Vashti's First Morel Hunt

A little earlier this week I was home early from a doctor’s appointment so I took Vashti out to look for morel mushrooms (Verpa bohemica), a spring tradition in my family. This was her first morel mushroom hunt. We managed to find one morel but the whole trip was pretty anticlimactic. The mushroom was a camouflage drab brown and Vashti didn’t even want to touch it.

I didn’t push things. We didn’t pick it. If Vashti didn’t even want to touch it, good luck getting her to try to eat it. In time she will hopefully come to like hunting mushrooms. I can see where this activity, intently studying the forest litter, looking for drab mushrooms, might be pretty boring to a two year old, certainly not in the same league as hunting brightly colored Easter eggs.

We did see a lot of interesting things though, which is why I think the tradition might be passed on. Like any type of activity outdoors, there is often a lot more to the experience than the main objective. The salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) and osoberries (Oemleria cerasiformis) were beginning to bloom. Vashti knows salmonberries. She ate a lot of them last year though she might not yet be able to make the connection between the flower and the fruit that follows.

We also saw some yellow violets (Viola glabella) that have a number of common names including stream violet, yellow wood violet and Johnny-jump-up. The last is what my dad called them. I like this name and it is appropriate because these violets are one of our early bloomers. Though I most often use the name stream violet or streambank violet even though these violets grow in a lot of places far removed from streams. And we saw another favorite flower of mine, spring beauty or toothwort (Dentaria tenella). This delicate pink to lavender colored member of the mustard family seems to be pretty picky about where it grows. From my observations, it seems to prefer sandy, loamy stream bottom soils. I only know of a few places where it grows but I don’t think it is a rare plant. It seems to be quite common in the areas where it does grow. I have seen Trilliums (Trillium ovatum) blooming along the route I walk the dog but we didn’t see any of these plants that evening.

I have been teaching Vashti both the common and Latin names many of the plants and trees we encounter as well as which ones are edible or poisonous. Last year Sacha taught her Vaccinium, the genus for blueberries and huckleberries. Poor kid is going to be a plant nerd without knowing it. 

Vashti looking for the morel. I spotted it and helped her a little bit to find it. 

Stooping over for a closer look. The mushroom is actually visible in this photo at about 45 degrees left of center frame just to the left of a small cluster of green leaves (piggyback plant Tolmiea menziesii). The skinny white stick that crosses this cluster of leaves almost touches it. 

Closer view of the morel. It was a little early in the year for this area but they should be plentiful in the coming weeks. 

Vashti also got in some practice walking in the woods. 

She tripped several times over sticks but fortunately out here everything is pretty soft. 

I don't often think about it because I have been walking in the woods my whole life but one has to learn how to walk in the woods, how to lift or maneuver your legs and place your feet.  

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). Vashti ate a lot of salmonberries last spring and summer. This year she noticed the blossoms. I explained that these will become berries but I don't know if she has made the connection yet. I'm trying not to push too hard and overwhelm her to the point where it isn't fun anymore. 

Spring Beauty or Toothwort (Dentaria tenella). 

Yellow Wood Violet, Streambank Violet or Johnny Jump-up (Viola glabella).

Bouquet of Yellow Violets and Spring Beauty that we picked added to a vase of Daffodil and Plum blossoms from the tree in the yard. The violets and Spring Beauty are pretty common so I don't have problem with picking them. I wouldn't pick a rare flower or flowers in public places and will hopefully be able to get this message across to Vashti as well when the time comes.