Autumn in the Deciduous forest is a time of plenty, transition, beauty and expectations for what’s to come next spring. In the diverse hardwood forests of southeastern Ohio you never know if you need to bundle up or strip down, aside from our current climate controversy, its always been that way! Skies can be shockingly blue, the angle of the sun steep, shadows are long and more often than not its many shades of grey, brown with hits of green and maroon.
If you are lucky and walking in low moist habitats the brilliant yellow flowers (bracts actually) of American witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana might unexpectedly take your breath away. What a autumn show and what a useful plant. You can tincture the new twigs, or better yet make a hydrosol from them for a fresh, skin soothing, astringent topical. It’s cooling, relieves itchy skin, heals bites, rashes and tightens skin as an after shower splash. I always add 1/2 to my Queen of Hungry Water (a favorite skin formula of Rosemary Galdstar), it cuts the vinegar base a bit and is sooo soothing.
Snapping hazel is a common name of the mesic shrub. The little wooden capsules snap open to throw their seeds out and away from the mother plant as its’ seed dispersal mechanism. Such an interesting and useful autumn treasure.
So yes, its time to take time and head outside to see what you might find. I love the late summer and fall mushrooms. What a year this was for hen and chicken-of -woods. It was everywhere. It made up for the few summer chanterelles and giant puff balls, though Nature graced us with a few of each.
Maitake Grifola frondosa is a mushroom that traditionally has been used in
Japan and China as part of the diet and to treat diabetes and hypertension. Like other medicinal mushrooms, the fruiting body contains a complex sugar (polysaccharides) called beta-glucans. It is reported to stimulate and modulate the immune system and helps fight tumors, and lower blood sugar and lipid levels. Multiple clinical trials have been conducted on Maitake extracts for support of immune function, healthy blood sugar metabolism, a healthy inflammatory response and antioxidant properties.* Several species, long used in traditional herbalism, have been the subject of modern research for their ability to support the immune system.
One of my favorite herbal mentors, Dr. Christopher Hobbs tells the story of how miatake or hen-of-the-woods got its name ‘Dancing Butterflies’, because people in Japan danced with joy, when they found them! Chris is an amazing teacher of so many things herbal and mushroom and a great author of many easy to read and use books.
Paul Stamets, another well known mushroom grower, researcher and educator. Paul is another incredible speaker and author, he is a reliable source on the research into medicinal mushroom, particularly Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor. Yes this is yet another another easy to find, easy to ID, prepare and enjoy. According to Stamets, the turkey tail mushroom suppresses inflammatory response, enhances the microbiome, and may be a powerful adjunct cancer therapy. “We think it decloaks cancers for discovery by the immune system”, he stated in one article. This lovely little mushroom is quite common shelf fungus growing on trees and can be identified by its fuzzy bands of colors such as orange, blue, white, and tan and white small pores on the bottom side.
So there you are, just a few of the many tasty and medicinal treasures for your to explore. And as an ethical wildcrafter, I know you will always be mindful of the harvesting standards of Nature’s bounty; make a positive ID, never take everything or the biggest, take what you need and know you can process or share and be grateful for the richness and beauty around you. Until the next foray, Namaste, Rebecca…
References:
https://www.gaiaherbs.com/blogs/herbs/maitake
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-560/maitake-mushroom
https://euromedfoundation.com/