Homesteading

[Kev]

All things regarding the hunting for food and medicine & such..

Discussion

[Kev]

Burdock! — how to identify.. food, medicine & Velcro.. The Burdock & Dandelion root beverage looks divine.. Methinks a Kvass made with Burdock root and Dandelion flowers would be spot-on..

So, who wants to be The Burry Man??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMJSlHW8eTg

[Kev]

Cleavers!.. This wild plant is absolutely everywhere where I live.. Not sure I knew this was the plant known as Cleavers.. (I knew it was a Galium though, a member of the coffee family).. Known by different names, such as Goose Grass.. A friend of mine used to call it Alaska Sticky Weed.. Lol..

Food, medicine, fabric dye, folklore.. seeds used to make coffee!..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Wy-BSAEA8

[Sarah Rivkin]

Was helping thin out the back )at the dude’s house who I help out with his herbal biz) area where they just tossed some seeds. LOTS of Shepard’s Purse growing wild all over. Guess I’ll just dry it in a bag in my closet. Any thoughts? Haven’t a way to preserve it using it fresh. Or if I have much use for it.

Edible too.

[Kev]

I had to look this one up.. Shepherd’s Purse is primarily diuretic (increases urination) and styptic, which is an agent that contracts tissues, an astringent, specifically hemostatic (stops bleeding and contracts blood vessels).. It’s a blood coagulant used internally and externally for bleeding.. and as a vasoconstrictor, will raise blood pressure, but is also said to regulate blood pressure, whether it’s already high or low.. This is according to John Lust and his book “The Herb Book”..

According to Michael Tierra, he adds that it’s used for hemorrhages and prolonged menstrual periods or constant discharge related to menorrhagia and endometriosis.. And useful for urinary and bladder inflammation..

[Sarah Rivkin]

Hi Kev

Are you going to M&S?

I’m heading south Monday. Waiting to gear back from Mara to stay night one of preferred two overnights on way to the event, will be somewhat in your area on way down and back. Would be fun to meet! 🌿🍄🌞

Harvested LOTS of White Pine last week from trimmed tree here. Even got some Pine pollen out of it! Drying the needles. Grinding some to fine powder. Tincturing a few varieties. Making cold infusion with various fresh tips overnight into morning sun. 🌞

+2 More Photos

[Kev]

Aw man, that pine looks amazing!.. I’m woefully [somewhat] deficient in my tree identification skills, including Pine.. You could teach me a lot about that.. I’m definitely a fast and proficient learner.. There’s a cluster of beautiful pine trees in my local park I’d be interested to know the ID of.. Pretty tall tree (I’m guessing 60 feet), with light green needles (as opposed to dark green), and from a distance the needles/branches have a wispy-feathery visual quality to them.. Beeeaautiful trees, especially moving in the breeze.. I collected seeds over the winter and have them sown in pots now.. Hoping for germinations.. I’m also guessing I should let the potting soil dry out during the heat of summer to mimic natural dry-summer conditions, and up to now they’ve remained moist.. No sprouts yet!.. 😁

Funny thing.. Just yesterday I was thinking about you driving south and how I’d love for you to stop for a visit.. The only wrench is that I’m not set up in my small apartment for overnight guests.. Wish I could, or at least make that an option.. At the very least, maybe you could stop for a day and we can take a walk up in Forest Park.. It’s just across the river from me, and a walk across the bridge.. (the claim-to-fame is “the largest urban park in America”).. I’ll pin down a map of the trails, and then go from there..

Lemme know how you’d like to work it into your itinerary (either tomorrow Monday the 17th, or on your way back from M&S).. I’m pretty adaptable.. And my neighborhood is pretty close to the exit you’d take off of I-5.. (If you know the geography/’hoods of Portland, I’m in St. Johns).. 🤠

[Sarah Rivkin]

The way back would be better. I get trip prep anxious and want to be as chill as possible in the morning before I leave. Packing is a least favorite activity for me, up there with getting a duvet in the cover. 😆

Have to time my driving right for when I want to be back here. Should work out perfectly. Would love to meet and wander. Conifer and pine trees are still challenging to identify. Getting better though. And have my pretty trusty plant ID app.

I got connected with Mara and I’ll be heading to their farm for tomorrow night. Maybe for the way back too.

