by Tim MacWelch
USES The fruit is a large reddish-black berry—an important food source for wildlife and an emergency one for us. But the taste (often likened to bad cheese) leaves something to be desired and makes the berries difficult to eat. Fortunately, the terminal buds contain “heart of palm,” which can be cut out and eaten raw or cooked. Just make sure you wear gloves to work with this saw-edged plant.
PURSLANE
Portulaca oleracea
SEASON Spring through fall
HABITAT Virtually anywhere
DISTRIBUTION Global
DETAILS Purslane is an annual herbaceous plant in the Portulacaceae family. It has very watery, succulent stems and leaves, and many varieties are cultivated for food. Larger plants reach 16 inches (40 cm) in height.
IDENTIFIERS Purslane has smooth, reddish stems and alternate simple leaves clustered at joints and ends. The five-petaled yellow flowers can appear throughout the year. Tiny black seeds form in pods that open when the seeds are mature.
USES The leaves, stems, and tender seedpods are edible raw or cooked, and their mild flavor makes a great addition to any wild-food dish. Purslane is often used in soups and cooked like spinach throughout Europe, and the crushed leaves can be used as a poultice to treat insect bites, boils, sores, and stings. Purslane contains calcium, potassium, and vitamin A.
OX-EYE DAISY
Leucanthemum vulgare
SEASON Spring through fall
HABITAT Fields and lawns
DISTRIBUTION Northern Hemisphere
DETAILS The ox-eye daisy (syn. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)is a herbaceous perennial widespread throughout Europe and the temperate regions of Asia, and considered an invasive weed in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. This plant is a common sight in grasslands and fields, and flowers are easy to spot on 1–3 foot (30–91 cm) stems.
IDENTIFIERS Blooming from late spring to autumn, the white flowers are about 2 inches (5 cm) wide with about 20 white ray florets surrounding a yellow disc.
USES Eat the simple alternate leaves raw or cooked, and you can even pickle the unopened flower buds. The taste is complex, with hints of grape, mint, pepper and many other intense flavors. Leucanthemum is from the Greek words leukos and anthemon, meaning “white” and “flower.”
126 IG UP SOME EDIBLE ROOTS
Roots, rhizomes, and tubers are the hidden delicacies of foraging. These buried treasures boast a wealth of calories and other nutritional benefits. Some are even medicinal or energy-boosting.
TOOTHWORT
Dentaria spp.
SEASON Spring
HABITAT Forests and shady areas
DISTRIBUTION Eastern U.S.
DETAILS Toothwort is a small herbaceous perennial plant common in the eastern woodlands of North America. This plant grows from a small whitish tuber that looks like a tiny blond yam. Toothwort grows to a height of 6–16 inches (15–40 cm).
IDENTIFIERS The plant has four-petaled flowers that are typically white or pinkish in color. It has leaves with three long lobe segments and toothed margins.
USES Each plant will have one single tuber, which can be eaten raw or cooked, and has a spicy flavor similar to radishes. Soak the tubers in a spiced vinegar brine to create a crunchy wild pickle, or grate into a paste and blend with dried red pepper flakes to make a “wild horseradish” condiment.
GINSENG
Panax spp.
SEASON Year-round
HABITAT Mountainous woodlands
DISTRIBUTION Northern Hemisphere
DETAILS Ginseng is a herbaceous perennial plant that is often hard to locate. It favors rough mountainous forests and is one of the most coveted edible plants. Many species are found across the Northern Hemisphere, the largest of which usually reach a maximum height of 16 inches (40 cm).
IDENTIFIERS All ginsengs have palmate compound leaves with three or five leaflets. Each leaflet is finely toothed, and the compound leaf resembles Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) leaves. The pale yellowish-green or whitish flowers turn into bright red berries in the fall, offering the best chance of spotting this diminutive plant.
USES Brew a ginseng tea or steep in alcohol to take as a tonic. The dried roots can be stored for months before use. You can also eat it raw or simmered in a soup.
