Edible and Medicinal Flora of the West Coast, Expanded Edition

Review By John Tuxill

October 10, 2024

This title is part of a series of illustrated guidebooks from Victoria-based author Collin Varner exploring the flora and fauna of greater Cascadia — the terrain west of the British Columbia Coastal Ranges and the Cascade crest in the northwest United States. The new edition profiles over 200 plants, fungi, and marine algae having edible and/or medicinal properties, with primary emphasis on edibility. Both native and introduced species are covered.

One of this book’s teachings is that edible and medicinal species are everywhere. Many readers will recognize Trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus), Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa) and other cherished native berries that occupy forest understories from urban parks to wilderness areas. Fewer may be familiar with Common chickweed (Stellaria media, a tasty fresh green) or Shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus, a sought-after mushroom) that sprout vigorously in gardens, lawns, and roadsides. Adventurous foragers can harvest Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) from nearshore marine waters, or back on dry land, search out the Northwest’s native cactus (Opuntia fragilis, Brittle prickly-pear), whose edible stems can be boiled or roasted–once the formidable spines are removed.

Compared to the earlier 2020 edition, taxonomic changes have been updated and sixteen new species profiles added.  This edition also includes an eloquent statement on Thanking the Land, by Squamish Nation ethnobotanist Sen̓áḵw, Senaqwila Wyss.

The species entries are organized into six biologically eclectic sections defined by morphological (Trees, Shrubs and Bushes), ecological (Marine Plants), and taxonomic commonalities (Ferns and Fungi each get their own section). Cascadia’s native Berries are fittingly a stand-alone group. The largest section, Flowering Plants, may also be the most imperfectly titled. Taxonomically speaking, flowering plants are scattered throughout the book – for instance the otherworldly, achlorophyllous Vancouver groundcone (Boschniakia hookeri) nestles comfortably amid the Fungi entries.  However, the section title choice is understandable given that the obvious alternative — Herbs — also brings complications for an edible and medicinal guidebook. I recommend additional explanation of these organizational nuances in the Introduction.

In each section, entries are arranged alphabetically by common name. Users are thus required to have prior knowledge of what a plant or fungus is called in order to locate it without extensive page-flipping for a visual match. This limits the guide’s utility as a field identification manual, especially for novice readers. In the age of phone apps for identifying natural organisms, this limitation is increasingly not a big deal. However, readers should be aware that if they want to know precisely which Sow-thistle or Cress they are contemplating nibbling, related species are not grouped adjacently. A thorough index could help, but the current version lists entries by full common names only, rather than a congenerous reference (e.g. no listing for simply “thistle”).

None of these points detract from the expert eye for detail Varner brings to the individual species profiles. The profuse photographic illustrations are superior to most comparable guides, and accompany clear botanical descriptions. Entries also note a species’ preferred habitat and seasonality of harvest. Many profiles further provide fascinating anecdotes on the species’ geographic origin and etymology.  Among other things, we learn that Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is not actually from Canada — it is a Eurasian species “probably imported in a sack of tainted crop seed”(24), and the scientific epithet for Rowan-tree (Sorbus aucuparia, literally “bird-catching”) refers to the traditional use of Rowan berries “as bait to catch birds”(195).

The edibility of each species is described concisely yet thoroughly, with most entries mentioning the part of the plant consumed and its general preparation. The book makes clear that information on medicinal properties is intended simply as a starting point. Harvesting and consuming the medicinal species profiled will, for most readers, require additional consultation with herbology manuals and/or a practicing herbalist. Warnings of toxic look-alike species or potential adverse reactions are identified throughout.

A true delight is the concluding Recipe section, now expanded to thirteen entries. Among the new recipes are Four-clover stir fry—which actually incorporates five clover species!—and Birch syrup granola. Recipes are illustrated with sumptuous photographs and provide irresistible incentive for readers to get busy harvesting.  Whether one’s interest in the flora of greater Cascadia emerges from culinary experimentation, a fascination with natural history, or simply wanting to spend more time exploring the place many of us call home, Varner’s beautifully crafted guide is well worth acquiring.