[Kev]

Very nice.. I understand the last-minute planning/packing thing and wanting to stay calm.. Lol.. Understand that all day.. So I’ll plan on seeing you on your trip back, which I’m guessing will be next Monday or Tuesday or so the 24th or 25th or thereabouts.. Just let me know how it all works out as the week unfolds.. In the meantime, I’ll shoot you a private message with my home address so you can map the directions if you want.. Will also send you a screenshot of the exit to take off I-5 north and the path to my apartment.. It’s literally a straight-shot from the interstate and one left turn.. Easiest thing..

And I too am looking forward to visiting Abram and Mara’s farm.. Got an open invitation and hoping to make it down in July.. Will be invigorating.. In the meantime, I’m off to harvest Columbine seeds and fresh Oregon Grape berries.. 👨‍🌾

[Kev]

Oh, this is a good one.. Wood Sorrel (aka Oxalis) — not to be confused with Clover or Buttercups.. I used to eat Sorrel leaves as a kid — very tangy and sour and delicious.. Some good ID instructions in this video along with ideas for preparation.. Big stand-out for me was also the species Oxalis tuberosa, which is apparently grown as a food in S. America (the tuber).. I’m liking that idea.. Will have to look into what that species looks like and get a hold of some of it.. 🤩

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6OcIJPG4_A

[Kev]

Posted June 23rd.. Good info. here.. a lot I didn’t know..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_pzrlp2xsc

[Steven]

Haven’t had a chance to pull out the books and identify many of these yet, but these are all mountain flowers that bloom around here. I took these while hiking the other day!

+3 More Photos

[Kev]

Hey Steven!.. Thanks for the challenge, buddy.. Lol.. I couldn’t help but to dive into these and try to identify them myself.. A welcome distraction!.. This site isn’t letting me comment on each individual photo though, so I’ll go through each one, in the order you uploaded, with what I found, or what my hunches are.. But not to ruin your good time figuring them out for yourself!.. So, maybe not read this until you’ve done your own investigation.. 😄

1) The white-purplish daisy with yellow center.. That’s definitely the genus Erigeron.. I took a screenshot of Erigerons native to BC, but I’m thinking Erigeron grandiflorus is a good bet..

2) The purple flower with yellow center (photo of the cluster of 4 flowers).. This one drove me crazy, because it’s really really familiar.. And then I found it.. It’s one of the Polemoniums, known as the “Jacob’s Ladders”.. This one appears to be Polemonium pulcherrimum.. and the foliage in your photo is a match.. And it is indeed a beauty.. Wow, I’d love to find that one in the wild.. What a treat.. (Photo below).

3) The pink bellflowers with pine-leaf foliage.. This was remarkably easy to find!.. Couldn’t even believe it.. Common name: “Pink Mountain Heather”.. Botanical name: Phyllodoce empetriformus — (which is in fact in the Heath family)..

4) The five-petalled solid purple-blue flower.. This strikes me immediately as some sort of wild Violet, just from the flower shape, or how the petals lay asymmetrically relative to each other.. The foliage I see there looks to be a violet.. But no info. on any specific Viola native to BC that looks exactly like this in this photo..

5) Red flowers on the tall spike.. I knew I’d seen this before.. Looks to be “Indian Paintbrush” – genus Castilleja.. At least 3 species I found with red flowers, but the one native to BC is apparently Castilleja miniata..

6) The spikes of dangling clusters of purple-blue flowers.. This screams Lobelia to me, just in terms of flower shape.. And I see reddish foliage in the photo, which comports, as red foliage is a somewhat common thing with Lobelias, though usually that includes red flowers as well (so the combo. of red foliage and blue flowers is new to me and quite astonishing).. Couldn’t find a specific one native to BC that looks exactly like this, but maybe some variation of the common blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica (but more than likely not siphilitica).. And hey, seriously, this one’s a prize, big time.. So I’d love to get a hold of some of them seeds!.. 😉

7) The photo of the 2 different purple flower types.. The flower with 5 petals on the left is some type of Geranium, and I can see Geranium foliage there.. The spiked flowers struck me initially as Monkshood, and it appears it’s just starting to unfurl and create that characteristic monkshood shape.. I screenshotted a photo that shows the unfurling a little further along, and it jives with your photo.. This is probably Aconitum columbianum..

8) Solid yellow daisy – I thought Coreopsis, but nothing turned up for BC growing in the wild that is this exactly.. But so many yellow “daisy-like” flowers, I have no idea..

