To improve texture, steam greens lightly. The flowering herbs can substitute for green tea. The fruits (which look like 2 little balls stuck together) are related to coffee. United Kingdom forager Rachel Lambert recommends roasting cleavers fruits for 40 minutes at 275°F (140°C) until a rich coffee aroma results. Grind and then brew in a French press or, for a stronger flavor, decoct (simmer) the brew.
HEALTH USE: Herbalists advocate cleavers (G. aparine) as a tea and a tincture to treat lymphatic system and urinary tract imbalances. Galium juice, ointment, and poultices soothe burns and skin ulcers. Dena’ina Athabascans apply G. boreale, which they call ts’elveni vets’elq’a “wormwood’s partner,” as a hot pack for aches and pains. In the Ukraine, clinical trials demonstrated that Galium species have “low toxicity and a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity.” An Iraqi medical journal states that “Previous pharmacological studies showed that Galium aparine extracts possessed antimicrobial, anticancer and hepatoprotective effects.”
OTHER: Scottish forager Monica Wilde thoroughly describes the process of using bedstraw in cheese in her blog, monicawilde.com. Campers can use the tangled mats of cleavers as strainers for wilderness tea.
CAUTION: Some individuals experience contact dermatitis with cleavers.
WILLOW
Salix species Willow family (Salicaceae)
Moose and humans enjoy eating willow, but both are quite particular about the species they consume. A mutual favorite is surah (Salix pulchra); its long, narrow leaves are smooth on both sides, darker green above, with margins that are generally smooth. The young leaves produce a refreshing aftertaste. Surah ranges from the northern Panhandle to Kodiak and the Alaska Peninsula and across the Interior to Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow). The sweet, inner bark and peeled shoots of the feltleaf willow, Salix alaxensis, are favored by the Iñupiat. Nearly 60 Alaskan species collectively range into all parts of the state. The diminutive, round-leaved netted willow (S. reticulata) roams from tundra to mountains. Dwarf S. ovalifolia favors salt marshes of the Arctic. The long-beaked willow S. depressa prefers woods and can grow to 30 feet tall.
DERIVATION OF NAME: Salix is the classical Latin name for willow.
OTHER NAMES: osier, pussy willow, sura (Iñupiat) tsuaq (Yup’ik), ch’áal’ (Tlingit).
RANGE: Throughout Alaska.
HARVESTING DIRECTIONS: Pick surah leaves in early spring, when bright green and sweet. Peel shoots of the feltleaf willow, keeping the tasty green cambium (inner bark) and discarding the outer bark and woody core.
FOOD USE: Nibble surah leaves as a snack or add to salads. Their mild leaves blend well in soups and casseroles. Ferment with cabbage as sauerkraut. A mere 1 ounce of willow leaf fulfills your daily requirement for vitamin A and 89% of your vitamin C. The green cambium can be dried and ground as a flour substitute. (Such use is uncommon unless in survival situations).
HEALTH USE: Willow introduces foragers to the scientific discipline of organoleptic testing. This methodology uses human senses for evaluating substances. Foragers who taste willows will quickly differentiate those that are palatable for food purposes versus those high in the anti-inflammatory salicin. The rule of thumb is the more “yuck!” the willow tastes, the higher in pain-relieving compounds. Though slower acting than aspirin, willows offer advantages of longer-lasting pain relief, no stomach bleeding, and no effect on blood platelets. If troubled by headache in the wild, chew willow inner bark and leaves. Alternately, simmer the chopped inner bark in water, and sip the dark brew. For insect stings and bites, mash willow leaves and place the pulp on the irritated area. Use bark decoctions as an antiseptic wash for wilderness wounds. European herbalists use willow for treating colds, flu, fevers, headaches, and arthritis. Similar use is shared by Natives throughout Alaska. In addition, Iñupiat use willow bark ash for soothing burns. Yup’ik chewed willow bark and leaves for mouth sores.
OTHER: Soak sore feet in a willow footbath. Use leafy branches as a switch in the sauna to stimulate circulation. Use willow stems in basketry. To banish winter blues, place twigs in a vase of water and celebrate the pussy willow’s promise of spring.
CAUTION: Individuals with sensitivity to aspirin are typically warned not to ingest salicin-containing plants (willow, poplar, birch). The American Botanical Council, however, points out that “the salicylates in willow metabolize differently than aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid).” Though it’s possible for salicylate interactions to arise, studies do not indicate this potential toxicity. If in doubt if willow is right for you, check with your health care provider.
RHODIOLA
Sedum rosea, subspecies integrifolia, aka Rhodiola rosea Stonecrop family (Crassulaceae)
I cultivated roseroot in my Kachemak Bay garden decades before the boon of commercial Alaskan cultivation. My start was finding a clump of Sedum rosea nesting in an eroded clump of earth, about to wash out to sea. I added it to my herb garden, envisioning a steady source of spring food; it thrived despite my total ignorance of its needs. Since the 1990s, research on this plant has expanded, as has cultivation knowhow. Today, it is marketed as Rhodiola. The name “roseroot” hints at the aroma of the rootstalk. The fleshy blue-gray leaves are spoon-shaped and overlap in a spiral fashion. The early blooming flowers sit at the top of the stem.
DERIVATION OF NAME: Sedum is from the Latin “to sit”; rosea means “rose.”
OTHER NAMES: roseroot, Arctic root, hen and chickens.
RANGE: Moist rocky places, and alpine slopes throughout Alaska.
HARVESTING DIRECTIONS: For food use, leaves are most prime before flowers but can be used throughout the summer to extend food supplies. For health use, roots are harvested autumn or early spring.
FOOD USE: Eat Rhodiola leaves raw, in salads and coleslaws, or steam as a potherb. Add to immune support soup, with seaweed, miso, wild chives, and shitake. Try a Rhodiola relish or salsa. Include Rhodiola in egg dishes, stir-fries, and casseroles. Anore Jones reports that St. Lawrence Iñupiat ferment the rootstalks in water, adding successive layers every few weeks until the barrel is full. When it tastes sour, it is eaten with seal oil or blubber; the remainder is frozen for winter use.
HEALTH USE: The greens are high in vitamins A and C. Dena’ina Athabascans use leaves and rootstalks as tea for colds, sore-throat gargles, and eyewashes; the mashed rhizome is a poultice for cuts. Dr. Robert Fortuine documented use of roseroot flowers by Nelson and Nunivak Island Yup’ik for treatment of tuberculosis. Herbalists classify Rhodiola as an adaptogen, an herb that helps the body adapt to stress and anxiety. A Swedish clinical trial confirmed that standardized extracts exhibited a positive effect on fatigue levels and stress-related cognitive function, increasing attention and endurance.
OTHER: In 2009, Dr. Petra Illig successfully trialed 100,000 Rhodiola seedlings in Anchorage. But be warned: Illig writes that “it takes Rhodiola rosea at least 5 years in carefully tended fields to reach the state of maturity required
