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When the first snowflakes of the year begin falling from the sky, drifting down through the bare branches and collecting on the ground, many things are seen that are missed in other seasons of the year, and one is the princess pine (aka ground pine).
The shiny green leaves of the princess pine stand out against the freshly fallen snow. The princess pine is one of our lycopods, which are among our oldest and most primitive living species. The scientific name is Lycopodium obscurum, which comes from two Greek words: lukos meaning wolf and podos meaning foot, in reference to the resemblance of a branch tip to a wolf’s paw. The species word obscurum comes from Latin and means dark, shady or obscured, referring to the place where the princess pine grows. The common name of princess pine is from the resemblance of vertical stems to miniature pine trees; however, this plant, which is neither a pine nor a moss belongs to an ancient group of plants known as clubmosses, which existed before pines and flowing plants.
The princess pine grows along the ground, sending up small spikes that appear as small pine trees. Princess pine neither flowers nor produces seeds. Growing on top of this spike is a strobilus known as a club that will release reproductive spores in the fall. The princess pines are only exposed to small amounts of the sun’s energy, with most exposure during the fall after the trees have lost their leaves and then again in the spring before the trees leaf out. For a short period of time after the leaves fall from the trees, the princess pines are covered with leaf litter; however, the wind soon blows the leaves off the upright plants but still covers the runners. The princess pines will grow until the snow covers the small plants and all photosynthesis stops until the snow melts in the spring. When the trees leaf out the princess pine is once again hampered by lack of sunlight and must depend on what little it receives. Because of this the best place for princess pines to thrive is among evergreen deciduous woods. By growing close to an evergreen tree, the plants will not become buried with leaves, and the nearby deciduous trees allow sunlight to reach the plants through the bare branches in both fall and spring.
Although gathering princess pine is prohibited on state owned land, with permission from a land owner the princess pine can be gathered on private land. Princess pine is often used for Christmas decorations, especially in wreaths. So, if you are going to harvest princess pine, cut the pine off at the ground level and leave the running vertical stem and do not remove all the small pine from the stem. The stem will send up new pines next year.
In the late 50’s and early 60’s, extra money for Christmas gifts, etc. was made by picking princess pine, and sold by the pound to buyers, who paid approximately four to eight cents per pound, depending on the annual market price. In late September and October, many people headed to the forests, to harvest the princess pine. A day’s yield of princess pine would often weigh between 70 to 90 pounds.
The spores that grow on the tip of the plant are oily and water-repellent, and at one time, the spores were used to soothe chaffed skin and protect wounds. In early photography, the spores were used as flash powder when the dry, flammable spores exploded in a brilliant flash of light. At times they are still used in this manner for science demonstrations. If one of these clubs of the princess pine are touched powdery yellow spores will be seen on your fingers. The best time to see these spores is during August; however some plants will hold the clubs throughout the winter months.
Deer generally do not eat the princess pine plants because of their containing toxic chemicals; however, the spores are not toxic. In my flower book, there is a listing of a prince’s pine (Chimaphila umbellate aka pipessewa); however, this is a flowering plant, with whorls of long, shiny, dark leaves and waxy blossoms that appear in summer. I have never seen this plant.
On a short walk on privately owned land this week, I easily found the princess pine, with its head peaking out above the snow. What a beautiful contrast with the shiny green leaves against the white snow.
Nature is always filled with a sense of marvel. A place where miraculous things occur.