Type of plant: Long-living tree reaching 130 feet with slightly orange-red bark when young, with bluish-green evergreen needles and male and female cones

Part used: Needles on branches

Method of extraction: Steam distillation

Data: Also known as Scots pine. The oil is used in some medication and men’s toiletries. Pinecones are the source of edible pine kernels. Pines are full of flammable resin, and the branches have been used as torches by native people over a huge area — from the United States to Europe, to China. Pines are extensively cultivated for wood, cellulose, tar, pitch, turpentine, and essential oils.

Principal places of production: Scotland, Austria, France, United States, Russia

When buying look for: A colorless to pale-yellow liquid with a crisp, clean, resinous, balsamic aroma reminiscent of pine forest

Therapeutic properties: Anti-infectious, antimicrobial, antiseptic, balsamic, decongestant, diuretic, expectorant, pectoral, tonic

Therapeutic uses: Rheumatism, muscular pain, muscular injury, muscular fatigue, fatigued and heavy legs, gout, bronchial infection, sinus congestion, general debility, fatigue, mental and nervous exhaustion

Blends well with: Bergamot, cajuput, cardamom, cedarwood, chamomile german, chamomile roman, copaiba, cypress, eucalyptus radiata, fir, juniper berry, lavandin, lavender, lavender (spike), lemon, marjoram (sweet), niaouli, peppermint, ravensara, rosemary, spruce, tea tree, thyme linalol

Precautionary advice: May cause irritation on highly sensitive skin or skin prone to allergic reaction; a skin patch test is advisable. Best avoided by those with respiratory problems.