Scientific name: Lepidium species Abundance: common What: seeds, young leaves How: seeds raw, leaves raw or cooked Where: sunny disturbed areas When: early spring through late winter Nutritional Value: minerals Danger: Pennycresses are hyperaccumulators of minerals. If the soil is contaminated with toxic metals these plants will suck them up. Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Lepidium species are typically arranged alternately along the stem, with a rosette at the base. Leaf Shape: The leaves vary in shape but are often oblong to lanceolate. Basal leaves can be more rounded or lobed, while stem leaves are usually smaller and less divided. Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with a central vein and smaller side veins. Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves can be entire (smooth), toothed, or lobed. Leaf Color: The leaves are usually a bright to dark green. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and typically arranged in loose clusters spiraling up the top of stems. Each flower has four petals, often arranged in a cross shape. Flower Color: The flowers are usually white, sometimes with a hint of yellow or green. Fruit: The plant produces small, round to oval seed pods, often notched at the tip. Seed: The seeds are tiny, reddish-brown to black, and found inside the pods. Stem: The stem is slender, branched, and can be smooth or sparsely hairy. Hairs: Some species may have fine hairs on the stem and leaves. Height: Lepidium species vary in height but typically range from 6 inches to 2 feet. Peppergrass plant. One peppergrass plant. It has a distinctive silhouette. Close-up picture of the plant. Close-up of seed pods. Even closer close-up of seed pods. 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. North America has over 100 different species of Lepidium and Texas has 23. They are all very similar in appearance and edibility. The seeds have a spicy/peppery taste similar to radishes. I usually just bite the young, green seed-stalks off the plant. The young leaves also have the horse-radishy taste but by the time the seeds appear the leaves have become to power-tasting for most people to eat. The young, tender seed pods also add a bit of a kick to salads. I like adding them raw to sandwiches or blending them into mayonnaise to make an interesting horseradish-like sauce. These plants seem to thrive in waste areas. I see them growing along all the major roads and freeways in Houston. They even grow out of the cracks in the concrete barriers at the toll road toll booths starting in late winter (February) into early summer (May-June). Their shape is distinctive, look for a single stalk that branches out into multiple, "bumpy" stalks. 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(s): Viburnum rufidulum Abundance: uncommon What: fruit How: raw, jelly, wine Where: woods When: late fall, winter Nutritional Value: calories Dangers: none Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are oppositely arranged along the stems. Leaf Shape: The leaves are elliptical to ovate with pointed tips. Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate and more pronounced on the underside of the leaves. Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are serrated, featuring small, sharp teeth. Leaf Color: The upper surface of the leaves is green. The underside of the leaves may be slightly paler in color, with lighter-still veins. Flower Structure: Flowers are arranged in flat-topped clusters (corymbs) and have a diameter of approximately 3 to 5 inches. Flower Color: The flowers are creamy white, creating a visually striking display. Fruit: The fruit is a drupe, initially red and transitioning to dark blue-black when mature. Seed: Seeds are relatively large, with an elliptical shape and a dark color. Bark: The bark is grayish-brown and becomes rougher with age. Hairs: None present. Height: Rusty Blackhaw typically grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet, forming a well-branched shrub or small tree. Ripe fruit of Rusty Blackhaw. Close-up of Rusty Blackhaw fruit. Note the single large, flat seed. Rusty blackhaw flower buds appear in late winter/early spring before a majority of its leaves do. The flowers look like little heads of broccoli before blooming. Note the rusty color of the parts of rusty blackhaw wrapping up the flower buds. Close-up of Rusty Blackhaw flowers (picture taken in March in Houston, TX) Unripe Rusty Blackhaw fruit (picture taken in September in Houston). Leave are arranged oppositely, have finely-toothed edges, and an oval shape. Bark of rusty blackhaw is rugged, and often described as alligator-like. When scraped it exposes it's rusty, red-brown color of its name. 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. Hidden among the woods of east Texas one will find a true treasure, the Rusty Blackhaw. This small tree lives its life in the shade of much larger majestic oaks, sweetgums, hickories, and hackberries. In the spring Rusty Blackhaws announce their presence with large clusters of small, white flowers similar to Elder. After these flowers do their job and drop away odd, football-shade drupes (fruit) appear. These fruit start out green but shift through shades of blue, red, purple through the summer until by late fall they are black and ready to eat. In the fall the leaves turn deep red and begin to drop off but many leaves remain even as new ones begin appearing. The bark of the trunk and branches of this tree have the same brick-like pattern and reddish-tan color of its close relative, the Farkleberry. The mature fruit of Rusty Blackhaws is sweet and delicious. Even in late winter when they've dried into wrinkled raisin-like fruit they are often still quite edible. The large single seed isn't edible but as you eat the fruit save the seeds to plant in other likely spots. This wonderful tree is a native and needs to be spread. When making jelly, these fruit usually have a large amount of natural pectin but the amount can vary quite a bit from tree to tree. It's good to have a bit of extra pectin on hand in case you fruit is low. 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: Tradescantia species Abundance: plentiful What: leaves, stem How: leaves salad, stem steamed or cooked Where: shade, partial sun, woods, fields When: spring, late summer, fall Nutritional Value: minor amounts of vitamins and minerals Other uses: the normally blue stamen hairs indicated mutation by turning pink when exposed to radiation. The same effect has since been observed when the dayflower plant is subjected to chemical pollution. Medicinal Summary: Stem Sap - demulcent; soothes inflamed skin; soothes insect bites and stings; soothes gastrointestinal and urinary tract inflammations; laxative; helps control high blood sugar (poultice, tisane) Leaf Arrangement: Alternate; single leaves spaced evenly along the stem. Leaf Shape: Linear-lanceolate; long and narrow with parallel sides and pointed tips, measuring 2-6 inches long and 1/2-1 inch wide. Leaf Venation: Parallel; multiple unbranched veins running longitudinally along the length of the leaf. Leaf Margin: Entire; smooth and unbroken edges. Leaf Color: Deep green, sometimes with a bluish-gray sheen. Flower Structure: Three petals, typically rounded and overlapping, arising from a cup-shaped calyx. Stamens: six, with yellow anthers. Pollen bright yellow. Flower Color: Variable, most commonly blue-violet to purple, but also pink, rose, or rarely white. Flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon. Fruit: Capsule; dry, splitting open at maturity to release numerous small seeds. Seed: Globose; round and shiny, about 1/16 inch in diameter, black or dark brown. Stem: Erect and clumping; unbranched or sparingly branched, growing 1-2 feet tall. Smooth and hairless. Hairs: Absent; no hairs present on any plant parts, depending on the specific species. Height: 1-2 feet. Spiderwort. Clump of spiderwort plants. Close-up of mature spiderwort stems. Spiderwort flower, flowerbeds, and stem. Close-up of spiderwort unopened flower buds. Close-up of spiderwort flowers. Spiderwort leaves. Mucilaginous slime from Spiderwort stem. Stemless Spiderwort (Tradescantia subacaulis)lacks a stem...which is probably obvious from the name. 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. I love this plant because it is nutritious and can be found in many parts of Texas area almost all year long. Spiderworts seem to prefer shady, sandy soil along streams and ponds but can appear anywhere it's moist, even low spots in sunny fields. They grow upright on pencil-thick stems, too about the height of two feet. They'll have a cluster of a few opened flowers and many unopened flower buds. Each flower opens in the morning and rarely lasts beyond noon. New flowers appear each morning, all spring, summer, and fall, even lasting into the winter if the weather is mild enough. The leaves are long, tough, slightly rough, with a parallel venation. Looking closely at the leaves, you'll notice they clasp/wrap around the stem with a bit of the leaf running down the stem. Hard frosts will kill it back to the ground but it'll be back and ready to eat in about two months. All parts of the plant are edible but due to the overall toughness of the plant, I generally only eat the flowers and flower buds. The sap of these plants is very mucilaginous, similar to okra and aloe vera. Rubbed on minor (1st degree) burns this sap brings relief. Also like okra, it can be used to thicken stews, just chop up the stem really fine. The longer the bits of stem are simmered the softer they'll become. 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.

Explore Merriwether's 5589 photos on Flickr!

Explore Merriwether's 5589 photos on Flickr!

Scientific name: Amaranthus spp. Abundance: common What: young leaves, seeds How: Young leaves raw or cooked, seeds eaten raw, roasted or ground into flour Where: sunny fields, disturbed areas When: summer Nutritional Value: Grains supply protein, calories, and minerals. Leaves vitamins A & C along with minerals calcium, iron, and phosphorous, and also fiber. Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are alternately arranged along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are generally broad, lanceolate, or ovate, with lengths ranging from 2 to 6 inches and widths of 1 to 3 inches. Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation exhibits well-defined veins extending from the midrib to the leaf margins. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is entire, displaying a smooth and continuous edge. Leaf Color: The upper surface of the leaves is a vibrant green, while the underside may have a slightly lighter shade. Flower Structure: Flowers are arranged in dense, elongated clusters called inflorescences, with each flower having a diameter of approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Each flower has three to five petals and is located at the tips of the stems. Flower Color: Flowers may be green, red, or purple, depending on the species, matching the foliage color. Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry capsule containing numerous seeds, measuring around 1/8 inch in diameter. Seed: Tiny, spherical seeds vary in color from light tan to dark brown and measure around 1/16 inch in diameter. Stem: Sturdy and erect stem with a height ranging from 2 to 4 feet. Some species may have thorns, such as Amaranthus spinosus. Hairs: Some amaranth species may have fine hairs on the leaves, stem, or both. Check for pubescence or trichomes, especially on the undersides of leaves. Height: The amaranth plant typically reaches a height between 2 and 4 feet, forming a distinctive upright growth habit in the wild. Amaranth (Amaranthus powellii) Another type of amaranth. Another variation of amaranth. Red amaranth (often used as decorative plant). Another amaranth. Still more amaranths. And yet more amaranths. 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. A variety of amaranth species can be found across Texas and the South. Shapes range from prostrate, creeping vine-like weeds to striking, tall, cultivated forms. The most distinctive feature of all amaranths is their spikes of tiny, clustered flowers which are the same color as the rest of the plant. Amaranths are most commonly found in sunny, disturbed areas and wastelands such as abandoned lots and roadsides. Bright red versions are often included in landscaping. Amaranth leaves can be eaten raw or used as a spinach substitute in any dish. The leaves are high in vitamin A & C, assorted necessary minerals and also fiber. The youngest leaves have the best flavor and texture, but even the large, old leaves can be chopped up and included in any food needing a vegetable. Amaranth seeds are very rich in carbohydrates and up to 16% protein by weight. Better still, the seeds contain the amino acid lysine which is very rare for plants but vital for human health. A single plant can produce as many as 100,000 of these wonderful, slightly nutty-tasting seeds. They can be eaten raw but toasting and then grinding into flour releases the most nutrition. The ornamental varieties are just as productive as the wild one but are more attractive. Amaranth seeds have even been used to make a gluten-free beer. 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: Vitis rotundifolia Abundance: common What: fruits, leaves, young tendrils How: fruit raw, cooked, dried, preserves, wine; leaves and tendrils cooked. Where: Edges of woods, Its leaves aren't as fuzzy as Mustang grapes nor do they have white undersides. When: late summer, fall Nutritional Value:, calories, antioxidants, very low in vitamins and minerals. Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Vitis rotundifolia are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple, round or broadly ovate, measuring approximately 2 to 5 inches in width. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of the leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically serrated or toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves are similar shades of green on top and underneath. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and greenish, occurring in small clusters known as inflorescences. Individual flowers are only about 1/8" or less in diameter. Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-yellow. Fruit: The fruit is a grape, often larger than most grape species, with a diameter ranging from approximately 1/2 to 1 inch, and usually dark purple to black when ripe. They grow in groups of 1-3 grapes along the vine. Seed: Inside the grape are small, round, and brown seeds. Stem: The stem is typically climbing, with tendrils for support. Mature stems have a woody, rugged or peeling bark. Long, hairlike strands may hang from mature stems. Hairs: Fine hairs may be present on some parts of the plant, including the stem. Height: Vitis rotundifolia is a climbing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure. Immature fruit. Mature fruit. Fallen mature fruit. Close-up of leaves Muscadines have a single tendril growing opposite of the leaf. Very old vines. Very mature grape vines. 