By Janelle Eklund
The wood stove radiates a cozy warmth throughout the house - a house made from the same kind of trees - spruce - that keep the fires burning throughout the winter. This winter, snow and frost decorated sister trees standing outside my window. It's February 26 and for the last few days morning light has gingerly appeared starting around 6:30. This welcoming light gives a hint of a vision of green and colorful days ahead. Wrapping my brain around that thought the sweet scent of Bedstraw wafts into my memory.
 
The common name, Bedstraw, and the botanical name, Galium, were given to this plant for two different reasons.
 
Before the invention of manufactured mattresses Bedstraw was used as stuffing to make a soft and pleasant smelling surface to sleep on. Thus the name Bedstraw. Legend has it that this was the mattress of choice for baby Jesus. Galium is derived from Greek. Gala means milk in Greek and the plant was named after this because of its rennet producing abilities. Rennet is the ingredient used to coagulate milk in the cheese making process. In 'Discovering Wild Plants' by Janice Schofield she says, "To obtain this rennet, the herb is blended with an equal amount of salt, covered with water, and then simmered until half the original amount of fluid remains".
 
Four leaves dance around the square shaped stem of this plant. Another stem extends from this whorl of leaves, where tiny white flowers shine in the sunlight and can permeate the air with their sweet perfume.
 
Bedstraw does have some medicinal qualities. The plant can be put into massage oils to help relieve sore muscles. 'The Boreal Herbal' by Beverly Gray says it contains asperuloside which is an anti-inflammatory and mildly laxative; is reported to be very effective in treating urinary and reproductive-organ inflammations; acts as a lymphatic tonic, diuretic and blood cleanser; leaves and flowers are used topically in a hot compress to stop bleeding, soothe muscle aches and help with skin conditions like eczema; mashing the plant and rubbing it into the scalp can encourage hair growth. In 'Discovering Wild Plants', Schofield says "The herb is said to dissolve stones in the bladder, rid organs of toxic waste, and strengthen the liver. Hepatitis, jaundice, goiter, and painful urination have all reportedly been helped by this herb. For goiter and mouth cancer, the tea is drunk plus used as a gargle."
 
This plant is edible, the fresh tender young plant best lightly steamed or fried in butter or olive oil. The flowering plant also makes a nice tea. Freezing the tea is one way to store it for winter months. Or dry the plant in bundles for later use, making into tea or tincture. The tea has been known to be used to help with weight loss by speeding up the metabolism. Using the tea continuously can cause irritation to the mouth and tongue so use with caution. Also, if you are diabetic avoid using this herb.
 
Enjoy the increasing light of each day and wrap yourself in visions of greens, blues, purples, yellows, creams, pinks, whites and all the other hues brought on by the re-emergence of plant life.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: The Boreal Herbal by Beverley Gray; Discovering Wild Plants by Janice Schofield
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By Janelle Eklund
It was a sunny summer day. Dryas covered the landscape in front of me. Dark evergreen leaves laid a carpet around the rocky shoulder of the riverbank. Tooth like edges of the leaves crimp downward, more so during a drought. Stems emerge from the woody base (caudex) of the glossy carpet standing four to ten inches tall and bending at the top. The end of the stem houses an outer green envelope (calyx) covered with dark glandular hairs. Out of this envelope emerges a shy flower that never really opens its eight to ten yellow petals.
 
I have also seen yellow Dryas at the foot of glaciers near McCarthy. They are the pioneers to receding glaciers uncovering their rocky innards.  This hearty plant is an adapter. It has to be in order to survive the harsh conditions that it grows in.  Its roots are tough and grow deep to anchor it against prevailing winds. Nodules on the roots have nitrogen fixing bacteria. The backs of its waxy leaves have a wooly coat that in some ways reminds me of sheep's wool. It sheds ice in the winter and conserves moisture in the summer. The flowers face the sun basking in its warmth in order to heat up the female parts (pistil) so insects will be attracted to it and spread its pollen. The insects also like spending a little time in the flower, enjoying its warmth, greatly increasing its body temperature from the ambient air temperature.
 
These solitary flowers dot the landscape until about mid-July. The flowers drop their petals forming its head into fluffy swirls, eventually opening its tight curl to release seeds to the winds of time.
 