RAMP (WILD LEEK)
Allium tricoccum
SEASON Spring
HABITAT Forested mountains
DISTRIBUTION Eastern U.S.
DETAILS Ramps, also called wild leeks, are pungent herbaceous perennials from mountainous forest regions of the eastern United States. The green leaves are broad and smooth with a strong onion scent. They form clusters and colonies in shady woods, favoring higher elevations.
IDENTIFIERS Ramps grow a very slender flower stalk after the leaves have died back for the year. This flower stalk can be 6–18 inches (15–45 cm) tall and is topped with a cluster of white flowers.
USES Ramps are part of traditional meals in the spring mountains and are even the subject of feasts and festivals. Eat the small white bulbs and green leaves raw or cooked, in the wide variety of ways onions can be prepared. Ramps are also known for their mild purgative effect, so enjoy in moderation.
WILD GINGER
Asarum canadense
SEASON Year-round
HABITAT Damp woods and riversides
DISTRIBUTION Northern Hemisphere
DETAILS Wild ginger, also known as Canadian snakeroot or Canada wild ginger, is a herbaceous perennial native to the broadleaf forests of eastern North America.
IDENTIFIERS The roots are fleshy rhizomes (continuously growing underground stems) that are typically greenish in color and shallowly buried. The leaves are kidney-shaped or heart-shaped and often grow in pairs, and the flowers are the unusual, with three hairy sepals that are purplish brown and tapered tips and bases that fuse together.
USES Use wild ginger root to make a spicy tea, or use the dried root powder as a ginger substitute, but be sure to do so in moderation. Wild ginger smells very similar to true ginger (Zingiber officinale), but some studies have shown carcinogens in the root, so use sparingly and with caution.
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
Helianthus tuberosus
SEASON Fall
HABITAT Fields, open sunny areas
DISTRIBUTION Northern Hemisphere
DETAILS Neither an artichoke nor from Jerusalem, this sunflower relative is a herbaceous perennial plant common in North America. It averages 6–9 feet (2–3 m) tall, with coarsely toothed opposite leaves.
IDENTIFIERS Jerusalem artichoke has a slightly sweet tuber that strongly resembles the shape of ginger roots (without the odor). The large yellow flowers resemble smaller varieties of sunflower.
USES The roots are the edible part, with 109 calories per cup (125 g) and lots of iron and potassium. They also contain 5–20 percent of your daily allowance of most of the B vitamins. Look for the small sunflower-like bloom in the fall at the top of the tall plants, and dig up the tubers then, as they will be at their largest size and greatest food value. Eat them raw or cooked.
SPRING BEAUTY
Claytonia virginica
SEASON Spring
HABITAT Forests and edge areas
DISTRIBUTION Eastern U.S.
DETAILS This herbaceous perennial plant is in the purslane family (Portulacaceae) and about 3–6 inches (7.5–15 cm) tall. The plants consist of a flowering stem with a pair of opposite grasslike leaves and some basal leaves, both linear and fleshy, like grass. The stem is light green or slightly reddish green, smooth, and resembles succulents.
IDENTIFIERS Each flower is up to ½ inch (12 mm) across when fully open, and consists of five petals, two green sepals, five stamens with pink anthers, and a pistil with a tripartite style. The petals are white with fine pink stripes varying from pale to bright pink.
USES The potato-like root, which you can gather in quantity where abundant, is delicious fresh or cooked like a potato.
SOLOMON’S SEAL
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Polygonatum spp.
SEASON Year-round
HABITAT Woodlands
DISTRIBUTION Northern Hemisphere
DETAILS King Solomon’s seal, or Solomon’s seal, is a genus of flowering herbaceous perennial plants in the family Asparagaceae. Most of the 60 species occur in Asia, with a few native to North America.
IDENTIFIERS These plants have an unbranched arching stem, which has broad alternate leaves. The greenish flowers dangle below the stalk and resemble little bells with six lobes. The root bears round scars and is a multijointed rhizome.
