Living off the Land

Linda Kay Baker

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The Southern Voice

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4 min read

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6 days ago

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Tulip Trees and Pine Trees Will Help You Live off the Land

Growing up, we gathered food from the wild. At that time, I did not know there was a name for what we did, but I have since learned it is called “foraging,” However, for this article, I will refer to it as gathering wild food.

The first thing you need to know is that when gathering wild food, you have to have the knowledge of what is good and what could kill you. This takes a lot of practice and experience. My mother taught me as her mother taught her. Knowing what you can eat is a valuable skill and provides you with survival principles and self-reliance.

The trees of Southern Appalachia, unlike most plants, share their resources year-round. There are many trees and plants that will help you survive. You must remember that in the winter, it is harder to identify trees because their leaves may be gone, so you really need to know how to identify a tree by its bark.

For this article, we will explore two (2) trees in my area and how to use them for food, medicine, and craft resources. If you plan to harvest for personal use, be sure you know what the bark, leaves, and flowers look like, as you do not want to harvest from a tree that will make you sick or even kill you.

First, we will look at the Tulip Tree. I have a large one in my backyard. It is in the Magnolia family of flowering trees and is not related to the tulip. One interesting fact about this tree is that it is the state tree of three states: Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Tulip Tree blooms are a main source of nectar for honeybees; they produce a dark, amber honey filled with antioxidants.

The Tulip Tree is used in many ways, and we will look at just a few. It is used as a folk remedy. We always gathered the tulip tree bark from downed limbs after storms or cut low-hanging branches because gathering it from the tree trunk could cause health problems for the tree.

The best time to harvest the bark is in the spring or fall when the sap is either rising or falling. Once you have stripped off the top bark you are left with the inner bark and this needs to be shredded into small, shorter pieces, a cold-water infusion follows, the inner bark needs to stay in the cold water for at least 12 hours. Inner bark tea is used for fevers and diarrhea, as a digestive aid, and for rheumatic pain. The tea is also good for washing an injury. You can also pour it on boils to try to get rid of them.

Chewing on the bark or a twig is said to have great effects on the heart and nervous system. It is a little bitter, so just keep that in mind. The inner bark can be used as a substitute for quinine for treating malaria.

If you have a headache, gather a few leaves and crush them in your hands. Then, lay the bruised leaves on your forehead to help relieve the pain. Bark and leaves have many other herbal uses. The root can be used as a lemon-like flavoring in drinks.

If you steam the bark in a pot of water, you will end up with gold-colored dye. The inner bark can be dried, and when dried, it can be pounded into flour for baking. The outer bark can be crafted into baskets and doll furniture, among other things.

One last thing: chewing the inner bark is said to function as an aphrodisiac.

The next tree we will be looking at is the pine tree. Pine nuts are edible and tasty. You can eat the inner bark too. Boil it in a pan of distilled or filtered water. As the water boils, the steam passes through the bark and vaporizes the essential oil.

Pine bark can also be dried and ground into flour. Rub the pine “flour” on your body and clothing to help hide your scent when you go hunting.

To make a noodle dish, boil long strips of the inner bark and cover your noodles with your favorite tomato sauce.

Pine needle tea can serve as an antiseptic, astringent, inflammatory, antioxidant, and expectorant and it is high in Vitamin C for colds, flu, coughs, and congestion.

If you have a rash or other skin condition, you may apply pine resin to help clear it up. If you warm the pine resin, the poultice will draw splinters and other foreign matter from the skin. The inner bark can be used as a bandage for cuts and scrapes.

Chew sap straight off the tree or make gum using beeswax, pine sap, and honey for sore throats and colds. If you need to be rescued, build a fire and put green pine boughs on top. This will generate enough white smoke to be seen for miles.

I am sure there are many crafts you can make from pinecones, but my favorite is making little turkeys for the Thanksgiving table. Use your imagination, decorate with paint, construction paper, and pipe cleaners, and make your own.

If you Learn to identify trees and how to use them for self-survival, you will appreciate trees more and become a better steward of our natural environment.