Edible Parts: Inner bark  Shoots
Edible Uses: Tea

Inner bark - raw or dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread[2, 46, 161]. The leaves and twigs yield 'spruce oil', which is used commercially to flavour chewing gum, soft drinks, ice cream etc[183]. A herbal tea is made from the young shoot tips[2, 62, 95, 159, 183]. These tips are also an ingredient of 'spruce beer'[183].

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Antipruritic  Astringent  Birthing aid  Diaphoretic  Diuretic  Kidney

The bark is astringent, diaphoretic and diuretic[21]. A tea made from the inner bark or twigs is helpful in the treatment of kidney or bladder problems, and also makes a good enema for treating diarrhoea[21]. It can also be used as a gargle or mouthwash for mouth and throat problems or externally to wash sores and ulcers[21]. A poultice of the bark has been used to treat itchy armpits[257]. The powdered bark can be put into shoes for tender or sweaty feet or for foot odour[21]. An infusion of the stem tips has been used to treat kidney problems[257]. A decoction of the roots has been used as a birthing aid to help expel the afterbirth[257]. The roots have been chewed in order to treat diarrhoea[257].

Dye  Hedge  Hedge  Resin  Rust  Tannin  Wood

The inner bark has been used to make baskets[257]. A rosy-tan dye can be obtained from the bark[257]. The bark is a source of tannin[257]. All the uses listed below are based on the uses of T. canadensis and reports in [46, 61, 82] that this species has similar uses. Yields a resin similar to Abies balsamea, it is gathered by incisions in the trunk or by boiling the wood[46, 61, 64]. A pitch (called hemlock pitch), is obtained by distillation of the young branches[46]. 'Oil of Hemlock' is distilled from the young branches according to another report[82]. The boiled bark has been used to make a wash to clean rust off iron and steel, and to prevent further rusting[257]. Tolerant of light trimming, plants can be grown as a hedge[81]. This species does not make a good hedge in Britain[200]. Some cultivars can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 1 metre apart each way[208]. 'Pendula' is slow-growing but makes a very good cover[208]. Wood - coarse-grained, light, soft, not strong, brittle, not durable outdoors[21, 46, 61, 82, 171, 229]. Difficult to work because it splits easily[226]. The wood weighs 26lb per cubic foot[235]. The trees do not self-prune and so the wood contains numerous remarkably hard knots that can quickly dull the blade of an axe[226]. A coarse lumber, it is used occasionally for the outside of buildings[21, 46, 61, 82, 171, 229]. It should be used with caution as a fuel for outdoor fires because it can project embers and burning wood several metres from the fire[226].

Special Uses

Hedge  Hedge