Finland is the most forested country in Europe. More than 70% of the country is covered by trees. Growing up in Finland, I spent my childhood foraging medicine from the forest, surrounded by folk tales, and esoteric herbal traditions.
The three most commonly used trees in Finland are: Pine, Spruce, and Birch.
For thousands of years, the people of Finland have lived in close relationship with these trees. In the pagan folk tradition trees were regarded as spirits of the forest, and were revered for their powers of healing and protection.
Pine
For generations, Finnish people have used pine resin salves for cuts, wounds, and skin problems. Pine resin contains compounds with antimicrobial properties that naturally disinfects wounds and heals them rapidly.
As a child I would harvest the resin with my grandmother from her forest. She also taught me to chew it like gum. She did not know the names of the medicinal compounds or why things worked the way they did, she simply knew they worked. Her knowledge of herbalism came from oral tradition, from her parents and grandparents.
Pine bark has an important history in Finland. During wartime, when flour for bread was not easily available, bark and inner bark (männyn nila) was used as a flour substitute. Finns harvested the inner bark of pine trees, dried it, ground it into flour, and mixed it with grain to make pettuleipä (pine bark bread).
Today, you can still buy pine bark drinks in Finland. They are sold in most supermarkets. They contain the inner bark as well as the outer bark of the pine tree, with nothing else added besides spring water.
In addition to using the resin and bark, needles are also harvested for tea. It is a traditional remedy rich in vitamin C. Pine needle tea supports respiratory health, immunity, and recovery during the winter months. Pine grows where conditions are harsh. It survives where many other species struggle. Therefore, its medicine is resilience, strength and adaptation. When I spend time in pine forests, I notice my mental clarity improves. Pine is also a pineal gland activator. Any tree that produces pine cones (spruce and pine species) are potent for this.
Spruce
One of the most valuable traditional remedies derived from spruce is spruce tip syrup. The bright green spring tips are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, Terpenes, Magnesium and aromatic compounds. Spruce tip syrup is a common remedy for coughs, sore throats, and respiratory support.
As a child, I would pick the tips in the late spring with my grandmother from her own trees. We did not make syrup, but chewed on the tips and ate them like snacks.
Spruce tip tea is a traditional preparation that many herbalists continue to use today. Its flavor carries hints of citrus and resin, while offering many of the same beneficial compounds found throughout the tree. The taste is tart and refreshing.
In Finnish folk medicine, spruce resin was also highly valued for skin healing and wound care. You can still buy it in natural shops in Finland today.
From an esoteric perspective, spruce offers respite and restoration. When life was overwhelming, I would crawl under a giant spruce tree, and would sometimes fall asleep. Its energy is that of protection and calm.
Silver Birch
Birch holds a unique place in Finnish culture and folk medicine traditions. It is a tree of purification and new beginnings. As Finland’s national tree it has a long history of appearing in folklore and Finnish mythology.
Every spring, as nature awakens from winter, birch trees become among the first visible signs of returning life. The white bark reflects light into the forest, and the rising sap has been harvested for centuries as a spring time tonic. Rich in minerals, amino acids, anti-inflammatory compounds, and natural sugars, it has been consumed for centuries as a revitalizing drink in the spring that awakens the body from darkness.
Birch leaves are equally important in herbalism. Birch leaf tea has traditionally been used to support healthy fluid balance, kidney function, and natural detoxification.
Mushroom of Longevity
Chaga mushroom also grows on birch tree trunks. Chaga is one of the most valuable medicinal fungi in Northern Europe and has a particularly close relationship with birch trees. In Finland, it has been used for centuries as a medicinal tea and tonic.
What most people call the “chaga mushroom” is actually not the fruiting body at all. It is a sterile black mass, known as a conk, that forms on living birch trees. It resembles burnt charcoal on the outside, while the interior reveals a rich golden-brown color.
The relationship between chaga and birch is significant because many of chaga’s beneficial compounds are believed to originate from the tree itself. As chaga grows, it absorbs and transforms compounds from the birch, including betulin and betulinic acid, which are naturally found in birch bark.
Sauna Tradition in Finland
Possibly the most well-known use of birch in Finland is through the sauna tradition. Fresh birch branches are bundled into a ‘vihta’ and used to stimulate circulation while releasing the aromatic compounds of the leaves. This practice is both medicinal and ceremonial. No summer sauna experience is complete without a vihta.
Of the three trees, birch is the most connected to purification and renewal. It brings hope of a new life and a lightness of being.
Article Photo of a birch tree trunk in Finland by me.