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. Muscadine Grape vines cover the woods of gulf coast, east, and central Texas. These fast growing vines can be found climbing many trees and old, abandoned equipment. The fruit does require sunlight to ripen properly so often it'll be way up among the tree tops rather than being easily accessible. Muscadine Grape leaves are shiny and smooth both on top and underneath, unlike the fuzzy, gray undersides and smooth, green tops of Mustang Grape leaves. When ripe the fruit is very sweet and flavorful but unlike store-bought grapes the skins of muscadines is very thick/chewy and the inner pulp is quite gelatinous. The seeds can be eaten with the grape or saved to be crushed for grape oil. The white, powder coating on the skin is a naturally-occurring yeast which can be used to ferment the crushed grapes into wine. Muscadine grape vines can be used as an emergency water source in the woods. Cut through a thick grape vine as high up as you can reach, followed by cutting through it again at the very bottom. To collect the water which drips out support the top end up in the air and place the bottom end below it in a container. Once the water flow stops cut two feet off the top and more water will drip out of the vine. Repeat the cutting off of the top two feet every time the water stops flowing until no vine is left. I love this book for wine-making recipes: 101 Recipes for Making Wild Wines 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: Portulaca oleracea Abundance: common What: stems, leaves How: raw or cooked Where: sunny sidewalk cracks, yards, When: spring, summer Nutritional Value: Vitamins A, C, Bs; minerals, omega-3 fatty acid Medicinal Summary: Leaves/Stem/Flowers/Seeds - high in omega-3 fatty acids; improves heart strength; antidepressant (eaten) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately at the lower part of the stem and opposite or whorled towards the top. Leaf Shape: The leaves are small, fleshy, and spatulate or obovate, typically measuring about 0.5 to 1.5 inches in length. Leaf Venation: Due to the fleshy nature of the leaves, the venation is not really visible. Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are smooth (entire). Leaf Color: The leaves are a bright green, sometimes with a reddish tinge, especially along the edges. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and solitary, with five petals, opening only in bright sunlight. Flower Color: The flowers are yellow. Fruit: The plant produces a small, round capsule. Seed: The seeds are tiny, round, and black. Stem: The stems are thick, fleshy, reddish-green, and often spreading or trailing along the ground. Hairs: There are no hairs on the leaves or stems. Height: Common Purslane is a low-growing plant, typically reaching only a few inches in height but spreading widely. 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. Here in Houston purslane is often found thriving in the cracks of sidewalks and driveways during the worst of summer's heat. The tiny black seeds are prolific and will easily grow in containers, flowerbeds and just about anywhere else. Purslane will also reproduce from plant fragments, making it very easy to propagate. Purslane is very rich in omega 3 fatty acids as well as other nutrients. It is delicious raw, steamed, fried or cooked. The thickest stems can also be pickled using the recipe & canning time of pickled okra. The toxic Spotted Spurge (Euphorbia maculata) shows up at the same time as Purslane and while they may look somewhat similar to novices, they are very easy to tell apart. Spotted Spurge stems always remain thin, never even becoming even as thick as a pencil lead whereas Purslane stems can become thicker than a pencil's shaft. The spurge's stem always is a dark red while purslane stems very from green to purple, though are often "earthworm" pink/red. Spurge bleeds a white, latex sap but purslane's sap is clear if it even is seen. Spurge leaves remain small and flat while purslane leaves become thickly succulent and as large as the first joint of a pinkie finger. Purslane (left, large, edible) and Spotted Spurge (right, thin, poisonous). Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Scientific Name(s): Marrubium vulgare Abundance: uncommon What: leaves, flowers How: tea, candied Where: fields, dry areas, poor soils When: spring, early summer Nutritional Value: flavonoids, medicinal properties Dangers: large doses can increase blood pressure Medicinal Summary: Leaves - cough suppressant; expectorant; appetite stimulant; antimicrobial (tisane, lozenge, tincture) Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in an opposite-alternating pattern along the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are broadly ovate to heart-shaped, typically measuring about 1 to 2 inches in length and width. Leaf Venation: Venation is palmate, with a central vein and smaller branching veins. Veins are quite recessed on the topside of the leaf and protruding on the underside. Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are irregularly toothed or serrated. Leaf Color: Leaves are a grayish-green, often with a woolly texture due to dense hairs. Flower Structure: Flowers are small, clustered in dense whorls at the leaf axils along the stem. Flower Color: The flowers are white to pale pink, each with a tubular shape and protruding stamens. Fruit: The fruit is a small nutlet, typically found in pairs. Seed: Seeds are contained within the nutlets, small and hard. Stem: The stem is square in cross-section, a common trait in the mint family, and is often covered in dense, woolly hairs. Hairs: The plant is characterized by its woolly, grayish hairs, covering both the stems and leaves. Height: The plant typically grows to a height of about 1 to 2 feet. A stand of horehound plants. An individual horehound plant. Close-up of the horehound top and flowers. Close-up of a horehound leaf. Close-up of a horehound stem. Note it's fuzziness. 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. Horehound has a long history of medicinal use, which, to anyone who's ever tasted a concoction containing this plant, will not find surprising. Horehound's flavor is somewhat unusual to modern tastes. If forced to describe horehound's flavor I'd say it's what happens when root beer and licorice mate. Both fresh and dried horehound leaves can be used to make a tea. Chop up or crumble the leaves fairly finely to maximize exposed surface area, but you need to leave the pieces big enough to strain out of the finished product. The best way is to start with 1 cup fresh leaves or 1/4 cup dried leave and boil them in 2 cups of water for ten minutes, followed by straining out the leaves. As is, the resulting fluid is too strong to drink straight. The next step is to mix one part of this infusion with 2 parts boiling water. This tea can now be drank straight as a hot beverage or cooled down to make an ice tea. The original infusion mentioned above can be turned into a pleasant and beneficial cough syrup by combining one part infusion with two parts honey. Perhaps the most famous form of horehound is in hard candies sucked to sooth coughs. To make these candies mix 1 cup of the original infusion with two cups granulated sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar. Stir these together until the sugar dissolves, then slowly cook the mixture down until its temperature reads 300 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. At this point pour the solution out onto a non-stick or buttered tray and then as it cools cut it into bite-sized pieces as it cools. 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(s): Vitex agnus-castus L. Abundance: common What: seeds How: ground for seasoning Where: landscaping When: fall, winter Nutritional Value: none Dangers: supposedly lowers libido in men while also makes women more likely to get pregnant Medicinal Summary: Dried Seeds* - maintains proper progesterone/prolactin levels; reduces excess prolactin; soothes PMS breast tenderness; reduces heavy menstrual bleeding; reduces cycles longer than 28-days; increase milk production; may prevent uterine fibroids; mild sedative; reduces PMS and menopause mood swings; which helps with PMS mood swings; reduces menopause hot flashes (tincture, tisane) *can reduce male libido over time Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are opposite, arranged in pairs along the stem. Leaf Shape: Palmately compound leaves with typically 5 to 7 leaflets, each leaflet measuring around 2 to 4 inches in length. Leaf Color: Foliage is typically gray-green. Flower Structure: Chaste tree produces spikes of small, fragrant flowers. The spikes can reach lengths of 6 to 12 inches. Flower Color: Flowers come in various shades, including lavender, blue, pink, or white. Fruit (Seed): The fruit is a small, round drupe, approximately 0.2 to 0.3 inches in diameter. Bark: The bark is typically smooth and gray-brown. Height: Chaste trees can grow to be 10 to 20 feet tall. Hairs: Leaves and stems are generally smooth, but fine hairs may be present on the undersides of leaves. Branching Pattern: Chaste trees have an open, spreading habit. Chaste Tree Chaste Tree leaves (not edible). Chaste Tree flowers (not edible). Chaste Tree flowers close-up. Chaste Tree seeds (edible). Chaste Tree bark. 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. This map is very incomplete. North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. With summer comes the multitude of blue, flowering spikes of the Chaste Tree. Used in landscaping all across the south, this multi-trunked small tree/large bush is cherished for it's beauty, scent, and attraction for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Rarely if ever is tree found in the wild and if so it will be in full sun to partial shade with well drained soil. Besides almost every branch ending in a large spike of small flowers, the leaves of the Chaste Tree are sometimes mistaken for those of the marijuana plant. In fall the flowers have become small gray/brown seeds which, when crushed release a pungent but pleasant aroma and flavor. For this reason the seeds have been used as a seasoning for ages. However, there is a belief that the seeds, when consumed, reduce a man's desire hence the name "chaste". Monks supposedly used Chaste Tree seeds to season their food and also reduce their passions. Chaste Tree seeds, in small doses, can slightly increase the amount of female hormone prolactin in men, which may give rise to the...uh, failure to rise. However, larger doses can actually reduce prolactin in men, perhaps making them more manly. There is quite a bit of evidence and scientific studies which show these seeds have a great deal of beneficial effects for women. There is proof these seeds help with PMS, and many other menstrual issues, helping fertilized eggs bond to the womb, and many other hormone-based issues. Please note, this is not medical advice, just a review of what others claim. 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(s): Echinocactus texensis Abundance: uncommon What: flowers, fruit How: raw, cooked Where: sunny fields, dry areas When: fall, winter Nutritional Value: calories, vitamin C Dangers: beware of thorns! Leaf Arrangement: Not applicable, as Echinocactus texensis is a cactus and does not have true leaves, with the primary structure being the ribbed stem. Leaf Shape: The plant lacks traditional leaves; the spines emerge from areoles on the ribbed stem. Leaf Venation: Not applicable due to the absence of traditional leaves. Leaf Margin: Not applicable as there are no leaves. Leaf Color: Not applicable; the plant features a green to bluish-green stem. Flower Structure: Flowers are solitary, growing from the crown of the cactus. Flower Color: The flowers are usually pink to red. Fruit: Produces a fleshy, barrel-shaped fruit, approximately 1" in diameter, clustered at the center of the cactus. Seed: Seeds are small and black, contained within the fruit. Stem: Globular to cylindrical, with pronounced ribs and areoles from which spines emerge. Hairs: The plant has spines, which are modified hairs, typically dense and covering the ribs. Height: The cactus typically grows to a height of 6 to 8 inches. Top view of Horse Crippler with fruit. Side view of Horse Crippler with fruit. Close-up of fruit. Close-ups of thorns. 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. Hiding low in the grasslands of the southwestern counties of Texas as well as randomly in other arid prairie locations, Horse Crippler Cactus is a boobytrap waiting to puncture the foot of the unwary. This low, dome-shaped cactus grows only 1-2 inches tall but up to a foot across with a lifespan measure in centuries! These cacti are covered with clusters of seven or so wicked thorns, one of which will be 2-3 inches long while the others will only be about 1 inch in length. Most of the thorns will have a slight downward curve. Horse Cripple Cacti can bloom in spring through summer and these flowers have red centers surrounded by duo-toned, pink or light purple petals which open during the day but close up at night. The ripe, red fruit looks very similar to the "tunas" of prickly pears and are used the same way. The flavor of these fruit is more subtle than that of prickly pears but still delicious. Due to the numerous seeds, I prefer squeezing the juice from these fruit then boiling it down into a syrup. The seeds can be collected from the fruit, roasted, then boiled into porridge or ground into a gluten-free flour. Horse Crippler Cactus transplant easily into WELL drained pots and will love the hottest, direct sunlight Texas has to offer. They love the south or west-facing, wind-swept balconies of apartments where any other plant would shrivel up and die. 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(s): Physalis species Abundance: uncommon What: fruit How: raw, cooked Where: fields, borders, woods When: summer, fall Nutritional Value: Vitamin A, B3, C Dangers: unripe berries can cause stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems. Leaf Shape: The leaves are variable, but they are often ovate to heart-shaped, with lengths ranging from 2 to 5 inches and widths from 1 to 3 inches. Leaf Venation: The venation is usually pinnate, with prominent lateral veins. Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are typically toothed or lobed, adding a serrated appearance. Leaf Color: The leaves are green, and there may be variations in color on the top and underside. Flower Structure: The flowers are solitary or clustered in the leaf axils. Each 5-petaled flower has a bell-shaped structure with a diameter of about 1 inch and features five distinct petals. Flower Color: The flower color is usually yellow with a brownish core, but breeding has created other colors such as red and orange. Fruit: The fruit is a papery husk or "physalis," which encases a small berry-like fruit. Seed: Seeds are small, round, and numerous within the berry, with colors ranging from yellow to orange. Stem: The stems are usually green, herbaceous, and slightly hairy. Hairs: Hairs may be present on the stems and leaves. Height: Ground cherry plants vary in height but typically range from 1 to 3 feet, depending on the species and growing conditions. Top view of ground cherry (Physalis pubescens) plant. Side/under-leaf view of ground cherry plant with unripe fruit pods. Close-up of ground cherry flower. Close-up of unripe ground cherries still on the plant. Ground cherries in November in Houston, TX. Notice how long and pointy the edges of the leaves have become. Ripe ground cherry fruit. 