by Kay Broome

Pine Cone Wreath (Web photo: Natasha Arefyeva)

During the warmer half of the year, we don’t notice the conifers. We cheerfully ignore them to enjoy the luscious flowers, tasty fruit and refreshing shade of deciduous trees.  But with the gales of November, when broad leaved trees stand drab and barren of foliage, the dependable evergreen trees stand forth, guarding the land, pine most especially.  Conifers are neither glamorous nor charismatic, but in the darkness of late autumn and during the storms of winter, they are there for us. Conifers act as windbreaks; they provide food for wild birds and animals and they greatly uplift our downcast spirits. Pine especially – in forest glade, rocky outreach or lonely hilltop – is most uplifting of all.

           Pines on Water's Edge (Web photo: Paws and Prints)

Pines are unique in their austere, raw-boned elegance, tall and gangly, with long, coarse needles, as dark and formidable as any other conifer. Often towering over its handsomer deciduous neighbours, this stately tree, with wildly outflung branches, dares the wind and weather to do their worst. 

The Quiet Sentry

A pine forest is remarkably silent. Here there are no crackly, crunchy masses of what used to be thick spongey leaves. Instead, dry pine needles blanket the woodland floor with a pleasantly soft russet carpet. Dour as pine’s appearance may be, the clean-scented teal foliage is soothing, and the plated bark of the tree hints at muted shades of blue, pink, and even orange beneath its surface.

           Cone on Pine Forest Floor (Web photo: Kayl Photo)

The sturdy, dark brown, woody cones remain intact for longer than those of other conifers, even after they plummet to the ground.  They open up to disperse their seeds in warm dry weather from early fall to December. Species such as Jack pine need the heat of a natural forest fire in order for the cones to release seeds for dispersal.  Pines are generally pioneer trees, establishing themselves in the sandy acidic soil they favour. Once they have become established, saplings of other tree species such as maple, birch and spruce will thrive beneath pine's shade.

Pine Woods in High Park, Toronto, Winter, 2018 (Photo: Kay Broome)  

Pine lumber is dependable. It is used for items that need to be strong yet springy, such as cabinets and flooring. Pine is light in colour and makes attractive wall panelling, brightening a room where high class lumber such as walnut or mahogany would darken it. And if pine is not as glamorous as cherry or oak, it renders a uniquely luminous yet simple elegance to a home.   

Pine Panelling in a House (Web photo: Alex Tyson)

God of the Pine Woods

The word pine sounds very similar to the name Pan and indeed, the tree was sacred to this Greek god. Fittingly so, as Pan’s purview is the wilderness, where he was patron to shepherds and their herds. Pines were ubiquitous to mountainous Greece, including rural and woodland areas such as Thrace and Arcadia, from whence the worship of Pan is said to have originated. While the god’s name is pronounced pretty much the same in Greek as in English, the word for pine in that language, sounds somewhat like pefko, so the etymology does not match up. Moreover, Pan means all and the root of the word pine is the Latin pinus, from an Indo-European source meaning resin or to swell or be fat. Interestingly, the Roman god of flock and field, Faunus, is often conflated with Pan. His name does sound similar to pinus so perhaps there is a linguistic link after all between the goat god and his sacred tree.

Statue of Pan and Goat in Nymphenburg Park, Munich (Web photo: Rufus46)

The Sailor's Tree

Pine was also sacred to Poseidon, Hellenic god of the sea. As noted above, the Latin word pinus alludes to the tree’s resinous sap, which is water-resistant and used as a sealant. This resin, along with pine wood’s buoyancy, flexibility and ability to withstand decay made the tree invaluable to the Greeks, who used pine extensively in their ship building. Throughout history pine, along with oak, has been a favorite lumber of seafaring nations.