I enjoy capturing the light of the sun as it plays through the fluffy swirls, giving off golden yellow tones.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: http://www.flora.dempstercountry.org/; Wildflowers of the Yukon Alaska and Northwestern Canada by John G. Trelawny; Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories by Eric Hultén
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By Janelle Eklund
It was June and as I was driving down the McCarthy Road on a sunny summer day when white clusters of flowers on a tall shrub caught my eye. The area was close to about mile 3 where it had been cleared at one time. American Dogwood also like to grow along stream banks and moist woods. I got out my camera and tripod and set it up at eye height to focus in on the little white flowers dotted with orange centers. Reddish to brown soft fuzzy branches held oblong green leaves with deep furrowed veins.
 
Cornus stolonifera, also known as Red-Osier Dogwood can get up to twelve feet tall. As the plant matures the flowers change their dress into clusters of white bitter berries. The bitterness is a warning that they can induce vomiting and be mildly poisonous. But that doesn't deter bears from making dinner out of it.
 
The stems of this plant is a favorite delicacy for moose and so is important browse habitat. Being straight and flexible the stems have also been used by Dena'ina natives to fashion into beautiful rims on baskets.
 
The spring and fall bark and roots of American Dogwood have been thoroughly dried and used for colds and fever, or, being an astringent, used in a steam for oily skin.
 
This tall shrub is a relative to the much smaller Bunchberry or Dwarf Dogwood.
 
Enjoy the delicate beauty of this tall shrub.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: Discovering Wild Plants by Janice Schofield; Tanaina Plantlore by Priscilla Russel Kari; Plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen Parkland.
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By Janelle Eklund
'It's a blustery day, Winnie the Pooh!' That's what came to mind as I walked down the gravel road and the wind was singing a chorus through the trees. Dark aspen tree branches accented its leaves painted by autumn’s brilliant yellow, with splashes of red here and there. The wind whipped through the leaves releasing those weakened by age and frost. They sailed through the air in a fluttery rush until they reached the ground where the hands of the wind scooted them along like a mother hen hurrying her brood out of harm's way. Gathering speed they joined together and danced in circles, whirling and twirling, until they came to their final resting place where they will nourish the soil for next year. Those that settled on the road after a rain were pressed by passing cars. As their brilliance faded away their perfect imprint was imbedded like a fossil, making pretty leaf patterns on the road.
 
Further north, above tree line, the tundra painted a different scene. Here the dominate colors of the paintbrush are intense reds and oranges undulating in a mosaic pattern across sweeping vistas spilling from white mountain peaks. Deep blue eyes of lakes reflected the celebration. Blueberry, dwarf birch and bearberry were the main instruments in this autumnal symphony. Splashes of yellow were played by small groups of willow, stunted aspen, or balsam poplar.
 
 As I lay on my tummy picking deep red cranberries and drinking in the pungent aroma of Labrador tea I caught a glimpse of purple out of the corner of my eye. The bonnet of this little tundra flower, Harebell, has the shape of a bluebell. This solitary flower sticks close to the ground, boosting a height of about 2" to 4". It's the little cymbal you see once in awhile in the grand symphony. A white stigma in the center of the flower unfolds into three sections, or lobes, ready to receive pollen. When the flower is just about ready to reach maturity it bends its little head toward the ground. This protects it from animals that might visit the flower but welcomes bees and wasps to enter, dine on its nectar, spend the night, and grab some pollen to carry elsewhere. Its bowed head also protects the pollen from rain.
 
I usually see this hearty flower after all the other tundra flowers have run their course. Its creeping rhizomes helps it cling to gravelly tundra, alpine meadows and rocky outcrops. As folklore goes, in the Victorian language of flowers, they are said to symbolize gratitude and humility. I can understand that - gratitude for being so tough in a harsh climate and humility for its small solitary stature in a big landscape.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: http://www.flora.dempstercountry.org; Wildflowers of the Yukon Alaska and Northwestern Canada, by John G. Trelawny
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By Janelle Eklund
Rain drops hung heavy on yellow chamomile buds and their lacy leaves. Bright and fresh they lured me to their sweet essence. The garden beds were pregnant with the year's supply of nourishment. Chamomile loves the beds and I let it grow here and there to mingle with the planted seeds I sow each spring. Just don't let it grow right next to the radishes - it will shade them too much. It gets along better with other tall plants like potatoes, lettuce, peas, carrots, etc. It doesn't need any encouragement nor transplanting, popping up here and there, and seeming to be happy to grow anywhere around disturbed areas. The nice thing about it is it grows throughout the summer season. With scissors, I clip the tops of yellow buds from a nice patch growing in the compost. The whole plant has value but the best quality is mostly in the yellow-green flower heads. It will dry in a basket, or in the food dryer, and then be stored away for those evenings when I'm ready to relax with a cup of its tea, luring me to sleep.
 