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. Ground cherries are members of the nightshade family, just as are their close cousins and similar tasting tomatillos. Ground cherries straddle that fine line between fruit and vegetable, and can be used both as a somewhat sour berry in tarts and other desserts as well as to make tangy sauces, salsa, and other tomato/tomatillo type foods. My mom preferred to use them as a berry in desserts, but I never really like them served that way. I think they are better in Mexican and Italian style foods. Ground cherries easily reseed and are effortlessly grown in gardens. They do best in dappled sunlight but not full shade. If near a steady source of water such as a pond or stream they can handle full Texas sun. Loose sandy soil works best. Once the plant begins fruiting in the summer it will continue to produce up to 300 of the small, yellow berries until frost kills the plant. The plant usually drops the fruit pod before the fruit inside is ripe. Simply pick the pod off the ground and store it in an open container on your counter until the outer pod turns from yellow to a orangish sort of color. At that point you can remove them from the husk and use them. You can leave them in their husks/fruit pods for up to three months if stored at 50F in a mesh bag. As part of the nightshade family, these fruit have a small amount of toxicity when unripe. If eaten before they are ready they will cause very bad stomach distress. 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: Equisetaceae spp. Abundance: uncommon What: young stems, roots How: tea with young stems boiled in 3-4 changes of water or roots after roasting Where: near water When: young shoots in the spring, roots all year Nutritional Value: minerals Other uses: These plants contain a large amount of silica which makes them excellent for scrubbing dishes in the wild. They also contain some very astringent compounds which makes mashed-up horsetails an excellent clotting agent to help stop bleeding. Dangers: Equisetaceae species contain thiaminase, an enzyme which removes vitamin B from the body. This enzyme is destroyed by cooking the horsetails. Medicinal Summary: Stems - hemostat; wound Healer; diuretic; assists rebuilding non-chronic connective tissue damage (poultice, tisane) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in whorls at regular intervals along the stem. These leaves are small and scale-like. Leaf Shape: Leaves are reduced to small, non-photosynthetic scales that are fused at the base, forming a sheath around the stem. Leaf Venation: There is no distinct venation due to the reduced size and form of the leaves. Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are not applicable, as the leaves are scale-like and fused. Leaf Color: The scale leaves are usually the same color as the stem, typically green to brownish-green. Flower Structure: These plants do not produce true flowers. They reproduce by spores produced by "bee hive" looking structures at the tips of the stalks. Flower Color: Not applicable, as Equisetaceae species do not have flowers. Fruit: No true fruit is produced; they reproduce via spores released from cone-like structures. Seed: No seeds are produced; reproduction is through spores. Stem: The stem is elongated, jointed, and hollow, with ridges and furrows running along its length. Texture is rough. Hairs: There are no hairs on the stem or leaves. Height: The height varies widely among species, ranging from a few inches to several feet tall. Stand of horsetails Close-up of stalk tip. Spore-producing bodies maturing left to right. Really close-up of Horsetail tips. Close-up of Horsetails "joints". Getting ready to clean some pots. 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. Looking like prehistoric reeds, horsetails are found in large clumps in the sandy soil along Texas streams. They look prehistoric because they are prehistoric, being 100 million years old. Horsetails reproduce via spores rather than seeds, which puts them closer to ferns than most other vascular plants. A tall stand can reach 30 inches high and densely packed. Tea from the plant has a slight "black licorice" crossed with green tea flavor. Crushed up a 6-8 horsetails into a cup of water and then boil them for ten minutes. Let stand until cool enough to drink. The silicic acid found in horsetail tea is thought to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and the air sacs in lungs along with promoting regrowth of damaged joint tissue. Its astringent chemicals reduce bleeding especially in the mouth and act as a diuretic to flush out the body. The high silicate content of horsetails makes them excellent wilderness pot scrubbers. A handful of them rubbed will quickly scrap clean a dirty cook pot, as many old boy scouts know. 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: Melothria pendula Abundance: uncommon What: green (unripe) fruit How: raw Where: woods, borders, stream banks When: spring, summer, fall Nutritional Value: carbohydrates and protein Dangers: The seeds/fruit contain a POWERFUL laxative when ripe, so avoid purple or black fruit, only eat light-green ones. Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Melothria pendula are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are usually simple, ovate to cordate, measuring approximately 1 to 2 inches in length. Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running outwards from the base to the edges of each leaf. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves are usually medium green. Flower Structure: The flowers are1/4" across, with 5 notched petals fused together at their bases, and occur in small clusters at leaf-stem junctions. Flower Color: Flowers are yellow. Fruit: The immature fruit is small, green, and ovoid, resembling miniature watermelons about 1" in length. Ripe fruit is very dark purple and also about 1" long. Seed: Inside the fruit are small, flat, and brown seeds. Stem: The stems have tendrils, located at the leaf-stem junction, for climbing. Hairs: Leaves may have extremely fine hairs. Height: Melothria pendula is a low-growing vine, typically trailing or climbing, and can reach varying heights. Creeping Cucumber vine with unripe but edible fruit. Unripe fruit (which is when you eat it), flower, tendril, and leaf. The leaf is at a bad angle so you can't see it's true shape. Close-up of Creeping Cucumber fruit at the right stage to eat. Fruit cut in half. Creeping Cucumber leaf. Close-ups of the Creeping Cucumber flower. Five petals fused at the bases, with a notch in the top of each. Ripe, purple Creeping Cucumbers, which should not be eaten! Picture courtesy of Wildcat. Busted open, the insides of ripe Creeping Cucumbers seem grape-like but with flat, pale seeds. 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. Creeping Cucumbers are tiny, delicious, cucumber-flavored fruit that look like little watermelons when young but then turn a dark purple/black when ripe. Do NOT eat the ripe (purple/black) fruit! At that stage they are an incredibly powerful laxative. Only eat the light-green, watermelony looking fruits. These vines are found in moist areas both in sun and in shady areas. I've found them along stream banks in the deep shade of the Texas Piney Woods as well as growing along a sunny wall in downtown Houston where a sprinkler kept the soil wet. They begin growing in early spring and continue to live through the summer and fall. They can even be found through the winter if it is mild enough, but a frost usually kills them. The unripe, light-green fruit is eaten raw without peeling and really does taste just like a cucumber. Use it anywhere you would use a cucumber, though I have not tried making pickles out of them. There's no reason pickling them shouldn't work. The vines will produce new fruit as long as it lives so it's quite common to find flowers, unripe fruit and ripe fruit all on the same vine right up until a frost hits. I am not kidding when I say the ripe (purple/black) fruit is a powerful laxative. Its bowel-purging effects hits very rapidly and very uncontrollably and can result in serious injury to the body from dehydration. 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: Celtis spp. (occidentalis, laevigata) Abundance: plentiful What: berries How: raw, dried, preserves Where: moist, sunny areas When: fall when berries are red, orange, or purple Nutritional Value: calories, protein Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem. Leaf Shape: Simple, ovate leaves with serrated margins, typically measuring 2 to 4 inches in length. Leaf Color: Foliage is typically dark green, turning yellow in the fall. Flower Structure: Inconspicuous, small, greenish flowers are arranged in clusters. Flower Size: Individual flowers are very small, around 1/8 inch in size and green-yellow in color. Fruit (Drupe): The fruit is a small, rounded drupe, about 1/4 inch in diameter, typically reddish-brown when ripe. Bark: Bark is gray to brown, with a rough texture consisting of small, flat platelets stacked one atop another. These flat warts can grow together to make corky ridges in older trees. Height: Common hackberry can grow to be a medium to large tree, reaching heights of 40 to 60 feet. Hairs: Leaves have a sight roughness due to microscopic hairs Branching Pattern: The branching pattern is irregular, and the tree may have a broad, spreading crown. Wood is weak and branches often break off in high winds. Ripe hackberry fruit. Unripe berries Sugar Hackberry (Celtis laevigata) tree. Sugar Hackberry (Celtis laevigata) tree trunk. Another Hackberry tree. Close-up of hackberry bark "scales/warts". 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. Most of your ancestors owe their lives to the fruit of the hackberry tree. It is the oldest-know foraged food, going back over 600,000 years to the grave of Peking Man. Found on every continent except Antarctica, every culture that arose around hackberry trees utilized them as one of their main sources of calories...until us now. Now it is considered a "trash tree" and considered to be an annoyance. We have forgotten how it kept so many humans alive for tens of thousands of years. The ripe fruit of hackberries are less than 1/4 inch in diameter and consist of a thin, sweet skin surrounding a large, hard seed. This edible seed is rich in protein and fats, but is extremely hard. Trying to crush the seed with your teeth can easily result in a broken tooth. You are better off crushing up the berries in a mortar & pestle to make a sweet, energizing paste. This paste can be toasted into a bar, making it nature's original "power bar". The seeds can also be crushed/blended with water, left over night and then strained to make "hackberry milk" which is similar to "almond milk". If you don't have a way to crush the seeds then just eat the skin/flesh off then spit out the seed. These berries ripen in the fall but will often remain on the trees and edible well into spring. The wood of the hackberry tree is weak and brittle. It does not make good firewood, carving material or lumber. However, it did make acceptable archery bows. After a storm the ground beneath hackberry tree is usually littered with broken branches, making a mess. They can grow up to 80' tall in moist, sunny locations such as along lakes, ponds, or streams. Hackberries also seem to thrive in urban environments though they only live 20-30 years. Their gray bark is usually covered with lumpy, scaly wart-type growths that are made of layered sections. 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(s): Solidago spp. Abundance: plentiful What: young leaves, flowers How: tea and small addition to salads, sautéed Where: fields, borders When: late summer, early fall Nutritional Value: low Medicinal Summary: Leaves/Flowers - vascular strengthener; anti-inflammatory; diuretic; anti-spasmodic; antibacterial; antifungal; hemostatic, rebuilds vascular/fluid-holding tissues (tisane, tincture, poultice) Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaf shape varies among species, but they are generally lanceolate or elliptical, and can range from 1 to 6 inches in length and 0.2 to 0.6 inches in width. Leaf Venation: Venation is pinnate, with a central vein and smaller veins branching off. Leaf Margin: The leaf margins can be smooth, toothed, or serrated, depending on the species. Leaf Color: The color of the leaves is typically a bright green, sometimes with a paler underside. Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in dense, pyramidal or plume-like clusters at the tops of the stems or along the sides. Flower Color: The flowers are usually bright yellow, with each small flower consisting of both ray and disk florets. Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry seed, often with a tuft of hair to aid in wind dispersal. Seed: The seeds are very small, enclosed within the dry fruit. Stem: The stem is erect and can be smooth or hairy, varying by species. Normally it will grow as a single stalk, but pruning it will cause branching to occur. Hairs: Stems will generally be hair-free while leaves may have fine, still hairs causing a rough texture. Height: The height of goldenrod plants can vary greatly, typically ranging from 2 to 5 feet. Goldenrod in the fall. Close-up of goldenrod flowers. Goldenrod flowers are usually bees last source of nectar before winter hits. Goldenrod seedlings appear in mid-winter to early spring. The easiest way to recognize them when young is finding them where last year's brown, dry goldenrod stems stand, such as in this photo. Young goldenrod plant (with more in the background) in late spring. These the young leaves make a tasty tea. Close-up of goldenrod leaves. Note also, the stem is relatively smooth and hairless. To properly harvest goldenrod leaves snip just the last 3"-4" where the leaves are lighter green. By mid-summer many goldenrods have developed these round "galls" in their stems. Each gall is the home of a single, small grub of the Goldenrod Gall Fly. Note, these grubs are edible and also make good fishing bait. Flowers before they bloom. 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. Goldenrod can be found lining the roads and standing in fields in every US state and Canadian province. Most of the year they go unnoticed, their green stem and leaves acting like camouflage against the background of green grasses. Come fall, they explode like golden fireworks of deep yellow, pyramidal-clustered flowers. At this time they often get blamed wrongly for hay fever and allergy problems when in reality Ragweed, with it's almost invisible flowers, that is actually to blame. The youngest, most tender leaves, when used in moderation, add an interesting dimension to the flavor of salads. There is often a noticeable color difference between the top 1"-3" of the stem (lighter) and lower parts (darker). Cut the goldenrod off at the point where the light color turns darker. These top leaves are the best for both raw snacks and dried tea. The leaves can be collected and dried for tea any time from seedling until the flowers bloom. Once the flowers bloom the leaves begin deteriorating and usually are no longer worth collecting. For a black licorice-flavored tea, cut the young leaves or flower stalks off the plant in late morning after dew has evaporated but before the hot sun bakes them. Gather the flowers within the first few days of them opening for the richest flavors. Hang the flower stalks upside-down to dry inside a brown paper bag to dry. Steep one teaspoon of the dried flowers in hot water to make an anise-flavored tea. Please note though that Goldenrod is the last flower of the season for bees to collect nectar. If you take many of the flowers you may prevent a bee hive from getting enough nectar to get through the winter. This is why I only take leaves. Many goldenrods will form round galls on their stems. These are caused by a fly grub which is also edible by humans though most prefer to use the grub as fishing bait. While dried goldenrod leaves can be smoked as an herbal tobacco replacement, it is generally used medicinally in tea form. A goldenrod infusion is diuretic and so good for flushing out urinary tract infections and kidney stones but I prefer its antioxidant properties and assistance in circulation by strengthening capillary walls. Goldenrod also assists with respiratory and sinus issues as well as loosening phlegm. Don't forget to infuse some oil with goldenrod then thicken it with beeswax as a skin salve. It can help induce sweating to expel toxins via the skin and its slight astringency makes its tea a good body wash for cleaning and tightening skin. Once the goldenrod flower clusters are more than 1/3 brown they're too old to use. By now, most will have reached that point unfortunately. You'll most likely have to wait until next fall. However, this gives you the ability to increase the goldenrod flower production by pruning the last 4" off goldenrod stalks next June. The plant will send up 3-5 new shoots from the cut location, each producing its own big cluster of flowers. Then in the fall both you and the bees will have all the flowers you need. 