Spring in the West Kootenays means snowmelt rushing down the mountainsides into the Salmo River, cottonwoods budding along the Columbia River in Trail, and the first sunny clearings appearing in the forests around Rossland. It’s also when many of us are still shaking off winters stubborn respiratory bugs.

I’ll never forget the spring I spent recovering from pneumonia as a teenager, when my dad took me out to the old orchard and showed me how to find the new green leaves of wild mint and roll them between my fingers, then inhale deeply. As we gathered a fresh bounty to make healing tea, he told me, “The medicine works better when your feet know the land it comes

from.” That lesson stuck with me through years of exploring (and incidentally, that’s my justification for going barefoot just about always!). Now, I want to share some of our local respiratory helpers—plants that grow abundantly here in the Kootenays.

Locally Available Herbs for Lung Support

Spruce (Pinus spp.) – The Resinous Healer

Every April, I make my annual pilgrimage to the south-facing slopes above the Salmo River, where the spruce trees grow tall and their new tips glow almost fluorescent green. These resinous buds are natures perfect cough remedy. A local logger once showed me how to harvest them sustainably - twist gently at the base of the new growth, taking only every third tip from a branch. (Please note that spruce tips are VERY precious. It took the tree a whole year to make these fresh little buds. They’re potent too! Don’t over-harvest. Think of how the future shape of the tree will change with each bud you collect. Never harvest from the same tree two years in a row. You will notice that I never offer spruce tips for sale in any form online or at markets. They’re just too precious to harvest in quantity. They are to be cherished.)

Where to find: You’ll find these majestic trees thriving along your favourite Kootenay trails almost universally.

After winter storms pass through the Salmo area, I always check the old-growth stands near Champion Lakes for fallen branches draped with usnea. This delicate lichen is natures antibiotic. Pro tip from an old-timer in Trail: usnea from higher elevations seems more potent - possibly due to cleaner air.

Where to find: Mature forests along the Strawberry Pass trails and in the groves along the southern banks of the Salmo River.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) – The Roadside Soother

Along the banks with loose soil or land healing from construction or road scaping, you’ll spot mullein’s tall stalks standing like fuzzy sentinels. I learned from a Salmo midwife that the fresh leaves make an excellent poultice for chest congestion when warmed and applied directly (with a cloth barrier).

Where to find: Look along the upper cut banks of logging roads, pump tracks and sparsely-treed trails. This plant also grows in bounty along busy roadsides but unfortunately is not fit for harvest or use due to toxic exhaust.

Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis) – The Riverside Refresher

The damp edges of the Salmo River near the Shambhala site produce some of the most vibrant wild mint I’ve found. I have heard that mint gathered near running water has stronger medicinal properties - whether that’s true or not, the plants there certainly thrive.

Where to find: Along the banks of the Salmo River, the Columbia River near Gyro Park, and small streams throughout the Rossland area.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – The Trailside Warrior

The sunny meadows along the Columbia River in Trail and the ski trails around Rossland offer perfect yarrow habitat. You can also look for plants growing near old mining tailings - their roots seem to draw minerals that make the medicine stronger.

Where to find: Open areas along the Columbia River Trail, the edges of the Rossland cemetery, and throughout the Salmo Valley.

DIY West Kootenay Lung Tea

This is the blend I make each spring using plants gathered within sight of my home:

Ingredients (fresh or dried):

1 handful fresh spruce tips
1 small mullein leaf
5-6 wild mint leaves
1 yarrow flowering top
Optional: A few strands of usnea
Local honey

Instructions:

1. Gather with gratitude - leave more than you take, especially in popular spots.

2. Chop herbs roughly to release their oils and place in a mason jar.

3. Pour just-boiled water over them, cover, and steep 15-20 mins (longer for usnea).

4. Strain, add your local honey, and sip while sitting by a sunny window overlooking the mountains.

5. Inhale deeply - imagine drawing in the clean forest air from where your herbs grew.

Bonus: For extra respiratory support, add a few drops of locally made fir or spruce tip syrup.

A Forager’s Connection

These plants have sustained generations of Kootenay residents, with many families passing down their own traditions of herbal medicine. Some brew spruce tip syrup each spring when the new growth appears, while others keep remedies like usnea tincture handy for winter ailments. These practices connect us to the land and to those who walked these valleys before us. When we use these local herbs, we’re participating in a tradition as old as these mountains.

If you’d like to learn more, join me this season for a wildcrafting walk along the Salmo River or in the hills above Rossland. There’s no better way to learn than with dirt under your nails and mountain air in your lungs.

PS. I wrote a comprehensive visual guide on how to find, identify, harvest, preserve and use the bounty of wild food here in the Kootenays.
You’ll find it in the Free Foraging Resources Library at kootenaywildcrafting.com.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes. Consult a healthcare provider before using wild herbs, especially if pregnant, nursing, or on medications.

Please forage responsibly: obtain permission for private land, avoid roadside pollution, and never overharvest.