Wilderness Way 5.3

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VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3.
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Butterflies and Edible Plants
by Ray Vizgirdas

An understanding and appreciation of nature is critical to all practitioners of primitive living skills. It is nature that provides the raw materials to shelter and feed us, as well as to create fire, make tools, and many other things. In the strictest sense, this statement applies to those who approach wilderness survival from a purist perspective, utilizing no modern equipment such as steel knives, matches, and so on. In this way, humans are able to truly see their place in the ecology of the wilderness, not standing on the outside looking in.
For some time, my wife and I have instructed a course entitled Mountain Ecology and Survival. An important element of courses such as this is nature observation and awareness, basically a process or methodology of seeing. However, we are also involved in interpreting what is being seen. Interpretation answers the “who, what, when, why, and how” questions, fostering a more thorough understanding of what we are seeing and allows us to incorporate that information into learning survival skills. In reality, interpretation is part of understanding the ecology of the world around us.


Weidemeyer’s Admiral

Fritillary

Tiger Swallowtail
Northern Blue

A practical approach to using these interpretive skills is locating edible and useful plants. One can determine what edible, useful, and medicinal plants may be in a particular area in a number of ways; the most obvious by actively searching for them. This direct approach requires knowledge of the plants' basic life history, ecology, and distribution. Unless you're an experienced amateur or professional botanist, most people rely on finding readily observable characteristics such as leaves, flowers, or fruits to assist in proper identification. This requires being in the right place at the right time during the active growing season.


Wild Lilac

Violet

Another way to locate potential edible and useful plants, though indirect, but also requiring some knowledge of the plants in question, is by watching butterflies. Yes, butterflies, Order Lepidoptera. This method not only serves to increase observation and awareness skills, but also takes you into the realm of what seeing a particular butterfly means. Most butterflies are closely tied to a particular species or group of plants to complete their life cycle. Specifically, the larvae (caterpillars) feed on those host plants. Adult female butterflies select the proper larval food plant by smelling and tasting various plants. They smell with their antennae, and "taste" with sensory receptors on their feet. Eggs are then only laid on a specific host plant, so that hatching caterpillars can begin to feed right away.
Stonecrop

During our class we set out with binoculars through mountain meadow, sagebrush, conifer forest, alongside streams, and up into the timberline. Along the way we observe and identify various species of butterflies. Once a butterfly is identified, the students examine a list of host plants that the butterfly may be utilizing. For example, along rocky slopes and meadows near timberline in the Sierra Nevada, it is not uncommon to observe a Sierra Nevada Parnassin (Parnassi behri). This butterfly seeks out species of Stonecrop (Sedum) upon which to lay its eggs. If you continue to observe and follow this butterfly, it will eventually land on this very edible plant.
On the other hand, if you encounter a California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica), you can be fairly certain that Wild Lilac or Buckbrush (Ceanothus) may be in the area. Wild Lilac leaves and flowers can be steeped in hot water to make a rather pleasant tasting tea.
Ultimately, after a full day observing butterflies, it is possible to generate a pretty extensive list of potential useful plants in a given area. This method is not foolproof, however, as a few butterflies may just be passing through, heading somewhere else (lower elevations) to seek out their host plants. Keen observational skills are essential for anyone venturing into the wilderness. Carefully watching butterflies and other wildlife can be both fascinating and rewarding. The following table should help you in learning more about this unique plant-animal association.

Butterfly Species Host plant(s) and Uses
Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus) Stonecrop (Sedum) leaves, stems, and rhizomes edible raw or cooked; high in vitamins A and C.
Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) Cottonwood and aspen (Populus) sweet inner bark eaten raw or cooked; wood used for making utensils; one of the better woods for bow and drill fire starting method.
Willow (Salix) inner bark and catkins edible; excellent wood bow drills, spears, etc.
Alder (Alnus) and maple (Acer) inner bark edible; maple fruit edible.
Western White
(Pontia occidentalis)
Mustards (pepper grass (Lepidium), rock cress (Arabis), tansy mustards (Sisymbrium) black mustards (Brasica), etc.) most members of the mustard family are edible as greens.
Fritillary (Speyeria) Violets (Viola) plants edible raw or mixed with other greens in a salad.
Weidmeyer's Admiral
(Limenitis weidemeyerii)
Cottonwoods, aspen, and willows - inner bark of these plants edible; excellent woods for bow drill sets; botanical indicators of water.
California Hairstreak
(Satyrium californica)
Oaks (Quercus) acorns made into meal which is very nutritious; hardwood for good coals.
Deer brush (Ceanothus) leaves and flowers steeped to make a tea; flowers rubbed in hands with water forms suds; plant contain saponin.
Willows (Salix) plants contain aspirin-like compounds; tea from any part of the plants.
Juniper Hairstreak
(Callophrys gryneus)
Junipers (Juniperus) berries (actually cones) edible raw or cooked; bark crude cordage;
Rocky Mountain Dotted-blue (Euphilotes ancilla) Several wild buckwheats (Eriogonum) seeds edible and can be ground into a flour; young flowering stems edible. flowers edible.
Sierra Nevada Blue
(Agriades podarce)
Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon) none are known to be poisonous; mixed with other greens in salads.
California Crescent
(Phyciodes oreis)
Thistles (Cirsium) entire plant edible raw or cooked; stems used for hand de-rills; spines as awls; crude cordage from bark.
Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti) Nettle (Urtica) excellent fibers in bark for cordage; plants edible when prepared as potherb, high in vitamins A and C.

Ray Vizgirdas is a field biologist and naturalist living in Boise, Idaho. He has been teaching various field natural history and wilderness skills courses for more than 25 years in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains.


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