I have a long term goal of creating a guide to plant associations with an emphasis on food plants. My plan is to include timing of important management (I don’t like that word) activities within each plant association. For example, oak woodlands have several previously described plant associations, each with different important food plants. The timing of harvest, seed collecting, etc. might be different for each species or within each plant association. Each might also have important disturbance regimes such as fire or flooding that is important for people to either be aware of or directly influence. Might take a while, though 
.
2 Likes
Not sure why I can’t post pics here. Oh well i tried.
Maybe it’s a code issue? You should be able to.
I’ve been able to post pictures on the memes thread. Can you describe what happens when you try? The one thing I can think of is that there’s a file size limit but the application should say that the file is too big if that’s the case.
SeanPrive and DennisL - I love the calendar idea - especially with plant associations and environmental factors included - that would be SO helpful!! I’ve been planning to start a “calendar” style list for myself for my very local area (s. puget sound) so that i can easily refer to what to plant, what to forage, what to collect, etc… Would love to hear your ongoing thoughts about this as the idea progresses! 
2 Likes
The major book I know of is Propagation of NW Native Plants. http://osupress.oregonstate.edu/book/propagation-of-pacific-northwest-native-plants
I know a bit about S. Puget Sound because I lived there off and on for 18 years.
Here’s a short list of what I used forage around this time (March/April):
Greens/“salad”: claytonia, dandelions, plantain, salmonberry shoots and flowers, maple flowers, etc. Cooked greens: Nettles, Fiddleheads.
Herbs: Devil’s Club (Oplopananx Horridus) roots/new shoots (without killing the plant…), Nettles.
Mushrooms: Oysters (usually on Red Alders near creeks).
Tracie, if you plan on planting back, I’d be happy to tell you all of my harvesting spots near Olympia, WA.
1 Like
This is an awesome thread… I don’t have my own “property” right now where I can do planting, but I have been experimenting with propagating a bit in parks (under the radar) near my current home. I’ve done some nettle transplants, and the other day I started a bunch of seeds with some friends that they had… nettle, yarrow, burdock and some other herbs and non-native veggies (the European and non-native starts are going into a garden and not the woods.) I’m definitely getting back into it as the weather gets warmer.
1 Like
Thank you! I’d love to learn about some of your fav. spots up here 
I have a copy of the Prop. of NW Native Plants too!
also: “Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest” ~ Arthur R. Kruckenberg
“Grow Your Own Native Landscape - A Guide to Identifying, Propagating, and Landscaping with Western Washington Native Plants” from the WSU cooperative extension for Thurston Co.
and “Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest” ~ Russell Link.
so far i’m learning TONS from these books, but hope to continue adding new titles to my shelf if anyone has suggestions!
Thank you so much for your foraging list for April! I’m going to give some thought to the best locations to search in less polluted areas. (I’m in Mason Co.)…
Loving this thread!! You guys are awesome
Honestly, while there is a lot to learn from those books, I haven’t found the type of in-depth information that’s needed to truly tackle obtaining large amounts of native/wild plant foods west of the Cascades - or likely anywhere else that’s similarly developed. It was possible just 150 years ago to just harvest and plant back, but now widespread establishment is needed of tended, yet natural areas. I haven’t seen a book that really gets too far toward that goal. Its sort of like the “eat the weeds” type of books. Its fun, but can you really obtain much nutrition/calories from dandelions and chickweed?
First, more people need to become familiar with truly staple and productive native foods. They far surpass weedy exotic species in their potential to feed people. Second, more people need to prioritize managing land for both the proliferation of these species and their associated habitats. Third, more dissemination of information is needed regarding plant phenology and habitat requirements. I know people are working on that, but its an enormous task.
For example, I often find camas and harvest Brodiaea in the same locations. However, they are often in subtly different microtopographical positions with different hydrologic and disturbance regimes. Furthermore, they flower and seed at different times and they are propagated differently. But both species have the potential to reproduce exponentially (as Kat Anderson and others have reported), and both have the potential to produce huge amounts of food without major disruption to natural ecosystems. Integrating the knowledge necessary to begin seriously spreading those plants on a significant scale is something I would love to work toward. The basic information (if I remember correctly) is in Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest, but I feel like the above mentioned books just don’t take it beyond “hobby” level. (Not that they aren’t great resources, just that I feel motivated to work on this as soon as I have free time again!) .
2 Likes
Sean you SERIOUSLY need to write a book on this 
that would be fantastic!
1 Like
Seems like ethnobotany texts would help round this topic out… perhaps several different types of books are needed on the shelf to reference this type of conversation… any recommendations?
Any books by Nancy J Turner are a good start. Other books include Plants of the Pacific NW Coast by Pojar and Mackinnon (and Turner), Northwest Foraging by Douglas Deur, Discovering Wild Plants by Scofield, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore…
Keeping it Living by Turner and Deur has some ethnobotany and propagation stuff. More ethnographic than instructional though.
If you want to get really deep into plants there’s Flora of the Pacific NW by Hitchcock. I’ve always found it helpful because Pojar and Mackinnon (as people usually call Plants of the Pacific NW) is really surface level stuff for ID’ing plants and can easily become frustrating. I consider Pojar the field guide and Hitchcock the book you leave at home for plants that you took a picture or a cutting to ID at home.
Note that few of these books, if any, have Planting/Propagating guides (although NW Foraging might…I don’t have it).
2 Likes
Thank you so much, I really appreciate the recommendations!!!
2 Likes
Cutting huge vines of ivy off of ashes and maples, cottonwoods and furs today…I counted, some of the ivy trunks took me 60 swings of my axe…they have such small growth rings too… It’s intense to realize it only takes 1 or two minutes destroy 20 + years of ivy taking over a wonderful tree.
i have decided i’m waging war and my axe will taste more invasive plant species than natives this year I want to clear 1 tree a day at least…i know this page is about planting back, i’m just wondering should i start a completely new topic if I want to talk to some of you about invasive species removal?? I feel like this is almost a more effective way for me to rewild areas because theres just no space to plant anything when theres b.s. ivy and blackberries everywhere
2 Likes
Good work!!! There’s an entire community of life under that ivy.
1 Like
Native American Ethnobotany by Dan Moerman. He is actually in the FB group. The book is also available as a free online database.
2 Likes
Hey Sean, I am planning on growing wapato. What kind of container do you use? I’m thinking of using a large rubber feed trough. Also, do you just grow them in water, or do you add soil? Any info would be helpful. Thanks!
2 Likes
Honestly, I don’t think you can go wrong with the container. Anything that is at least 18 inches deep or so will work. I use stainless steel trough-like containers. I don’t know really what they’re for - maybe for small animals? I added about a foot of soil, then have kept the water a couple of inches above that. I’m going to add more soil this year though because I was breeding mosquitoes last year 
. My goal is to maintain the water and soil level about even. I spaced the tubers on about 8 inch centers. Within one growing year they have completely filled my three containers. I’ll probably start eating them next fall. Let me know how it goes!
2 Likes