Drink your pine needle tea at 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh greens per cup. Steep covered and allow to cool to a comfortable temperature.
Arbor vitae (Thuja) is an attractive landscaping plant which has proven medicinal qualities.
This wiki article has nice pictures, and includes a warning about excessive use and toxicity. It mentions Indian use of the inner bark, which sounds a lot like the source of pycnogenol (commonly said to come from the French maritime pine). In case you are not aware, pycnogenol is an excellent supplement for healing. I cured a frozen shoulder from 3 years of strongly restricted range of motion in one month of daily use. Also great for my allergies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_occidentalis
Here is a rather technical report indicating that more of the active ingredients come out in alcohol and that it works for influenza A and common colds. Since both studies reported better results with earlier use, having it as a daily tea or cocktail during cold and flu season appears to have merit.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1062158/