Why not befriend a tree and enjoy free, fresh, natural tea that will boost your body, mind and spirit.

When Trees Talk and the Forest Makes You the Perfect Cup of Tea

One day late in autumn, I was hanging laundry on the line when I felt something poke me in the side. I turned to look but I was alone. I continued with the job at hand until I felt another poke. This time I noticed a branch of a massive evergreen that I must have stepped towards.

I was thinking how odd it was that this had never happened before. After all, I had been hanging laundry all summer and standing in more or less the same spot. As I bent to pick up my laundry basket, the branch stroked my arm. Well, that was the last straw.

I looked up at that tree and said "Are you trying to tell me something?".

Speaking out loud to trees is totally normal right? If it had answered me, this would be a whole different story. Since the tree lacks the ability to speak out loud, I decided to ask google.

I Discovered That People Have Been Drinking Evergreens Forever.

The indigenous people of Canada have always known that these trees offer an incredible blend of invigorating properties. When explorer Jacques Cartier arrived in Canada in 1536, his crew were suffering from scurvy until the locals introduced them to pine tea. Presto! Health restored. Country invaded. Oops. 

A Powerhouse in a Cup. 

15 Ways Evergreen Tea Boosts Your Health and Wellness

For starters, pine and fir needles have up to 5 times more vitamin C than an orange. That explains why it cured scurvy, but all living plants and trees are made of a complex blend of chemicals. Pine and Fir trees happen to possess a particularly potent mixture that seems tailor made for the human body and spirit.  

For Your Body:

• Hair, and Skin Regeneration - vitamin A and C bless you with healthy skin
• Boosting Energy - vitamin C banishes fatigue
• The Common Cold - great for coughs, sore throat, chest congestion
•  Eyesight - thanks to vitamin A
• Cancer Prevention - slows cancer growth and is anti-tumor*
• Cardiovascular Health - takes care of your beautiful heart*
• Boosting Immune Function - fight illness and infection*
• Relief from varicose veins - thank you vitamin C

For Your Mind:

Studies have shown that evergreen tea is effective for:

• Anxiety*
• Depression*
• Dementia*

*Find links to studies on wildedible.com

For Your Spirit:

• Clarity - clarity allows us to see who we truly are, beyond a body and mind. We are each a singular spark being human.
• Calm - this tea will help you take a break from the busyness of being human to touch your center where calm self-awareness lies.
• Grounded - Like the trees that created your tea, you will find yourself feeling safe and secure as though you have grown roots reaching deep into the earth.
• Connection - the tree energy opens you to your own connection with the natural world

Evergreen tea is my bedtime drink of choice. As soon as I begin sipping my shoulders relax, I breath deeply and my mind begins to quiet. As bedtime rituals go, this beats all. 

Getting Tea Fresh From the Forest

I have to tell you, it blew my mind that I didn't know about evergreen tea. How is it that this isn't common knowledge? Why did a tree need to poke me repeatedly to bring it to my attention? The answer is simple. In order to make evergreen tea, you must use fresh evergreen needles. It does not come in a teabag, and you can't buy it in a store.

Instead you need to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and forage in the "wild". The trees I recommend grow prolifically across North Eastern North America. Don't worry, there are delicious evergreens to be found all over the continent and beyond.

Google will help you discover what grows in your area that is both yummy and healthy. You don't need to live in the forest either. They can be found in your backyard, local playground or schoolyard. Even city dwellers will find these beauties in parks or tree lined streets.

We all know that fresh veggies by far outweigh the canned, processed or even frozen versions for nutritional value. So get your evergreen needles right from the source. You'll need to get outdoors with a pair of clippers or scissors to find your free fresh produce. 

 How to Find the Right Trees

Although I am surrounded by a large variety of evergreens, I use only 2 kinds of needles to make tea. Obviously, one is the Balsam Fir with the pokey attitude, but I also use White Pine needles. Both are safe, flavourful and pack a punch of healthy benefits. Below is a short video I made so that you can distinguish these 2 beauties from other evergreens. 

Warning!

Not all evergreens are safe to consume. Some are downright poisonous. So be sure you have found the right tree! 

If you are still unsure, try using an app like vTree to make a positive ID.

Can't Find the Right Tree?

If you aren't sure that you've found the right tree, or haven't been able to spot one locally, there's an app for that. 

The iNaturalist app includes a searchable database (with maps) created by contributors everywhere. So you can pinpoint the locations of a specific species of tree in your area with just a few clicks. I needed rowan berries for making soap this fall, but my own tree was bare. What's a girl to do? A nature-science friend of mine revealed the magic that is iNaturalist and the app directed me to a churchyard in the city where I happily harvested berries.  

How To Make Evergreen Tea

You only need a small amount of needles for a single cup of tea, but branches can be clipped and kept in water for weeks without losing freshness. That's good news for those of you who may not have the right tree close by. Imagine the lovely scent of pine and fir wafting from your small bouquet. Please take only what you can use to avoid over taxing these generous trees. It's a nice way to show your respect and appreciation. 

Making your evergreen tea is as easy as submerging your needles in very hot, but not boiling water. Let it infuse for 5 minutes, strain the tea into a cup and add a sweetener if you like. 

A one inch long piece of balsam and/or a small handful of pine needles does the trick. 

Get Creative With Flavour

For a real treat, try adding evergreen to your favourite herbal tea. I often use my clover tea blend (here's the recipe) and the result is the best herbal tea I have ever tasted. Even my sister, who dislikes herbal teas, always comments on the fabulous scent. Lately I have been keeping it simple by sprinkling just a bit of mint in with the greens, but get creative with it! 

The Bonus of Forest Bathing

"Historians also believe that Taoist priests have consumed pine needle tea for centuries for its healing properties and because they believed it slowed the aging process" - offthegridnews.com

I bet those Taoist priests were right! While fact-checking for this post I came across a great article about "Forest Bathing" on Time.com. It seems that just spending time among trees while opening up your senses can completely rejuvenate you. (‘Forest Bathing’ Is Great for Your Health. Here’s How to Do It)

Spend Some Time "Forest Bathing" and Bring Home the Best Tea You've Ever Had 

Evergreen tea can and will give you a much needed boost in the midst of a winter laced with the stress of an ongoing pandemic, political unrest and other unfolding dramas. Why not let the natural world ease you into a peaceful, healthy state of being? It's a gift right on your doorstep. Did I mention that it tastes amazing? I'll be drinking my daily dose of wellbeing all winter long. I hope you will too.