Christmas Tree Tea: How to Make Healing Pine and Cedar Tea

Did you know that many of the evergreen trees have medicinal uses and health benefits? Read on to learn about pine tree medicine and cedar tree medicine. You’ll find out how to make Christmas tree tea such as pine needle tea or cedar tea, as well as a disinfecting herbal steam.

Decorating the Christmas tree is an ancient tradition from a time when various trees and plants were honored during different seasons. In northern Europe, the evergreen tree is celebrated at around the time of winter solstice.

The festivities of decorating and dancing around the evergreen tree were held in the deep of winter when there was very little plant life and the ground seemed like it would never thaw out.

The everlasting green of the evergreen trees instills hope that the warmth and green of spring will come again. Instead of dancing around the tree outside, we have taken this ritual to an extreme by bringing a tree into every household to decorate.

The evergreen trees that we bring into our homes at Christmas are primarily pine, cedar, and fir. These trees not only heal us as their color and scent fill our homes, but they all have very valuable medicinal qualities that we can thank them for. Make sure never to use the yew tree (Taxus spp., as it is toxic. Also, avoid internal use of evergreen tea when pregnant.)

Pine Tree Medicine

Pine tree medicine (Pinus spp.) has long been associated with longevity, and pine needles have many benefits and medicinal uses.

Pine needle tea is high in vitamin C and is a great remedy for winter colds and coughs. It also helps to reduce phlegm from a runny nose or head cold. Pine needle tea is a diuretic so only drink it for a couple days at a time.

Taking a bath with several quarts of warm pine needle tea poured into the bathtub helps cold and sore joints. You can also just put bunches of dried or fresh pine needles into your bathtub or make this tub tea recipe.

We take lots of short winter hikes whenever the sun peeks out. I love to put sprigs of pine needles in my water bottle and drink the pine needle water while walking in the forest.

Christmas Tree Tea: How to Make Pine Needle Tea

Here’s how to make a healing tea from your Christmas tree!

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried chopped pine needles
• 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. Put the water and pine needles in a pot with the lid on.
2. Bring the water and pine needles to a boil and then turn off the heat and let sit for 1 hour.
3. Using a metal strainer, strain out the pine needles.
4. Re-heat the tea.
5. Drink 1 to 3 cups a day at the onset of a cold. This tea can be very drying to your body, so only drink it occasionally or for a couple of days at a time.

Cedar Tree Medicine

Cedar tree medicine (Thuja plicata) has been used for thousands of years and cedar has many uses and benefits.

Cedar helps to cleanse the energy field of your house. Having a cedar tree or boughs of cedar in your home is like doing a big spring (in this case, winter) cleaning. The strong aromatic smell of cedar is antibacterial and helps keep the winter flu at bay.

The fresh and dried green cedar needles can be made into a cedar tea and used in small doses against colds, flu and bronchial infections. Cedar tea has a very strong taste and should not be used long term. A cup of cedar tea here and there during the winter months will help fight off colds.

You can also take your fresh or dried cedar leaves and put them in a pot of water and simmer them. The aroma of cedar will fill your home and the antibacterial properties of the cedar will disinfect the house and help keep everyone well. Cedar is contraindicated in pregnancy.

How to Make a Disinfecting Cedar Steam

I love making a cedar steam before people come over during the holidays. People love the crisp, clean smell and life is more pleasant with the aroma of cedar filling up the house!

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried chopped cedar leaves

Instructions

1. Put the water and cedar leaves in a pot with the lid off.
2. Bring the water and cedar leaves to a boil and then turn it down to the very lowest setting.
3. Let the cedar tea gently simmer on the very lowest heat for 15 minutes. The steam will carry the antimicrobial oils from the cedar into the air in your house.
4. Turn off the heat, let the cedar tea sit on the stove until it is cool, then pour it into your bath, use it to wash your hands with, or pour it into your garden.

You could also use cedar, pine, or fir to make a congestion-clearing steam. Here’s how to turn your Christmas tree into a healing herbal steam.