By ERIN KENNY
Beachcomber Columnist
We have entered another season here on Vashon — the season of autumn’s first whisper.
The alder and the cottonwood leaves are slowly spiraling to earth, and the aroma in the air is distinctly autumnal.
The owls have begun calling, and spring’s batch of tadpoles has left the ponds and begun croaking in the woods.
The orb weaver and the dome web spiders are everywhere.
The termites hatched about a week ago and the forest is littered with their wings.
The juncos have become more noticeable, traveling in groups feeding off the ground, and the red-shafted flicker’s piercing call is prevalent this time of year.
The long shadows of late summer sun are illuminating the forest in a new way, and the moon is beginning its seasonal climb higher and higher into the night sky.
Orion’s Belt is back in the sky after its summer hiatus, rising at dawn in the east. In the evening sky, the Swan (Cygnus), the Milky Way, the Dolphin, Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper are the most conspicuous.
In this harvest moon time, there is a particular foraging bounty here on Vashon.
There are ripe berries: the evergreen huckleberry, non-native blackberries, mountain ash and hawthorn berries. There are also native hazelnuts and mushrooms such as puffballs and chanterelles.
However, most of the wild plants that are ready to be harvested this time of year are root crops for medicinal use during the winter.
Oregon grape root tincture (an herbal preparation made with alcohol) is a bitter tonic for the digestive system and works great for indigestion and heartburn. Oregon grape root tincture is also considered a blood purifier and liver support and, as such, is useful for clearing up skin blemishes caused by impurities in the blood. An anti-microbial salve can be made from the root for treating abrasions.
There are two well-known European plants’ roots that can be collected for your medicine chest.
Dandelion root is a well-known liver tonic and has been extensively used in Europe since the 10th century. Dandelion root teas and tinctures are recommended for hepatitis, anemia, cirrhosis and gallstones.
Since the roots are slightly laxative, they are also used to treat constipation. The roots can be roasted in the oven, then boiled in water to make a delicious nutty-flavored beverage — add a little milk and sweetener to your own taste.
Yellow dock root is a highly regarded medicinal plant for treating liver diseases and associated jaundice and anemia.
Some lesser-known native plant root teas include the large-leaf geum (credited by some Native American tribes as being a preventive for small pox) with a spicy clove flavor and slight anesthetic quality.
Native sweet cicely root (a member of the wild carrot family) tastes strongly of anise and can be eaten raw or brewed into a delightful cup of tea.
Usnea, or old man’s beard, is a common lichen on Vashon, littering the forest floor during this season. It can be made into a tea or tincture and is in current use by herbalists as a strong natural antibiotic.
According to Christopher Hobbs in “Herbal Antibiotic: Usnea,” World War II researchers discovered that more than half the lichen species tested contained compounds effective “…against gram- positive bacteria, including Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and Pneumonococcus.”
Just as gardeners do, foragers are seeing the end of their bountiful harvests and hoping they have put up enough to get them through the winter.
— Erin Kenny is director of the nonprofit Cedarsong Nature School. The proceeds from her herbal remedies, available at the Country Store, go to Cedarsong’s scholarship fund.
