When you’re foraging, something that looks like a plain old weed can actually be filled with enough nutrients to save a life—as Katniss learned in District 12. Here is a list of some of some of the most popular plants that Katniss may have used to show her resilience and her wild nature—and to save her life in the arena. But be careful: If you’re not sure something’s edible, don’t eat it! Remember Peeta with those berries? Barberries: The common barberry, not to be confused with the Japanese barberry, is a thorny shrub that grows in hedgerows and edges of fields and forests across much of the northern United States. It’s most easily spotted in the spring when clusters of yellow flowers develop. The fruits of the common barberry hang in drooping clusters and ripen in mid-autumn and remain on the branches through the winter. The fruits are edible and can be used to make jelly. Burdock: Burdock is a biennial herb in the sunflower family that was brought to America by Europeans, who got it from Asia, where it has always been valued as food. During its first year, it develops a basal rosette of leaves that are large and fuzzy and continues to grow through the winter. This is the time to dig up the roots. Cattails: Cattails are common in most wetlands and in late spring the flower buds begin to develop. You will notice first a slight swelling at the top of a central stalk. Feel with your fingers to determine if it is mature enough to harvest. If so, pull the top leaves back to reveal the greenish flower spikes, which are edible. As the flower buds mature, the male flower—the one on the top—begins to turn yellow. When you tap the spike and see the pollen being dispersed, you know it is ready to collect. Put a plastic bag around the spike and strip the pollen from the stalk. The pollen can then be added to cornmeal or flower for bread. Once it has turned brown, it’s past its peak. Eventually the male flowers dry up and drop off, leaving only the female spike. Chickweed: Chickweed is an annual that germinates in the fall and grows through the winter. Look for the patches of green in your lawn to locate it. The young plants have slender, sprawling stems with paired leaves that are small, less than one inch long. The tops can be trimmed off until the spring when it finally blooms and goes to seed. Chickweed can be eaten raw or added to salads and herb spreads. Chicory: When chicory is young, the basal leaves look very much like a dandelion with deep lobes on some plants and slightly lobed on others, but when it blooms chicory produces beautiful blue flowers. It sends up a stiff flower stalk that produces blue rays that are square at the top with fringes. By midday the flowers have closed up and will be replaced with new flowers the next day. Chicory is a perennial, so once you have located it you can return in the fall and winter to dig up the white, fleshy taproots. Chokeberries: Chokeberries are small trees in the eastern United States. There is a red and a black chokeberry. Red chokeberry is common along waterways and in low, wet areas. The fruits turn bright red when ripe in late fall and remain through the winter. The fruits of the black chokeberry are black. The fruits are rather dry and get caught in the throat when eaten raw, giving them the name chokeberry. Corn Salad: Corn salad is a low-growing annual herb in the valerian family that waits until after the weather has cooled off to germinate. It often grows in the shade of other plants along the edges of ditches, canals, or damp areas throughout the winter. The basal leaves are small with smooth margins and rounded tips. As soon as the weather starts to get warm, a flower stalk arises with small, white or pale blue flowers in flat-topped clusters surrounded by leafy bracts. The young leaves can be eaten raw and added to salads. Dandelions: Dandelions start blooming early, with flower heads appearing randomly in lawns. This is the time to start looking for the buds located in the center of the rosette. Flower buds and flowers are edible. But the best flowers are when you see a profusion of yellow flower heads covering the lawns, growing out of the sidewalks, or popping up in landscaped gardens. These are the sweetest. As the season progresses, the flowers tend to get bitter as do the leaves. Duck Potatoes: Also referred to as arrowheads or wapato, duck potatoes are distributed throughout the United States. Not all species have arrowhead-shaped leaves. Some have linear or lance-shaped leaves that emerge from the roots in shallow water. The flower stalk arises from the same root system with no apparent leaves. Flowers with three white petals grow in whorls of three on the stalk and are followed by a greenish ball also in whorls of three. Roots extend out from the base of the plant, sometimes up to two feet, with tubers that develop on the ends. The tubers look and taste very much like potatoes and can be steamed or fried as you would potatoes. Elder: Elder is a native shrub with representatives throughout the United States. The most common one in the eastern United States is common elder. Another elder, the red-berried elder, is considered poisonous so check before you eat. Common elder grows along ditches, stream banks, hedgerows, and edges of swamps and blooms in the later part of spring with an abundance of large, white, flat-topped clusters of flowers. Finding elder is easy. The large, white flowers can be spotted from the car while driving down the road. Once the flower heads have filled out, use pruning scissors to snip off the tops. Elder flowers are edible, either dipped in batter and fried or infused in water for a tea. They can also be dried and used later to make tea. Evening Primrose: Evening primrose is a biennial that comes up from seed in late summer or early fall and forms a basal rosette of leaves that are often speckled with red spots