Pine (Franchise)

Pines, or Pine Trees, are trees seen frequently in the background in the How to Train Your Dragon Franchise.

Description
Pines (Genus Pinus) are typically single-trunk evergreen trees that are native to many cool locations in the Northern Hemisphere, though they have been introduced to temperate and even tropical climates as well. They are known for their strong 'pine' scent, leaves in the shape of needles that stay on the tree all year round, and their reproductive organs - the pine cone. There are other similar and related trees and shrubs such as spruces, firs, and junipers, with which pines may be confused. However, pines are mentioned or seen specifically in the Franchise on several occasions.

The reproductive structure of pines and other conifers is the 'cone'. There are male cones and female cones, but the latter is the one people are most familiar with. They vary in shape based on species, but all generally have a rounded 'cone' shape. Cones are composed of woody 'scales' that may be held together tightly or spread out with spaces in between. Seeds develop at the base of certain scales, once fertilized with pollen from a male cone.

Function
The primary use of pines seen in the Franchise is medicinal, specifically pine sap. In actuality, there have been many uses for pine in herbal medicine, most notably due to the needles' high Vitamin C content. The needles are edible and often used to flavor drinks. The inner bark and the seeds of some species - pine nuts - are also edible.

Historically, pitch has been manufactured from pine resin, which is used to water-proof ships and as a flammable agent for fires. Branches of needles and pine cones can be used as decoration. The wood is used extensively as it is cheap and the trees relatively easy to grow.

Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 2
In the episode, "Bad Moon Rising", Tuffnut stumbles into a training session of Stormfly's, and almost gets hit with her spines. He is covered with bites and scratches and bits of plants caught in his hair, including pine cones.

Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 5
Pine sap is specifically named in "No Dragon Left Behind" as an ingredient for a cure to poisoning from Slitherwing venom. The other ingredients include Angel Fern and Slitherwing venom.

School of Dragons
In the player Quest, "Pine Cone Weather Station", the player collects pine cones and uses them to predict the weather. Humidity in the air causes the scales on a pine cone to close, indicating rain or a storm may be on the way.