Leeking Information...
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For the past week I have caused several people to be in a perplexed state.
While looking for wild leeks, I came upon an unfamiliar wildflower and of course photographed it. As soon as the pictures were downloaded and viewable, I set about trying to connect a name to the mysterious greenish-purple critter.
While looking for wild leeks, I came upon an unfamiliar wildflower and of course photographed it. As soon as the pictures were downloaded and viewable, I set about trying to connect a name to the mysterious greenish-purple critter.
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That turned out to be not so easy, and in fact by the time a local naturalist saw and recognized it, there were at least four knowledgeable people thumbing through field guides and botany books and scratching their heads.
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It was finally identified as blue cohosh, an herb known as "a powerful women's ally, who's main action is on the uterus." Reportedly (on the all-knowing, ever-truthful Internet), it can be used for everything from contraception to menstrual cramps, and although one writer reported that it didn't work for her, blue cohosh might be used in combination with pennyroyal and black cohosh to induce abortion. As you might expect, you are warned against overuse...
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Just imagine: there is something growing in my lovely woods that those opposed to CHOICE might find unholy. How nice!.
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Fortunately, the search committee is not tainted by any such concerns, and all agreed that this is a lovely and interesting denizen of our spring surroundings. It's not as pretty as trillium, perhaps...
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but the greatest blessing Mother Nature gives to us is the diversity of her children. If I want to excite my uterus, I will gather some blue cohosh, but if I want to dazzle my eyes, I will gaze upon its three-leafed cousin.
And did I mention how delicious the wild leeks are?
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12 comments:
As always gorgeous pics Wizard!
They call wild leeks ramps down here, there is even a ramp festival. I have never had one but I hear that they are very tasty.
I really need to go out backpacking again. Like Whim said, it's just so gorgeous out there.
Here are some pictures of my trip up and over Mt. Whitney you might like to look at.
It is interesting that plants such as the 'mystery' Blue Cohosh are still legal in the current climate of our land.
Dear Wiz, thank you for working on this to get an id!
Don't you love early spring when around every turn there is a new growing surprise? Thanks once again for sharing your lush corner of the planet. Carmon
awww, my corner to come in and relax for a moment...I get to see the lush beauty of the our exquisite Mother Nature
somewhere i have a book on herbs and their medicinal purposes. i had heard of blue cohosh, but would never have recognized a photo of one and definitely not one in the wild. sometimes the nature of beauty comes in small subtle packages. i think it's quite lovely.
i love leeks. i wonder if i would love wild leeks? i bet i would.
Foam - 4-year-old grandson and I shared some wild leeks in the woods last Sunday. As he bit the first one, a look of sly delight spread across his face, the look of someone discovering an unexpected treasure. Yes, I think you would love wild leeks.
Chucky - Thank you for sharing your Mt. Whitney pictures. The thing you (and all city-folk) must remember is that wild places and natural beauty are always under seige by developers and even by well-meaning folks (like me) who want to LIVE in "the country". We all must become environmentalists and must fight to preserve the natural world. Our species will not survive if we continue our disrespect for Mother Nature. Beautiful places are not only wonderful to see and enjoy, but they are essential.
Tasty, medically effective, AND pretty!!! What a miracle THAT is!!! ;)
You are after my heart, you know.
My husband and I go running every day, and pretty much every day, one of us comes home with a fist full of leeks off the trail, ready to stir into dinner.
Now, when dinner is a bowl of cereal, that kind of sucks. But when it's eggs, YUM.
Whim mentioned that wild leeks are called ramps down her way. Another friend (a transplanted yankee) wrote:
A side benefit of eating ramps can be summed up in what some old-timer said; "If you're needin' a good cleanin' out, eat ya a bunch of ramps. They's good, too, if ya got visitors comin' that ya don't want lingerin' about too long."
Traditionally, most folks fry them with eggs and/or potatoes and an open window.
What more can you say?
You take breathtaking pictures. These are wonderful.
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