Beverages from Native Plants - Notes

1/6/2013

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Delicious Drinks: Native
Plants for Teas & Other
Beverages

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve
November 5th & 8th 2011
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND – 2011 (our 7th year)
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Most of our parents didn’t pass along
the ‘traditional ways’

What can I do with all those rosehips?

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1/6/2013

In the next year, we’re going to try to
Please ask questions
change that
 Today’s class – beverages
 Dec. 8 – Flavored Vinegars
Workshop – Madrona
 May class – Scents for
potpourri and more

 And more

http://cte.uwaterloo.ca/teaching_resources/tips/asking_questions.html


What do you think of when you think * Wild (Field) Mint – Mentha arvensis
of beverage plants?

 One of the first
that comes to mind
is mint – because
mints are common
and their leaves
make such great
tea!

http://natural-language.blogspot.com/2011_02_28_archive.html © 2005 Louis-M. Landry


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1/6/2013

* Wild (Field) Mint – Mentha arvensis Field Mint – a typical mint
 Size:
 Found throughout N.
 1 to 1 ½ ft tall
Hemisphere, incl. Europe, Asia
 spreads to many ft wide; in
 Locally in San Bernardino & San nature, forms a mat-like colony in
Diego Co. mtns. favorable sites
 Formerly many ssp & vars – now
combined into single species  Growth form:
 Always grows in moist places  Herbaceous perennial
 Dies back in fall/winter
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4745,4779,4780
 Upright or sprawling

 Foliage:
 Typical mint with square stems
 Aromatic; strongly minty – repels
deer, mice, unwanted insects

 Roots: spreads via rhizomes
http://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/mentha-arvensis-wild-mint

http://www.everwilde.com/Mentha-arvensis-WildFlower-Seed.html http://www.bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41276

Flowers are dainty
 Blooms: anytime from July to
Seeds
Oct; usually in bloom about 4
weeks
 Many tiny seeds in dry
 Flowers: capsule typical of mint
 Color: white to very pale family
violet or pink
 Tiny; bell-shaped  Best with 2-3 mo cold
 In dense, ball-like clusters in moist stratificatoon
leaf axils – often mostly
hidden by the leaves

 Vegetative reproduction:
 Easy to propagate from stem
cuttings in spring, fall
 Let them root in water in a
light place – no direct sun
http://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/mentha-arvensis-wild-mint
© Project SOUND http://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/mentha-arvensis-wild-mint © Project SOUND
© 2004, Ben Legler

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1/6/2013

 Soils: Mint in the garden
Plant Requirements  Texture: any
 pH: any local but 6.0-7.5 best  Best use: as an attractive pot
plant; evergreen most of the
 Light: year
 Full sun to light shade – dappled  In an herb or kitchen garden
sun is fine http://www.houseintohome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/
 In water garden – lowest area –
 Foliage has stronger flavor in or other moist area
full sun

 Water:
 Winter: fine with seasonal
flooding
 Summer: needs regular water –
Zone 2-3 to 3

 Fertilizer: likes compost amended
soils; light fertilizer if gown in
containers
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
 Other: cut back in fall/winter http://harrietsgarden.blogspot.com/2011/07/dill-vinegar-and-herb-garden.html
http://www.your-cup-of-tea.com/mint-tea-recipe.html
http://groweat.blogspot.com/2010/06/plant-with-caution.html

Repotting mint Making fresh mint tea - easy
 The leaves are harvested between
 Required yearly – if not May and August. It is important to
more often harvest only the well matured
 Easy – hard to kill leaves as the half-mature ones do
not have the fine mint aroma.
http://outofmyshed.co.uk/2011/03/20/good-time-to-re-pot-mint/  You can give the extras as
gifts

http://www.roadlesstraveledstore.com/blog/2007/12/13/simple-mint-tea/
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/wild_mintx.htm
http://www.pakichill.net/forum/showthread.php?1778-Delicious-Mint-Green-Tea

