Unique crops to grow in this year's garden, including vegetables from around the world, edible flowers, and perennial vegetables.
Mullein is one of the most recognizable, medicinal and useful plants. Foraging for mullein is easy and fun!
The loveliest thing in the woods today: a redbud tree, in view from my study window, with daffodils spilling through...
Compiled by Yolanda Bertaud Just a small list of wild edible weeds that we may encounter in our everyday environment without ever knowing the benefits and nutrition these wonderful plants provide. …
Are redbud tree flowers edible? Are redbud trees poisonous to humans? Learn how to forage for these delicious treats!
Tell a child that marshmallows grow in the garden, and they'll be much more excited about weeding chores. The truth is, marshmallows used to grow in the garden, and that's where the marshmallow plant (Althaea
Chicory is a common edible and medicinal plant. Foraging for chicory is easy to do, and the leaves, flower, and root are all beneficial.
Compiled by Yolanda Bertaud Just a small list of wild edible weeds that we may encounter in our everyday environment without ever knowing the benefits and nutrition these wonderful plants provide. …
Chicory is a common edible and medicinal plant. Foraging for chicory is easy to do, and the leaves, flower, and root are all beneficial.
If you eat hemlock you could die, and poison ivy isn't good for anyone. But dandelions make a nice salad. How do you tell the plants you can eat from the plants you can't?
Scientific name: Heracleum maximum Abundance: rare What: young leaves, stem, roots, seeds How: leaves-raw/cooked; stem and roots-peel then boil; seeds-dry then add to soups and stews Where: shade, borders, woods, marsh When: spring, summer, fall Nutritional Value: sugars/calories in stem and roots Dangers: WARNING: Similar-looking to deadly, foul-smelling hemlock! Also, juice and hairs of cow parsnip can irritate skin and contains suspected cancer-causing chemicals. Leaf Arrangement: Alternate, with leaves large and deeply lobed. Leaf Shape: Broadly ovate, with deep lobes and a serrated or toothed margin. Mature leaves can be over 16" across at their widest. Venation: Palmate, with a prominent central vein and visible lateral veins branching off in each lobe. Margin: Serrated or toothed, particularly towards the leaf tip. Leaf Color: Bright to dark green, with a slightly coarse texture. Flower Structure: Compound umbels, large and flat-topped, with numerous tiny flowers in each umbel. Flower Color: White, sometimes with a slight pinkish hue. Fruit: Flat, oval, two-seeded schizocarps. Seeds: Small, flat, and attached in pairs. Stem: Tall, stout, and hollow, often with purplish or reddish blotches. Hairs: Generally hairless, but the stem may have fine bristles. Height: Typically grows between 4 to 10 feet tall. Cow parsnip plant (almost seven feet tall). Closeup of flowers. Another view of flowers. Mature seedhead of cow Parsnip. Leaves of cow parsnips are huge, well over twelve inches across. North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. Look for Cow Parsnips in partially shady areas where water (usually a stream) meets woods. They seem to prefer hardwood forests to pine. While not quite on par with Pokeweed, Cow Parsnips do require caution when harvesting and preparing the young shoots. Like Pokeweed, harvest the shoots when they're under 9" tall but you'll also want to take the cow parsnip's root. Wear gloves and arm guards while collecting them so the furanocoumarin chemical in the sap and surface needles can't adhere to your skin. If this chemical does get on you it'll make those areas of skin super-sensitive to sunlight, resulting in patches of 2nd degree sunburns. Still the plant is quite tasty. Saute the diced-up leaves, stem, and roots in butter, oil, or bacon grease along with onions or garlic for a few minutes. They'll shrink a little but not disappearing like spinach. Hit them with a dash of cedar-infused apple cider vinegar and have at them! Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.
Scientific name: Arctium lappa. Two related species, A. minus and A. tomentosum are also sometimes used for medicinal purposes. Common Names: Burdock, greater burdock, great thistle, beggar’s button’s, Grosse Klette (German), niu bang zi (Chinese), gobo (Japanese), woowong (Korean). Distribution and Habitat: Burdock is native to Europe and Asia and has now spread worldwide in temperate zones. It is used in traditional Chinese, Korean, and European herbalism has developed independently in these different cultures. It was well-known to common people in Britain. The 17th-century physician Nicholas Culpeper described several uses of burdock, including treating ulcers, sores, and even dog bites!
Every time we walk through the outdoors we’re stepping over potential food sources. Underneath the soil level are an entire ecosystem of microbes, bacteria, subterranean creatures, and wild edible roots. Join us as we take a look at some easily identified, nutritious roots to forage.
