pines whose needles would be hazardous to health if they are steeped in water.
