Hunted down a few at the OKCA show on Friday.
Sharing them, along with some of the spring beauty found on hikes into the very damp forest on our farm in the Southern Oregon Cascade Foothills.
Glam shot of my new Bk-5. Resting among:
- Salal (upper right), a great source of berries in the later summer, though a bit puckery due to the tannin in them. Also fun to toss a few leaves on the camp fire, the cell walls pop when they burn, making a cool sound.
-California Bay Laurel, or what we call Myrtle. A tree with very aromatic leaves; great for cooking or just tucking a handful in your shirt pocket-lovely smell and counteracts the BO when out hiking for a bit (you will smell like a fine stew)!
-What I called Duckfoot as a kid, proper botanical name is Inside-out flower (hasn’t quite flowered here, yet).
IMG_2740 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Picked up a new-to-me BK 11 from writer Steven Dick. Looks like he popped open a few frosty beverages with the bottle opener.
Here in a forest of Miner's Lettuce (yep, after this shot I grazed a bit…), resting on a Incense cedar branch.
Wood from old cedar stumps is a valuable source of fire material when out and about in the western PNW, and usually very dry inside even in the damp winter months here. The bark can also be useful as a tinder, but I find it less effective than Western Red cedar or Juniper, etc.
IMG_2751 by ursidae8, on Flickr
New BK-4 and a nice cluster of Angel Wings on a downed section of Red Alder. I used to love these, and Oysters, one of my favorites, but had a really bad experience, and won't risk it anymore. I have since learned it is not an uncommon occurrence.
IMG_2743 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Trilliums are up. They are out for a short window, but are amazing.
IMG_2757 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Fairy slipper orchids cover the forest floor.
IMG_2754 by ursidae8, on Flickr
A good plant to know: Wild ginger, no relation to the ginger we see in the store, but with a similar smell and taste. Just don't eat too much of it.
IMG_2773 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Another of my favorite woods munchies: Bracken fiddle-heads!
IMG_2763 by ursidae8, on Flickr
There are also Sword fern fiddle-heads, but I am not as big a fan of them as the bracken's.
IMG_2850 by ursidae8, on Flickr
More woods food. Wood sorrel is wonderful. But you can eat too much, and get a stomach ache from the oxalic acid. The flowers (not yet out) are great, too. I called them yum, yum flowers as a kid. They are sweeter than the leaves.
IMG_2768 by ursidae8, on Flickr
This stump looks good. Remains of an ancient Douglas fir.
IMG_2810 by ursidae8, on Flickr
Sharing them, along with some of the spring beauty found on hikes into the very damp forest on our farm in the Southern Oregon Cascade Foothills.
Glam shot of my new Bk-5. Resting among:
- Salal (upper right), a great source of berries in the later summer, though a bit puckery due to the tannin in them. Also fun to toss a few leaves on the camp fire, the cell walls pop when they burn, making a cool sound.
-California Bay Laurel, or what we call Myrtle. A tree with very aromatic leaves; great for cooking or just tucking a handful in your shirt pocket-lovely smell and counteracts the BO when out hiking for a bit (you will smell like a fine stew)!
-What I called Duckfoot as a kid, proper botanical name is Inside-out flower (hasn’t quite flowered here, yet).
IMG_2740 by ursidae8, on FlickrPicked up a new-to-me BK 11 from writer Steven Dick. Looks like he popped open a few frosty beverages with the bottle opener.
Here in a forest of Miner's Lettuce (yep, after this shot I grazed a bit…), resting on a Incense cedar branch.
Wood from old cedar stumps is a valuable source of fire material when out and about in the western PNW, and usually very dry inside even in the damp winter months here. The bark can also be useful as a tinder, but I find it less effective than Western Red cedar or Juniper, etc.
IMG_2751 by ursidae8, on FlickrNew BK-4 and a nice cluster of Angel Wings on a downed section of Red Alder. I used to love these, and Oysters, one of my favorites, but had a really bad experience, and won't risk it anymore. I have since learned it is not an uncommon occurrence.
IMG_2743 by ursidae8, on FlickrTrilliums are up. They are out for a short window, but are amazing.
IMG_2757 by ursidae8, on FlickrFairy slipper orchids cover the forest floor.
IMG_2754 by ursidae8, on FlickrA good plant to know: Wild ginger, no relation to the ginger we see in the store, but with a similar smell and taste. Just don't eat too much of it.
IMG_2773 by ursidae8, on FlickrAnother of my favorite woods munchies: Bracken fiddle-heads!
IMG_2763 by ursidae8, on FlickrThere are also Sword fern fiddle-heads, but I am not as big a fan of them as the bracken's.
IMG_2850 by ursidae8, on FlickrMore woods food. Wood sorrel is wonderful. But you can eat too much, and get a stomach ache from the oxalic acid. The flowers (not yet out) are great, too. I called them yum, yum flowers as a kid. They are sweeter than the leaves.
IMG_2768 by ursidae8, on FlickrThis stump looks good. Remains of an ancient Douglas fir.
IMG_2810 by ursidae8, on Flickr
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