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1/6/2013

Or use fresh mint to make your Drying leaves for tea
favorite summer beverage  Wash leaves – pat dry
 Place on a cookie sheet in a warm oven
http://www.howipinchapenny.com/2009/06/how-i-save-mint/
(180º F or less – ‘warm’ setting)
 Check for dryness – usually ~ 20-45
min. Leaves will be crackly.
 Strip leaves off stems
 Store in air-tight container

http://www.amctv.com/shows/mad-men/cocktail-guide/mint-julep

http://www.twentysomethinghome.com/2010/11/mint-tea-leaves.html

The many edible uses of mints Medicinal uses of Wild Mint

 The mint flavored leaves are  Leaves are used as a herbal remedy :
used as herb in various  For stomach disorders like indigestion and gas.
cuisines.  As an anti inflammatory agent
 Sometimes raw leaves are  For treatment of fever, headache, cold and asthma.
added to salads and other  To make cough syrups.
preparations to add flavor to  To treat stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting and influenza.
the food.
 To reduce toothaches and swellings of gum.
http://www.yumsugar.com/Snappy-Summer-Side-Strawberry-Mint-Salad-1713036
 Fresh leaves are also used to  To alleviate arthritis.
make chutneys.
 The oil extraction of these leaves is used in the
 The oil extracted from these treatments of insomnia and nervous tension.
plants is used as a flavoring
agent for beverages and
sweets.

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1/6/2013

The tea/medicinal connection
 Many herbal teas are not only
delicious, they also may have
soothing & other effects
 The medicinal benefits of
 Plants make a number of specific herbs are often
plant-specific chemicals anecdotal or controversial,
(phytochemicals) and in some countries
 Some are pleasant tasting to us (including the United
– but actually repel herbivores States) makers of herbal
[Mint] teas are not allowed to
http://peacecooking.blogspot.com/2010/01/delicious-moroccan-mint-tea.html

Since infusions are an easy  Some play similar, often make unsubstantiated
means of extracting plant medicinal, roles in both plants & claims about the medicinal
chemicals it’s not surprising that animals effects of their products.
http://www.abs-herbs.com.ph/prod-tea.htm
they are used as both traditional  These chemicals are the basis
medicines and beverages of many traditional & ‘modern’
medicines © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

The benefits of making beverages from
A few words of caution plants growing in your own garden

 Herbal teas can have different effects from  You know what the plant is –
person to person – always start with a little, and so you don’t mistakenly
never overdo substitute a toxic plant for
an edible one
 Some plants/plant parts are toxic; correct
identification and correct preparation is essential  You can control the
chemicals used on the
 If you are pregnant, nursing, taking prescription plants
medications, or have known allergies to certain
foods or plants, caution and consultation with a  You can pick plant parts
physician or pharmacist are advised. when they are at the ‘peak
of flavor’

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1/6/2013

Fragrant Pitcher Sage – Lepechinia fragrans The genus Lepechinia

 In the Mint family (Lamiaceae)

 Occur in California, Mexico to
South America, and Hawaii.

 An interesting group of shrubs
and woody-based perennials,
some of them quite ornamental.

 They vary in habit but have
large paired, usually hairy and
aromatic leaves and irregular
flowers with broad tubes and
2-lipped “faces”.

Attractive features of Fragrant Pitcher Sage in the garden
Pitchersage
 Good plants for the background
of a perennial border
 Soft contrast of leaf  For banks and open slopes
and flower color
 Mix with berry fruits in a border
 Pleasant fragrance  Great addition to a butterfly
garden
 Interesting leaf
texture  Planted near patios for their
pleasant scent
 Attracts birds and  In shaded areas (does equally
butterflies well in sun or partial shade)

 In the kitchen garden – makes a
delicious tea, jelly, etc.

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1/6/2013

Is Pitchersage ‘tea’ really a tea? Fragrant Pitcher Sage & Hummingbird
Sage leaves make unique tisanes
 Tea: infusion made from the
leaves of the tea bush (Camellia
sinensis).  Minty, but with distinct
flavors
 Herbal tea, tisane : herbal
infusion that does not include  Make excellent hot and
true tea leaves; often simply the iced teas
combination of boiling water and
dried fruits, flowers or herbs.  Can be used fresh or
Can be used as beverage or dried for later use
medicinal  Not only tasty – may have
 Flavored tea: a true tea flavored medicinal properties
with other herbs, spices, oils

Leaves are the most common plant part In fact, several different plant parts
used for plants in the mint family can be use to make beverages
 Leaves
 Hot or cold herbal teas
 Flavorings for other beverages
 Syrups for cordials; sparkling
waters
 Liqueurs (alcoholic)
 Fruits/berries
 Hot & cold herbal teas
 Juices
 Syrups/Flavorings
 Liqueurs (alcoholic)

