Battle for Dominance: Henbit deadnettle and Red deadnettle in Yokohama, 2021

 

Recently one veteran of Kanagawa Forest Instructors said, “This year, it’s like a spring of north countries! All the blooms come at once in Kanagawa, don’t you think?” She was born in Tohoku region with lots of winter snow, knowing spring in the north. Indeed. It’s a bit strange spring this year here. Kobushi Magnolia started to bloom early March and ended their flowers before cherry blossoms. A bit too early. Cherry blossoms themselves became full everywhere in Japan one week earlier than the average of these 10 years. Cherries, peaches, plums, Japanese kerrias, mimosas … all have come to bloom at once in Yokohama, just like for northern countries. In addition, there are flowers which show the other-way-round apparition this year. I feel in Yokohama the number of dandelion flowers smaller than for usual April. It might be because people have picked many of them during suddenly popular urban strolls thanks to COVID-19, i.e. unintentional weeding ... (more to this in my later post). Violets also come out a bit late. And here are purple archangels.

Season of cherry blossoms

For some of you coming from European tradition, purple archangel, aka red deadnettle, is pretty and useful plant. In contrast, especially for nativist Japanese botanists, they are invasive species came to Japan from Europe around 1900. The reason they became “problematic” is, they compete with, and often win over, henbit deadnettle that has lived in this archipelago definitely longer than red deadnettle does. Henbit deadnettle has traditional Japanese name, Hotoke-no-za 仏の座 which means “a cushion for Buddha.” Don’t you think the moniker indicates some established feeling towards the plant in our culture? They were once a typical spring ephemeral and ubiquitous in Japanese villages and towns. Then, red deadnettle came to Japan about 100-150 years ago. They are small and pretty just like henbit deadnettle. Japan has endemic white deadnettle whose anatomy is similar to Red D but far larger. So, Japanese gave red deadnettle the name, Hime-odoriko-sou 姫オドリコソウ, meaning “Pretty princess deadnettle.” Er, pretty princess is becoming dominatrix these days to expel Henbit D from their traditional homes … National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan has designated red deadnettle invasive to the point of threatening the habitat of Henbit D so that they are to be weeded.

Henbit deadnettle

Professors who held seminars in Niiharu Forest mentioned this problem of Henbit D and Red D. “Unfortunately, the number of Henbit deadnettle in Niiharu shows signs of decline. Red deadnettles are overtaking Henbit’s places.” It’s the power of information. With the input of professors’ point of view, I’ve felt it was difficult these years to find Henbit D but instead see lots of Red D in Niiharu. Then, something strange happened. It was not even in spring, but December 2020. One weekend before Christmas, I’ve found lots of Henbit deadnettle blossomed in Niiharu. I was like “Wow! They are escaping from the onslaught by Red D! Is it because of the competition they’ve come out this early? Have they changed their tactics for survival?” Er, maybe. Came February, March, and April. They remain ubiquitous in Niiharu. In contrast, I had difficult time to find Red deadnettle even in March. In normal years, it was Red D which came out early, say, in January. This spring, Covid-19 dominating 2021, the spring field in Yokohama is looked like the other way round for deadnettles.

Henbit D in winter

Actually, it was a bit of disappointment. Listening the sermon of botanists, I did a bit of study to combat Red D problem, and reached a conclusion such as “Well, to reduce their numbers, let’s eat them!” Unlike Henbit D, Red D can be edible if it’s not in a massive amount:

The whole plant is astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, purgative and styptic. In terms of traditional medicinal uses, dried leaves have been used as a poultice to stem hemorrhaging whilst fresh bruised leaves have been applied to external wounds and cuts. The leaves are also made into a tea and drunk to promote perspiration and discharge from the kidneys in treating chills.　Plantlife, UK

They are perfect for spring detox! So, for spring 2021, I waited for them to come out, just like a witch for Hansel and Gretel … They did not come soon as I expected. Have they noticed an atmosphere of menace from me?

Meanwhile, a female Daurian redstart is
 pondering the timing to return to the Continent …

In late March, around the time when cherry blossoms became full this year, Red Ds finally appear in the fields of Yokohama. Their local rival, Henbit Ds have already started to shrivel … Hmmmm. It could be that was a natural cycle for deadnettles in the field of Yokohama. Henbit D first, then Red D. The reason why Red D is regarded “invasive” is they sometimes came too early and looked pushy. Global warming may have given Henbit D to appear earlier than Red D … Really?

Finally, Red D.

Viola grypoceras come out too. Phew.

Well, here is a recipe I used to consume Red D. It’s a steamed rice bread, pure vegan.

<Steamed rice bread with spring ephemerals>

Ingredients for one 5” tube pan lined with a parchment paper:

• A tiny bunch of Red deadnettle (about 6-7 stems with flowers), washed and chopped.
• About 20 flowers of Viola grypoceras washed for garnish (: although V. grypoceras are edible, some other violets are poisonous, so be careful. Please refer to my post on April 17, 2020)

• One cup of unsweetened soy milk
• One cup of rice-flour made of non-glutinous flower. For this recipe moderately grind flour called Joshinko 上新粉 is the best.
• One tablespoon of sugar or honey

The bouquet I used.

Instructions:

1. Whip soy milk until it becomes foamy. You can whip it with sweetener, especially when you add honey.

Whipped soy milk

2. Fold the rice flour and sweetener in foamed soy milk. Add and mix chopped red deadnettle. Please be careful not to destroy the soy milk foam.

Joshinko and brown sugar I employed this time.

The dry ingredients are folded,
 then chopped Red D added.

3. Pour 2 in a lined pan.

4. Steam the pan for 15-20 minutes. At the final 5 minutes’ point, sprinkle flowers of violet on the surface. This way, the color of violet is preserved.

The violets are sprinkled over the semi-cooked bread.

5. When you insert the skewer in the center of the pan and it comes out clean, the bread is fully cooked.

See? Violet Blue is preserved.

6. The bread is slightly sweet. Please have it with honey, jam and/or marmalade.

It’s a fun to eat wild edibles, but I don’t think consuming Red D this way won’t change anything about the war over the dominance between Red D and Henbit D. What humans can do is really limited, I presume ... More to this point, next week … Munching a piece of pretty steamed-bread, Naomi’s having a pensive spring. I hear once-again increasing number of patients with COVID-19.

If you find a problem in the greenery of north-half of Yokohama, please make a contact with

Office for the Park Greeneries in the North
北部公園緑地事務所
Yokohama Municipal Government Creative Environment Policy Bureau
横浜市環境創造局

Phone: 045-311-2016
FAX: 045-316-8420

Niiharu Administrative Office / Satoyama Exchange Center
新治管理事務所・里山交流センター

Phone: 045-931-4947
Fax: 045-937-0898
Email: info@niiharu.jp
http://www.niiharu.jp/