Edible & Medicinal Plants of California: A Bioregional Exploration
California is home to a diverse array of edible & medicinal plants long valued for their nutritional/therapeutic effects. During this workshop we will explore many of the more common (and lesser known) native/naturalized plants found growing throughout the state, with a focus on historical as well as modern use. Topics to be covered include: field identification, plant family morphological and phytochemical characteristics, introduction to the major CA bioregions and plant communities, legal and ethical harvesting guidelines, processing/preparation methods, edible/medicinal/utilitarian uses, regional ethnobotany, plant toxicology/safety issues, rare/threatened/endangered status, California natural history, and more! The class will include an interactive lecture, a large selection of live/dried plant samples, sampling of a number of different edible/medicinal plant preparations, plus hands-on medicine making activities (everyone will take home an herbal product they helped prepare). Our study will emphasize a dynamic sensory awareness of the plants via close observation, touching, tasting, and smelling. This comprehensive botanical intensive should prove to be insightful and rewarding for anyone interested in knowing more about the unique (and useful) flora of our state.