Canary Island Pine Resin Locally Foraged California

It’s a minute to spring time. I’ve been restless, knowing that when the cherry blossoms and the narcissus flowers bloom and the resin begins to flow again, I’ll be in a race for optimum harvest and full moons.

This year, my tree resin harvest focus is primarily Canary Island pine. I have observed their grow and resin flow patterns. I’ve walked through them to nibble the early spring corms, collected the medicine, wrote stories, made tea and hugged them in gratitude of their arrival. These pines are a specific species of the Canary Islands and as it so happens, are also here in the city of trees in Northern California. I suspect there was some consideration for this species considering it is the most fire resistant of all the conifers in the world. It will sprout and rebirth within its own ashes after a fire.

 I’ve been ruined of superficial pleasures due to these kind of rare luxuries. It’s more than the aroma or the rarity even. For me it’s the lifetime I’ve spent making something from these trees, be it tree medicine or natural perfume to share with others, just as my mother has done in much of her life. To be in the presence of a canary island pine almost requires a ceremony as ritualistic as incense or perfume making. The large fissured alligator like bark is as red as the boulder opal fields in Australia. The resin melts into a warm soft caramel like aroma that can easily be part of a botanical amber composition. In a resin burner, canary island pine warms the air with African sandalwood notes drifting through on the cool down. Pine notes take a big back seat in this resin. It tinctures with many of the same notes I’ve observed with resin warming. I’ve begun a maceration that will require time before I produce a resinoid of this beautiful resin but in the meantime, I encourage exploration. I encourage ritual. I encourage appreciation for this rare wild harvested resin offering.