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.
This wildflower is a Texas Bluebonnet. Photo taken in Ellis County, Texas on April 16, 2010. I took a lot of close-ups of these but chose this one to post because of the way the light is shining through the flower.
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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.
One of the most memorable things about Texas are the bluebonnets, we made a fun project and read a local legend about the Bluebonnet.
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Hummingbird bush (Flame Acanthus) is a Texas native plant that hummingbirds and butterflies love. Profuse bloomer from summer to frost.
