Words On Wellness: In The Redwood Forest

By Karin Uphoff

     There is no better place to spend some time in hot weather or drippy fog, than deep in the redwood forest along a running stream.  A healthy coastal redwood forest (only 382,000 acres of such forest is protected, 23% of their range) has a multi-storied assemblage of trees, shrubs and herbaceous growth wherever the light allows. Small trees like bigleaf maple, have stain glass edible leaves and shrubs like California wild hazel nut (Corylus cornuta var Californica) with its green, saw-toothed, velvety leaves and softly arching branches, do indeed produce hazelnuts. The green husks that cover the nut are longer and form a tubular beak with what looks like tiny tassels. By the end of summer these husks turn brown and shrink and the nut adheres to the stem until a squirrel or chipmunk comes along to collect it. Like the European hazelnut which produces larger nuts and is sold commercially, these nuts are high protein and serve as an important food source.

     Another velvety-leaved plant is the rangy thimble berry (Rubus Parviflorus). Like raspberries which are related, thimbleberries are prized for their bright scarlet berries that ripen in summer to a sweet and unique taste all their own. They are actually a miniature cluster of berries providing a pleasant crunchy texture from the tiny seeds in each drupelet. Native Americans have and continue to value this plant for food and medicine, especially for skin and digestive ailments. Leaf infusions are used internally to treat stomach complaints, anemia, gastric bleeding and vomiting. The tea is also has been taken by women when their periods are unusually long. A poultice of the dried powdered leaves can treat wounds and burns and are used to reduce scarring. Making a facial steam with the leaves will reduce pimples and blackheads due to its astringent property. Both roots and leaves were used traditionally to stimulate appetite, helping those who need to gain weight. A decoction of the roots, as with blackberry root, helps resolve diarrhea taken in small doses often. Young spring shoots of this plant, once peeled, can be eaten either raw or cooked like asparagus as both berries and shoots are rich in Vitamin C and A. The yellow-banded sphinx butterfly relies on the thimbleberry as both a source of nectar and a host for its larvae.