Foraging for pine needles and other conifer needles is easy, plus you can make a tasty and medicinal pine needle tea that is perfect in the fall and winter.

OK, let's identify and talk about the tisanes, starting from the top row, upper left corner. Most are infusions, and a few are decoctions. Infusions are made by steeping dried or fresh herbs in warm or boiled water to extract chemical compounds or flavors. Decoctions are actively boiled or simmered for a short period of time to extract flavors and chemical compounds from tougher plant parts like bark, roots, rhizomes, or stems. First we have linden bracts, collected from linden trees (Tilia cordata or Tilia americana), often planted in parking lots as ornamentals. The tree grows in a pleasing shape and has lovely, fragrant blooms on the early summer that are attached to a lighter colored bract, which is a modified leaf. Once fertilized by bees and insects, the flower will develop into a small, fuzzy nutlet that persists on the tree for the rest of the year. Robert showed us linden flowers, as they are commonly collected in Hungary and the nectar of the flowers makes a very floral honey. We collect the bracts and dry them in loosely packed in large paper bags, shaking them every day to move them around, and opening the bags every few days to let a beetle or two fly away! The tisane is steeped in boiled water for 15 minutes, and lightly sweetened with honey to make a soothing and delicious drink, which both Robert and Gillian drink. Next are yarrow leaves (Achillea millefolium). We use the leaves of common white-flowered yarrow, which grows prolifically along trails and in abandoned fields. We pick the fresh leaves to crush and use on minor scrapes and cuts, as fresh yarrow encourages clotting of blood. The leaves are dried in a dark place, and steeped in hot water for 15 minutes to make a slightly astringent tisane that can be useful in reducing mild fevers or as a digestive tonic. Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea) is a wild cousin of chamomile, with an added bonus of a pineapple scent! The flower cones look very similar to chamomile, but without the white petals. It is considered mildly invasive in North America, but this diminutive weed grows in places many other plants won't bother with, like compacted gravel drives, along trails and roadsides, and in general poor soil. We find large areas of it in the driveway at our local CSA farm and collect it with the farmer's permission. An infusion of dried pineapple weed is sweet all by itself, and good for gastrointestinal upset and gas. We collect mostly the flower cones by gently picking them off the plant, but the leaves are also fragrant and can be added to a tisane. Many varieties of perennial mints (Mentha species) grow wild, and we love to stumble upon a patch while out in the woods or exploring abandoned fields. Sometimes we find a spearmint or a cat mint, but they all make fine, fragrant tisanes. Aside from the agreeable flavor, a mint tisane is good for nausea, indigestion, gas, mild fever, and headaches. Sometimes we make a very strong infusion and add it to Gillian's bath water for a relaxing soak (and a good-smelling kid!). We dry the mint tips and leaves in a brown paper bag in a dark place, shaking it around every day. We know of several mint patches, but will not bring any home to transplant, as mint can be a voracious spreader, taking over large swaths of a garden or completely filling a planter. We don't collect too many elderflower heads (Sambucus nigra), because then we wouldn't get to come back to gather the berries later in the season! The fresh flowers are very fragrant, and can be plucked off the stems and added to pancakes or crepes. The infusion of dried flowers can be drunk hot for fever and mucous producing conditions of the upper respiratory tract like hay fever. You can use the cooled infusion as a gargle for mouth ulcers and sore throats as well. We hang the flower umbels of elderberry to dry, then store then in sealed glass jars. Red clovers (Trifolium pratense) are a kid's favorite to eat, picking each tube-shaped flower off the flower head to taste the nectar inside. We collect the flowers before they turn brown and wilt, drying them in a paper bag. The infusion is brewed for about 15 minutes, and has a sweet taste. Red clover contains isoflavones, which are water-soluble chemicals that act like estrogens. Most benefits of red clover are realized through tinctures, so we just drink the tisane because it tastes nice. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a drink that many folks in the Appalachian areas of North America recognize and adore. It grows prolifically in southern New England as well, as we collect the roots and inner bark to dry, before simmering into a strong decoction. There have been over-hyped cancer warnings associated with the consumption of sassafras tea or decoction, but the government studies were flawed due to a need to ban safrole, a manufacturing component of the drug MDMA. A strong decoction of sassafras root can be used to make natural root beer. Sassafras is very fragrant in an almost spicy way, and we all really love the taste of a lightly sweetened, chilled sassafras drink in the summer. The Mythical, Medicinal, Magic Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)!! Chaga is the sterile conk of a fungus that attacks birch trees; we find it on white, yellow, and black birches in our area rather often. There are many medicinal claims being made about chaga on the internet right now, talking about anti-cancer properties to life-extension, but I'm not sure if I believe every claim being made about chaga. I can tell you a decoction of chaga tastes really good, especially if sweetened with maple syrup and mixed with coconut milk into a chilled frappe drink. Overall, the flavor of a plain chaga decoction is similar to black tea. We simmer 3 Tbsp. ground chaga in one gallon of water for about 45 minutes, and reuse the grounds to make two or three more batches of decoction to drink before discarding the used grounds. In the spring, we tap a few maple or birch trees and use the fresh sap to simmer the chaga, reducing the sap slightly to make a naturally sweetened drink. An infusion of nettles (Urtica dioica) in the winter is an iron boost for me, as I tend to suffer from chronic anemia. We gather the top 4-6 inches of nettles in mid-spring, long before they flower, by using gloves and scissors to avoid the sting. Once dried in the dehydrator on a low setting, nettles lose their sting and can be handled without protection, and stored in large glass containers. The flavor of a nettle infusion is pleasantly green and grassy, and can be drunk without sweetener. The 15 minute nettle infusion in boiled water is also good for stimulating circulation, relieving rheumatism, and relieving eczema. When the nettles are fresh and tender, we eat bucket loads of them, and they freeze well to use all year. Finally we have some dried beach rosehips (Rosa rugosa), a common invasive along the coasts of New England. The hips of all roses are edible, but the beach roses produce very large, meaty hips that are relatively easy to collect in large quantities. Once the seed-like achenes are removed from the halved hips, along with the irritating inner hairs, we dry the flesh of the hips in the dehydrator. A 20 minute decoction of the hips produces a sweet, fruity drink that is helpful for chronic diarrhea and stomach weakness. Rosehips also make a wonderful tart jelly filled with vitamin C, and the petals of beach roses are exceptionally fragrant and useful in syrups.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