and remain green through the winter. A white, starchy taproot develops underground and can be dug anytime through the winter as long as the ground is not frozen. Roots can be used as a cooked vegetable or with other vegetables. Groundnuts: Groundnuts are members of the pea family that have bean-like vines with compound leaves. Look for them along the sunny edges of waterways, climbing up trees and shrubs along the banks. In midsummer they develop clusters of maroon-colored blossoms that are followed by pods containing edible beans that look and taste like garden peas. Heal-all: Found growing along damp, woodland trails year round, heal-all has small, almost triangular leaves that develop through the winter. The surfaces of the leaves have small bumps that can be felt when you rub your fingers across them. In the spring a flower stalk develops. The stem leaves are paired, oval-shaped, and are larger than the basal leaves. The purple, snapdragon-like flowers are about one-half inch long and form a dense spike at the top of the stem. After the plant has bloomed, the seed stalk will dry on the plant, making it easy to identify in the fall and winter. Horse Balm and Bee Balm: Horse balm and bee balm are members of the mint family that bloom in late summer with a scent that resembles thyme. Horse balm has yellowish, purple-dotted flowers that grow in whorls in the upper leaf axils with white or pale purple bracts at their base. It grows in dry, sandy soil along the coastal plain and on the prairies of the Midwest. Bee balm has bright red, tubular flowers and grows in moist soil along streams. Life Everlasting: Life everlasting blooms later in the summer and looks like a lot of other plants blooming at that time. The scent is the trademark. It’s unlike any other. The leaves are several inches long and feel woolly to the touch with whitish hairs underneath. The flowers are white, cotton-like and fragrant, as are the leaves. It grows in dry clearings, fields, and edges of woods throughout the eastern United States. Lilies: Familiar members of the lily family include several species of wild onions and garlic, sometimes collectively referred to as onion grass because of their grass-like leaves and strong onion scent. The emerging young leaves are edible raw or added to cooked vegetables or soups. The bulbs can be used as a substitute for onions and garlic. Mesquite: In the southwest is the mesquite, a small tree in the pea family that grows along streams and in areas where the water table is relatively high, from southern Kansas to southeastern California. Look for the spikes of greenish-yellow flowers in the early spring, followed by pods that become brittle and brown when fully ripe, usually in the fall. Gather the pods when they are mature and make a flour by grinding the pods to make into cakes or mush. The seeds are hard and should be discarded. Milkweed: Milkweed is a perennial and in the spring sends up new shoots that are edible. Flower buds begin developing in midsummer and soon open into fragrant, pinkish-colored flowers. A pod-like fruit with a rough surface soon follows. Flower buds, flowers, and young pods are all edible after preparing by boiling for one minute, pouring the water off, and boiling a second time, after which you can strain and use as a cooked vegetable. All parts of the milkweed are poisonous when raw so be careful. Mulberries: Mulberries are medium-sized trees with fruits that look like blackberries. All are edible but some have more flavor than others. White mulberries are mostly bland tasting while red or black berries are sweet. Mustards: Members of the mustard family have flower buds that look like miniature versions of cultivated broccoli. When the flower buds open, the four petals form a cross, giving them the generic name of crucifers. The colors vary from white and yellow to pink and purple. All mustards are edible and have a spicy odor and taste, some more than others. Almost all of them are palatable in some form. Flower buds and flowers are edible, either raw or cooked. Nettles: Stinging nettle has square stems that are covered with stinging hairs. Leaves are opposite and have toothed margins, coming to a point at the tip. They also have spines that are like miniature hypodermic needles that inject several chemicals, including histamine, that cause the stinging sensation. Nettles can be safely eaten after boiling them in water for two minutes. Nutgrass: Nutgrass is recognized by its umbrella-like flower head with grass-like leaves radiating out from under the flowering rays. Flower stalks have edges, a triangular stem, as is characteristic of many of the sedges. The tubers are somewhat nutty tasting and can be dug any time the ground is not frozen. They can be eaten raw, roasted, or cooked as a vegetable. Oxeye Daisy: Oxeye daisy flowers look like large chamomile flowers and taste very similar in a tea. The dark green leaves with deep lobes form a rosette of basal leaves and continue up the flower stalk, getting smaller as they near the top where the large, white flower, up to two inches wide, is located. The petals are white with a yellow center that has a depression in the middle. They can be found in fields, pastures, and roadsides. Patridgeberry: Partridgeberry is a trailing, evergreen vine in the bedstraw family. The woody stems have paired, roundish leaves about a half-inch long and often with white veins. White, tubular flowers with four petals appear in June and July, covering the forest floor with a white carpet. Partridgeberries are edible and ripen in the late fall, often remaining on the vine through the winter. Although they are lacking in taste, they make a colorful addition to fruit salads and make a pleasant nibble while hiking in the woods. Pokeweed: Pokeweed is a tall, perennial herb with oval-shaped leaves and a thick stem that turns red as summer