I sent my friend Paul some red orach …

Planted by gold finches in August, harvested by them in May

… seed to plant at Pleasant Camp on the Haines Highway, a few metres north (and west and south) of Alaska, and a few kilometres south of Yukon. The season is a little short, so not all seeds mature, but look at the effect of rain and frost on the leaves! Here they burn away without ever developing such colour.

If they’re going to look like that, it’s not even necessary to eat them!