Wild Harvest Life - Winter Family in PNW

The moment I spotted this wild burdock growing beside a mountain trail near my home, it instantly brought back memories of my grandmother in Korea. Some Plants Feed the Body. Others Feed the Heart. Have you ever come across a plant that instantly took you back to your childhood? I never expected that to happen while walking along a quiet mountain trail near my home in Washington State. It was just another peaceful afternoon in the Pacific Northwest. The air was cool, birds were singing, and I was doing what I love most—walking slowly through the forest, paying attention to the plants growing around me. Then I saw it. Large green leaves reaching toward the sunlight. Something about them looked strangely familiar. I stopped walking. For a few seconds, I simply stared. "Could it really be?" As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I wasn't standing on a forest trail anymore. In my heart, I had traveled all the way back to Korea. Sometimes, all it takes is one familiar plant t...

Fresh young mugwort growing in Washington State. Every spring, these tender shoots remind me of home, family, and the traditions I grew up with in Korea. More Than Just a Wild Plant When most people walk past mugwort, they simply see another wild plant growing along a roadside or in an open field. When I see mugwort, I see my childhood. I remember my mother, my uncles, the mountains of Korea, and a little girl who simply wanted to stop scratching her skin. Even after moving halfway across the world to Washington State, mugwort continues to find me every spring. It grows quietly along trails and open fields, just as it did when I was young. Every time I discover those familiar silver-green leaves, I can't help but smile. For me, mugwort isn't just something to forage. It's part of my story. A Childhood Filled With Itchy Skin I was born prematurely, and from the very beginning, my immune system seemed to struggle to find its balance. As a child, I constantly battled dry skin,...

Bright yellow Bird’s-foot trefoil flowers blooming around our mountain home in Southwest Washington. Around our mountain home at about 1,800 feet elevation, Bird’s-foot trefoil blooms in beautiful clusters of small, pea-like yellow flowers. When the flowers are fully open, they make the hillside look warm and alive. I recently noticed that the back slope behind our house was covered with them, and it made me so happy. Bird’s-foot trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus ) is one of the cheerful yellow wild plants that grows abundantly around our home in Southwest Washington. It is a perennial plant in the pea family, and once you start noticing its bright golden flowers, you may realize it has been quietly growing all around you — in fields, along trails, on hillsides, and even near backyards. 👉 I made a short video showing Bird’s-foot trefoil in bloom so you can see the flowers, leaves, and growth habit more clearly. Watch the Bird’s-foot trefoil Shorts video here:  https://youtube.com/short...

Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major) growing along a mountain trail near our home in Southwest Washington. Living in the mountains of Southwest Washington is peaceful, but it also means that buying groceries usually requires a drive of more than 30 minutes. Thankfully, nature provides its own seasonal vegetables right outside our door. Every spring, I look forward to harvesting a variety of wild edible plants. Instead of relying on just one vegetable, I mix different wild greens to make Korean-style namul , kimchi , soups, and even jangajji (soy sauce pickles). Some flowers and flower stalks are carefully dried for tea, allowing us to enjoy the gifts of nature long after the season has passed. One of my favorite spring greens is Broadleaf Plantain ( Plantago major ) , along with its close relative, Narrowleaf Plantain ( Plantago lanceolata ) . Narrowleaf Plantain (Plantago lanceolata), one of the first edible wild greens to emerge each spring around our mountain home.     ...

  (Gosari is the Korean name for bracken fern, especially the young edible shoots used in Korean cooking.) A Spring Treasure in Southwest Washington Young bracken fern shoots, known as gosari in Korean, growing in the mountains of Southwest Washington.        Every spring, from early April to early June, bracken fern begins to appear around our mountain home in Southwest Washington. We live at about 1,800 feet elevation, and this area seems to be a perfect place for gosari to grow. I am Korean, married to an American husband, and I have lived in the United States for more than 17 years. I grew up in Seoul as a city girl, so even though gosari is one of Korea’s most beloved wild vegetables, I had never harvested it myself. About five years after moving to the United States, a Korean friend visited our home and said, “You have so much gosari here. Why aren’t you picking it?” She showed me what to harvest, when to harvest it, how to prepare it, and how to preserve ...

  Young bracken ferns—one of Korea's most beloved wild spring vegetables. 🌿 If someone had told me years ago that I would one day be harvesting wild plants, mushrooms, shellfish, seaweed, and fish from the mountains, forests, rivers, and coastlines of Washington State, I would never have believed them. I grew up in Seoul, Korea, as a city girl who studied music. Yet some of my happiest childhood memories were spent with my grandmother and mother, enjoying wild mountain greens and seasonal foods. Because I was born prematurely and struggled with health issues as a child, my mother was always searching for nutritious foods, herbs, and traditional ingredients she believed would help me grow stronger. Years later, life brought me to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Today, I live in the mountains of Washington State, surrounded by nature that often reminds me of a larger version of Korea. The mountains, forests, rivers, and many of the plants growing here feel surprisingly familiar. Wi...