I attended this guided herb walk just over two years ago in Oregon. I took photos of each herb and took notes to the best of my ability.
This was long before I had any idea I might be moving to this region. Now that I am back in the area the notes are coming in handy! I am stitching them together with the photographs so that I can use it as inspiration for plants to learn more about.
A few of these plants I have a connection with already. Many of them I am not at all familiar with but would like to learn more and get to know them better. Please don't use this post as a comprehensive guide because its not - its here more as inspiration for others to join plant walks and to do some local plant ID wherever you may be.
Anyway, I here are some photos of plants!
Yerba Buena
Rattlesnake Plantain
Miners Lettuce
Big Leaf Maple
Seeds are edible, leaves can be used for wrapping and steaming food.
Willow
Young bark contains salycillic acid.
Lungwart Lichen
Pipsissewa
Candy Stick
Looks like candy, but it is not edible
Oregon Grape
Corn Lilly
Poisonous yet used for medicine by Indians. Plants growing on it could contain poison
Vanilla Leaf
Pyrola Picta
Similar to pipsessua in look and use. Confused for rattlesnake plantain
-And-
Coral Root Orchid
Fairy Slipper Orchid
Brownie Fairy Slipper
More rare endemic orchid
Chinquapin Oak
Nuts look like chestnuts
Great pictures very nice post matey ✌️⚡
I am curious have you seen any natural guilds?
It seems there are only natural guilds in nature :)
What a wonderful diversity of plants you enjoy in the Great North West.
Oooo another flower 'freak' stunning mate. I am a massive orchid fan in fact it is my best flower. I see you are big into the gardening thing? I used to build aquaponics systems no better way to grow food. Have you even taken a look at the technology?
Cheer$;)
Never hear of an herb walk before. This is awesome!! Im going to have to see if there is any near me
So glad I could share that with you! If you don't find it online, ask around... maybe the closest native plant nursery would be a good place to start. Good luck!
Wonderful tour! Some totally new species for European me.
But I recognise the Mahonia aquifolium, and are you sure it is called Oregon grapeFRUIT in your neck of the woods? We call it Oregon Grape (without the fruit). But hey, what's in a fruit!? As long as they are both edible (Oregon grape berries are NOT, I don't think! - but the flowers make a good flower remedy essence - for the tension/mistrust in urban environments - so you won't be needing any of that anymore!)
Never knew purslane was called Miner's Lettuce (but it is! amongst other things.) And that first wild plant sure looks a lot like other wild plants. Hope you weren't planning on eating it. Hate for anything to happen like in the amazing and (sadly) the true to life film "Into The Wild" .....
Good eye! Thanks for calling this out.. I am editing now. This walk was my first introduction with the Oregon Grape. I think they said Oregon Grape Root and I wrote "Fruit" LOL! Since then I have really appreciated this plant for its pervasive abundance around our Pacific Northwest. Last year I made quarts and quarts of jam from the Oregon Grape... it is so easy to harvest and as sour as it tastes raw it is one of my favorite jams, funny enough!
Likewise and viceversa :)
HAHA nope, especially not with that blurry photo.. maybe I shouldn't have included that one. Anyway good point and that's why I had to include my disclaimer that this is not a definitive guide, nor usages.. I don't want others getting the wrong idea!
Ah! So Oregon grape IS edible. But isn't life ironic (or blessedly polar) not as sweet as its dreamy, heady flowers. Can't wait for a (tiny) company to release a taster of this jam on the market. Not advocating exploitation of this bush! (Or do you know if there is already any commercially available?)
Yes it is edible! I don't know the answer to your question but maybe there are some selling it somewhere. I'd be happy to send you some if you don't find someplace to buy it before it's in season here.
What a lovely, sweet and delicious offer! but I wouldn't like to put us through the import taxes this wil emport! I am going to make it my mission to find this jam closer to home. I even live near a bunch of bushes... (but they belong to the park...) Or else I'm just going to have to come over and get some myself! (Compiling a world-tour shopping list here on Steemit!)
No problem! Well I wish you luck with your harvest! If you want to try to cultivate some I can try to save some seeds for you :) World shopping list... haha sounds great!
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The corn Lilly looks like skunk weed.
So the vanilla leaf, does it smell or taste like vanilla?
It smells like vanilla once it is dried. I haven't tried this.
Interesting observation about Corn Lilly and Skunk Cabbage. They definitely look different when they are bigger!
Well ya should try it!
I hope they at least smell better, lol
The corn lily, I will have to do some research and see what the indians used it for.
Thank you, let us know what you come up with if you have a chance! I do remember that it has been used as a poison for hunting, but I am not sure about its medicine usage.
That Brownie Fairy Slipper is something else. What a beauty! We have a Chinquapin Oak Tree on our property. We watched them closely last year and were waiting for them to crack open. We checked one day and they were almost popping open. Went back 2 days later and there were NONE! I couldn't believe it. I guess the squirrels or something else were watching closer than we were. I am excited to go out soon and see what I find. Beautiful Post!
WOW! That is such a short window of time. I wonder if there are not many others in your vicinity, perhaps it is a rare treat for the critters!
You have a really good eye for finding so many interesting species. Were you walking a bit off the trail?
I can't take credit for the eye this time. It was an herb walk lead by a guide. We were on a trail. It would be fun to learn more about some of these species, depending on what I can find around me.