Willow (Salix spp.) can be found on the banks of rivers, in wetlands and around ponds and lakes. It LOVES water. In this video, I'll show how to find, select and harvest bark from willow trees.

In this video I'll show you how to peel bark off branches in field with a knife, and also talk about when to harvest barks.

Grand Fir Abies grandis Pinaceae (Pine family) It's almost time for harvesting fir and spruce tips and I could not be more excited. Nothing is more delicious than a hot cup of grand fir tip tea with a teaspoon of honey. Grand fir (actually a fir) is more elusive than douglas fir (not actually a fir). Something to keep an eye out for. Note that fir tips share very similar medicinal uses: expectorant, antimicrobial, high in vitamin c. They are excellent for coughs and warding off the seasonal cold. There is a lot of talk about the role of vitamin C in warding off Covid as well, so definitely not a plant to be left behind. Get your honey, vinegar and alcohol ready for infusing! We have a few other fir species in Washington, including pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis), Noble fir (Abies procera) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa). I most often harvest from pacific silver fir, which is found in higher elevations in the cascades and olympics. All members of the fir genus have large pinecones that face upward with scales that squirrels like to peel off, eat the seed out of, and then throw on the ground. Piles of these scales can be found under many fir trees.

Bleeding Heart Dicentra formosa Papaveraceae (Poppy family) Bleeding Heart was this month's monograph, so I wanted to make sure you all got to see it in a video! It starts to bloom in mid April, and continues through May. High up in elevation you can even find it blooming in June! We harvest the whole plant, including the root. This is a toxic plant, so be sure to read the monograph fully before using internally. Enjoy!

Low Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa) grows in the forest understory, and because of the habit of the plant, pulling it up out of the ground is necessary in order to harvest the bark. In this video I'll show you how to do it, and talk a bit about the advantages and disadvantages of using this species versus tall Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium).

Cleavers Galium aparine (Rubiaceae) bedstraw family Cleavers is an abundant weed in western Washington and a fantastic bladder detoxifier and lymphatic mobilizer. April is the best time for harvest, before it blooms, so get out and get yourself some cleavers!

These three edible spring greens are all harvestable in April and May. Siberian miner's lettuce (Montia sibirica): grows in the forest understory, edible raw. Contains a large amount of oxalic acid, so limit amount that you eat. Chickweed (Stellaria media): Edible raw. Great in salads. Can eat a large amount of it. Nipplewort (Lapsana communis): slightly bitter and a little hairy. Edible raw and cooked. Can eat a large amount of it, especially when cooked. Very similar to dandelion.

Red elder (Sambucus racemosa) is one of two native species of elder in the Pacific Northwest. The other, more common on the east side of the cascades, is blue elder (Sambucus cerulea). In this video I talk about identifying and using red elder flowers, and also about the toxicity of the different elder species.

Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) can grow to be an old growth giant, but smaller ones can also be found in native plantings and parks. On the Olympic peninsula and Pacific Coast is where spruce dominated forests thrive. Spruce tips are a forager's favorite for cocktails, tea, honey, vinegar and even some food. Each genus has its own special flavor. To me, spruce reminds me of tropical fruit and lavender. What's your favorite spruce tip preparation? The whole pine family pneumonic mentioned in the video: Spruce Stabs (the needles are really sharp) Fir is fragrant (it is the most fragrant of all genuses) Hemlock hangs (the top is floppy) Pine has packets (packets of multiple needles attached together) Larch loses its needles (yep, every fall!) Douglas fir doesn't fit (into any other genus)