M PietilaAgness and Illahe both down to level 2 evacuation notices. (Almost 1" of rain since 6 am and still going.)
All remains quiet south of Agness tonight. The fire progress seems to have stalled today (yay!)
Moving to level 3 evacuation for all of Agness and Oak Flat area at 1 pm. :(
Illahe is under level 3 evacuation now; Agness is under level 2. The fire made a big run down the river this afternoon.
Wild ginger grows in partial to deep shade in places that stay moist well into the spring (edges of streams, or deep shaded north paths).
The leaves and roots have a ginger flavor and can be used in tea or cooking. The leaves should be used only for tea and not eaten raw; there is apparently a chemical in the leaves that isn’t water soluble but can cause vomiting if the leaf is eaten.
Daucus pusillus
A very small wild carrot. The flowerheads can be batter-fried for a carrot-flavored treat and the aromatic seeds can be used as a flavoring. The roots can be eaten raw, steamed or roasted for eating, dried for later use, or roasted and ground like coffee. The only other wild carrot found in this area of southwest Oregon is the non-native Daucus carota (Queen Anne’s Lace), which is much larger and generally easy to identify.
Ranuncular occidentalis - Western Buttercup
Western buttercup grows easily in full sun and partial shade, blanketing any spot with at least a bit of soil cover. There is a toxin present in all parts of the plant that can blister the skin.
Sidalcea asprella
Del Norte checker mallow has absolutely gorgeous deep pink flowers with rose-colored stems. Grows in full sun but needs some soil - not found in bare gravelly/sandy spots. Even on the same plant, leaf shapes can vary widely in how deeply lobed they are. This is a wonderful garden flower - beautiful plant, can bloom for months, and attracts butterflies.
Cardamine nuttallii- I’ve found this growing almost anywhere the trees provide strong shade (but not under stands of myrtle, where almost nothing can grow). Cardamine species are often edible, but some are too bitter to be enjoyable. Known as bitter cress, some species are used in salads, sandwiches, soups, and even juiced with sweet fruits to add nutrients.
Pacific snakeroot (Sanicula crassicaulis) grows easily in disturbed areas, in partial sun. It's one of the earliest flowers to bloom here each spring, in March and April.