Foraging in east texas

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…

What can you find right now? Here are a few easy to find wild edibles. Curly Dock, Rumex crispus, is loving the cooler weather! Now is a great time to pick and dehydrate for the winter. Curly Dock is a rhubarb relative in the Buckwheat family. It is high in beta-carotine, vitamin C and zinc. It was a popular edible during the Great Depression. Occasionally one will show up in my garden and it does so much better than my other vegetables! Wood Sorrel, very lemony and great for sauces…

Did you know there are dozens of wild herbs you can forage? Find out the best herbs to find growing wild throughout the year.

There are a few frontiers left in th' world today, and th' world of plants is one of them. Even right here in my hometown, there are multitudes of plants that we are still learning about, and many of which we know absolutely nothing. We recently traveled to my homeland of East Texas, and though i spent my childhood here, i've been gone long enough for it to seem like we had entered into a new frontier. From both a cultural and climatic point of view, we might as well have been in a foreign…

Your mother probably taught you to never eat anything you found outside, and rightly so for your health. She probably never told you about the yummy, healthy plants that are edible in the wild, either.

There's a theory that the tastiest things need the best defenses. If you've ever stepped on or brushed by a bull thistle, you've experienced their robust defense system. What on earth are they hiding behind

Edible weeds are all around us, and they are often medicinal too. Here are 12 easy to forage for, wild-growing, strong, and nutritious weeds!

Scientific name: Oxalis species Abundance: plentiful What: leaves, flowers, seedpods, tubers How: salad, seasoning Where: shady undergrowth When: spring, summer, fall, winter Nutritional Value: Vitamins A & C Dangers: Contains some oxalic acid, limit consumption to a handful per day. Medicinal Summary Leaves, Flowers, Stems - fever reducer; diuretic; relieves indigestion (tisane, tincture) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Oxalis species are typically arranged alternately along the stem…

Scientific name: Callicarpa americana, Callicarpa japonica Abundance: Plentiful What: ripe berries How: raw, preserves Where: woods When: late summer, fall Nutritional Value: minor amounts of vitamins and carbohydrates Other uses: Recent studies indicate beauty berry leaves contain several very strong mosquito repellent molecules. Toxicity of these molecules still needs to be determined. Dangers: Some people have reported stomach upset after eating beauty berries. Limit yourself to small…