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: Daucus carota, Daucus pusillus Abundance: uncommon What: young root, young shoots, seeds How: 1st year root raw, cooked; 2nd-year flower stems peeled raw or cooked. Where: fields When: early summer Nutritional Value: High in vitamin A and minerals Other uses: crushed leaves work as an insect repellent Dangers: don’t confuse with deadly water hemlock. Queen Anne's Lace sometimes has a small red flower in the center of the white flowers and the root smells like carrot. Hemlock has a very foul, disagreeable odor. Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are finely divided and fern-like, similar in appearance to domestic carrot leaves, typically measuring about 2 to 4 inches in length. Leaf Venation: Due to the finely divided nature of the leaves, the venation is not prominently visible. Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaflets are finely toothed or lobed. Leaf Color: The leaves are a bright green color. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and clustered in umbels, which is a flat or slightly rounded cluster that resembles an umbrella. Flower Color: The flowers of both species are usually white, sometimes with a hint of pink. Daucus carota flower clusters will have a single red/purple flower in the center while Daucus pusillus does not. Fruit: The plant produces a small, dry fruit that is oval and slightly ribbed. Seed: The seeds are small, elongated, and dark in color. Stem: The stem is slender, erect, and can be branched. Hairs: There will (must!) be hairs present on the stem. Leaves are also hairy. Height: Wild carrot typically grows to a height of about 1 to 3 feet tall. Wild carrot flower and stem. Note the hairy stem. Hemlock (TOXIC!) has a smooth, hair-free stem. Close-up of Queen Anne's lace stem. Notice the hairs and reddish stripes. Wild carrot (Daucus pusillus) flowers lack the center, solitary red flower found in Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota). Sideview of the wild carrot flowers. Note the "Kermit the Frog" collar beneath the flower head. Queen Anne's Lace flowers, with the single red-purple flower in the center, marked by the blue arrow. Young flower head before the flowers have opened. Queen Anne's Lace leaves. They have almost a fractal pattern. Queen Anne's lace "carrot". Wild carrot seed head after the flowers have gone. They close up like a bird's nest whereas hemlock seed heads remain open. A stand of wild carrots along a road. Note the closed-up "bird's nest" aspect of the older flower heads. Highly toxic hemlock along a stream. Note how the flower clusters branch off from each other unlike the single stalk growth pattern of wild carrot. Here is the toxic Hemlock flower. Note how it is much more open with large spaces between the clusters compared to the wild carrot. It also lacks the "Kermit the Frog" collar. Left side is Wild Carrot, right side is deadly Water Hemlock. Note the "chambers" in the Water Hemlock root and the purple strips along the hemlock's stem. Hemlock flower lacks the "collar". Close-up of stems and roots. Wild Carrot stem is hairy, hemlock stem is smooth. Water Hemlock leaf. 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. Standing in showy white clusters along many Texas roads, wild carrots are an interesting spring/summer plant. They are the mother-species of domestic, orange carrots but wild carrot roots are white and also rather woody. I usually just use the "carrot" for flavoring soups and stews but then remove and discard them before eating the meal. The seeds are a spicy substitute for celery seeds. The flowers can be made into a jelly just like elderberry flowers or used to make a delicious tea. Hemlock is an extremely poisonous plant which looks very similar to wild carrots. Luckily there are several ways to tell them apart: 1. Wild carrot flower stem is hairy, hemlock flower stem is smooth/have no hairs.In some cases the stem hairs of the wild carrot are not easily seen but if you run your finger along it's stem it will feel like day-old razor stubble. 2. Wild carrot flower stem is solid, hemlock flower stem is hollow. 3. Wild carrot flower stems are green and occasionally have long, reddish stripes. Hemlock flower stem have red/purple spots of assorted size and the occasions partial stripes but will be purple at the bottom. 4. Wild carrot flower stems are not powdery, hemlock flower stems often have a white powder on them. 5. Wild carrot flowers (umbels) are arranged in a a thick, tight pattern with only a small amount of open space between them. Hemlock flowers are much more sparse and have open areas between the smaller flower clusters making up the umbel head. 6. Wild carrots usually don't grow more than 3-6 feet tall, hemlock can grow 6-9 feet tall. 7. Wild carrot flower umbels will curl up into a "bird's nest" when they dry, hemlock umbels remain in their original "umbrella" shape when they die and dry up. 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: Hypochaeris radicata Abundance: common What: young leaves and shoots, roots How: raw or cooked, roots roasted for coffee Where: disturbed areas, yards, sunny fields When: winter/spring/fall Nutritional Value: minerals and antioxidants Medicinal Summary: Leaves/Root - sedative, muscle relaxant (tisane, tincture) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Hypochaeris radicata form a basal rosette, which means they grow in a circular arrangement at the base of the plant, close to the ground. Leaf Shape: The leaves are generally oblong or lanceolate, often with lobes that can be irregular/asymmetrical. Venation: The venation is pinnate, where a central vein runs along the length of the leaf with smaller veins branching off to the sides. Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are usually toothed or slightly lobed, giving them a serrated appearance. Leaf Color: The color of the leaves is typically a medium to dark green, sometimes with a hint of red or purple along the veins or edges. Flower Structure: Hypochaeris radicata produces flower heads at the ends of slender stalks. Each flower head is composed of many small yellow ray and disk florets, resembling a dandelion flower. Flower Color: The flowers are bright yellow. Fruits: The fruit is a small, dry, one-seeded achene that is brownish and ridged, often with a tuft of fine hairs (pappus) at the top, aiding in wind dispersal. Seeds: The seeds are small and oblong, with a pappus (feathery umbrella) that facilitates wind dispersal. Stems: The flowering stems are erect, hollow, and branched, often reaching heights of 10 to 20 inches. They are typically green and may have fine hairs. Stems branch multiple times. Hairs: The edges and undersides of leaves have fine hairs, as do the stems. Plant Height: The plant usually grows to a height of about 12 to 24 inches. Cluster of Cat's Ear plants (mowed). Cluster of Cat's Ears (never mowed). Young Cat's Ear rosette, before flower stalks appear. Close-up of topside of leaf. Close-up of bottom side of leaf. Close-up of flower bud and stalk. Close-up of flower. Close-up of seeded. A single plant from root to flower. North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. Cat's ear is often mistaken for a dandelion, which it resembles. However, the leaves of cat's ears are less sharply toothed and more asymmetrical than dandelions, as well as having hairs on the top and bottom of the leaf whereas dandelions are hairless. Cat's ears will produce multiple flowers of one main, non-hollow stalk while dandelions produce only one flower per stalk and the dandelion stalk is hollow. Cat's ear leaves and roots can be used in the same manner as dandelions. The leaves are a bit less bitter than dandelions, making them a good "dilutant" of the bitterness of dandelions, sow thistle, chicory, or other bitter greens. After the cat's ear flowers appear the leaves become somewhat stringy and tough, but tenderize with steaming or boiling. Cat's ear roots are smaller than dandelion roots, but larger ones can still be steamed then eaten. These roots make an inferior coffee substitute after roasting, but will still work in that manner. Dig up the roots, scrub them clean, roast them in an oven at 425F to the dark color you prefer, coarsely grind them, then using them as regular coffee grounds. The result will be "coffee" in that it will be a dark, somewhat bitter drink. Cat's Ears have an interesting adaption to urban lawns. After being mowed a few times their leaves and flower stems stop growing upwards and start growing flat against the ground. These two forms are shown in the first photographs of this post. Edible Dandelion Mimics: Dandelion Cat's Ear Chicory Japanese Hawkweed Salsify Sow Thistle Texas Dandelion Wild Lettuce 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(s): Pinus genus Abundance: plentiful What: needles, seeds, inner bark How: needle tea; seeds raw, roasted; inner bark toasted Where: prefer low wet areas, landscaping When: all year Nutritional Value: vitamin C, calories Dangers: some pine needles may contain phytoestrogens which can cause miscarriages in cattle under certain situations. Because of this pregnant humans are also advised to avoid them...mainly because there are lawyers in the world and I don't want to be sued. Medicinal Summary: Needles - antioxidant; anti-scurvy; high in vitamin C, may help undo damage of artificial spike proteins (tisane, tincture) Sap - antifungal; minor antibacterial (poultice) Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in fascicles (bundles), usually in groups of three. Leaf Shape: Long, slender needles, approximately 6 to 9 inches in length. Leaf Venation: Needle-like leaves with parallel venation. Leaf Margin: The needle-like leaves have entire margins. Leaf Color: Needles are green when living and turn brown when dead. Flower Structure: Loblolly pines produce both male and female cones, approximately 1.5" long and 1/4" wide. Flower Color: Male cones are small and yellow, while female cones are larger and brown. Fruit: The fruit is in the form of woody cones, approximately 3 to 6 inches in length.They are green while growing and then turn brown when mature. Seed: Seeds are small, winged, and brown. Each cone may contain numerous seeds. Bark: The brown bark is scaly and becomes furrowed with age. Hairs: Loblolly pines have hairless needles and bark. Height: Texas pines can reach heights of up to 100 feet. Loblolly pine Long Leaf pine (Pinus palustris , left) have needles over 10" long. Loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda, right) needles average 5" long. Pollen-producing "flowers" before releasing pollen. These do not become pine cones but just release pine pollen. Loblolly Pine flowers during the release pollen. Pine pollen contains the molecule Androstenedione which is close enough to testosterone to trick the human body. Pine pollen in tequila...what could possibly go wrong?! Loblolly Pine cones and their "winged" seeds. The gray, open cone already dropped its seeds but the tightly closed gray and green cones will contain harvestable seeds. Squirrels will show you when the green cones are ripe by tearing them apart to get to the seeds at the base of each scale. Tiny pine seedlings can be plucked then added to salads. Making tea but the needles need to be chopped up into much smaller pieces. Fresh pine sap ready to be made into Native American glue. 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. Majestic loblolly trees, over 100ft tall at maturity, are often referred to as "telephone pole trees" as their long, thick, straight trunks made great telephone poles back in the day. They prefer low, wet areas but their vigorous growth and cheap price make them a popular landscaping tree in urban areas. Like the pines of the north which Sacajawea used to cure scurvy in Lewis & Clark's men, loblolly pine needles are rich in vitamin C. However, they also contain phytoestrogen molecules which can lead to miscarriages in women. For this reason, pregnant women should avoid drinking pine needle tea whether from loblollys or other pines. To make pine tea dice up fresh, green pine needles and soak them in hot but not boiling water for up to ten minutes. If boiled, the resulting tea will end up containing a high concentration of unpleasant-tasting terpenes (it's taste like Pine-Sol cleaner). If you do it right the tea will smell like morning in a pine forest...fantastic! Unlike most eastern/northern white pines (Pinus strobus), the inner bark of the loblolly pine is not considered a source of food/calories because its cambium layer (inner bark) doesn't taste nearly as good as the cambium of white pines. However, in an emergency it will sustain you. Up north, White Pine (Pinus strobus) has delicious inner bark, tasting somewhat like bacon when fried. Outer bark cut away to reveal inner, cambium layer (white) over the wood (yellow). Peel the cambium layer into thin sheets, the thinner the better. Cook the inner bark until it is brown and crispy all over. These still need more cooking. In the spring yellow pine pollen coats everything around these trees. This pollen is chemically almost exactly identical to the male hormone testosterone and can be purchased over the internet as a testosterone supplement. Native American warriors would carry a small bag of this pollen with them to eat before battles to "pump them up" for the coming fight. Pine sap burns fiercely because it's a mixture of long-chain organic molecules and turpentine-like compounds. It ignites early which makes it an excellent fire starting material. Fresh sap was also mixed with rabbit dung and wood as to make a Native American glue. To make this glue carefully heat up the sap to a full liquid state in a metal can or old pot. Then for every ~4 parts sap add 1 part ground-up dried rabbit pellets and 1 part wood ash. The fine plant fibers from the rabbit dung worked like the fiber strands in high-strength packing tape. The sap would be carefully melted in a container over a fire, mixed with the rabbit dung and wood ash, then "swirled" onto the top of twigs. When they needed some glue this twig/sap/dung "lollipop" was softened over a fire and dabbed onto what ever needed gluing. 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.