Some people call the chamomile growing around here Pineapple Weed, as the yellow heads can taste somewhat like pineapple. To me they have a very nice sweet chamomile flavor - and aroma. Matrix part of the latin name means 'mother' and caria means 'dear'. This aromatic plant is not indigenous to the area.
 
Matricaria has many fine qualities. It is anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, aromatic bitter, carminative (relieves flatulance), diaphoretic (increases sweating), galactagogue (increases the flow of mother's milk), hypnotic, nervine (calms the nerves), mild sedative, stomachic (promotes appetite or assists digestion), and vermifuge (destroys or expels parasitic worms).
 
In the Janice Schofield class we made a cold infusion tea with chamomile and it was very tasty. For fresh chamomile tea rinse the herb, chop it finely, put a third of a cup in a glass jar, and cover with two cups of cold water. Let it sit over night. Strain and enjoy. This cold infusion can also be made with ginger and other alkalies such as peppermint to help with indigestion, heartburn, gout, loss of appetite. Make a hot tea of it if you have a cold or flu (steam with it to relieve congestion) or drink before bed time for a good sleep (it has also been known as a remedy for nightmares). When infusing the tea with hot water make sure it is covered to keep all the good qualities of the flowers from evaporating, and then let it steep for 10 minutes. The tea is also nourishing for mothers and their infants. Dena'ina Athabascans have been known to drink the tea after giving birth (and giving a few drops to their infant) to get their milk flowing. In homeopathic form it can be calming for teething and earaches. It helps menstrual cramps and uterine disorders. If you have a rash or skin irritation use the tea on it as a wash.
 
Used as a poultice Matricaria can relieve aches and pains such as tight muscles, inflammations, headaches and sore eyes. Bathing in a decoction of chamomile can remove weariness and ease pain.
 
Matricaria is a safe and gentle herb. Janice Schofield's book does caution that "...large frequent quantities are said to cause nausea and vomiting. Some sensitive individuals have experienced skin irritation from handling the herbs".
 
Drink in the aroma of Matricaria and enjoy the properties of this plant growing around the footprint of our habitat.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: The Boreal Herbal by Beverley Gray; A Modern Herbal by Mrs. M. Grieve; Discovering Wild Plants by Janice Schofield.
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By Janelle Eklund
August 28 and summer has that fading look about it. There are still lots of green leaves but as I look out my window I see signs of fall in green aspen leaves fringed in yellow and brown. One branch of a balsam poplar sports yellow leaves while others still hang on to summer green. On my walk this morning spruce cones were raining out of the top of its tree where a squirrel was chattering and diligently preparing for the changing season. One nearly missed my head! Fireweed has turned to cotton and its leaves to a brilliant fire red. I notice only a few flower heads hanging on to the season: yarrow, a lupine here and there with faded blue petals, and Siberian Aster.
 
Siberian Aster is quite common throughout the area and often found in the boreal forest and gravelly areas. Its pretty yellow face is surrounded by an array of violet petals. Each head usually stands alone on a stem. Its stems are securely anchored by creeping rhizomes under the surface of the earth. The flowers seem to linger on as summer wanes.
 
Leaves carry many brilliant colors throughout their life cycle. In the spring and summer they are producing chlorophyll which makes them green. Throughout the summer this chlorophyll helps the tree gather nourishment for the dark times of the year. As the light of each day gets shorter the plants take the clue and stops producing chlorophyll. Once the green starts to fade away other colors that were hidden behind the green start to emerge. Reds, oranges, yellows, and browns all move to the forefront as if to give a beautiful epitaph to summers labors. Food that is trapped in the leaves give off the various red colors. Wastes from the leaves give off the brown colors. The more dry and sunny the late summer, the more brilliant the colors. Cloudy fall days and warm nights produce more drab colors.
 