Would love to know what you come up with.. 🤠

[Steven]

Challange accepted my good man! Let’s see… according to my books…

1. Good call! I’m wishing I had a better pic of the leaves, but I’m thinking it’s likely Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)

2. Interesting! I couldn’t pick out which foliage belonged to which plant, but looking at Polemonium caeruleum in my book, it very well could be. It wasn’t as tall as it says these things grow. Perhaps they’re smaller at higher altitudes

3. Right on the money!

4. The only member of the violet family in my area that looks like this would be Early Blue Violet (viola adunca) so I’m gonna go with that. The leaves match up. That shade of purple being one of my favourite colors, I was immediatly awestruck!

5. Right again!

6. Your guess is as good as mine on this one, it’s not in any of my books. It was too far up in the hills to have been a rogue house plant or something. Lobelia looks close, but not quite. It’s going to bug me though, I know I’ve seen it before!

7. One on the left is indeed Northern Geranium (geranium erianthum) and I’m thinking the one on the right is actually Arctic Lupine (lupinus arcticus)

8. I think it’s a type of Arnica. Mountain Arnica (arnica latifolia) being the most likely candidate.

[Kev]

Ah yes, I considered Polemonium caeruleum, but couldn’t tell the height of the flower spikes in the photo.. Yeah the species pulcherrimum is a tiny little thing..

Viola adunca is the species I thought it would be, so I bet you’re correct..

The flower I thought was Lobelia – there are some types that definitely have that fan shape with the sharp-pointed petals.. I’m still hoping on that though, ‘cause that would be a prize of a plant in my book.. My other thought, a close second, would be some type of Penstemon.. Penstemons can have red foliage, as well as blue flowers.. Not sure I’ve seen that combination (but have seen red foliage with pink flowers).. Anything online about Penstemons is garden-variety plants mostly.. But a wild one that looks like this up in the hills – what a find.. But just from the flower shape, I’d say most certainly family Scrophulariaceae.. If you run into it again, rub the leaf and see if it has a scent.. If fragrant, could be a member of the mint family – that’s a stretch though, based on flower shapes being “somewhat close”.. You are gonna get me some seeds, right?.. 🤠

Man, I need to let that one go, because I’m inclined to spend a day digging into this and getting to the bottom of it.. Lol..

But you’re right about the Lupinus arcticus.. That was actually my first guess, but I somehow got on the Monkshood tip.. Just did a super zoom-in on the photo, and yes, that’s a pea flower all day..

Hey, Steven, wanted to share this resource with you, a wildflower guide.. Came across it last month in my poking around online for identifications.. Probably extends into BC.. Not an extensive guide, but has photos and it’s to the point, arranged by flower color..

https://nwhiker.com/wildBLUE.html

[Kev]

Imported coffee & tea no longer necessary.. Enter Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomiitoria).. native to N. America, hardy to Zones 7-9 (or down to 0-10 degrees F).. Question would be if you could get it to grow in your local biosphere (beyond its native habitat).. I’m thinking here in the PNW it would thrive.. Question to anyone living in its native zone — do you know about this??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0brfn8UcXs

[Mike]

I’m down for this!!! Would love to try and grow this up here…

[Kev]

Dude!.. I’m gonna be calling the local nurseries in the next week to see if they have Yaupon Holly on-hand.. It’s totally hardy to our zones (though you’re at elevation, maybe, so maybe colder there than here).. And it’s Holly — it’ll love the rain.. If I don’t find it locally, will look online for a live plant.. Lemme know if you go looking and find something.. ☕

[Kev]

Hey Mike!.. I did some searching online (haven’t called local nurseries yet) and found some information I thought I should share.. Turns out, there are native Yaupon Holly trees, as well as a “weeping” variety, as well as a dwarf variety.. I had to wade through this a bit, but I took some screenshots (below) on the differences between them..

Me personally, I want a Yaupon tree that’s the native N. America species that’s [hopefully] not been adulterated by breeders.. I found 2 sellers on Etsy.. One is in Alabama and the other in Florida (both Yaupon native territory).. The text written up by the Alabama seller gives me the impression they’re sourcing native plants.. I’mma shoot them both messages and ask if they’re unadulterated natives or what.. Will follow-up with what I find.. (2 links below)..

