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       # 2025-11-20 - Musk Stork's Bill (Erodium Moschatum)
       
       On a walk the other day, a family member pointed out a plant that
       looked lush and thriving.  They asked whether i knew what it was.
       Someone had told me once, but i had forgotten.  I seemed to recall
       that it was edible, but i had not tried it.  I took a photo to
       identify later.
       
       None of my botany books have this plant.  It turned out to be in the
       geranium family, and it is edible.  The European Variant is called
       Stork's Bill, named after the shape of the seed pod.  The variety
       here in the Pacific Northwest, is called Musk Stork's Bill, or
       Erodium moschatum.
       
       * Erōdios   -- heron -- Greek
       * Moschatum -- musk  -- Latin
       
  TEXT Erodium moschatum
       
       Yesterday i picked a large quantity of musk stork's bill leaves.
       They are tender and the plant has not flowered yet.  On the same walk
       i also collected common mint and a large quantity of cleavers
       (Galium aparine) to dry for future herbal tea.  Years ago a friend
       introduced me to making tea out of cleavers.  He told me it is good
       for the kidneys.
       
       I washed, sorted, and chopped the musk stork's bill leaves and stems.
       It didn't smell unpleasant to me, but it also didn't smell
       appetizing.  The "musk" part of the name refers to the scent when the
       plant is crushed, which is an earthy, musky scent.  I steamed the
       greens for about 10 to 15 minutes.  After steaming, they smelled much
       more appetizing.
       
       Initially they tasted like geraniums.  After a few more bites, my
       sense of taste normalized the flavor and it reminded me a lot of
       eating spinach.  Afterward, i drank the "broth" also known as
       "pot liquor", and it tasted great!  I plan to eat these again.
       
       I read a warning that the young plants are easy to confuse with
       deadly poison hemlock.  I am familiar with hemlock and can tell the
       difference, but i will pass on this warning.
       
       > The significant difference between them when young is the
       > Stork's Bill has hairy stems. The Poison Hemlock is not hairy.
       > Don't mistake the two. Poison Hemlock is deadly.
       
       I knew someone who picked a poison hemlock sprig and was chewing on
       it, as a person might chew on a straw of grass.  He was walking along
       a path.  A stranger warned him about what he was chewing.  He threw
       it away immediately, but experienced a rapid onset of intoxication.
       He felt paralyzation coming on, and a strong desire to sleep.  His
       friends stuck with him and they helped him stay awake and keep
       breathing.  He is very lucky to be alive today, and he taught me a
       thing or two about foraging.
       
       tags:   health,outdoor
       
       # Tags
       
   DIR health
   DIR outdoor