 Flower petals

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1/6/2013

CA Wild Rose – Rosa californica CA Wild Rose – Rosa californica

 S. OR to northern Baja
 In CA, everywhere but high
mountain elevations
 Common thicket-forming rose in
S. & central CA foothills
 Moist places, near streams, in
shaded woods and canyons

 Spanish padres called it ‘Rose
of Castile’ because it reminded
them of the roses of Spain.
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6887,6889

http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/wildflower_watch_wk18.htm

A rose is a rose….
 Size: to 6 ft. tall, 9 ft. wide

 Winter deciduous

 Growth form: upright shrub that
spreads by suckers; typical wild
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Rosa_californica.html
rose

 Garden requirements:
 Light: full sun to semi-shade
 Soils: any well-drained
 Water: take cue from nature
 Does best in full sun with some
summer water
 Will need less water in shaded areas
 Less prone to fungal diseases than
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/wildflower_watch_wk18.htm

cultivated roses
 CA Wild Rose in nature: thicket-forming http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/wildflower_watch_wk18.htm

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1/6/2013

Wild roses are important
habitat plants Dried rose petals
 Blooms:
for tea
 Main season: May-Aug (but blooms
intermittently in warm season)  Blown blooms (fully mature
flowers) that haven't browned
 Flowers: single pinks; color varies
slightly will make the most flavorful tea
petals.
 Important pollen source for bees and
other insects  Rose petals and other flower dry
quickly if you're using a heat
http://deborahsmall.wordpress.com/

 Fruits (hips)
 Summer/fall source, so watch them closely to
make sure they don't scorch.
 Edible; good syrups & jellies
They should be "shatter" dry, but
 goldfinches, bluebirds, grosbeaks, not brown.
robins, mockingbirds, and sparrows--
relish the hips  In a dehydrator, they just take a
 Plants/foliage couple of hours to dry completely
(in a single layer).
 Dense, spiny foliage provides good cover
and nesting sites for birds
© Project SOUND

Drying nature’s bounty: many ways Making tisanes from flowers: requires
a gentle touch for best flavor
 Bring water to just under the boiling
point, water should be very hot but
never boiled.

 Remove water from heat and add the
fresh or dried petals. Allow petals to
seep for one hour without stirring.

 NEVER BOIL THE PETALS AS THIS
WILL DESTROY THE LIGHT
FLAVOR AND COLOR. IT WILL
ALSO CAUSE THE TEA TO HAVE A
BITTER TASTE.
Note: cover with mesh
if air-drying  You can re-heat the tisane or drink it
cold
http://eggbeater.typepad.com/shuna/2008/07/rose-petal-tea.html


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1/6/2013

Flowers in the Honeysuckle family also Rose leaves also make
make delicious tea a delicate tisane
 Dry leaves – dryer or warm oven
 Grind with a spice mill or crumple
 Store in dry, well-labled container

http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/inkos-unsweetened-honesuckle-white-iced-tea-
best-processed-foods#fbIndex9

http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.com/2010/06/dried-rose-leaf-
tea.html


Combining flavors: be creative Beach Strawberry - Fragaria chiloensis ssp.
pacifica
 Making mild leaf tisanes: ½ to 1 tsp dried
leaves per cup; pour on boiling water and
infuse for 10 minutes. Strain.

 Drink hot or warm or iced with a sprig of
mint or a slice of lemon. Tend to taste
very ‘green’ - which you may or may not
http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.com/2010/06/dried-rose-leaf-
like alone
tea.html

 Consider adding to Rose leaves:
 Loose leaf commercial green tea (to
make a Roseleaf flavored tea)
Many prepared ‘herbal
teas’ and ‘flavored tea’  Dried wild rose buds or rose petals –
are blends of several add to the visual appeal as well.
dried herbs and spices


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1/6/2013

Native Strawberries have much to
Strawberries: a groundcover with lots
recommend them……
of beverage potential
 Easy to grow in the garden environment –
including in light shade
 Strawberry leaves make a
 Attractive foliage, flowers & edible fruit
delicate ‘tea’ with a taste
 Excellent coverage – quickly spread by
runners (even on sand!) all it’s own
 Can mix with grasses & other plants – or  Wild strawberry fruits
grow as a grass substitute
make some of the best
dried fruit tisanes and
flavored teas – and can also
be used for other
Beach Strawberries ‘strawberry drinks’
are a delicacy in
Chile

http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/imaxxros.htm

Saving the fruits of Processing dried fruits for herbal tea
summer
 Why?
 Collect only fully ripe, undamaged  Releases the flavor better
fruit  Easier to handle, particularly if
 Thoroughly wash with water; pat you’re filling tea bags
dry  How?
http://photo-dict.faqs.org/phrase/9734/strawberry-tea.html