Triumph of Neptune (Poseidon), Archaeological Museum Sousse, Medina, Tunisia (Web photo: Habib M'henni)

Dionysus, Greek god of inspiration, the theatre and the grape vine, was frequently depicted holding a sceptre, called a thyrsus. This was a staff, usually fashioned from a fennel stalk, topped by a large pine cone. As vineyards thrive in the sandy, acidic soil which pine favours, it is not surprising that the tree was sacred to the god of wine.  Moreover, pine resin was employed to keep wine from going bad. To this day, the national Greek drink retsina, containing pine resin, is a popular drink, albeit an acquired taste. The pine was associated with male potency, due no doubt to the phallic shape of the budding branches. During fertility festivals, these were thrown into the temples of the grain goddess, Demeter, to assure a bountiful harvest.

Maenad Dancing with Thyrsus Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain (photo: Ane Belén Cantero Paz)

A Friend in Winter

While pine trees were honoured throughout Europe, outside of Greece and Rome, there don’t seem to be very many myths associated with them. This may have been partly due to this very common tree being taken for granted, much as beech seems to have been. Thus, in northern countries, it was overshadowed by less familiar but equally useful species such as oak in the Celtic lands and ash and yew in Scandinavia. In Finland, however, pine was strongly associated with one family of forest deities: Tapio, god of the hunt, his wife Mielikki and their daughter Tellervo.  In addition, pine (Old Finnish: Honka) was named after the revered ancient bear goddess Hongatar.

Statue of Tellervo in Kolmikulma Park, Helsinki, Finland (Photo: Mikkoau)

There do not seem to be many western Eurasian myths about pine either. To the Tatars, the pine was the Cosmic tree of creation. In Russia, pines were associated with resilience and strength but also sadness and loneliness.  It is in east Asia where we find many of the myths surrounding this tree. Here, pine was associated with the highly regarded traits of tranquility and longevity and here, plum, bamboo, and pine were named the Three Friends of Winter: plum, because it blossoms very early in spring and the fruit can be preserved throughout winter. Bamboo is a very strong and resilient reed type grass that, like pine, thrives in winter conditions. In the Taoist religion, the pine is a revered symbol of strength through adversity, while remaining constant to one’s basic character.

Cranes, Pines, and Bamboo, Ogata Kōren, 18th Century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Photo: Myshkin)

Honourable Pine

There are many myths in Japan of pine representing honour, of doing what is right and necessary, even at one’s own expense. One tale tells of Princess Akoya who fell in love with the spirit of a pine tree who appeared to her in the form of a handsome young man. However, the pine lover was compelled to sacrifice himself when the nearby river flooded. A new bridge was needed to replace the original washed-out one and he offered his tree as wood to rebuild a new bridge. There is also the famous myth of the elderly couple who, in exchange for their kindness and decency and their loyalty to each other, were rewarded by dying peacefully together. At this point, their souls melded forever into a single pine tree. This story is reminiscent of the Greek myth of Philemon and Baucis who were also turned into trees upon their simultaneous deaths. In the two Japanese tales above, pine stands forth as a symbol of virtue, resilience and altruism. Indeed, throughout much of the world’s folklore, pine is associated with quiet strength and vigilance.

An Iconic Tree

Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay, Fred Varley, 1921  (Group of Seven Website)

Often found standing tall on clifftops and ravines, or on lonely lake islands, pine is the epitome of stalwart aloofness. Perhaps the most common arboreal model for the prolific works of the Group of Seven painters, this tree more than any other, evokes the vastness and unbridled potential of Canada's wilderness. In the Talking Forest lexicon, the Pine rune refers to vigilence, independence and upright morality. The kennings for Pine are Sentinel and Father. In the Talking Forest, Pine is to Father, what Beech is to Mother.  We know our mother from the womb and she is usually our first teacher and mentor. As we become toddlers, our interactions with our father become more significant. And he is the parent to whom most often is given the task of protecting the family. Certainly, diligence and the willingness to sacrifice oneself in the protection of others are excellent traits for fathers and indeed, any who guard and look after others.

Pine Trees in High Park, Toronto, November 2025 (Photo: Kay Broome)