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1420802844/live-yaupon-holly-plants-evergreen?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_-other-home_and_living&utm_custom1=_k_CjwKCAjwooq3BhB3EiwAYqYoEtPx1lSRtO1P_E91qU5lwkHHbJenxJr96i7qvMhR-OLeN-gamOzBHhoC0A8QAvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_208914155_16902162995_69016908395_aud-2007167693669:pla-336041414282_c__1420802844_12768591&utm_custom2=208914155&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwooq3BhB3EiwAYqYoEtPx1lSRtO1P_E91qU5lwkHHbJenxJr96i7qvMhR-OLeN-gamOzBHhoC0A8QAvD_BwE

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1073032044/yaupon-holly-1-foot-tall-live-starter?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_all&utm_custom1=_k_CjwKCAjwooq3BhB3EiwAYqYoEglH7A3opohFuvS-dz6lgXJ5QEYtqWEG2wd9-563MsIc0HUAu_PjNxoCcN0QAvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_21500569332_164907277083_707558291651_aud-2007167693669:pla-293946777986_c__1073032044_522062906&utm_custom2=21500569332&gad_source=4&gclid=CjwKCAjwooq3BhB3EiwAYqYoEglH7A3opohFuvS-dz6lgXJ5QEYtqWEG2wd9-563MsIc0HUAu_PjNxoCcN0QAvD_BwE

[Kev]

UPDATE: I contacted both Etsy sellers, and both said they’re selling the native species.. The dude at YouGreenTube said they have a mature tree they use as a donor to create new trees; while the lady at Quail cottage didn’t specify her source of trees (though safe to assume they might have a propagation operation going in the same way).. She also said the ones she have are from a tree that’s tall and upright, and can grow up to 30′.. (apparently, there’s variability in mature heights, even with the natives).. Hope all this helps.. I’m so getting one of these, and completely stoked.. Hopefully, no more coffee!.. 🙃

[Kev]

It’s acorn season, oak trees everywhere.. This is today’s haul (limited only by the size of the bag I had, as I wasn’t going out looking for acorns specifically, just happened across 2 big trees).. Next time, will be prepared..

I experimented successfully last year with hot leaching, and gonna go bigger this year, hoping to end up with a big jar of processed acorn meats.. Saw this video last year on fast acorn cracking.. Looks like the approach for me.. 🙂

https://youtu.be/OS7mtRWXXDs?t=221

[abram]

love acorn bread…i have gathered spruce roots and helped in making the traditional west coast cooking baskets, then made acorn bread using the hot rock in the basket to cook em’…long time ago, would take me some time to remember the whole of the process. what i remember most is how beautiful the baskets are…i have a learning basket i will share pics of soon.

[Kev]

Oh wow, that whole traditional process sounds incredible.. I’d love to learn that myself, as i’d prefer such methods.. been watching a bit more on primitive skills recently.. have yet to venture into weaving fibers like that though.. anticipate seeing what a learning basket is.. think I’ve heard that term, but not sure..

[abram]

learning baskets are those that new weavers make to learn the skill and are typically small. they are traditionally given away as a gift…how i got mine, i was more the gathering and processing part of the endeavor.

[abram]

[Kev]

That is so awesome.. This reminds me of a woman (Michelle) in my building who shares her art with me.. She showed me a watercolor painting she did of a native woman sitting with her daughter and teaching her the whats-what of weaving baskets.. She said she had this idea that the weaving was a vehicle for passing down knowledge and wisdom, and was used as a way to teach the sacred.. She didn’t quite put it in those words, or say “sacred geometry” or anything like that.. in fact, I got the impression she knew very little of such things and was just going on intuition and an inner knowing with that painting.. I remember one moment when I validated what she hunched on and said that is in fact what it is — the teaching of foundation principles of the nature of things and how time weaves in patterns and cycles.. but I was impressed with her inner vision on it all, just naturally..

[Eliza]

Awesome thread here! A few personal notes:

1. I have a little basket like that from

When I was young – it’s so…reminiscent almost in an Akashic record sort of way…

It reminds me that:

2. i grew a nice crop of huge velvet leaf plants (lol) at the library property – apparently a wonderful textile – I’d love to connect with anyone who has experience with this heart-seed shaped “invasive” species (other than the obvious toilet power luxury option)

3. This is my fave acorn video I’d watched a while back – you know I love when any thing drops – beats, trees, etc. https://youtu.be/qLo3UWh-BN4?t=253&si=0IMbfR2cUy5T2AOP

4. In April in a decaffeinated moment of weakness I used Amazon to buy a nice quality holly bag as an investigation into growing my own drug of choice (caffeine aka slave juice) – but I never bought the seeds to grow it myself

[Kev]

Ah nice.. that acorn video is one of the best actually.. I remember watching it.. it’s very knowledgeable and informative, and was helpful..

