Comox Valley Naturalists Society

May, 2003
Frank Hovenden

In my last two columns I have written about the sounds and sights of spring in the Comox Valley. If for no other reason than the equality of the senses, I feel I should give attention to the smells and tastes of spring here on Vancouver Island.

In the taste department my maritime roots show themselves. For a true west coaster I suppose that a feed of steamed nettles is the spring tonic that rejuvenates the body and replenishes the minerals and vitamins after a dreary wet winter. As for myself, that craving for fresh greens is only satisfied by a plate of fiddleheads.
The true fiddlehead or ostrich fern is found in the eastern provinces of Canada growing on rich moist bottom lands in New Brunswick. Here in BC we have the lady fern that is very similar in appearance and a member of the same family of fern. In a taste comparison I can’t tell the difference between it and its eastern relative.

The lady fern is found on rich moist sites over a wide range of elevations. The emerging fronds are curled up resembling the curled head of a fiddle, thus its name. At sea level the fronds emerge in April while in the higher elevations they will still be emerging in June. They should be picked when they are under 15 cm tall and the fronds are still largely uncurled. The loose brown scales can be easily rubbed off when washing them in water.

The cleaned fiddlehead should be boiled for 5 minutes or steamed for ten. With a squeeze of lemon and a pat of butter, spring explodes on your tastebuds. It can best be described as a cross between asparagus and spinach in taste. The light green colour along with it unique shape gives it a great visual appeal.

As a note of warning, not all ferns are created equal! The common bracken fern has been implicated as a carcinogen. As in harvesting any wild food, be 100% sure of what you are picking before eating. Bon appetit!

As for the smells of spring, on this Island, which can produce giant and ancient trees, the black cottonwood tends to be overlooked. Its maximum height at 50 m. pales in comparison to the Douglas fir or the Sitka spruce. Its wood is soft and not desired for lumber and is even spurned as firewood. While a red cedar can live over a thousand years, the cottonwood seldom reaches 100 years before rotting and dying.
Spring is when the cottonwood has its moment of glory. The scent of spring is the sweet balsamic fragrance of the black cottonwood. The expanding buds exude the purfume smell that permeates Courtenay, and is especially noticeable in the evenings and early mornings during the months of April and May.

The cottonwood grows along our rivers like the Puntledge and Tsolum. The expanding buds exude a sticky aromatic resin which was used as a glue by first nations as well as for various medicinals. A few buds simmered in a pot of water releases the smell of spring inside your home.

Click on a link below to view the CVNS newspaper column.