As we say goodbye to another summer season plants morph into releasing the fruits of their labor. Bright red/orange rosehips filled with vitamin C are ready for the picking. Berry plants have moved from flower stage to berry stage and sunny fall days urge me to do something about my berry picking addiction. Even though I gave into it and we have already picked four and a half gallons of blueberries, the urge is still there. I think it was engrained in me as a child when my dad took us huckleberry picking. We couldn't leave until our 3 lb coffee cans were full. It's not just the picking that is addictive - it's the pure joy of experiencing the beauty of the tundra, its fall odors, its sweet tastes, the cool air warmed by the sun, walking, canoeing, the sight and sounds of migrating birds, glassing the tundra for caribou and moose, taking a nap on the soft tundra, listening to the silence, and gathering the light and essence of it all to tuck away for winter dreams.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories by Erick Hultén; http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html
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By Janelle Eklund
It was mid to late summer and as we walked through the Boreal Forest new plants sprung from the forest floor. Clusters of purple flowers crowded the top of a long stemmed wild Delphinium. Each flower looked like it was wearing a bonnet with wings and a spike on top. At the mouth (center) of each flower the purple color morphed into white and looked like two white front teeth. Little white hairs spilled out of the mouth, accented by a purple background of petals. The leaves of the plant spread in a fan, each segment ending in sharp looking arrowhead type points.
 
Larkspur is a poisonous alkaloid plant and if ingested can cause upset stomach, nervousness, and depression. If eaten in large amounts it can even cause suffocation and death. As the plant matures the toxicity lessens but it is still poisonous.
 
I haven't found this plant to be too prolific in this area but maybe my wanderings just haven't been in the right places. In the places that it does live it can become very prolific after a fire, tree clearing or overgrazing.
 
Domestic delphiniums can get very tall and create a beautiful backdrop for a flower garden.
 
Enjoy the last vestiges of blooming plant life as summer fades into fall.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: Plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen Parkland by Johnson, Kershaw, MacKinnon, Pojar; Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories By Eric Hultén.
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By Janelle Eklund
Fond memories of conjuring up herb recipes in the Janice Schofield plant workshop bring visions of colorful wildflower salads. A bed of wild greens dressed with pinks, oranges, greens, and white flowers delighted the eye and refreshed the taste buds. We gathered these beauties in yards and along trails. Bluebell flowers add soft blue/pink colors to the salad palette. One of my favorite recipes was making chips with Bluebell leaves - drizzling them with olive oil and spicing them up with salt, pepper, garlic, and any other delectable spice, and drying them in the food dryer. It made them a real treat!
 
Some people call these beauties chiming bells for good reason. Their bell shaped dresses with a dangling creamy-green pistil seem to chime their elegance throughout the woods.
 
I observed the rosy pink buds making their debut in June. As they mature they open up and turn blue. Then the insects come to get their sweet nectar and help the plant by pollinating it. Most northern insects can't see red colors so, since the plant wants to get pollinated, it changes its color to blue, which the insects are attracted to. Once it's been pollinated it changes back to some of that rosy color it started out with. Pretty smart plant - adapting for its benefit and that of the insects!
 
The hairs on the leaves and bracts remind me of a blanket keeping the plant warm against the cool air.
 
The flowers and leaves on this languid lady, as some people call it, are edible. But since the leaves have those little hairs on it they are more palatable in cooked dishes.
 
Another name given this plant has been lungwort. Using the dried leaves in a tea stimulates the respiratory system, treating the lungs. The leaves have also been used as poultices for cuts and wounds.
 
Some of the Bluebells have run their course already and dropped their petals. Seems like a lot of the plants are 'running their course' faster than normal this year. My speculation is that it was somewhat warm in May with June responding to cool temperatures. What makes one year different than the other - weather - plant cycles - temperatures? The mystery of plants always intrigues me.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland by Johnson, Kershaw, MacKinnon, Pojar.
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By Janelle Eklund
It was early summer and as I scoured the roadside for new plants coming up I spotted a small cluster of lacy leaves giving rise to single cream colored flowers at the tip of their stems. A whorl of leaves danced around the stem a few inches or less below the flower. The petals were closed and looked like folded hands in prayer. A wooly veil of hairs covered the plant from head to toe - including the flower! I was surprised to see just this one cluster and no others in sight close by. Every day I walked by them I was hoping to catch them with open flowers of smiley faces greeting the sun. But alas, the mornings were cool and I never did catch them in their open praises. One day, my friend and I stopped by on our way back from somewhere to say hello to the plant and she helped make a positive identification. As time went on I noticed other little colonies, and some growing singly, making their appearance a short distance down the road.
 