USES Eat the leaves, stems, and rhizomes raw or cooked. The roots are most commonly dug in the fall, although they can be found all year. You can also use the rhizomes in teas and tinctures to treat diabetes, hyperglycemia, pain, fever, inflammation, and allergies. Solomon’s seal also shows up in Ayurvedic medicine as an aphrodisiac. Your results may vary.
INDIAN CUCUMBER ROOT
Medeola virginiana
SEASON Summer and fall
HABITAT Shady moist areas
DISTRIBUTION Eastern U.S.
DETAILS Indian cucumber root is a small herbaceous perennial plant in the lily family (Liliaceae), found in damp forested areas and riverine woodlands.
IDENTIFIERS The slender upright stem bears one to three sets of leaves in whorls, typically as tall as 1–2 feet (30–60 cm). Most whorls have five to nine leaves, with the uppermost whorl bearing the fewest leaves and greenish-yellow flowers that give way to dark purple berries. A small white tuber is buried just below the base of the plant stalk and resembles a white yam.
USES This tuber is sweet, juicy, crunchy, and actually tastes of cucumber. Most likely, you’ll eat it raw, though you can also pickle itor eat it as a cooked vegetable. Gather only where abundant, as these plants are increasingly rare in many places.
TROUT LILY
Erythronium americanum
SEASON Spring
HABITAT Shady moist areas
DISTRIBUTION Eastern U.S.
DETAILS Trout lilies are herbaceous perennials found in shady areas near water. The banks of trout streams are likely places to look, probably yielding the name (though their gray, green, and brown mottled leaves could also resemble the coloring of brook trout).
IDENTIFIERS The mottled green and brown spotted leaves are the most obvious identifying feature. The trout lily also has a single yellow flower with six petals. The oval leaves come in pairs and are 3–8 inches (7.5–20 cm) long. The root is a small bulb resembling an onion, but lacking the characteristic odor.
USES The leaves, flowers, and bulbs can be eaten raw or cooked. Trout lilies can cause mild stomach upset in sensitive people, so limit your consumption until you’ve determined your body’s reaction to the plant.
indian cucumber
ARROWHEAD
Sagittaria latifolia
SEASON Fall
HABITAT Wetlands
DISTRIBUTION Northern Hemisphere
DETAILS Arrowhead (or duck potato, Indian potato, or wapato), is a herbaceous aquatic perennial that grows in colonies in shallow wetlands. Arrowhead stems can be 6–30 feet (2–9 m) in length, depending on the water depth.
IDENTIFIERS The leaves are arrowhead shaped and the roots are white, producing whitish tubers with a purplish skin in the mud under the water.
USES The edible tubers were used extensively by the native peoples of North America. Arrowhead is traditionally harvested by using a long wooden tool, such as a hoe or pick, to snag the roots. Once detached, the tubers usually float. You can eat them raw or cooked to enjoy a flavor reminiscent of potatoes and chestnuts. You can also slice and dry the tubers, then grind into flour.
WILD CARROT
Daucus carota
SEASON Year-round
HABITAT Fields, open sunny areas
DISTRIBUTION Northern Hemisphere
DETAILS The wild carrot is a herbaceous biennial plant in the family Apiaceae. Native to Europe, it lives for two years and is also known as bird’s nest, bishop’s lace, and Queen Anne’s lace. The domesticated carrot is descended from this wild forebear.
IDENTIFIERS The leaf stalks and flower stalks are hairy and the flowers are complex white umbels. The plant has compound alternate leaves, referred to as dissected (heavily divided). The taproot is carrot-scented when bruised.
USES Eat the roots raw or cooked during the first year of the plant’s life. For the woodier second-year roots, add to soups as a flavoring (remove before serving). Be extremely cautious of the similar looking poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)—it lacks hairs and has an unpleasant chemical scent.
CHICORY
Cichorium intybus
SEASON Year-round
HABITAT Fields, open sunny areas
DISTRIBUTION Northern Hemisphere
DETAILS Chicory is a herbaceous perennial plant that is native to Europe and now naturalized across the hemisphere.