 Small fruits & berries (even small  Crumble with hands
native rose hips) can be dried  Chop coarsely with a knife
whole; slice strawberries or other  Break with mortar & pestle
large fruits thinly  Use a spice mill or rotary-
blade coffee grinder
 Dry until fully dry
 Use a small food processer to
 Store whole or process/crumble coarsely chop
then store
http://www.cpaphilblog.com/2009/06/strawberry-tea-aholic.html
© Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

Fill your own tea bags During summer a cold drink is nice
 Readily available
 Easy to fill & store
 Make a nice – and unusual
& trendy - gift

http://honest-food.net/2010/08/22/manzanita-cider/

Fortunately, there are some classical
California cold beverages that use
native plants commonly used in
home gardens
© Project SOUND

* Hooker’s Manzanita – Arctostaphylos hookeri * Hooker’s Manzanita – Arctostaphylos hookeri
 Native range
extends from the
coastal San
Francisco Bay
Area to the
Central Coast
http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/factsheet.php?SPECIES_ID=1  Sandy, coastal
pine or oak
woods, coastal
scrub < 1000 ft

Beatrice F. Howitt © California Academy of Sciences © 1991 David Graber

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1/6/2013

Hooker’s Manzanita makes a good
Several rare sub-species coastal groundcover
 ssp. hearstiorum
 Very low-growing – mat-like  Size:
 Clays & summer fog-drip; very  mostly low – 1-3 ft tall
moderate temperatures  spreading to 6-8 ft wide
© 2011 Chris Winchell

© 2006 Steve Matson
 Growth form:
ssp. hearstiorum near San Simeon
 ssp. franciscana  Woody evergreen shrub
 2 ft. groundcover  Matt-like to mounded
 Now extinct in the wild; once  Red bark on older branches
restricted to serpentine  Foliage:
outcrops on the San Francisco
 Medium green
peninsula. It is now known only
 Leaves upright on branches
as a cultivated plant
 Takes temperature extremes
better than others
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Flowers: Manzanita Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: the species likes
sandy soils; some cultivars have
 Blooms: in early spring – other requirements
usually Feb-Mar  pH: best with slightly acidic –
5.0-7.5 is fine
 Flowers:
 Typical for manzanita  Light:
 Small white-pink urn-shaped  Full sun to part-shade
flowers
 Water:
 Adored by hummingbirds
 Winter: adequate
 Fruits :  Summer: best with occasional
 Typical ‘little apples’ of the summer water (Zone 2); rinse
genus leaves in summer to simulate
fog drip
 Ripen in summer – turn a
red-brown  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

 Other: use an organic mulch
http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya

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1/6/2013

Hooker’s Manzanita is a
Managing manzanitas natural groundcover
 Avoid unnecessary pruning.
 Under trees
Most manzanitas develop a
nice shape if just left to  On slopes
their own devices  In front yards - evergreen

 Manzanitas are prone to http://absbonsai.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=834

branch die-back, caused by a
http://128.253.177.181/imgs/dws/r/Ericaceae_Arctostaphylos_hookeri_18909.html

naturally occurring fungal
pathogen.

 When removing dead
branches, sterilize pruning
Be sure to leave a 6” circle of shears with alcohol between
bare soil around manzanta cuts to prevent the spread of
trunks the disease.

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-hookeri-wayside-manzanita
© Project SOUND http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/viewplant.php?pid=173 © Project SOUND

‘Ken Taylor’
‘Monterey Carpet’
 < 2 ft tall; spreads to
8+ ft. wide  Very low-growing ( 1
ft or less)
 All the good traits of
the species – dense  Does best in sandy
soils along the coast
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/viewplant.php?pid=173 evergreen foliage
 Good under pines
 Takes clay soils
 Not very cold
 Best nearer the coast tolerant

 Excellent low-water
groundcover plant

© Project SOUND http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_a/archoomoncar.html © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

If you have a bumper crop of manzanita
‘Wayside’ berries, consider yourself lucky

