Antoine Etienne: The Man, his Namesake Creek, and its Flora I learned about Antoine Etienne after listening to a panel discussion about diversity in the outdoors, sponsored by the Wenatchee River Institute and the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center.  In response to a question for the panelists, Karen Francis-McWhite, who lives in Cashmere, suggested that it would be great to share stories about Black outdoors-people. She mentioned Etienne Creek and how she would like to learn more about "Etienne," who she had heard was a Black man. I made ..read more

What good is cottonwood tree? Cottonwoods aren't worth much on the timber market—they can crowd out and shade new conifer plantations, and they don't have many BTUs of energy for firewood use. They sprout when and where they aren't wanted and form impenetrable stands. They can clog septic drain fields. They are notorious for breaking apart during minor storms and, among other annoying habits, their billowing cottony seeds can clog water intake structures and screens. Yet, they are one of the most widespread and important wil ..read more

Washington State has numerous state symbols—nineteen at last count. Botanical Rambles previously considered the state tree, western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla). Let us now take a look at Washington's state flower, the coast or Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) in the Heath Family or Ericaceae.  As a website of the Washington State Legislature tells us, "In 1892, before they had the right to vote, Washington women selected the coast rhododendron as the state flower. They want ..read more

How a Cup of Nettle Tea Taught Me How to Live Well and Remember the Past I am a Muckleshoot Indian, but little of what I used to eat bore much connection with the landscape I lived in, which had fed my ancestors for many generations. When I discovered nettle tea, it was as if I were remembering what it was like to feel well. Four years ago, when I was studying nutrition at Bastyr University in Seattle, I came to class to find a cup of tea waiting for me. My instructor said we would be doing a meditation: We would sit in silence for three minutes and drink tea. She in ..read more

The Noble Fir: A Tree Whose Seeds Are Made to Wander Noble fir (Abies procera) is a popular ornamental tree throughout the Pacific Northwest and many consider it the premiere holiday tree. The firs you might see at Christmas tree lots typically come from tree farms, but this species will grow quite large naturally throughout the southern Cascade Mountains of western Washington.   While the noble doesn't produce a large number of cones, the seeds within those cones are large — large enough to provide young sprout with nutrients for up to a yea ..read more

Enter the Washington Native Plant Society Photo Contest! The Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) photo contest opens for entries in December and closes at the end of January each year. The judging team will meet before the spring equinox to select the top photos to be published in the 2023 WNPS Calendar (the 2022 WNPS Calendar is now on sale!) One photo will be selected to promote Native Plant Appreciation Month (NPAM).    Last year the judges reviewed 168 photos from 39 photographers. Since WNPS has more than 1,500 members, there ar ..read more

Book Review: Primer of Ecological Restoration Habitat restoration is both a science and an art. It begins with a scientific understanding of the ecological patterns and processes that underlie desired outcomes of a restoration project. Based on that science, one must use informed imagination to design and construct the project. Place and particulars matter, as do values and goals. The practice of habitat restoration is still young, but patterns emerging from projects completed in different ecosystems and habitats are leading to a growing co ..read more

Did you see? A November 3rd article in the Port Townsend Leader highlighted the Washington Native Plant Society's new Youth Ecology Education through Restoration (YEER) program. The article, titled "Novel Program Fosters Student Restoration Ecologists," focuses on the program with middle school students at Quilcene K12 School. The YEER program, piloting this year, is active in six schools in eastern and western Washington. They are: La Venture Middle School (Mt. Vernon) Oakland Bay Junior High ..read more

Two Kinds of Cranberries in Washington In Washington State, you can find two species of cranberry. One is native to the area and one—the commercial one, from northeast North America—has escaped from cultivation.   The cultivated, or large, cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) grows wild in various areas near the coast and in the Puget Trough, west of the Cascades. The native one, known variously as wild cranberry, swamp cranberry, bog cranberry, or small cranberry (V. oxycoccos) grows worldwide in the northern portion of the Northe ..read more

Pre-Order Season for Conservation District Plant Sales The pre-order season for conservation district plant sales is upon us. Below is a list of the sales I found reference to on the web.  As I wrote in Bare Roots and Live Stakes, back in 2013, "…conservation districts sell plants for use in environmentally friendly landscapes, restoration projects, reforestation, windbreaks, wildlife habitat, and the like. But there's no reason a home gardener can't buy them and plant them too. Just be aware that some districts require you to buy a lot. The mi ..read more