Summer Plants flourish with traditional uses
By Julie Buehler
Special to the Turnagain Times
In the land of the midnight sun, plant life is beginning to brighten up our landscape with beautiful flowers and lush plants. These plants not only raise the summer spirit but also have a variety of beneficial uses that Alaska Natives and early explorers have used for years. Many of the common plants we see on the Chugach National Forest are a part of this history and have unique stories and uses.
An abundant plant that is blooming right now is Nootka Lupine. Lupine is a plant that improves the soil and brightens spirits as it fills the meadows, roadsides, and mountain slopes. This flowering plant usually grows one to two feet high and has a blue or purple colored flower.
Lupine is considered a nitrogen fixer, because it takes atmospheric nitrogen to improve soil for itself and other plants. While lupine is enjoyable to look at, it is not recommended to use in food. Lupine is mostly used mostly in herbal baths, steams, and body oils.
Another soil enhancer that is common in the area is alder. Alder often grows in impenetrable thickets along creeks and rivers that can make hiking unbearable, but make a good hiding spot for a bear or a moose. The uses of alder are widespread; wood chips can be used for smoking salmon, bark can be boiled and used as a dye, and parts of the plant can be used for medicinal uses to relieve arthritis.
A plant with many uses that may be even more popular among hikers is devil's club. Devil's club is a spiny shrub with small white flowers and scarlet berries. Tlingits of Southeast Alaska regard the plant as being a highly valuable medicinal plant. Roots and stems are used for a variety of ailments ranging from aches and pains to curing pneumonia. Alaska Natives also use the plant to carve fishing lures, as dye for face paint in ceremonies, and as a protective force to ward off evil.
An additional plant that is beginning to bloom these days is yarrow. Yarrow is a flowering plant with fern like leaves and white composite flowers. Yarrows botanical name, Achillea, honors the ancient Greek hero Achilles, who was dipped in a bath of yarrow to become invincible. In more recent times, Dena'ina Athabascans use yarrow tea for pain relief and skin rashes. Aleuts place crushed yarrow on bleeding wounds to stimulate clotting. Other Alaskan Natives use yarrow for nearly everything from seasoning (poor man's pepper), to bug repellant, and a variety of healing teas.
Other plants including coltsfoot, false hellebore, wild iris, and the pond lily also have traditional uses. Coltsfoot is known for its cough-relieving abilities while the poisonous false hellebore is known for its ability to ease aches, pains, and skin aliments. Wild iris is a good flower for making homemade dyes and pond lily was a food staple for many native groups. Historically for Natives, the ripening of pond lily seeds was a time of thanksgiving and celebration.
During the months of the midnight sun it is possible to enjoy a variety of plants species on the Chugach National Forest. Many of the species in the forest have a rich history in Native Alaskan cultures. Learning these stories and their traditional uses can reveal new meanings for plants seen on a daily basis. As always, use caution when learning new plants and their uses. contact a local plant specialist or a plant guide for tips on what plants are safe for use or consumption. Be safe and enjoy the newly brightened lush mountainsides.
