Here at Mill Creek there is an abundance of plants that can be harvested at various times of the year for food and medicine.
The first to appear are the ferns, which grow to great size. In the early spring fiddlehead stage, when they are forming small curls, they have tight heads that can be harvested and eaten. In earlier times, people would collect and process them by leaching them into wood ash to use as spring vegetables. They are like forest asparagus, although the preparation is more intensive.
At the same time of year, small greens sprout in abundant patches in places where there is shade and moisture. They are a fine pantry of food with high vitamin content.
Shooting stars form clusters of tiny, rounded leaves, beneath their purple, yellow, and black flowers.
Mining lettuces have heart-shaped leaves and stems, which resemble spinach in color and flavor. The wild roses have bloomed and put on rose hips, glowing orange in the woods when ripe. In some places wild watercress grows.
Alpine strawberries form clumps of miniature leaves and produce small berries that have a delicious flavor.
And there are a large number of acorns. Early settlers would have learned to use them in the same way as Native Americans before them, leaching them in streams before roasting and grinding them into flour used in soups.
The berries of the strawberry tree and manzanita are edible and rich in vitamin C. The beautiful cream-colored flowers with red and orange tones follow.
Many kinds of wild grasses grow here.
The plantain, mother of herbs, serves as food and medicine. The flowers were collected to make flour and can also be eaten raw.
Herba Santa, with its pretty purple flowers, is strong against infections. It has dark green foliage with a leafy texture and jagged edges. Soaked in hot water with honey, it is used as a cough syrup.
Herba Pasma, which has needle-shaped leaves and blooms in light yellow, thrives in areas that have been burned. A tea made with it is delicious and nutritious. Many people have used it as a remedy to clean blood or as a poultice on wounds, with good results.
Verbena grows, known for its cosmetic uses. It soothes dry skin and has a fresh, fine scent. It has long, dusty lavender-colored branches, growing low in a spreading habit.
Wild rosemary and mountain sage are here, feeding bees and hummingbirds.
Mushrooms, including chanterelles, grow in quiet valleys in years when rainfall is abundant. Ballots also appear, and from the slopes of the oaks the hen of the forest appears with its bright colors.
Native Americans gathered grasshoppers in the summer and also brought shellfish up into the mountains to feast. they camped here a lot during acorn season to gather the rich source of protein and to hunt.
Game swarms through the basin, including deer, pigeons, quail, and squirrels. Those who lived off the land would have a lot of work, but they sure ate well. Of course, these wild foods were supplemented by cultivated and domesticated ones. However, the bounty of nature would sustain those who were able to persevere.