This Anemone can wear different colors of flower dresses but not on the same plant - cream to yellowish and pink.
 
Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland says that "Anemones contain ranunculin, a harmless glycoside that produces protoanemonin, a volatile, strongly irritant, unstable oil. The leaves of most species are irritating, and have been boiled to make a strong tea used to kill fleas and lice." I suspect the leaves are irritating because of all those wooly hairs.
 
The www.efloras.org web site says: "Native Americans used Anemone multifida (no varieties specified) medicinally as an antirheumatic, cold remedy, nosebleed cure, and general panacea, as well as a means of killing lice and fleas (D. E. Moerman 1986)".
 
Since this plant is not real prolific in the area I suggest to search for it in its variety of colors and only take from the plant lessons in its prayer and praises.
 
From my light to yours-
 
References: Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland by Johnson, Kershaw, MacKinnon, Pojar; www.efloras.org
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By Janelle Eklund
We poked our heads out of the tent to assess what the day would bring us. The cool breath of the high mountains chilled the air. Frozen dew drops clung to plants waiting for the warmth of the morning sun to release them from sleep. A clear blue sky gave promise for another glorious day of traversing slopes to survey the many plant species. July 18, 1999. Chicken Creek, Wrangell Mountains. I was volunteering to help my dear friend and botanist catalogue plants in Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
 
Plants grew in the most daunting places – steep scree slopes where steady careful footing was required. Slipping and plunging down these close-to-vertical mountain sides was not an option we relished. My early years on a balance beam came in handy. We headed up Chicken Creek to survey the orange scree slopes above camp. The climb was a grunt but well worth the effort. I was amazed at the diversity of plants growing from rocks and clinging for dear life on the steep slopes. Large patches of Arnica bobbed their heads in the cool breeze. Dwarf fireweed made their home from lower wet areas to the dry rocky slopes. A kaleidoscope of alpine plants painted the landscape. A moth held onto one sharing the moment. We were delighted to find a tiny ancient fern like plant known as Botrychium. It was even more exciting to find out that this particular Botrychium was a rare species. A single wide light green fern shaped leafet provided a backdrop for the yellow/green tiny grape-like spore clusters. Climbing into the plant with a hand lens was a journey unto itself. It had its own trails, mountains and stories.
 
Fast forward to the present. I was in the field behind our house snapping photos of dandelion when to my delightful surprise I bumped into – Botrichyium! It was a different species than what was found on the mountain slopes years ago – but definitely Botrichyium. And there wasn’t just one but many throughout the field.  I couldn’t wait to show my botanist friend. She was also very excited and led me to some web sites about this special plant.
There are a number of species of Botrychium, some of them documented in our area, including Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve.  Some of them are difficult to tell apart. They can often grow in mixed populations and many species are found in disturbed habitats - the mowed field behind my house being one of them. Botrychium spend most of their life underground. The spores work their way into the ground and germinate in the dark into what is called the gametophyte, one stage in the life cycle.  The gametophyte may live for a few years before producing the sporophyte, which again may stay underground for a few years.  Both stages require a mycorrhizal fungi for growth and development.[1]
The common name ‘moonwort’ comes from the half shaped pinnae (leaflet).  Mary Stensvold in her thesis says that moonwort was known from Roman times as having magical and medicinal properties, and it is mentioned in Leonard Fuchs 1542 herbal ‘De historia stirpium’.
Keep a sharp eye and you may be lucky to walk back in time and meet this ancient plant.

​From my light to yours-
References: Mary Clay Stensvold thesis: A Taxonomic and Phylogeographic Study of the Botrychium Lunaria Complex; Mary Beth Cook, Botanist helped in researching information.

[1] Mary Clay Stensvold thesis: A Taxonomic and Phylogeographic Study of the Botrychium Lunaria Complex