Kudzu is a green, blossoming vine native to Japan and China. In 1876, farmers brought kudzu to America to feed livestock and prevent soil erosion. Kudzu took root so well in the Southeastern U.S. that the U.S. Department of Agriculture now considers it a weed.
You don't often think of grandma's flower garden as a good place to harvest your lunch, but there are a surprising number of tasty edibles growing in most perennial flower beds. Beyond edible flowers,
Descubre todo sobre el árbol Kiri y como ayuda en la lucha contra el cambio climático. Aprende sobre sus características, cultivo y usos
One man's weed is another man's best friend. That's certainly true for many of the weeds that are found in backyards around the country. While some gardeners labor to rid their patches of earth of any stray stem or sprout, they might do well to live and let live. At least, that's the case for a handful of weeds that boast a bevy of benefits, from attracting pollinators to repelling pests, and from fertilizing soil to filling a salad plate (although you should take care not to consume any weeds that have been treated with chemicals). Read on to discover the hidden benefits these misunderstood plants can offer.
Best known as a roadside weed, chicory (Cichorium intybus) has long been cultivated for...
These edible flowers and weeds are a great addition to a salad or can make a wonderful tea says HGTV.
Plantain has a long history of use as a healing plant, often called nature's band-aid. Here’s everything you need to know about foraging and using plantain!
The easiest to recognize is the dandelion, in the spring they show their bright yellow buds. You can eat the entire thing raw or cook them to take away the bitterness; usually in the spring they are less bitter.
I had a lot of burdock root, so I made a healthy dish with konnyaku. Adjust the amount of ingredients to your liking. Recipe by annnnn
A Rose by any other name might be a “Rose of Sharon” OK that’s just a play on words because a Rose of Sharon is really in the Hibiscus family & not the rose family. Because th…
Most people think of dandelion as an annoying weed. But did you know that all parts of this plant are edible? Dandelion is loaded with vitamins and other
You don't often think of grandma's hosta patch as the best place to harvest lunch, but hostas are edible (and delicious). Perhaps it's time to open your eyes to all the wonderful edibles lurking in
Plantain has a long history of use as a healing plant, often called nature's band-aid. Here’s everything you need to know about foraging and using plantain!
Botanical Name of Wild Yam Root: Dioscorea villosa. The genus name Dioscorea gets its name from the ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides. The common name 'yam' comes from West African dialect and means 'to eat'. Other Common Names: Colic root, aluka, China root devil's bones, Mexican wild yam, rheumatism root, yuma, shan yao (Chinese), igname (French), name silvestre (Spanish), Vildjams (Swedish). Habitat: Wild yam is native to North and Central America. It has become naturalized in many tropical, subtropical and temperate areas around the world. This perennial, twining vine grows in damp woodlands and thickets. This plant thrives in sunny
NOTE: This article is about growing or foraging and harvesting burdock root in the first year, and the video included goes into a lot more depth about the medicinal benefits and health promoting benefits of burdock (Arctium lappa). **This article was originally written in 2016 and recently updat
Easy to find and multiple uses makes foraging for dandelions a worthwhile springtime endeavor!
If ever in a situation where you are lost or stranded in the woods or when SHTF, then you will
Instead of trying to kill the weeds in your garden, eat them instead!
Dandelion recipes keep things wild in the kitchen in early spring, and there's nothing like bright fresh blossoms and zesty wild greens after a long winter of heavy food. Dandelions are exciting to backyard foragers
Explore lindasandford's 976 photos on Flickr!
When you think of maple trees, you probably immediately think of delicious maple syrup. But maple seeds are also a tasty and nutritious snack. While raw seeds may taste slightly bitter, cooked seeds have a sweet flavor. They're easy to...
I may receive a commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. More details here. The appearance of stinging nettles in my neighborhood is exciting, because it marks the beginning of the foraging season! Last year, spring came in so late that we were desperate enough to go collect nettles that had just barely […]
Before you're tempted to pull the weeds in your garden, stop and taste the purslane. It's one of the most nutritious things growing there.
Wild edible and medicinal, the marsh mallow plant, after which the marshmallow treat was named, comes from a large family of mallows.
Before we go over the details of growing dogwood trees, let's review some of the most common types of dogwood available.
This morning I found the cereal cupboard bare except for a sample-sized box of Fiber One cereal, made by General Mills. Left behind by one of the summer guests of the mountain, I figured that the children chose all the really sweet ones first. Fiber One sample cereal box. I wouldn't have purchased the small
