Pine Resin and Needles: From Coughs to Connection

Nov 19, 2025

In this engaging discussion, herbalist Liz Neves, author of Northeast Medicinal Plants, explores the multifaceted benefits of pine. She shares how pine can alleviate grief and improve breathing, unveiling its physical and emotional healing properties. Liz recounts her journey from the corporate world to herbalism and dives into crafting with pine, including infusion techniques and basket-making. Surprisingly, she also touches on animal interactions and even the inventive use of porcupine droppings. Tune in for a treasure trove of herbal wisdom!

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INSIGHT

Pine Evokes Clarity And Peace

Pine evokes clarity and peace through its scent and presence, which affects breath and emotional states.
Trees create aerosols and microclimates that influence human physiology and mood.

ANECDOTE

Tree Hug During Grief Brought Calm

Rosalee described sitting against a grandmother ponderosa pine during deep grief and finding profound peace and perspective.
Focusing on the bark's detail helped shift her from circular thinking into calm presence.

INSIGHT

Pine Carries Layered Cultural Meanings

Pine symbolically links wayfinding, ship masts, and the colonial repurposing of trees into instruments of power.
Cultural meanings contrast pine as a 'tree of peace' and as material for war, revealing layered human relationships with trees.

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From opening the lungs to easing grief, pine offers both physical and emotional medicine.

In this week’s episode I’m joined by herbalist Liz Neves, who shows us how to tap into pine’s gifts through working with its resin, needles, and the simple yet profound medicine of just being in its stately presence.

Liz reveals the many ways she works with pine (Pinus spp.), from crafting pine needle baskets to making medicine with the resin and needles, and even a surprising use for pine-infused porcupine poop (no, I’m not kidding—that really came up in our conversation!).

She also shares her recipe for Pine Infused Honey—a simple, delicious way to make the most of pine’s abundant needles. You can download a beautifully-illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► What makes pine such a wonderful herbal ally during the cold months of winter

► How pine can help to unstick what is stuck— physically, emotionally, and energetically

► Six different ways to work with pine pitch

► The delightful ways that animals interact with pine

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Liz Neves is a dreamer, wanderer, and Earth lover who seeks to deepen her connection to the elements and other wise beings (plants, animals, fungi). She is passionate about shifting perceptions and lifting unturned stones to find creative solutions to life’s challenges.

Since 2008 Liz has been on a meandering journey of developing her skills in herbalism, earth-based living, shamanism, and energy healing. Liz is the author of Northeast Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 111 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness (Timber Press). She currently offers wandering healings, healing plant walks, herbal classes, and dream circles on request.

I can’t wait to share our conversation with you today!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Liz at GatheringGround.nyc.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.