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Black Spruce - February 2009

BOTANICAL NAME:
Picea mariana
FAMILY:
Pinaceae
HERBAL APPLICATIONS:
Needles (bruised to release oils): Herbal compresses for colds, flu and achy joints.
Essential oil: Distilled from the needles during the winter, the essential oil is warming for the lungs, muscles and joints. The oil is used in inhalations, baths and massage blends.

Spruce is specific for the lungs. A gentle diffusion of spruce oil can be very helpful during respiratory illness. If you have chronic respiratory problems, check with your doctor about the use of essential oils.

Spruce is warming, strengthening, and quite useful for arthritis and aching joints. A warm poultice of bruised spruce needles or the addition of spruce oil to a massage blend can soothe aches and pains. The aroma of spruce is quite bracing and balancing. A warm black spruce bath will relieve a chill, strengthen the immune system and help to restore depleted adrenal glands. This can be particularly welcome during the late winter when the weather have stressed both body and spirit.

To energize the body, apply spruce over the adrenal area of the back (upper kidney area) either alone or in combination with pine or Atlas cedar. Individual effects vary – this can create a coffee-like energy boost for some people so experiment by beginning with minimal amounts. This can be done either in a carrier oil or lotion, or one drop may be applied while the body is still wet after the shower is turned off.

In air sprays, black spruce is cleansing and bactericidal and adds a fresh, forest scent to any blend. An excellent blend is spruce, lavender and citrus - especially grapefruit. Add lemon in place of the grapefruit and this blend makes an excellent kitchen cleaning blend. The same blend also serves as a therapeutic sickroom spray. Use tangerine or mandarin for children’s rooms.

Spruce is an oil that is sometimes used before or during stress reduction techniques or meditation. It helps to dispel anxiety and tension. Spruce’s chemical content makes it relaxing and balancing.