Indiana experiences a mid-continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. Rainfall averages about 45 inches in the south-central area to about 37 inches in the north, and...
Indiana experiences a mid-continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. Rainfall averages about 45 inches in the south-central area to about 37 inches in the north, and...
Learning wild edibles has a sense of discovery to it. One day a friend said she had an edible in her yard with a strange name: The Jewels of Opar. If that sounds like something out of a Indiana Jones movie you’re close. It was novel with the Indiana Jones of his day: Tarzan and […]
Companion planting provides multiple benefits for fig trees, but why not choose plants that can do double duty? Adding edible plants to your landscape is…
In the Spring, this weed can be seen all over! Learn why you should be foraging for dead nettle, plus some tasty recipes to use it!
Discover a hidden secret garden in Indiana that is sure to delight
Box turtles are a type of land turtle ranging 3 to 8 inches in size, which means it often becomes a captive pet turtle. When caring for box turtles, it is important to understand the turtle's environmental and dietary needs so that you can provide the proper habitat.
With a rise in people wanting to become more sustainable, finding places to grow things can be tricky. That’s why you’re going to be shocked to discover that there are over 20 shade tolerant plants
Garden with these native plants for food and medicine, to provide for both humans and wildlife alike. Edibility, medicinal uses, and wildlife value are summarized for each plant. Great for a permac…
A one- stop resource for finding, buying, and growing Indiana native plants
If you’ve ever picked blackberries out in the forest, or come across a vine of wild muscadine grapes, then you know the magic of wild edibles.
Looking for an easy to grow cole crop to plant in your garden? The turnip has been a staple of the human diet for centuries for a reason. Read more here.
A tour through the Gardens of Cregneash on the Isle of Man. A village preserves the way that crofters would have lived in the 19th & early 20th centuries
Goldenseal is a low-lying, herbaceous plant native to Southeastern Canada and the Northeastern U.S in the Ranunculacea family. It’s stem is hairy and purplish-green above ground, but yellow b…
Have you found purslane in your garden and wondering if you should weed it or eat it? Learn more about purslane and discover some recipes too.
Sedum ternatum (Woodland Stonecrop) is a succulent plant that grows close to the ground and spreads by creeping stems, often forming a ...
Mullein is a common and easy to identify wild herb possessing an abundance of medicinal benefits with a particular affinity for the respiratory system.
Cattails are native to North America and grow in marshes, swamps and along waterways. These ten-foot tall narrow-leafed plants are easily identified by their brown seed heads shaped like cigars. Cattails produce clumps of stems from rhizomes that grow in muddy soil.
Scientific name: Chenopodium album Abundance: common What: young leaves, young stems, seeds How: Young leaves/stems raw, stir-fried, steamed or boiled; seeds boiled like couscous or grind for flour Where: yards, fields, disturbed areas, sunny When: Early spring through early fall Nutritional Value: high in vitamins A,C,K,B, minerals, and protein Dangers: beware poisonous mimic Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are variable in shape, typically rhombic to ovate; young leaves are more triangular, whereas older leaves may be more elongated. Their size ranges from about 1.5 to 3 inches in length and 1 to 2 inches in width. Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with a main central vein and multiple smaller veins branching out towards the leaf edges. Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are irregularly toothed or slightly lobed. Leaf Color: The leaves are generally green, but can sometimes have a mealy, whitish coating that gives them a grayish appearance. A decrotive version has been bred whose young, terminal leaves are purple. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and clustered in dense, spike-like inflorescences. Each flower is tiny, typically less than 0.1 inches in diameter. Flower Color: The flowers are greenish or slightly reddish. Fruit: The plant produces a small, one-seeded fruit that is enclosed in the persistent perianth. Seed: The seeds are small, disc-shaped, and black or dark brown, usually around 0.04 to 0.08 inches in diameter. Stem: The stem is erect, ribbed, and squareish-angular. A purple splotch is often seen on the topside of a branch-stem junction. Hairs: The stem and leaves are covered in fine hairs. Height: Chenopodium album typically grows to a height of 1 to 6 feet. Lamb's quarter seedling. A group (flock?) of seedlings. Larger lamb's quarter, perfect for eating. Patch of lamb's quarter. Note the red/purple coloring at the stem-branch joints. To remember this I tell people to think of it as "purple armpit rashes". Mature lamb's quarter (approximately 5-feet tall). Close-up of leaf near top of the plant. Close-up of topside of leaf from lower on a mature plant. More mature leaves. Close-up of underside of leaf from lower on a mature plant. Close-up of lamb's quarter "flowers". Most people don't realize those bumps are flowers! Lamb's Quarter going to seed. Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping. North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. This common weed can grows all summer long reaching a height of 5' or taller. The small, soft (almost velvety) leaves and tender stems at the growing tip of each branch are best for eating and can be harvested from spring until killed by winter frost. Seeds are harvested in late fall to early winter. It is a very nutritious plant, higher in protein, vitamins, and minerals than spinach. The mild flavor of the leaves makes them excellent for cutting the bitterness of other wild greens but they taste better cooked than raw. Crushing a leaf releases a very distinctive, somewhat musky scent. This smell was once described to me by an old-timer as "The smell of a good night in a bad house." Anyway, once you smell it you'll never forget it. Lamb's quarter leaves can be frozen for later use. Blanch the leaves by dipping them in boiling water for one minute then quickly cool them off in ice water. Shake them dry, seal them in a freezer bag with all the air pressed out or use a vacuum sealer, then place them in the freezer. To use simply defrost and add them in to whatever you are cooking of a burst of summer nutrition! This is a good companion crop to grow in your garden as many insects prefer to eat the leaves of lamb's quarters over the leaves of common vegetables. It sprouts very readily from seeds. TOXIC MIMIC The leaves of Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) have a similar shape to those of Lamb's Quarter but the differences between the two are very easy to spot: 1. Silverleaf Nightsade stems have thorns, lack the purple color at joints, and "kink" quit a bit at each leaf junction. Lamb's Quarter stems have no thorns, have the purple "armpit rash", and curve smoothly but very little at each leaf/stem joint. 2. Silverleaf Nightshade flowers are big and purple. Lamb's Quarter flowers are almost unnoticeable. 3. Silverleaf Nightshade produces round, hanging fruit which starts out striped green and eventually turns yellow/orange. Lamb's Quarter produces tiny seeds. Silverleaf Nightshade leaves (POISONOUS) Silverleaf Nightshade flower (POISONOUS) Immature Silverleaf Nightshade fruit (POISONOUS) Mature Silverleaf Nightshade fruit (POISONOUS) 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.
The first settlers in what is now New York, like the Native Americans who preceded them, found a bounty of berries growing wild. Not all wild berries make good human food, but they give color to the garden and attract wildlife.
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
One of my favourite seasonal treats from the forest garden is the hostas. No, no spelling mistake: hostas are really edible. In fact, they are a near perfect forest garden crop. Woodland is the nat…
These 8 edible mushrooms are easy to identify and are great for beginning mushroom hunters. Learn how to forage for wild mushrooms!
What is jewel weed and how is it used medicinally? The most common way it is used in the treatment of poison ivy.
Spring is springing, plants have sprouted, and I bet $10 you can find enough edible greens for a tasty salad within a mile of your front door. You may even be able to bring home enough for dinner tonight.
Butter nuts, also known as white walnuts, are the rich sweet fruit of the butternut tree (Juglans cinerea). They grow wild throughout the forests of the Northeast (Range Map), though they're increasingly rare due to
I just returned from six days in beautiful Quebec City. Nearly 400 garden writers gathered in the Canadian province, where French is the predominate language and the streets have a definite European feel. As a gardener, I made these observations of differences between gardening in Indiana and gardening in Quebec City. Quebec City is in...
Common mallows are annual plants, and sometimes it seems they can be found anywhere, while on other days, they’re nowhere
Are you on a mission to grow your own food? Become sustainable, or at least, less dependent on your grocer? I understand that desire and rea...
Herbalists know jewelweed (impatiens capensis) as a powerful anti-itch remedy that is safe and effective for mosquito bites and poison ivy, but when you're out foraging for your summertime anti-itch medicine there's also another tasty part of
Cattails are useful in so many different ways! Learn how to go foraging for cattails and all the ways to use them. The perfect survival food!
Here’s how to put more morels in your basket from mushrooming expert and former science teacher Mike Krebill.
Edible Michiana is a magazine and website that celebrates the abundance and flavor of local foods across our nine-county region in Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan.
Natural weed control and heirloom flowers in the garden. Can I get an amen? How to create beauty using flowers, not only in your homestead flower beds, but also in the vegetable garden so that you
