Let's Start with a Weedwalk

I took a weekwalk with Bevin Clare at the WHC and was reminded of just how much I love a good weedwalk and how much I appreciate the perspectives and experiences of others who walk in Green wisdom. There's no way I could convey all that she shared here on this blog, nor would I choose to, for I rely on your empowerment to follow-through on learning about such things as you are guided. Of course, If you ask me, I will do my best to relay Bevin's wisdom to you as I recall it . . . or my own experience with the plant, should I posses such a thing. 

Trillium in fruit on the floor of a New Hampshire forest in August, out of focus but still lovely.

Sarsaparilla in the same neighborhood.

Hamamelis virginiana shading and loving the floor-level residents.

Mitchella repens, or partridgeberry if you prefer, a long-respected womb-ally.

Coptis spp., commonly called goldenthread . . . with bitter golden yellow roots that speak to the berberine it holds within.

The lovely Lucy Mitchella holding a specimen of Monotropa uniflora, a big medicine in my book and a plant to be honored and harvested with the greatest care and respect, so that we may continue to have it for years to come.

My apologies for the less than meaningful ID photo of this plant, Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Looks like those darn botanists and their name-changing got to this one, for it seems that I can only find it listed as Artemisia artemisiifolia. Funny that, for it is a plant that my friend Bruce and I were puzzling over in May. We agreed that it must be one of the Artemisias, but didn't know which one. I wonder now how it is that neither of us recognized the common Ragweed. 

Apocynum, or dogbane and a lovely woodland aster in bloom. I was nibbling aster petals all weekend.

Lycopus spp., or bugleweed, a non-aromatic mint.

Beautiful, elusive Scutellaria lateraflora. She deserves two photos. Enough said.

 

Last, yet never least, Achillea millefolium, the beautiful and multi-gifted common yarrow. There were others, but this is a good representation methinks.

And then . . .