A blog is about the wild edible and medicinal plants of Texas and North America. It is run by chemist herbalist Dr. Mark Merriwether Vorderbruggen.

Scientific Name(s): Oenothera biennis Abundance: rare (in Texas) What: roots, seeds, leaves, flowers How: roots boiled; seeds pressed for medicinal oil, tea; leaves for tea, poultices; flowers for tea, poultices Where: fields, ditches, disturbed areas When: summer, fall Nutritional Value: root calories; seeds, flowers, leaves medicinal, calcium & potassium, omega fatty acids Dangers: seeds oils are blood thinners Medicinal Summary: Seeds - anti-inflammatory; strengthens immune system; antihypertensive; cholesterol reduction; slows blood clotting; bronchodilator; vasodilator; antianxiety; antidepressant; reduces PMS mood swings; reduces hyperactivity (tisane) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are lanceolate to oblong, typically measuring about 2 to 6 inches in length and 0.5 to 1.5 inches in width. Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with a central vein and smaller veins branching towards the leaf edges. Leaf Margin: The margins are slightly toothed or wavy. Leaf Color: The leaves are green, with a somewhat paler underside. Flower Structure: The flowers are borne in a spike-like inflorescence at the top of the stem. Each flower has four petals giving a diameter slightly over 1". Flower Color: The flowers are typically yellow, opening in the evening and closing by the next midday. Fruit: The plant produces a long, cylindrical capsule as its fruit. Seed: The seeds are small, reddish-brown, and enclosed within the capsule. Stem: The stem is erect, sometimes branched, and can be slightly hairy. Hairs: There are fine hairs present on the stem and leaves, especially on the lower portions of the plant. Height: Oenothera biennis typically grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet. Evening primrose plant. Evening primrose flower buds. Close-up of evening primrose flowers. Note the four petal and 4-part, H-shaped stigma. Close-up of evening primrose stem. Stem is hairy, leaves & branches alternate. Close-up of evening primrose hairy, toothed edge, pinnate veined leaf. 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. While common up north, Evening Primroses are rare in Texas, being found in a few spots in the east and central fields. Begin looking for them in mid to late winter going on to the end of spring. While normally they do prefer open fields I've found some hanging out in open woodland glades, too. To the untrained eye they may be mistaken for goldenrod, both having an upright stalk from which lanceolate-shaped leaves grow. Evening Primrose stems are much hairier and the leaves are wider than goldenrod's stem and leaves. Of course, the big difference is in the flowers with Evening Primrose having clusters of large, traditional, yellow/pink 4-petaled flowers continuing through a large portion of the plants growth seasons whereas goldenrod flower don't appear until late summer and consist of hundreds of small, furry, gold-colored flowers. Evening Primrose plants have a two-year lifespan and its large, tuberous taproot looks and tastes somewhat like a parsnip at the end of the first year. The root can be peeled and eaten raw or cooked. The leaves can be eaten in the first or second year of growth. Treat them like spinach, being fine raw when you and tender or cooking them as they mature. Most people are after the seeds of Evening Primrose due to their medicinal properties. While the most common usage of the oil from the seeds is to assist with assorted female PMS issues and so I haven't studied them much. The seed oil are also blood thinners, have shown some benefits in treating mood-swing disorders including anorexia nervosa, depression, schizophrenia, hyperactivity, and assorted addiction more studies are needed to confirm these abilities. 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: Plantago species Abundance: plentiful What: leaves, young seed pods How: raw, steamed Where: Sunny fields, urban yards When: Spring Nutritional Value: minerals, vitamin B Other uses: Rub mashed leaves on insect bites to relieve pain/itching Medicinal Summary: Leaves - demulcent; antimicrobial; anti-inflammatory; wound healer; soothes skin, gastrointestinal tract, and urinary tract inflammations (poultice, infused oil) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Plantago are typically arranged in a basal rosette, emerging directly from the base of the plant. Leaf Shape: The leaf shape varies among species, ranging from broad and ovate to long and narrow (lanceolate). Leaf Venation: The venation is parallel, with several prominent veins running the length of the leaf. Leaf Margin: The margins are generally entire (smooth) but can be slightly wavy or toothed in some species. Leaf Color: The leaves are usually green, though the exact shade can vary from light to dark green. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and borne on a spike that emerges from the rosette. The flower spike is often tall and slender. Flower Color: Flower colors vary but are often greenish, white, or brownish. Fruit: The fruit is a small capsule containing several seeds. Seed: The seeds are tiny, often angular or oval, and brown. Stem: In Plantago species, the flower spike serves as the stem, which is generally leafless and may vary in height. Hairs: Some species have fine hairs on the leaves and stems, while others are smooth. Height: The height of plantain plants can vary significantly, with some species being quite low to the ground and others having tall flower spikes. Redseed Plantain (Plantago rhodosperma) Close-up of plantain leaf. Really big plantains, probably Plantago virginica. Plantago lanceolate Close up of Plantago lanceolate flower/seed stalk. Even closer-up picture of Plantago lanceolate flower/seed head. Out in West Texas look for Woolly Indian wheat plantain (Plantago patagonica). 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. Popping up in winter, plantain rosettes range from almost unnoticeable to quite large in size. The club-shaped leaves may have points along the edge and hairs. Look for it in yards, disturbed areas, and abandoned places receiving lots of winter/spring sun. One of the easiest ways to identify them is that their vein structure is "palmate" which means it has several thick veins running parallel from the base of the leaf to the end, kind of like fingers sticking up from the palm of a hand. The young leaves have a mild "green" flavor but as they mature I personally find them too rough and stiff to be eaten raw. Cooking the older leaves makes them more tender. Juicing the leaves is a better way of using the mature plant to get their mineral and vitamins. Plantains produce a cluster of seeds resembling a tiny ear of corn on a long stalk. When the seedhead is still young it can be eaten raw or used like tiny baby corn in a stirfry. As they get older these seedheads also get tough and are rarely eaten. Medicinally, plantain poultices are the "go to" plant for skin issues such as scrapes, minor rashes, insect stings & bites, and minor burns. Plantain tea is very good at soothing sore throats, acid reflux, and ulcers as well as helping coughs be more effective at expelling "lung cheese". As I type this there's a bunch of plantain leaves hanging from the light fixture, drying. They'll be infused into olive oil along with comfrey to make an amazing, healing skin salve. Supposedly smoking dried plantain leaves reduces the urge to smoke tobacco but this effect has not been confirmed. Buy my book! Idiots Guide 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. 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: Ilex vomitoria Abundance: plentiful What: tea from leaves How: Dry leaves, add boiling water Where: woods When: all year Nutritional Value: caffeine and antioxidants Dangers: Avoid the berries as they taste bad. Do not mistake Yaupon holly for the toxic Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense). See below to learn how to tell them apart. Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem. Leaf Shape: Simple, evergreen leaves with a smooth, elliptical shape, typically measuring 1/2 to 1 inch in length. Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are toothed (rounded serrations). Leaf Color: Foliage is glossy dark green on top and lighter green underneath, maintaining its color throughout the year. Flower Structure: Inconspicuous, small, white flowers with four petals are arranged in clusters. Often surrounded by bees. Flower Size: Individual flowers are around 1/8 inch in size. Fruit (Drupe): The fruit is a red to black drupe, around 1/4 inch in diameter, containing four seeds. Bark: Bark is smooth and gray with lighter gray-white mottling. Height: Yaupon holly can grow as a large shrub or small tree, reaching heights of 15 to 25 feet. Hairs: All parts are hairless. Branching Pattern: The branching pattern is typically dense and upright, forming a compact crown. Multiple trunks are common. Female Yaupon holly with berries in the fall-winter. Female Yaupon holly in mid-summer. Male Yaupon hollies don't produce berries. Female Yuapon holly in the late fall. Close-up of Yaupon holly leaves. The leaves of Yaupon holly and Chinese privet are very similar in shape and size. An easy way to tell them apart is the leaves of the Chinese privet grow in a uniform pinnate manner. The leaves of Yaupon holly have a random, chaotic growth pattern. Just remember "chaos = caffeine"! Also note that the edges of Yaupon holly leaves are bumpy whereas Chinese privet leaves have a smooth edge. Left: yaupon holly (SAFE) Right: Chinese privet (TOXIC) Closer-up picture of the leaves. Left: yaupon holly (SAFE) Right: Chinese privet (TOXIC) 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. Most east Texas landowners consider the small, gray-trunked Yaupon holly trees to be an invasive species. However, they are native and their prolific nature just shows how well adapted they are to this region. If you're a bird watcher, planting one (or more!) of these in your yard will insure a steady stream of cardinals, finches, jays, and many other birds come to feast on Yaupon holly's red berries. But don't you eat the berries as they make humans throw up! Yaupon holly leaves, however, are truly a gift. They are the only naturally occurring source of caffeine that grows in Texas. And it's not just caffeine they bring! The leaves are also loaded with antioxidants and all the other compounds that make traditional green tea good for you. On top of all that, tea made from the leaves has a slight, natural sweetness to it making it not just fantastically good for you but also wonderful tasting. Yaupon holly leaves are an excellent source of caffeine. There are a few different ways to prepare yaupon holly leaves for brewing tea. The easiest and most effective method for freeing the caffeine is to air-dry them by cutting of a branch, hanging it indoors in a warm, dry area (not in direct sunlight) and let the leaves dry naturally. Most of the leaves will fall off the branch as they dry so lay a towel or something under it to catch the leaves. This method can take two weeks or more depending on the temperature and humidity. Slow-drying it like this allows naturally-occurring enzymes inside the plant cells to begin breaking holes through the cell wall. These holes allow the caffeine to escape into your hot water when making tea. Forced-drying the leaves in a dehydrator or an oven set at 200F is popular. It is fast, usually taking just a day and this quick drying but will not allow as much caffeine to be released compared to slow air-drying. Leaves done this way are somewhat similar to green tea in mouth-appeal. It doesn't taste like green tea, but it has several similar "under-flavors", if that makes any sense. The most complex, richest flavors comes from roasting the leaves in an oven set at 400F. I prefer to do this after the two week drying period. This requires some practice and experimentation. Lay the leaves on a cookie-sheet. There can be some overlap but each leaf needs some exposure to the air. Put the cookie-sheet in the oven and watch the leaves as they turn brown. Start with them being in the oven for just 4 minutes. The darker you let the leaves get the more roasted and complex flavors you will release. Warning: if they get too dark they'll have a scorched flavor. Caffeine has recently been shown to help protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease, which is pretty dang awesome!! Dried Yaupon holly leaves were smoked as part of assorted Native American rituals. 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: That's a bit complicated. Abundance: plentiful What: entire lichen How: boil with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or hardwood ashes to neutralize acid, then either eat the resulting goo or add it to any stew, soup, or bread recipe. Where: on trees, rocks, and ground everywhere in the world. When: any time Nutritional Value: carbohydrates, usnic acid Dangers: neutralize lichen acids with hardwood ash to prevent stomachache Thallus: The body of the lichen, known as the thallus, is the most visible part. It can have various shapes and sizes, ranging from leafy to crusty or even hair-like. Colors may be gray, green, yellow, red, or orange depending on the fungi and algae/bacteria involved. Cortex: The outer layer of the thallus is the cortex, which is composed of tightly packed fungal cells. This layer provides protection and can be transparent or pigmented. Algal Layer: Beneath the cortex is the algal layer, where the photosynthetic partner (algae or cyanobacteria) resides. This layer is crucial for the lichen's survival, as it produces food through photosynthesis. Medulla: Below the algal layer is the medulla, a loosely arranged layer of fungal hyphae. This layer helps in the storage of water and nutrients and provides a structure to the lichen. Lower Cortex: Some lichens have a lower cortex that mirrors the upper cortex, offering additional protection and support. Rhizines and Holdfasts: Many lichens have structures called rhizines or holdfasts on their lower surfaces. These structures anchor the lichen to the substrate (like rock, bark, or soil) but do not absorb nutrients like true roots. Apothecia and Perithecia: For reproduction, lichens may have specialized structures like apothecia (disc-shaped fruiting bodies) or perithecia (flask-shaped fruiting bodies), where spores are produced. Soredia and Isidia: Some lichens reproduce asexually through small structures called soredia or isidia. These are tiny, vegetative parts that can break off and grow into new lichens. Oakmoss lichen (Evernia prunastri, the stringy ones) & Flavoparmelia caperata (the flatter ones) on an oak tree. Oakmoss lichen (Evernia prunastri, the stringy ones) & Flavoparmelia caperata (the flatter ones) on an oak tree. Generic edible lichen. Another generic edible lichen. And another edible lichen. Orange/yellow colors in lichens indicate it contains usnic acid, a molecule supposedly used by the human body to convert consumed protein into muscle mass. Using acid does have antibiotic properties and is used in many topical creams, toothpastes, and other personal care products. Samples of fructicose lichens. Samples of foliose lichens. Samples of crustose lichens. 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. Lichens are a symbiotic organism made up of a fungus combined with an algae and are found on just about every tree and most rocks. The come in many bright colors which makes them a popular source of traditional dyes. Current naming convention is to classify it by the fungal portion. They can also be separated by their three growth types: 1. Crustose, which form crust-like sheets flat against the surface on which they are growing. 2. Foliose, which form stringy or leaf-like structures above the surface. 