Black Spruce Essential Oil (Picea mariana)

Overview

Black Spruce may also be referred to as Picea Mariana Oil, Black Spruce Needle Oil. It is typically processed in Eastern Canada using steam distillation as a method for extracting oil from the needles and twigs.

Summary

Organically crafted Black Spruce Essential Oil is steam distilled from the dark green lush needles of the Picea mariana evergreen growing wild in picturesque forests spread across Eastern Canada. Our exquisite Black Spruce Oil has an initially fresh, radiant, penetrating 'fresh forest' aroma with warm, woody, and dry undertones and a soft balsamic note in the dry down.The powerful Black Spruce Oil has become increasingly popular in aromatherapy, alongside the other needle oils like Fir and Pine, probably because they share similarly invigorating aromas and the remarkable energetics of the great coniferous forests of the world. One of our favorite ways to use this essential oil is in blends formulated to help promote healthy lung function and encourage clear breathing.

Black Spruce Essential Oil
By clairity on Flickr - CC BY 2.0, Link

Essential Facts

  • Aroma Description:

    Earthy Fresh Woody

  • Common Name(s): Picea Mariana Oil, Black Spruce Needle Oil

  • Synonyms(s) for Picea mariana: Abies denticulata, Abies mariana, Abies nigra, Abies nigra, Picea brevifolia, Picea mariana var. brevifolia, Picea nigra, Picea nigra var. brevifolia, Pinus abies var. mariana, Pinus denticulata, Pinus mariana

  • Botanical Family: Pinaceae
  • Botanical Genus: Picea
  • Major Compounds: Bornyl Acetate, B-Pinene, a-Pinene, Camphene, (+)-Limonene, Camphor
  • Perfumery Note: Middle
  • Consistency: Thin
  • Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium - Strong
  • Color: Clear light yellow to greenish
  • Countries of Production: Eastern Canada
  • Indigenous Country: North America
  • Processing Methods: Steam Distillation
  • Part Typically Used: Needles and Twigs
  • Ethically and sustainably sourced Ethically and sustainably sourced
  • Organic Organic
  • Vegan Vegan

Essential Details

Benefits & Uses

May be benefitial for addressing the following ailments:

Anxiety Asthma Back Pain Bronchia Bronchitis Colds Coughs Fatigue Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Rheumatism Rheumatoid Arthritis Sinusitis

Therapeutic Benefits of Black Spruce:

Analgesic Anti-anxiety Anti-bacterial Anti-fungal Anti-inflammatory Anti-oxidant Anti-parasitic Anti-rheumatic Anti-septic Anti-spasmodic Anti-tussive Anti-viral Calming Decongestant Expectorant Immune support Relaxant Tonic

Other Uses for Black Spruce:

Circulatory system: cardiac antispasmodic, tonic of the lymphatic system.

Skin system: anti-inflammatory at the initial stage, brings sedation, relaxation and soothing, antibacterial. Dry acne and eczema, purulent acne, scabies, cutaneous parasitosis

Digestive system: appetite stimulant, digestive, eupeptic affect, stomachic, intestinal antispasmodic with analgesic action, antifungal, relax solar plexus knots. Systemic yeast infections (candida), anti-parasite (Giardia lambia, hookworms)

Endocrine system: mimetic cortisone (hypophyso-cortico-adrenal axis and pituitary-ovarian axis) Hot flashes, fatigue of the adrenal glands, asthenia.

Immune system: aerial antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, adrenal gland tonic. Hyperthyroidism, immunodeficiency.

Respiratory system: bronchial antispasmodic, pulmonary decongestant, antioxidant, bronchial anti-inflammatory, mycobacterium of tuberculosis, antitussive and expectorant. Bronchitis, cold, sinusitis, cough, asthma.

Nervous system: relaxing, neurotonic, regulates serotonin (the happiness hormone). Promotes sleep and calms chronic pain.

Osteo-articular system: anti-inflammatory, analgesic, decongestant. Arthrosis, muscular rheumatism, fibromyalgia. Genitourinary system: spasmolytic for knotted pelvic and sacral plexus, inflammatory prostatitis. Releases serotonin: this has the effect of acting as a natural antidepressant, increasing the feeling of well-being and inner calm and increasing empathy. Psycho-tonic anxiolytic

Aromatherapy

Cautions & Safety

Cautions when using Black Spruce:

Tisserand and Young do not indicate any special precautions when using Black Spruce Essential Oil. However, they precaution to avoid use of the oil if it has oxidized. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young,Essential Oil Safety(Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 429.]

Safety Precautions for Black Spruce:

Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, readEssential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.

Contraindications of Black Spruce:

None known under normal physiological doses.

History

History of Black Spruce:

Native people have been using many medicinal plants from the boreal forest for thousands of years for healing purposes. This knowledge is generally held as a form of oral tradition. Cree from the woodlands used Black Spruce as an anti-diarrheal medication by making infusions from the cones. At other times the needles and cones were used to treat diabetes. For burns, they made balms from Black Spruce resin and chewed on cones to relieve toothache.

The Montagnais First Nations from the Quebec Province used Black Spruce to prepare infusions against sore throats and to cure coughs. Native American children chewed the resin to improve the whiteness of their teeth. They attributed to Black Spruce powerful properties against scurvy. Used mainly to build settlers’ homes, the tree was also used to brew spruce beer made from: needles, cones and molasses. Under the pretext of preventing scurvy, this drink flowed freely in the evenings with the clergyand on board ships!

In 1772, the English physician, Henry Taylor, discovered a method to extract the essential oil from the spruce and recommended it for respiratory diseases. Dr. Taylor is also the founder of the first distillery in Québec City.

Articles

Black Spruce Articles or Publications:

Black Seed Essential Oil
Blood Orange Essential Oil