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| With fireweed, Epilobum angustifolium, and hardhack,Spiraea douglasii. |
The pale pink spikes all along the closer shore are hardhack. This shrub loves wet feet. The fireweed grows a bit farther from the shore, higher up. It doesn't mind being a bit dry.
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| A closer look at the fireweed. |
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| Closer still. With a long-winged fly. |
From my guidebook:
"This plant was sometimes called asperge (asparagus) by the French Canadian voyageurs, and it was used by them as a green potherb. The leaves are rich in vitamin C and can also be used to make a tea. ... The flowers produce ample nectar, which makes an excellent honey."
And "the seed fluff ..". we'll leave that until it shows up.
Hardhack isn't used these days, by people, that is: insects love it. The Nuu-chah-nulth used to use the twigs to make brooms for harvesting shells. The wood is hard, and even the twigs are "hard to hack".
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