3. Fruticose, which form bulbous growths on top of stalks attached to the surface. These resemble tiny mushrooms. As mentioned earlier, all but two lichens are edible. However most lichen are considered starvation foods and only eaten as a last resort. The traditional method involves boiling the lichens in several changes of water with some ashes from hardwood. The hardwood ashes produce lye (sodium hydroxide) which neutralizes acidic compounds in the lichen. If you don't neutralize the acids somehow you'll end up with a bad stomachache. Use approximately 1-2 teaspoons of ashes or baking soda per two cups of chopped lichen. Lichens contain some carbs along with some vitamin C. Note that due to the high solubility of vitamin C in water, ideally you should drink your changes of water after filtering out the wood ash. The flavor can (must!) be improved by adding some other fruit, leaf, or other agent to the lichen stew. I prefer young blackberries leaves. Another important compound found in yellow/orange lichens is Usnic Acid. Medicinally, this chemical has been shown to have antibiotic, antiviral, and antiprotozoal activity. Using acid functions somewhat like aspirin with anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. More recently, it has been sold as a weight loss/muscle mass increaser. Of the thousands of different lichens, only two are not edible. These two toxic ones are Wolf Moss Lichen (Letharia vulpina) and the related Letharia columbiana. These lichens are found from the Yukon down along the West Coast. Wolf Moss lichen is a bright yellow, stringy lichen used to poison wolves and also make a lovely yellow dye. Letharia columbiana is bright green, stingy and found in the same geographic areas. 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(s): Monarda fistulosa Abundance: uncommon What: flower How: tea; flavoring Where: shady, moist areas When: late spring, summer, early fall Nutritional Value: unknown Dangers: bees love these flowers Medicinal Summary: Flowers/Leaves/Stem - soothes irritated skin; antibacterial; relieves indigestion; sweat inducer; stimulant; diuretic; helps pass kidney stones; pain reliever; expectorant; headache reducer; soothes sore throat (poultice, tisane) Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged opposite-alternating along the stem. Two leaves will be directly opposite one another, but the leaf pairs above and below will be rotated 90 degrees around the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are lanceolate to ovate, measuring 2 to 4 inches in length and 0.5 to 2 inches in width. Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation is observed, with prominent veins running parallel to each other. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is toothed, with small serrations along the edges. Leaf Color: The leaves exhibit a medium green coloration. Flower Structure: Flowers are tubular in shape and are arranged in dense, terminal, spherical clusters known as inflorescences. Flower Color: The flowers display lavender to pink-purple coloring. Fruit: The fruit consists of small nutlets, but it is not often a significant feature for identification. Seed: Small and irregularly shaped seeds are present but are not typically used for identification. Stem: The stem is square-shaped and its color can vary from green to purple. Hairs: Fine hairs can be found on the stem and sometimes on the leaves of this plant. Height: Monarda fistulosa typically reaches a height of 2 to 4 feet. Wild Bergamot flowers. 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. Stands of wild bergamot flowers dot the Texas countryside during summer. They prefer shade and moist soil so look for them under trees along drainage ditches and near ponds. What looks like a single big flower is actually a cluster of many long, tubular flowers...usually swarming with bees! Being a mint, they have the mint family's square, hollow stem and opposite-alternating leaves. The flower makes a great tea with a sweet, herbal flavor similar to its smell. The flowers can be dried for later use but I prefer them fresh off the plant. A tincture (alcohol extract) made from wild bergamot is supposedly an excellent oral treatment for yeast infections. It also is used medicinally in the same manner as other mints. When smoked it SUPPOSEDLY delivers the antibiotics directly to the lungs to fight lung infections but I can't confirm this. 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(s): Cucurbita foetidissima Abundance: common What: flower, seeds, root How: flowers raw or fried; seeds roasted or boiled; root as tea Where: dry fields When: summer, fall, winter Nutritional Value: calories and protein in the seeds Dangers: flesh of the gourd is extremely bitter and can be poisonous in large doses due to saponins. Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Cucurbita foetidissima are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: Leaves are broadly ovate to heart-shaped, measuring up to 14" long and 7" wide near the base. Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation, with veins running from the base to the tip of each leaf lobe. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically serrated or toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves are usually gray-green. Flower Structure: The flowers are large and showy, with five petals reaching 4" across and a prominent central column of stamens and pistils. Flower Color: Flowers are typically bright yellow. Fruit: The fruit is a small, mottled/striped skin, and spherical gourd 4" across. They start out green and turn a stripped yellow as the mature. Inside is mostly stringy white flesh with many seeds. Seed: Inside the gourd are large, flat, off-white seeds. Stem: The stem is typically creeping along the ground rather than climbing. Root: Produces a giant taproot, may be human-shaped, multiple feet in size. Hairs: Rough hairs may be present on some parts of the plant, including the stem. Height: Cucurbita foetidissima can trail along the ground or climb on other vegetation and can reach varying heights. Buffalo Gourd plant when young. Mature Buffalo Gourd vine. Buffalo Gourd fruit. Small buffalo gourd root. 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. Nose and eye find this plant at nearly the same time. The large, heart-shaped leaves and yellow, 5-petaled flowers of Buffalo Gourd give off an unpleasant smell which reminds me of nasty gym socks. Starting in mid-summer the fruit appear. Looking first like small, round watermelons these fruit eventually turn more yellow as they mature but never grow bigger than a baseball. Buffalo Gourd vines can stretch many yards from a central taproot and the beings perennials, show up in the same spot year after year. It's large taproot makes the plant very drought resistant and it grows best in the drier areas of Texas, especially in the Hill country and westward. The flowers, similar to squash blossom, can be eaten both raw and fried. They do have a bad odor and are somewhat bitter when raw. Buffalo gourd seeds were a staple food of early Texas Native Americans. The seeds must be completely cleaned of any gourd flesh or else they will be extremely bitter. Once completely cleaned they can be boiled and mashed into a porridge or roasted like pumpkin seeds and have a similar flavor. These seeds do contain a large amount of calories in the form of oil (25-42%) as well as a significant concentration of protein (22-35%). The large taproot of Buffalo Gourds were to be strong medicine by Native Americans. These roots were used internally as a tea and also externally in poultices. Due to the high concentration of saponins and other potent chemicals healing with this root should only be tried under the direction of a trained herbalist! Saponins are found in both the plant's root and in the skin of the gourds and are capable of producing a lather when vigorously combined with water. Because of this they were used as a soap substitute. 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: Salix spp. Abundance: plentiful What: twigs, inner bark How: tea made from chopped up twigs; inner bark is an emergency food and is eaten raw or dried and ground into flour Where: woods, water, sunny fields, landscaping When: twigs highest in salicylic acid in early spring; inner bark any time Nutritional Value: inner bark contains carbohydrates Dangers: Salicylic acid can cause stomach upset in high doses and trigger Reye's syndrome in young children. Medicinal Summary: Young Bark - pain reliever; anti-inflammatory; fever reducer (tisane) Leaves - soothes skin inflammations (tisane) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are typically alternate along the stems. Leaf Shape: Willow leaves are usually lanceolate or elliptical, with a pointed tip. Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate. Leaf Margin: The leaf margin can be serrated or smooth, depending on the species. Leaf Color: The leaves are generally green, with some species exhibiting a silver or grayish hue on the underside. Flower Structure: Willows produce catkins as their flowering structures. These are elongated clusters of tiny, inconspicuous flowers. Flower Color: The color of catkins varies, but it is often yellow or green. Fruit: The fruit of willows is a small capsule containing numerous seeds. Seed: Willow seeds are small, with a cotton-like tuft (pappus) aiding in wind dispersal. Bark: The bark texture varies among species but is often smooth and can be gray, brown, or reddish. Hairs: Some willow species may have fine hairs on their leaves, stems, or catkins. Height: Willows can range widely in height, from low shrubs to tall trees, with measurements varying depending on the species. Mature willow tree. Medium-sized willow tree. Close-up of leaves. Willow trunk Boiled willow bark makes a beautiful, red-colored tea that reduces fevers, pain, and swelling due to its salicin converting to salicylic acid. It has a somewhat wintergreen-like flavor. 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. The long, wispy branches of willow trees give them an appearance unlike any other tree. They require a lot of water so look for them along wet areas. Their high demand for water can cause problems when used in landscaping as their roots will invade and clog sewer and water pipes. Willow's main claim to fame is the bark, especially on twigs, contains salicin acid, when it comes in contact with your stomach acid, turns into salicylic acid aka aspirin. This is the original source of the wonder drug but be warned, this tea can also have all the bad effects of aspirin, including Reye's syndrome which can cause dangerous swelling in the brain and liver of children. Start with 1 teaspoon of bark boiled 10 minutes in 1 cup of water, let it cool to a safe temperature, then drink. Multiple cups of this through the day may be needed in severe cases. The inner bark (cambium layer) can be shredded and chopped then boiled into a porridge to obtain calories. The outer bark of young branches is shredded then made into a tea which contains the precursor of aspirin and will give all the medical benefits (and dangers) of aspirin. The best results are achieved using pencil-thick branches harvested in late winter before the leaves begin to bud. Willow branches are high in a chemical called Gibberellic acid which is a plant hormone responsible for triggering root growth. The rooting powder and solution purchased in stores to help propagate plant cuttings is this chemical. You can make your own rooting solution by grinding up willow twigs in a clean pencil sharpener then soaking these willow shavings in water (40% willow/60% water) for 5-7 weeks. When you want to propagate a plant via a cutting dip the cutting's stem in this willow solution first. Dried, shredded willow bark is often added to herbal smoking mixtures to give a heavier flavor more like that of true tobacco. 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: Galium aparine Abundance: plentiful What: seeds, leaves, stems How: seeds roasted for coffee, leaves/stems raw though better cooked; tea from stems & leaves Where: fields, yards, woods, sunny areas When: Fall, Winter, Spring Nutritional Value: Vitamin C Other uses: Dangers: They can be eaten raw but their tiny hairs irritate most people. Cooking them removes this problem. Medicinal Summary: Leaves/Stem - soothes minor skin inflammations; heals wounds, burns, poison ivy, bruises, dermatitis, and sprains; diuretic; anti-inflammatory; antibacterial; antifungal; immune system enhancer; soothes gastrointestinal and urinary tract inflammations; flushes kidney stones; laxative; antiviral; high in vitamin C (poultice, tisane, tincture) Leaf Arrangement: Galium aparine has whorled leaves, typically with 6 to 8 leaves per whorl around the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are narrow and lanceolate, resembling a lance tip in shape. Venation: This plant exhibits a pinnate venation pattern. Leaf Margin: The margins are entire, meaning they are smooth and unnotched. Leaf Color: The leaves are a bright green color. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and clustered, with typically four and sometimes five petals per flower. Flower Color: Flowers are usually white. Fruit: The fruit of Galium aparine is a small, dry, and covered in tiny, clinging hooks. Its is a schizocarp that splits into two seeds when ripe. Seeds: The seeds are small, round, and covered with tiny hooks or bristles. Stem: The stem is square-shaped, slender, and it has tiny hooks or bristles, which aid in climbing and clinging to other plants and objects. Hairs: The plant is covered in small hooks or bristles, which gives it a rough texture and enables it to stick to clothing and fur. Height: It typically grows to about 1 to 3 feet in height. A single strand of a Cleaver plant, ready to be steeped in hot water. Cleaver seedlings which can be eaten raw at this point. Young Cleavers past their raw edibility stage. A mass of mature Cleavers. Close-up of Cleaver leaves. Close-up of cleaver flower. Mature Cleavers. Cleaver seeds. Fresh Cleaver tea! 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. These common weeds pop up in late fall and by spring they form huge clumps of clingy, vine-like plants. In some circles cleaves are known as "backpacker colanders" as a large clump of them can be used as a field-expedient colander for straining pasta of rinsing berries. Cleavers are covered with tiny, stiff hooks which allow them to cling to most fabric and pet hair, leading to their other common name Velcro Weed. The leaves of very young Cleavers are rounded but as the plant matures the leaves grow long and slender. Mature stems are square with noticeable groves. Seeds are small, round, and very clingy! Cleavers are often used as a source of vitamin C in assorted bottled fruit juices and the same vitamin C benefits can be acquired from cleaver tea. Take fresh, green cleaver leaves and stems and chop them up before steeping in hot water for 10 minutes. The resulting tea will have a beautiful green color. Cleaver tea has a mild "green" taste which can be made more interesting by adding leaves, flowers, or bark of more flavorful plants. Only the youngest, smallest Cleavers can be eaten raw and they can't have developed any of their "stickiness" yet otherwise they'll stick to your throat when you try to swallow them. When still tiny and unstick they taste like peas. Slightly older Cleavers, while still tender, make a good boiled greens addition to your meal. Be sure to drink or somehow use the resultant broth as it's rich in vitamin C. If after boiling 10 minutes the Cleaver stems are still stiff/woody the plant is too old to eat but the broth will still be good to drink. Alternative names for this plant are bedstraw, Velcro-weed, sticky weed, and sticky Willie. 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.