IDENTIFIERS The basal rosette leaves are similar to dandelion leaves, and the flower stalk has smaller alternate branching leaves. The blue composite flowers have ragged square edges to the rays. This plant may live for several years, coming back from a taproot or cluster of taproots.
USES Eat the leaves and flowers raw or cooked, and roast the roots to make a coffee substitute. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C), while you wash the roots and cut them into small bits. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake until chocolate brown. Pour boiling water into a coffee mug and add 1 tbsp. (7 g) of roasted chicory root for every cup (250 ml) of water used. Let the brew steep for ten minutes.
127 SUPERPLANT: CATTAIL
FIND SOMETHING GOOD IN THE SWAMP
In America, the common cattail (Typha latifolia) is a tall, grasslike marsh plant that often grows in dense stands in wetland areas and drainages. It has blade-shaped, erect leaves and stiff stems topped with a sausagelike brown seed head. There are many edible and useful parts of this plant, but make certain you gather it from unpolluted waters. Cattail is notorious for soaking up toxins and heavy metals in polluted areas. Man-made swamps of cattail are even used as a final filtration bed in some greener wastewater treatment facilities. Various species of cattail (Typha spp.) are found worldwide.
CAT ON THE COB
In early summer, you’ll briefly have access to two different and bizarre cattail foods: the unopened pollen spike and the pollen itself later, when those spikes emerge. Both of these are protein packed and edible after a little cooking. Find the unopened spikes by feeling the green center spike of cattails that are nearing full height. You should be able to feel a distinct difference between the bigger seed head (in the bottom position, atop the stalk) and the skinnier pollen spike at the very top of the stalk. Cut this upper spike free from the plant, keeping the leaf wrapping intact. Boil these spikes whole for ten minutes in salted water, peel back the husks, and eat them like corn on the cob. Once the spikes have emerged, you can collect the sulfur-yellow pollen by tapping the pollen spike into a large bowl. Sift this powder to filter out any small bugs, and add it to flour to boost the protein.
INSECT REPELLENT
Baffle the bugs of the cattail swamp! The stinking smoke of smoldering cattails can act as a good bug repellent. Dead, dried cattail heads work well and can be found throughout the year. Collect a dry, brown seed head and light one end with a small fire. It will usually smoke without going up in flames completely. Place the smoking cattail punk on a fire-safe surface upwind from your position, and the bug-repelling smoke will waft over you for up to a half hour. This is also a handy way to transport a fire from one place to another.
TENDER SHOOTS
In April, you can survey the cattail swamps for cattail shoots. These fast-growing shoots have an oval cross section, and have bright green leaves with whitish bases, like onions. Start collecting when they are 1 1/2 feet (46 cm) high. Grip each stalk firmly, as low as you can reach on the plant. Squeeze it hard, pull upward, and it should break free with a popping sound. Collect several dozen of the
se and boil the whitish ends in water for ten minutes. Eat them by biting down on the white section and pulling the rest between your teeth. Anything tender is the edible part, anything fibrous can go back in the swamp.
DIG UP WINTER SPROUTS
The horn-shaped sprouts on cattail rootstocks can be washed and cooked up as an unusual vegetable. Never eat the sprouts raw—even when gathered from clean waters, and even if someone tells you they’re fine. You never know what pathogens are in the water until it’s too late. Cook these little pointy sprouts thoroughly and enjoy their rare taste, something of a mix between cucumber and potato. Look for them especially at the base of last year’s dead cattail plants.
128 UNDERSTAND YOUR RISKS
Remember, in your outdoor life, to stay aware of the potential hazards you may encounter. Use local resources to study up on your immediate area (or destination). Seek out experienced locals, join a forum, and learn as much as you possibly can. If you can’t ID something, the mentality of “it’s just a plant” could be your undoing. Some foraging trips end in glory while others end in shame and pain. Make sure you minimize the latter.
129 SPOT THE CHAMELEON
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is one of the greatest plant chameleons out there. This notorious trickster can appear to be a small herbaceous plant when young, a small tree or carpet of vines when several years old, and a massive hairy vine after a decade’s growth.