 2-3 ft tall x 8-10 ft wide  Manzanita ‘cider’
 Low, mounding habit for now
 Vigorous; fast-growing
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-hookeri-wayside-manzanita

 Jams & jellies for
 Takes heat & cold better gifts
than other cultivars

 Best in part-shade in hot  Syrup (can be used
gardens http://www.livingwild.org/seasonal-blog/page/2/
for beverages) for
later

http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Arctostaphylos_hookeri_'Wayside' Project SOUND
© © Project SOUND

Making Manzanita ‘Cider’ How do I know if fruits are ripe?
 Time of year: mid- to late summer
 Wash 4 cups ripe berries (summer) for manzanita

 Cover with water & simmer (don’t boil)  Color: know what color ripe
until soft (~ 15 min.) berries should be; manzanita
fruits are red when ripe
 Cool until warm; pour the liquid into a
large non-metal bowl or jar  Texture: many fruits are soft
http://honest-food.net/2010/08/22/manzanita-cider/
when ripe; manzanitas are rather
 Slightly crush/grind/mash the cooked dry when ripe
Strain again then berries in food processor or mash with
drink; sweeten if potato masher; add to the liquid in the
bowl/jar
desired
 Let settle 1 day; strain the liquid

 Put strained liquid in glass (best) jar in
refrigerator; let settle 1 day
http://elkhornsloughrestoration.blogspot.com/2009/09/manzanita-berry-cider-and-how-we-use.html
© Project SOUND http://www.primitiveways.com/pt-photo_gallery16.html © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

Very ripe (dry) manzanita berries Another ‘Classic California’ drink –
need to be ground before Lemonadeberry ‘lemonade’
making cider
 Try about 15 berries per 8-
12 oz water (mild taste) or 1
Make manzanita cider with
part berries to 4 parts water
either ripe or semi-ripe berries (stronger)
in either hot or cold water (in
refrigerator)  Can use either hot or cold
water for infusion
 Berries mixed with cold water sat for 9-12  Usually takes several hours
hours in the refrigerator and yielded a liquid
much more clear than the hot.  Strain out berries, etc.

 The hot water treatment included boiling  Very tart (acidic) – may need
the water and pouring it over the crushed to sweeten to taste
berries, letting it sit for one hour before
straining. The hot water cider is darker.
© Project SOUND http://www.urbanoutdoorskills.com/News_June2001.html © Project SOUND
http://elkhornsloughrestoration.blogspot.com/2009/09/manzanita-berry-cider-and-how-we-use.html

Other ‘classic’ natural beverages include * California Juniper – Juniperus californica
rustic ‘teas’

http://www.getprice.com.au/Hilde-Hemmes-Juniper-Berry-Loose-Leaf-Tea-Gpnc_631--43207143.htm

http://homesteadingthebackforty.blogspot.com/ Juniper berry & juniper leaf tea
Pine needle tea
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juniperus_californica_Mount_Diablo.jpg

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1/6/2013

* California Juniper – Juniperus californica CA Juniper is a well-shaped juniper
 Mountain slopes of W. CA into Baja; desert
 Size:
mountains of S. CA, NV & AZ – locally in
 10-20 ft tall (usual); may be
Antelope Valley & desert side of San
taller (to 40 ft)
Gabriels
 10-20 ft wide
 In S. CA commonly occurs in pinyon-juniper
 Growth form:
woodlands that border and integrate with
chaparral along desert margins  Large woody shrub/small
tree with rounded, somewhat
open habit
 Multi-stemmed
 Evergreen
 Slow-growth – ½ ft / yr; long
lived – to 150+ years

 Foliage:
 Medium-green scale-like
leaves – typical juniper,
fragrant
http://www.conifers.org/cu/Juniperus_californica.php © 2003 Monty Rickard © Project SOUND http://mojavedesert.net/plants/shrubs/juniper.html © Project SOUND

Plant of the dry Use where ever you
 Soils:
foothills  Texture: any well-drained
want a juniper
 pH: any local  As an unusual bonsai
 Light:  On hot, dry slopes
 Full sun to part-shade  As a specimen or hedge plant
 Water:  For it’s great habitat value
 Winter: adequate http://www.fourdir.com/p_california_juniper.htm

 Summer: quite drought tolerant;
water infrequently (Zone 1-2
probably best for gardens)

 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

 Other: good heat tolerance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_californica

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juniperus_californica_Mount_Diablo.jpg

18

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