Uses for Pine Trees on the Permaculture Homestead

I’ve been waiting to write this post until the holiday season! Though pines are everywhere this time of year, they offer so much more than Christmas cheer. These trees are excellent contributors to a permaculture system!

Pines can be used for:
* Edible Nuts (pine nuts) eaten whole, raw, or cooked, ground in flour or nut butter*
* Edible Cones: some folks eat very young pine cones when small
* Firewood
* Lumber for carpentry, fencing, etc.
* Windbreak and privacy canopy tree
* Wildlife food and shelter source
* Drought tolerant tree species
* Tan/green dye from the needles
* Sap can be used for tar, pitch, turpentine, etc.
* Dropped needles are a great source for adding acid to garden beds and compost heaps
*An excellent companion for blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas, hosta, and other acid-loving plants
* Open branching system allows for climbing vines in a food forest system

The best varieties for pine nuts are:
* Mexican Pinyon (Pinus cembroides): Zone 5-8
* Colorado Pinyon (Pinus edulis): Zone 5-8
* Korean Nut Pine (Pinus koraiensis): Zone 3-7
* Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea): Zone 7-11

Here on the property we have a wide variety of mature pine and spruce trees. Do you use your pines for more than an ornamental tree?