progresses. Fruits develop in late summer or early fall and turn purplish-black. Poke must be cooked before eating. Purslane: Purslane is a low-growing, succulent herb that waits until after the last frost to emerge, which is usually late spring. Leaves are rounded at the top and may be either alternate or opposite. These can be trimmed and the plant will continue to grow and sprawl out in different directions. The trimmings can be added raw to salads, soups, or as a cooked green. Small, yellow flowers appear in midsummer followed by black seeds. Leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds are all edible. Rock Tripe: Rock tripe is a foliose lichen that grows on rocks in open woods from the arctic south to the northern United States and in the mountains south to Georgia. The top surface is gray to olive-brown while the underside is black. It is attached near the center and expands outward very slowly, forming a circular shape as it grows. After a rain, while it is wet, it feels leathery and smooth. As it dries, it becomes brittle. Rock tripe can be gathered by tearing off pieces, leaving the center attached so it will continue to grow. Rock tripe is edible and can be added to soups. Serviceberries: Serviceberries are one of the first trees to bloom in the understory of the forest in the spring before the leaves have come out. They are easily spotted at that time of the year when the tree is covered with white flowers. Members of the rose family, the flowers have five petals and are about an inch wide. About a month after the tree has bloomed, the fruits begin to ripen. They are best when they turn a deep red or purplish color. The fruits are mildly juicy and have a slight, almond-like flavor. Spicebush: Spicebush is a shrub that grows in shady areas, sometimes bordering streams, where the soil is moist. The leaves are oval and simple, so simple they are often overlooked. In the early spring it produces small, yellow flowers on the branches. The twigs are distinctive with a spicy aroma when scratched and sniffed. This is the part used to make tea. Strawberries: Wild strawberries look like strawberries, except they are much smaller. What they lack in size they make up for in taste. They are usually found in light areas within the forest or along its edges. A member of the rose family, strawberries have flowers with five white petals in the early spring. Sweet Birch: Sweet birch grows in cool, moist upland forests with smooth, dark brown bark. Leaves are doubly-toothed and come to a sharp point at the tip. The cone-like fruit is small and brown and contains two-winged nutlets. The twigs and branches of sweet birch, when scratched or broken, smell like wintergreen and can be made into a tea. Sweet Goldenrod: This is a goldenrod that can be distinguished from all other goldenrods by its taste, which is a sweet, anise-like flavor. The leaves are from 1–4 long and narrow, with smooth edges. About midsummer the yellow clusters of flowers appear along one side of arching branches. Look for it in dry fields and open woods in the eastern United States. Thistle: Thistles are biennials in the sunflower family. Fleshy roots of some species are edible, although somewhat bitter. Early in the spring of the second year, a flower stalk develops. The best time to harvest it is just before the flower bud opens. It can be eaten raw as a celery substitute or cooked as a vegetable. Toyon Berries: The toyon berry is in the rose family and is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is limited in its range to lower elevations from northern to southern California. It blooms in the summer with white flowers followed by the fruit which look like little apples and ripen in the winter. The berries can be eaten raw but can also be dried and ground into flour, steeped in hot water for tea, or made into pies or jellies. Violets: Violets are familiar weeds for most people. They come up in lawns, in the forest, along stream banks, and just about every place where people go. Some have blue flowers, others have white, and one has yellow—this is the one you don’t eat. Violet flowers taste mildly sweet. They can be eaten raw, infused in water for a flower tea or candied and made into jams, jellies, and syrups. Wintergreen: Wintergreen is in the heath family, along with blueberries and cranberries. It is a low-lying, evergreen herb that grows in acid woodlands from Newfoundland to Manitoba and south to Georgia and Alabama. It spreads on the forest floor with horizontal rhizomes just beneath the surface. The leaves contain compounds that add a wintergreen flavor to tea. Look for the little black, resinous dots under the leaves for positive identification. Yampa: Yampa is one of eight species and a member of the carrot family that is found throughout the west. Like other members of the carrot family, it has flat-topped clusters of small, white flowers. The narrow leaves look like stems and arise from clusters of edible roots. The time to gather them is in the fall after the plant has gone to seed. The roots should be washed and peeled before using as a cooked vegetable. They can also be dried and ground as a flour. Yucca: Yucca is in the agave family and is easily recognized by its sharp-pointed, dagger-like leaves that form a rosette. In the late spring and early summer, a flower stalk rises from the center and produces large, white, bell-shaped flowers at the top. The young flower stalks of yucca are edible when they’re about a foot tall. They resemble asparagus at this stage. Some taste better than others, even when growing side by side. Do the taste test before including them in a recipe. Yucca flowers are also edible. The reproductive parts in the center are bitter and should be removed. Flowers can be eaten raw or cooked with other vegetables.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 04:25:15 +0000