Wild Harvest Life - Winter Family in PNW

Self-heal ( Prunella vulgaris ), called  kkulpul  in Korea,  blooming with small purple flower spikes in Washington State. Some wild plants are so common that I almost forget how special they are. Self-heal ( Prunella vulgaris ) is one of those plants for me. Here in Washington State, I often see its small purple flower spikes growing quietly in grassy places, along moist edges, and in open areas. It is not a flashy plant at first glance. It stays low, blooms close to the ground, and can be easy to walk past. But in Korea, this plant carries a much deeper story. In Korea, self-heal is called kkulpul , which means “honey plant” or “honey grass.” People say it got this name because a sweet, honey-like nectar can be tasted from the flower. It belongs to the mint family, and like many mint-family plants, it has a square stem. Most of the self-heal flowers I see are purple, but sometimes white flowers can appear too. A Common Plant with a Surprising Korean Herbal Reputation I ...

A Mountain Walk After Strange Weather My husband and I usually go mushroom hunting in the fall and winter. But this year, the weather has felt very different from what we remember. It became unusually hot for a while, and then recently, after almost a full week of rain, the temperature suddenly dropped again. So we looked at each other and thought, “Maybe we should go check the mountains.” The first mountain area we visited was over 4,300 feet in elevation. There, we found coral mushrooms — a beautiful surprise after the rain. But that was not the only thing we saw. Among the green plants on the mountain, I noticed a tall wild plant with long narrow leaves. At first, I was not completely sure what it was, so I did not harvest it. I only took photos and came back home. Later, when I looked more closely, I realized it was Fireweed . Fireweed ’s scientific name is Chamaenerion angustifolium . It is also known by older botanical names such as Chamerion angustifolium or Epilobium angustifo...

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...