Scientific name: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

Scientific name: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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.

Learn about the characteristics & nutritional composition of narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and prepare our delicious narrowleaf plantain hummus recipe.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

Scientific name: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

Scientific name: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

Learn how to identify and use common wild edible weeds that might be growing in your backyard with this eBook: Wildcrafting Weeds: 20 Easy to Forage Edible and Medicinal Weeds.

Living Life Beyond the Edges

Scientific name: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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.

Is it elderflower season where you are? If so, fragrant and medicinal elderberry blossoms are everywhere! Help yourself to some free deliciousness by foraging elderflowers from an elderberry plant near you. You can also purchase

Foraging for pine needles and other conifer needles is easy, plus you can make a tasty and medicinal pine needle tea that is perfect in the fall and winter.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

Scientific name: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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.

If you are looking for some gift and gift wrapping ideas for the holiday season, check out this post for gift wrapping and foraged fir tip tea!

Spring is a great time for foraging! Learn what to forage in spring with this list of 20 edible and medicinal plants and fungi. Spring foraging is fun!

Learn all about foraging for elderberries and elderflowers, including identifying, harvesting, look-alikes, and edible and medicinal uses!

Scientific name: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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.

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a foraging favourite, so it doesn’t need much of an introduction. I probably don’t need to tell you that it has been a beloved spring tonic since time immem…

Dandelions are not poisonous, in fact they are edible, nutritious, and full of use for herbal remedies from the flower to the root.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

A blog about farming, agriculture, food, recipes, and family.

Yarrow is one of the most beneficial wild plants that there is. Foraging yarrow is easy, you might even have some in your own backyard!

Learn about what to forage in fall! Autumn is an abundant time for foraging and wildcrafting. Fall foraging includes berries, nuts, roots, and mushrooms.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

Learn about the characteristics & nutritional composition of narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and prepare our delicious narrowleaf plantain hummus recipe.

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

"Chocolate" made from the seeds of the Linden tree. Makes a little over 4 oz. It can be used in fillings, custards and dairy-based desserts.

Scientific name: Smilax spp. Abundance: plentiful What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly Where: shady forests When: All year Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals. Dangers: sharp thorns Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species. Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy. Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip. Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf. Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils. Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines. Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers. This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber! Some tubers turned up by a construction crew. Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber. Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds. Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch. Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange. Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined. Edible tip of catbriar. 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. If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify. To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus. Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow. The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories. The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice. 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.