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Remove thorns and needles from pads, then place the pads in ice water for 15 minutes; remove from water and slice pads.

Scientific name: Galium aparine Abundance: plentiful What: seeds, leaves, stems How: seeds roasted for coffee, leaves/stems raw though better cooked; tea from stems & leaves Where: fields, yards, woods, sunny areas When: Fall, Winter, Spring Nutritional Value: Vitamin C Other uses: Dangers: They can be eaten raw but their tiny hairs irritate most people. Cooking them removes this problem. Medicinal Summary: Leaves/Stem - soothes minor skin inflammations; heals wounds, burns, poison ivy, bruises, dermatitis, and sprains; diuretic; anti-inflammatory; antibacterial; antifungal; immune system enhancer; soothes gastrointestinal and urinary tract inflammations; flushes kidney stones; laxative; antiviral; high in vitamin C (poultice, tisane, tincture) Leaf Arrangement: Galium aparine has whorled leaves, typically with 6 to 8 leaves per whorl around the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are narrow and lanceolate, resembling a lance tip in shape. Venation: This plant exhibits a pinnate venation pattern. Leaf Margin: The margins are entire, meaning they are smooth and unnotched. Leaf Color: The leaves are a bright green color. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and clustered, with typically four and sometimes five petals per flower. Flower Color: Flowers are usually white. Fruit: The fruit of Galium aparine is a small, dry, and covered in tiny, clinging hooks. Its is a schizocarp that splits into two seeds when ripe. Seeds: The seeds are small, round, and covered with tiny hooks or bristles. Stem: The stem is square-shaped, slender, and it has tiny hooks or bristles, which aid in climbing and clinging to other plants and objects. Hairs: The plant is covered in small hooks or bristles, which gives it a rough texture and enables it to stick to clothing and fur. Height: It typically grows to about 1 to 3 feet in height. A single strand of a Cleaver plant, ready to be steeped in hot water. Cleaver seedlings which can be eaten raw at this point. Young Cleavers past their raw edibility stage. A mass of mature Cleavers. Close-up of Cleaver leaves. Close-up of cleaver flower. Mature Cleavers. Cleaver seeds. Fresh Cleaver tea! 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. These common weeds pop up in late fall and by spring they form huge clumps of clingy, vine-like plants. In some circles cleaves are known as "backpacker colanders" as a large clump of them can be used as a field-expedient colander for straining pasta of rinsing berries. Cleavers are covered with tiny, stiff hooks which allow them to cling to most fabric and pet hair, leading to their other common name Velcro Weed. The leaves of very young Cleavers are rounded but as the plant matures the leaves grow long and slender. Mature stems are square with noticeable groves. Seeds are small, round, and very clingy! Cleavers are often used as a source of vitamin C in assorted bottled fruit juices and the same vitamin C benefits can be acquired from cleaver tea. Take fresh, green cleaver leaves and stems and chop them up before steeping in hot water for 10 minutes. The resulting tea will have a beautiful green color. Cleaver tea has a mild "green" taste which can be made more interesting by adding leaves, flowers, or bark of more flavorful plants. Only the youngest, smallest Cleavers can be eaten raw and they can't have developed any of their "stickiness" yet otherwise they'll stick to your throat when you try to swallow them. When still tiny and unstick they taste like peas. Slightly older Cleavers, while still tender, make a good boiled greens addition to your meal. Be sure to drink or somehow use the resultant broth as it's rich in vitamin C. If after boiling 10 minutes the Cleaver stems are still stiff/woody the plant is too old to eat but the broth will still be good to drink. Alternative names for this plant are bedstraw, Velcro-weed, sticky weed, and sticky Willie. 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: Malva neglecta, Malva parviflora Abundance: common What: leaves, young shoots, roots How: raw, steamed, sauteed, tea. leaves and roots produce a thickening agent Where: sunny, fields, yards When: spring, summer, fall, winter Nutritional Value: very high in minerals, vitamins A & C, and protein. Medicinal Summary: Leaves - demulcent; laxative; slows sugar transfer from stomach to blood; soothes gastrointestinal inflammations (tisane, poultice) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are round to kidney-shaped, typically measuring about 1 to 2.5 inches in diameter. Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate, with several major veins radiating from a single point at the leaf base. Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are crenate to serrate (rounded to sharp). Leaf Color: The leaves are a deep green, often with a lighter shade on the underside. Flower Structure: The flowers are small, with five petals, and are borne in clusters in the leaf axils or at the stem tips. Each flower measures about 0.5 to 1 inch across. Flower Color: The flowers are usually pale pink with darker pink stripes. Fruit: The fruit is a round, flat, disk-like schizocarp, divided into segments (mericarps). Seed: Each segment of the fruit contains one seed, which is kidney-shaped and light brown. Stem: The stem is hairy and can be either erect or sprawling. Hairs: The plant has fine hairs covering the stems and leaves. Height: Malva neglecta typically grows to a height of 6 to 24 inches. Young Mallow sprouts. Mallow leaves and flowers. Close-up of the Malva neglecta flower and "cheese" seedpod. If not mowed, these mallows can become small bushes. 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. Don't mistake young toxic. Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens) for Mallow seedlings. Creeping Buttercup leaves have deeper clefts and a shinier, light-green color. If you aren't sure what you have, wait a few weeks to see how the plant grows. If it develops yellow flowers and sharply cleft leaves it's the toxic Creeping Buttercup. Young, toxic Creeping Buttercup. Mature, toxic Creeping Buttercup. Driving through Giddings, TX always excites me because that's where I start seeing Malva neglect. The coarse, hairy plant appears in forms ranging from small, scraggly yard weeds to thick, lush, large beds along country roads. Leaves will range in size from under one inch to over two inches across. The green, scalloped leaves quickly become unmistakable after a few encounters, allowing the forager to pick them out from quite a distance. Unless knocked back by a very hard frost these mallows will continue to grow all year long. They do seem to do a bit better in cooler months, however. The flowers of Malva neglecta are mainly white with pinkish or purplish stripes which can end up coloring the entire flower. After the flower comes the "cheese" which is a round seedpod. These seedpods are a good nibble when still green and tender. Later on when the pods turn hard and brown the seeds can be collected and eaten but they are quite small. These mallows are "superfoods" rich in vitamins, minerals and protein. It's mature leaves are rarely eaten fresh as they are stiff and rough and have a bland taste that is easy covered by others flavors. A popular way of consuming this plant is to dry it then crumble it into smoothies, soups, stews, or other foods with sauces. 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(s): Erythrina herbacea Abundance: uncommon What: flowers & young leaves How: cooked flowers and leaves; tea from young leaves Where: open fields and woodland clearings with sandy soil When: spring. Nutritional Value: antioxidants Dangers: plant must be cooked to remove toxins, do NOT eat the seeds or older, mature leaves. Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem. Leaf Shape: Compound leaves with three leaflets, each leaflet measuring approximately 3 to 6 inches in length. Leaf Color: Foliage is typically green. Flower Structure: Coral bean produces showy, tubular flowers arranged in clusters. Individual flowers are around 1.5 to 2 inches long. Flower Color: Flowers are typically bright red, coral pink, or occasionally white. Fruit (Seed): The fruit is a pod, green when young and maturing to reddish-brown, and around 4 to 6 inches long. Mature seeds are bright red. Bark: The bark is typically smooth and gray. Height: Coral bean plants can reach heights of 6 to 10 feet. Hairs: The plant may have sparse hairs on the stems and leaves. Thorns: Some varieties may have thorns on the branches. Growth Form: Coral bean has a shrub-like or small tree growth form. A young Coral Bean flowering in the spring woods. Coral Bean flowers in spring. Close-up of flowers. Coral Bean leaves, already too big to cook and eat. Coral Bean "beans", which are NOT edible. Dried seed pods from the previous year. 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. The bright red, tubular flowers of the coral bean bush make a distinctive addition to the Gulf Coast region spring colors. This leggy bush, if not subjected to a killing frost, can grow into a small, wide-crowned tree which is sometimes used in landscaping. Normally it is found as a clusters of bushes about four feet tall in open clearings of woods and occasionally in fields. It does best in sandy, well-drained soils such as those along rivers and stream but due to their preference for dry feet, they'll be back quite a way from the water's edge. If the winter was mild enough you are likely to find flowers, fresh green seedpods and old cracked-open seedpods on the same plant. The spade-shaped, compound leaves grown in groups of three and have the neat feature of always being turned toward the sun, a process which is called "phototropism". The only edible part of this plant are the red flowers and youngest leaves. Both parts must be boiled for 15 minutes to render them safe to eat. Cooking does shrink them the flowers and leaves down quite a bit so you'll want to harvest a lot...but never more than 10% of the flowers and new leaves so to insure the plant stays healthy and can reproduce. Stick to eating leaves 1.0-1.5 inches long, or smaller. The young leaves can also be boiled for a tea which some native tribes considered to be a general health tonic. The red beans can not be made safe to eat as they contain a poison similar to curare. In Mexico these seeds are used to poison pest animals such as rats. Hummingbirds love the sweet nectar found in the flowers and are immune to the coral bean toxins. While foragers and hummingbirds may like this shrub, many other land-owners find it to be a somewhat invasive nuisance. The plant produces many seeds which can cause it to quickly spread over an area, rendering it unfit for cattle or other domesticated animals. 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: Trifolium repens L. Abundance: common What: leaves, flowers, root How: leaves-raw or cooked before flowers appear; flowers-raw, cooked, dried for tea or flour, also smoked; root-dried then cooked Where: lawns, fields When: spring, summer, fall Nutritional Value: protein Danger: soon after picking white clover can form dangerous cyanide. Leaf Arrangement: Alternate; each leaf consists of three oval leaflets, each leaflet measuring about 0.5 to 1.5 inches long. Leaf Shape: Oval to egg-shaped leaflets with a slightly pointed tip. Venation: Pinnate, with a visible central vein on each leaflet. Margin: Smooth and entire. Leaf Color: Bright green, sometimes with a lighter or white crescent shape or V mark on each leaflet. Flower Structure: Clustered small flowers forming a round or oval head, each flower head measuring about 0.5 to 1 inch in diameter. Flower Color: Flowers are white. Fruit: A small pod, typically hidden within the calyx of the flower. Seeds: Each pod contains 1 to 4 seeds, tiny and yellow to orange-brown in color. Stem: Creeping, slender, and branched, rooting at the nodes. Hairs: Generally hairless, occasionally with sparse, fine hairs along edges of leaflets. Height: Spreads along the ground, rarely exceeding 6 inches in height. A patch of White Clover. Close-up of leaves and flower. Very close-up of White Clover flower. Clover leaves (right) are rounded while Wood Sorrel leaves (left) are heart-shaped. 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. Many homeowners wage chemical warfare on patches of white clover in their grass without ever realizing that this plant not only produces nitrogen necessary for healthy grass, it's also delicious and nutritious! Both fresh or dried clover flowers can seeped in hot water to make a fantastic, naturally sweet tea. The leaves and roots can be added to stews, soups and other simmered dishes for a boost of protein. I like adding it to tomato-based sauces whose acidity helps break down and "pre-digest" the protein, making it easier for human stomachs to digest it. The flowers and leaves must be used either within 30 minutes after picking or left to dry for 4-6 weeks. Soon after being picked the plant starts producing cyanide compounds and in an hour or less they can become dangerous to eat. If left to dry for 4-6 weeks these cyanides will disappear. For this reason one should NOT include clover when making sauerkraut, kimchi, or other fermented greens as the fermentation process doesn't interfere with the production of cyanide. Dried white clover flowers make a very pleasant tasting herbal smoke. 