Elderberry Is Blooming All Around Larry Moore Park

 

Elderberry at Larry Moore Park, © Barbara Radisavljevic

I finally got a chance to walk in Larry Moore Park yesterday. I discovered elderberry was blooming almost everywhere I looked. (Please click photos to enlarge photos). 

Elderberry near Beginning of Trail at Larry Moore Park, © Barbara Radisavljevic

This is near the memorial tree I discovered a year ago on another walk. Both that tree and this elderberry tree have grown larger since then. You can see the difference if you look back at that post and at this one on Medium.

Elderberry on the Other Side of Trail at Larry Moore Park, © Barbara Radisavljevic

As I've discovered on my Paso Robles property, elderberry grows like a weed. The birds eat the berries and spread the seeds. That must be how my own tree got started. 

There used to be an elderberry marking the junction of this trail and the one leading westward to the river. It was still there last time I walked the park, but it was gone yesterday. Here's where it used to be. You probably won't notice the tree below because that photo was taken in January when the branches are bare. This year they've been cutting a lot of trees from this area. The tree they removed may have been the mother of many of these other trees. 

Elderberry Removed This Year at Larry Moore Park, © Barbara Radisavljevic

Below you can get a closer look at the elderberry flowers and some baby berries.                    

Close-up of Elderberry in Bloom at Larry Moore Park, © Barbara Radisavljevic

Below is an expanded view of the scene in the first photo. I have shown you just some of the trees I found on limited parts of intersecting trails near the north end of Larry Moore Park. If I'd shared photos of all the elderberry trees in bloom at the park right now, this post would fill several more screens. 

I wonder who will eat all those berries when they get ripe? Do you think the birds will be able to handle it? Or do you think the homeless who camp in the riverbed below will have a handy medicinal food source if they can can cook the berries. They are toxic if eaten raw.

Elderberries in Bloom at Larry Moore Park, © Barbara Radisavljevic

Learn more about elderberries here. 

Birch Trees Bear Fruit

Birch Tree Fruit is For the Birds

Many parts of the birch tree are edible for humans. These include the bark, the leaves, the buds, and the sap. However, edible does not necessarily mean tasty. The author of "Edible Birch, Chaga" shares the results she got when making tea, birch syrup, and just eating various parts. Most writers agree the fruits make good food for the birds.

The book Feasting Free on Wild Edibles by Bradford Angier explains how to make birch tea and birch syrup, as well as many other survival foods you can make from plants found in the wild.

Just Birch Leaves and Fruits

A Closer Look at the Leaves and Fruits at the End of October, © B. Radisavljevic

Birch Designs Make Great Throw Pillows

The graceful birch trees easily lend themselves to artistic photos and designs. Their bark is unique, especially the white birches with bark that peels like paper. The tree also can have a weeping appearance, especially when fruiting. You can see that in the photo above and in the final photo in this post. The birch tree inspired the creation of these throw and lumbar pillows on Zazzle.

 Birch Trees Throw Pillow AUTUMN BIRCH TREES PILLOW Autumn birch trees throw pillow The Birches Throw Pillow The Birches Pillow Birches In The Winter 

Birches are Very Useful Trees

Birch trees have medicinal uses. American Indians use the tea to relieve headaches. Some tribes roasted the fruiting cones over campfire coals and breathed the smoke to relieve nasal congestion. These are just a couple of the medicinal uses for birch I found in Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, my go-to book for everything herbal. One can also make a hot poultice of the leaves, bark, and fruits to apply to the skin.

The skin will absorb the methyl salicylate in the birch parts to help skin irritations and minor wounds. Such a poultice may also be used to ease arthritis pain. None of these remedies have been tested by today's researchers for effectiveness, but some modern remedies for muscle pain do contain some methyl salicylate combined with menthol.

We know the American Indians made canoes of the birch's waterproof bark. An oil extracted from the bark was used as a glue when making arrows. You, too, can make beautiful and useful objects from birch. Some suggestions are star ornaments, baskets, rings, woven mats, and shoes. The book below will show you how to make these and many other things from birch you can use.




I'm glad I have a birch tree in my yard. Maybe one day soon I'll make better use of it. I'm glad I have survival food if necessary, along with a possible way to relieve pain. I'll leave crafts to those who enjoy them. I'd rather take photos and write when I want to be creative.

Do you have a birch tree in your yard? Have you ever used it for anything except the joy you get from seeing it every day? 

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