I looked for Yaupon Holly on Amazon and found the brand you posted (the Yaupon Brothers, or whatever the name is).. I’m gonna get some at some point just to taste it.. I’d prefer bulk herb, but I’ll start with their tea bags first, for a taste.. Plus the bulk leaves are like one-pound minimums, and I ain’t gonna do that, not to start.. Also, gonna call the local nurseries to see if they have live plants.. Yaupon’s native habitat includes zones the same as here, so it won’t be too cold, for sure.. and I’m sure they’ll love the rain.. It’s a holly tree — probably won’t be too fussy..

And what’s this heart-shaped wild plant you speak of??.. Would love to see a photo.. 🤠

[Eliza]

I’ll have to search around for the rest but this plant deserves its own textile thread! The seeds taste ok.

[Kev]

I think I found it!.. Its common name is “Velvetleaf”, and the botanical name is Abutilon theophrasti, a member of the Mallow family, related to Hollyhock, Hibiscus, Malva, and all the various Mallows and such.. I fell out when I found this.. I *love* the mallow family and if I found this wild Abutilon I’d be thrilled and collect and grow the seeds.. You bet I would.. 🤩

May be medicinal too, as many Mallows are — e.g. Marshmallow (Althea), Hibiscus flowers, etc..

Photo here, including a perfect match with your seeds (which are very similar to other mallow seeds).. This is it??

[Eliza]

That’s it! I’ve got the biggest tree ever – should I ship it to you? Happy to send you 100 pods haha. Omg. I adore you!

it’s considered invasive because the seeds last for so long (fifty years?!) and it’s non native…but…I actually have this belief that the weeds I’ve allowed to grow belong on my land…it’s probably something that I need – so…I didn’t see the point in pulling it out…

But then it grew to a Tartaria giant tree size! And it is so beautiful and soft and plentiful with these seeds that I belief can be very beneficial (I want to see what you learn about it)…

[Kev]

How tall did they grow?!!.. Now I’m excited.. A towering Abutilon?!.. Yes, I want some them seeds!..

And there’s no such thing as a weed.. “weed” is a subjective word grown out of the War on Nature.. There’s only “wild plants”, or naturally-occurring plants.. As far as non-natives go — everything is in flux, and no biosphere remains constant.. that’s a myth.. even if they were consciously introduced from the outside at some point by humans — still part of the shifting around of things, cosmically-speaking.. Lol..

But there is something to said for human-introduced plants that completely take over and eradicate native habitat.. Here in the PNW, English Ivy was introduced, and in some places the native forest plants have been run over and wiped out.. No bueno.. Nothing can be done about it though, either, so learn a damn lesson..

But just common everyday things, like the “weeds” that grow along the street in parking strips, or wherever.. so what?.. they’re natural plants and there’s a reason they’re there.. Here, folks take weed eaters to the natural plants (as would be true anywhere), and what’s left behind is not pretty wildflowers and food and medicine, but piles of dry, brown, dead plant matter.. Nice.. That’s an improvement!.. Lol.. I call these people Weed Whackos.. 🙃

The worst is how blackberries are demonized.. The Earth is giving you nourishment with anti-cancer properties, so, um, kill it!!.. What’s left behind? — dead, brown brambles, and roots that regrow over and over again.. Duh.. When I go foraging, I make a point of spitting the blackberry seeds in my mouth into areas where there are none.. Ha!.. Don’t mess with my blackberries.. Lol.. 🤩

Send me seeds!

[Kev]

A brief 4-minute video on gathering and cleaning Black Walnuts, from EdibleAcres.. (this is part 1, so follow-up to come on the next steps).. I used one of these nut picker-uppers when I was a young lad in southern Alabama, with a grand old Pecan tree in the yard.. 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho7tXtG_M_U

[Kev]

A more comprehensive video on Black Walnut processing, from Feral Foraging — collecting, cleaning, hulling, uses, curing, etc.. (18 minutes)..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCOJEfQcyz4

[Kev]

Finally finished up my Acorn processing project for this autumn season, as well as doing some food preparations with them.. Though — I’m still gonna make some Acorn bread, and I got an Acorn-Persimmon recipe locked & loaded, as well as some foraged Persimmons sitting out ripening right now.. I summarized everything I did with the Acorns in 6 photos here, which I’ve numbered #1 through #6..

And hey, next thing this week I’m gonna go out foraging for Black Walnuts, see if any of ’em are any good.. They’re everywhere.. Picked up a few today, and if they’re edible, will make it a day picking some of ’em up.. Anyone got thoughts on Black Walnuts??.. They’re as simple as shelling them, right??..

+1 More Photos

[Author]

Replies