Flora and Fauna, An Ethno-Botanical Tour of Mt. Lowe, Echo Mtn. Echoes Summer 1997

Flora and Fauna

An Ethno-Botanical Tour of Mt. Lowe
and the surrounding area

By Christopher Nyerges

Because of my proximity to the front country of the Angeles National Forest, the first place my brother and I regularly hiked to was Echo Mountain. Gradually, we’d extend the length of our hikes and get up to the Mount Lowe Camp area via the old electric train route, or the Sam Merrill Trail, or via Castle Canyon.

I've always enjoyed the peaceful solitude when camping at the site of Ye Alpine Tavern. There is a unique atmosphere there, where a small trickle of a stream babbles by, where an assortment of mountain birds provide music, and where you can examine numerous foundations and walls from the Great Hiking Era. It is also a wonderful place to study those unique plants which provided food and medicine to past generations of Native Americans.

On one summer day in the late 60s, I was sitting with my hiking companion at the old foundation for the Inspiration Point pavilion about a quarter-mile east of Mt. Lowe Camp, when another hiker came by. This other hiker began to tell us about how he had studied the wild foods with Native Americans in Northern California, and furthermore, he said that virtually all those foods that sustained past generations are still all around us. I continued to think about what he had said after I went home, and I decided to learn about all those wild plants that local Indians had once used for food.

It turns out that there are many useful and edible plants in the vicinity of Mt. Lowe Campground and the Inspiration Point pavilion.

OAK TREES

Numerous large oaks are found in this area, mostly canyon live oaks, but others as well. The acorns from all species were an important food source in past days, used somewhat like we may use potatoes today. Acorns are collected in the fall, and the rinds are then peeled. The acorn meat must then be leached to eliminate the bitter tannic acid and there are many possible ways to do this If you’re out camping, you can boil the peeled acorns for about 30 minutes to an hour, regularly changing the water. They are done when you don’t taste bitterness. The acorns can then be cooked in soups or stews, or ground into flour to make bread or pancakes.

PINES

Pine trees are also found on the north-facing hills. The needles of all species can be simmered in water to make a vitamin-C rich tea that has a strong medicinal flavor. When the cones mature in fall, they open and drop their black seeds. These seeds are delicious and oily, and can be used by themselves, or added to various dishes such as rice or casserole dishes.

BAY TREES

Bay trees are unmistakable -- the strong odor of the crushed leaf is potent. These leafs have long been used as a cooking spice. Native Americans used it to make a medicinal tea. Also, the nuts which fall in autumn are also edible. They are a bit astringent raw, so the thin shell must be peeled, and then they are boiled or roasted before eating.

TOYON

Toyon is a valuable tree because the orange-red fruit mature mostly in the dead of winter when no other food is available. The fruits are not eaten raw, but are cooked or dried. The dried fruits make good raisins, and can be ground and used as a sweet flour, or as a sugar. The fruit can be boiled to make a jam or a dessert item, and there are countless recipes for doing so.

YUCCA

Yucca is much more than a food, since the leaves are a valuable source of fiber. And though we seemingly have little value for fiber in our modern world, in past days natural fibers were used to make ropes, nets, bow strings, sandals, mats, shelters, baskets, and on and on. The yucca also provides several good food sources. When a plant begins to flower and die, it first sends up an asparagus-like shoot which is somewhat red in color. That shoot can be cut, peeled and eaten raw or cooked. Raw, it is similar to jicama, and cooked it is more delicious, like a squash. The flowers are eaten raw, but are better boiled, made into paddies, and cooked. And also highly prized were the fruits, which have the appearance of small gourds. These are usually soapy raw, and are best when baked or roasted. They can be eaten when cooked, or dried for future use. You'll see yucca in the more open and exposed areas around Mt. Lowe camp.

CURRANTS

Ripe currants were once the sugar of the Native Americans. Though many fruits could be used as sweeteners, currants seemed to be ideal. The dried currants were often mixed with dried meat, and pounded, to make pemmican, an ideal survival food (not to be confused with the wheat-based candy bar called Pemmican). Ripe currants make a great trail nibble, and can also be made into a simple jam.

MINER’S LETTUCE

Miner’s lettuce is a vitamin C-rich plant which is only found in late winter and spring. It is a delicious salad plant. I have made miner’s lettuce into soup, cooked with eggs, and sautéed with fish. Everyone likes miner’s lettuce, and the plant is easy to recognize. It has a cup-shaped leaf through which the flower stalk grows. Miner’s lettuce is found in the shadier sections around Mt. Lowe Camp.

YERBA SANTA

Yerba santa is primarily a medicinal herb, though it can also be used as a tea. It was given the name yerba santa (meaning "holy herb") by Spanish missionaries who were impressed with the efficacy of this plant to heal external wounds when used as a poultice on people or horse, and when used as a tea for any bronchial problems, like coughing.

LIVE-FOREVER

Live-forever is a succulent plant of the Dudleya genus. It is usually growing on rocky walls. The plant somewhat resembles a miniature yucca or agave, except it is very small and entirely succulent. In the spring it produces an orange flower. These leafs can be eaten raw, especially in times when water is scarce. Sometimes they can be very astringent, but usually the flavor is just bland. I had at least one difficult situation where I relied on this plant. I was hiking out of upper Eaton Canyon, up the trail on the east side of Mount Lowe and up to my car up on the Mt. Wilson road. I had no canteen with me, and I filled my pockets with live-forever whenever I encountered it. That was my only water on a hike of about 8 miles on a hot day.

FERNS

On the north-facing hills under the oaks, you'll see bracken and other ferns. The young fiddleheads of many ferns have long been used as a cooked food. They are somewhat nutty when eaten raw, and make a good addition to salads. Usually, however, they are best steamed and then seasoned with spices.

This is by no means a complete survey of the useful plants in the vicinity of the old Ye Alpine Tavern and Inspiration Point, but just some of the common and easy to recognize plants. Keep in mind that harvesting plants may be illegal in some areas. Collecting acorns and pine nuts that fall on the ground, however, poses no threat to the plant, and the amount you collect would rarely even make a dent in the food of the wild animals. Nevertheless, we share this information for educational purposes only, and for its survival value. It is your responsibility to know the laws for the area you are in, and to abide by them.

Nyerges is the author of Guide to Wild Foods (available for $15 at all Sport Chalet stores) and Testing Your Outdoor Survival Skills (available for $12 from School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041). His latest book, about the Angeles National Forest called Enter the Forest, will be released later this year. Nyerges has been conducting Wild Food Outings, Survival Skills Outings, and nature walks since 1974. A schedule of his classes is available from School of Self-Reliance. Also see their web page at http://home.earthlink.net/~nyerges/.

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Last modified: February 12, 1999