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(s): Verbascum thapsus Abundance: uncommon What: leaves, flowers How: both leaves and flowers as tea and smoked Where: dry, sunny areas When: summer, fall Nutritional Value: medicinal Other Uses: dried stalks used for fire drills, leaves used as lamp wicks, Dangers: fine hairs on leaves can be an irritant. Do not consume seeds. Medicinal Summary: Flowers/Leaves/Stems - improves respiratory issues and inflammations; anti-inflammatory; antimicrobial; expectorant; soothes earaches (tisane, tincture, infused oil, smoked) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in a rosette at the base in the first year, and alternately on the stem in the second year. Leaf Shape: The leaves are oblong to lanceolate, large, and can be up to 12 inches in length and 5 inches in width at the base, becoming smaller up the stem. Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with a prominent central vein and several smaller veins branching out to the leaf edges. Leaf Margin: The margins are entire, meaning they are smooth and not toothed. Leaf Color: The leaves are a soft, gray-green color due to a dense covering of fine hairs. Flower Structure: The 5-pointed flowers are small and densely packed in a tall, elongated spike at the top of the stem. Each flower is about 0.5 inches in diameter. Flower Color: The flowers are usually bright yellow. Fruit: The plant produces a small, round capsule as its fruit. Seed: The seeds are tiny, numerous, and brown. Stem: The stem is sturdy, erect, and can grow up to 2 to 8 feet tall. It is also covered in fine hairs. Hairs: The plant is characterized by a thick layer of woolly hairs on both the stems and leaves. Height: Verbascum thapsus typically reaches a height of 2 to 8 feet. 2nd-year Mullein plants. 2nd-year Mullein gone to flowering. 1st-year Mullein plant Close-up of flowers Close-up of leaves Mullein root. Dried mullein stalk. Close-up of dried mullein flowers/stalk. 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. Mullein tea is made from the leaves of a 1st-year plant and is considered a good cough suppressant. A similar tea can be made from the root after cleaning, peeling, and dicing. Although the leaves feel soft and fuzzy they do not make good "wild" toilet paper as the small hairs can get stuck in your skin which is very uncomfortable. The dried leaves were smoked to help with assorted head/chest sickness. The dried flowers have a pleasant flavor. Avoid consuming the seeds as they contain Rotenone, a poisonous material that is particularly bad for fish and other plants. 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: Dichondra carolinensis Abundance: plentiful What: leaves, stems How: raw (good in salads) Where: yards When: spring, summer, fall, winter Nutritional Value: Minerals Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of pony's foot are arranged alternately along the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are kidney-shaped to nearly circular, typically measuring about 0.5 to 1 inch across. Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate, with several veins radiating from the leaf base. Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are entire, meaning they are smooth without any serrations or lobes. Leaf Color: The leaves are a rich green color, often with a slightly lighter shade on the underside. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and typically borne singly on slender stalks that arise from the leaf axils. Flower Color: The flowers are usually white to greenish-white. Fruit: The plant produces a small capsule as its fruit. Seed: The seeds are tiny and contained within the capsule. Stem: The stems are thin, trailing or creeping, and can root at the nodes. Hairs: There may be fine hairs on the stems and the underside of the leaves. Height: Dichondra carolinensis is a ground cover plant and typically grows right against the ground. 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. Running rampant but usually unnoticed, young pony's foot is a bland green, best used to cut the bitterness of other wild greens. However, once it gets bigger than a dime it does start turning bitter itself. The leaves are connected to a stringy, tough runner. Remove them from this runner for a more enjoyable eating experience. They are pretty much available all year long, even surviving freezes. Being so plentiful, they are a very good "dilutant" for bitter greens such as dandelions, chicory, sow thistle, and wild lettuces. Some people confuse Pony's Foot with Dollarweed (Hydrocotyle species). The leaf of dollarweed is a complete circle whereas pony's foot is cleft, giving it the shape of a horse's hoof. Dollar weed on left, Pony's Foot on right. 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: Capsella bursa-pastoris Abundance: uncommon What: seeds, young leaves How: seeds raw, young leaves raw or cooked Where: sunny disturbed areas When: early spring through late winter Nutritional Value: minerals Medicinal Summary: Leaves/Stem/Flower - hemostatic; soothes gastrointestinal and urinary tract inflammations; anti-diarrheal; soothes bronchial passages (tisane, poultice) Leaf Arrangement: Alternate; leaves spaced evenly along the stem, but slightly offset, not directly opposite each other. Leaf Shape: Lyrate-pinnatifid; the lower leaves have large, rounded lobes on either side of the central stalk, resembling a lyre, while upper leaves become progressively smaller and less lobed, ultimately becoming lanceolate (long and narrow) near the flower clusters. Lower leaves typically 1-4 inches long and 1-2 inches wide, upper leaves smaller. Leaf Venation: Pinnate; veins branching off a central midvein in the lower leaves, becoming less distinct in the upper leaves. Leaf Margin: Lobe margins of lower leaves entire (smooth), upper leaves may have shallow teeth or be entire. Leaf Color: Green, sometimes with a slightly bluish or grayish tinge. Flower Structure: Small, white flowers with four petals, arranged in dense clusters at the tops of stems. Being Brassicaceae (mustards), the flowers have the four sepals and six stamens. Flower Color: White, sometimes tinged with green or pink. Fruit: Flat, triangular seed pods (silicles) about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and wide. Sillicles have a distinct notch at the tip and a prominent midvein. They turn green to light brown when mature. Seed: Numerous tiny, reddish-brown seeds within each silicle. Stem: Erect, slender, and sparsely branching. More than one stalk is possible. Hairs: Sparse to absent, with occasional fine hairs on stems and young leaves. Height: 4-24 inches. Shepherd's purse plant. Close-up of shepherd's purse seed stalk. Close-up of flowers. Basal rosette and roots. Basal rosette with one young stem. Close-up of leaves. Note their hairy surface. 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. Shepherd's Purse plants are common weeds of fields and recently disturbed areas. They can grow stalks up to two feet tall with the heart-shaped seed pods being ~1/2 inch apart and a cluster of small, white flowers at the very tip. Once found you will suddenly see many of them all around you. The seedpods are small, heart-shaped with a spicy/peppery taste. Eat the whole seed stalk while green or dry then crush the seeds. The leaves are also good but are usually fairly weatherbeaten and tattered. The roots can be cleaned then ground up into a horseradish paste but they are small so it'll take a lot of plants. The lobed leaves grow in a rosette form close to the ground. 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(s): Geranium carolinianum Abundance: common What: roots How: medicinal Where: yards, fields When: winter, spring Nutritional Value: none (not edible) Dangers: Carolina geraniums are NOT edible but are only used externally medicinally in wounds and gargles, do not swallow. Medicinal Summary: Root - astringent; antibacterial; anti-fungal; soothes sore throat/mouth; anti-diarrheal (poultice, powder, tisane) Whole plant - pain reliever, fever reducer, anti-inflammatory (tisane, tincture) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Geranium carolinianum are arranged in a basal rosette. This means the leaves primarily grow at the base of the plant, close to the ground. Leaf Shape: The leaves are deeply lobed, giving them a somewhat cut or dissected appearance. Each leaf typically has 5 to 7 lobes. Venation: The venation is palmate, meaning the veins radiate outward from a single point like the fingers on a hand. Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are crenate, meaning they have rounded teeth. Leaf Color: The leaves are generally green, but they may have a hint of red or purple, especially in cooler temperatures. Flower Structure: The flowers have five petals and are arranged in loose clusters. Each petal has a small, rounded notch at the tip. Individual flowers are about 1/5" across. Flower Color: The flowers are usually light purple to pink, sometimes with darker veins. Fruits: The fruit is a beaked capsule, which when mature, splits open to release seeds. The 'beak' of the capsule resembles a crane's bill, hence the common name 'Cranesbill.' Seeds: The seeds are small, oblong, and generally have a reticulated surface. Stems: The stems are erect to ascending, and can be hairy. They are typically green, but like the leaves, may have reddish to purplish tinges. Plant Height: This plant usually grows to a height of about 10 to 18 inches. Hairs: The stems and sometimes the leaves are covered in small hairs, which can give the plant a slightly fuzzy appearance. Carolina geranium seedling in December. Getting bigger. Note the lobed leaves with rounded teeth, and how the stems are hairy. Mature Carolina geraniums can spread over 24 inches across. Close-up of leaves. Carolina geranium flowers have five petals, each with a rounded notch at the tip. Close-up of Carolina geranium seed pods. 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. Many a yard, flowerbed and garden see this low, creeping weed show up in the Texas "winter". Left unpacked, it'll turn into a leggy, small bush around one foot tall and two feet across. The leaves are deeply lobed with rounded, toothed edges. Stems are hairy. The pink flowers eventually turn into a long, pointed seedpod thingy. The plant grows outwards from a single taproot and that taproot is the medicinal part that you'll want. The bigger the aboveground plant the bigger this root so put off harvesting it as long as possible. The root of Carolina geranium is very astringent which makes it excellent for stopping bleeding. Astringent compounds cause capillaries to constrict, thereby shutting down minor bleeding. If you're spraying arterial blood or have a deep slash through several medium-to-large veins you're out of luck. Think nosebleed level of bleeding or smaller. These astringent molecules will also give some relief to a sore throat if gargled but don't swallow the decoction made from the root. After a minute of swishing/gargling spit it out. Too use this root, simply pull it out of the ground and rub/rip away the small, side roots from the main taproot. You can use it fresh if you chop it up really finely then boil 1-2 teaspoons full in 1 cup water for ten minutes. My lawyer says I need to remind people to let this solution cool before using. Native Americans would dry the root, grind it into a fine powder, then sprinkle this powder into wounds to stop bleeding. Personally, I've never tried this powdered root method but hey, it might be good to know when the zombies come. Two mimics of this plant are the poisonous Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens) and edible Carolina Bristle Mallow (Modiola caroliniana). Poisonous mimic Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens). You can see the leaves of the creeping buttercup are much less deeply lobed, shinier, and smoother. The stems are smooth and the entire plant hugs the ground more closely than Carolina geraniums. Creeping buttercups contain a chemical that, when consumed, makes mammals hypersensitive to sunlight. Skin hit by sunlight almost immediately starts to blister...basically, creeping buttercups turn you into a redhead! Edible Carolina Bristle Mallow (Modiola caroliniana). Carolina bristle mallow has very coarse leaves and stems. It creeps along the ground and puts down roots wherever the stem touches the ground. It is used to make a cooling tea. 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(s): Lamium amplexicaule Abundance: common What: leaves, stem, and flowers How: raw, cooked, or tea Where: sunny yards, urban areas When: late fall, winter (in Houston), spring Nutritional Value: vitamins, iron, antioxidants Medicinal Summary: antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer/cytoprotective. Study: Lamium Plants—A Comprehensive Review on Health Benefits and Biological Activities Henbit Single Henbit plant. Close-up of top portion of Henbit before flowers appear. Close-up of top of Henbit when flowers are just beginning to appear. Close-up of Henbit flowers. They're really odd-looking. Closer close-up of Henbit flowers. 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. Clumps of henbit begin showing up yards in mid-winter. Rarely standing over 10" tall, it's spindly form, odd-shaped leaves, and small, purple tubular flowers make it very noticeable against the brown, dead winter grass. Looking closely will reveal the oppositely-placed leaves and square, hollow stem of the mint family. It likes yards and other open, sunny areas where it can grow dense mats. The whole plant is edible either raw or cooked though the stems can become stringy as the plant matures. It has a mild bitter/spinachy flavor. Chickens love this stuff so if you have backyard chickens start collecting Henbit from your neighbor's yard (after asking permission, of course). They'll love your chickens even more if you weed their yards. Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum) is often mistaken for Henbit. The leaves of edible Dead Nettle's have longer petioles and are thicker than those of Henbit. Dead Nettle stem and leaves. Close-up of Dead Nettle head. Medicinal Summary: Leaves/Flowers/Stems - antioxidant; anti-inflammatory; antimicrobial; antitumor; blood lipid reduction (tisane, tincture, poultice) 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.