Musk Mallow, Dainty and Elegant Yet Very Nutritious
With delicate pink flowers, you might not have guessed it, but the beautiful musk mallow plant (Malva moschata) is edible. In fact, all parts of this plant are edible and good for your health. This includes its roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds. This elegant perennial plant is native to the British Isles, mainland Europe, and […]
Lemon Balm, the Refreshing and Fragrant Herb
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb from the mint family. It’s native to the Mediterranean region and Central Asia, but it has been also naturalized in Europe, Asia, and America. The most distinctive feature of lemon balm is its refreshing fragrance that’s a mixture of citronella and mint. This plant typically grows up […]
Corn Salad, a Tasty and Nutritious Wild Edible
The inconspicuous corn salad plant (Valerianella locusta) was once considered a weed. It’s native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia where they can be found growing freely in grain fields. In fact, the name corn salad came from the fact that this plant usually grows as a weed in corn fields. But in the […]
Comfrey, Slightly Toxic but Holds So Many Health Benefits
With high nutrition contents, the common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is very popular among herbalists. This herb has exceptional medicinal properties. There’s a catch, though. This herb is slightly toxic. But its health benefits greatly outweigh its drawbacks. This plant is part of the borage family and it’s native to Europe. Comfrey grows in other places […]
Chervil, a Delicate and Versatile Spring Herb
Sometimes also called French parsley, chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is a mild herb that plays an important role in French and Mediterranean cuisines. This annual plant is native to Europe. This herb is closely related to parsley and the two herbs look very similar. But, chervil leaves tend to be smaller, frillier, and paler in color […]
Catmint, a Useful and Irresistible Herb
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in May 2019. Updated April 2022. As its name implies, the catmint plant can be irresistible for cats. This perennial herb is known to induce a mild euphoria in animals, especially cats. Catmint is part of the mint family and there are several species that are native […]
Bee Balm, Great for Bees and Humans Alike
The bee balm plant (Monarda didyma) is a perennial native to North America. This plant is especially common in the Eastern US and can be found growing in woodlands area and along stream banks. They typically grow up to around 2’ to 4’ tall and clump together in a cluster. Most people recognize this plant […]
Anise Hyssop, a Fragrant and Nutritious Herb
Commonly known as anise hyssop or simply Agastache (Agastache foeniculum), this perennial herb is part of the mint family. It’s a native from northern America and north-central America. This plant has striking lavender-like flowers which start blooming in the early summer. These flowers are what made them a popular favorite for both bees and gardeners. […]
Perilla, a Delicious and Nutritious Asian Edible
Commonly seen as an invasive weed in the Western world, perilla (Perilla frutescens) is actually a prized herb hailing from Asia. It’s native to mountainous areas in Southeast Asia and India and is widely cultivated in East Asia as a popular crop. As a hardy and self-sowing plant, it can be found in just about […]
Borage, the Lovely and Tasty Starflower
The Borage herb (Borago officinalis) is a Mediterranean native that is also commonly found in different parts of Europe and in the UK. Borage can typically grow to be 2’ to 3’. Many people can recognize this herb from its beautiful star-shaped flowers. They are typically blue, but white and pink variants also exist. As […]
Pawpaw Fruits, A Tropical Fruit in Temperate Climates
Pawpaw trees Pawpaw trees(Asimina triloba) are unique because most of their closest relatives are tropical species, but these trees are not. Pawpaw trees are native to temperate climates of eastern and central United States and southern Canada. This USDA map shows their range in the U.S. and Canada. Pawpaw trees are in the same plant family as tropical […]
Dogwood Tree – Beautiful Flowers, Unique Fruits
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in January 2017. Updated April 2022. Dogwood trees are a collection of tree species that belong to the dogwood genus ‘Cornus’. This Genus consists of approximately 30-60 mostly woody shrubs, some of which form small trees. The dogwood tree is an extremely common ornamental garden plant as it […]
Hawthorn, an Ornamental Tree With Edible Fruit
Washington hawthorn tree (Crataegus phaenopyrum) is a common ornamental landscape tree in the Eastern and Central United States. The genus Crataegus is a large genus including many species referred to as hawthorn tree, hawthorn apple thornapple, maytree, whitethorn and hawberry. Although this article focuses on the washington hawthorn tree the information here applies to many other species in the […]
Spruce – Surprisingly Edible Abundant Evergreen Tree
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in June 2014. Updated April 2022. Spruce trees (Genus: Picea) are a very abundant tree across the globe, especially in northern areas. In the United States, a common non-native species is the Norway Spruce (Picea Abies), and two of our native American species are White Spruce (Picea glauca) […]
Multiflora Rose, An Invasive But Nutritious Wild Edible
Roses are one of the most popular plants known to mankind. Their history as a cultivated plant goes back at least 5000 years. The Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora), also known as Japanese Rose is a native Asian rose that has become invasive in many parts of the United States and Canada. The edibility and medicinal […]
Eastern White Pine, An Effective Remedy For The Common Cold
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) is a common native forest and landscape tree in the eastern half of the United States. The Pines (Genus: Pinus) are a prolific genus of trees and shrubs including slightly more than 100 species. This particular species is a long lived tree, some exceptional specimens have been estimated to be […]
What Is The Opposite Of “Conifer” ANSWER
This is page 2 of a 2 page article for page 1 click HERE First of all if you said there is no answer your right. There is no opposite of a type of organism. Cat is not the opposite of dog, and apple is not the opposite of banana but…We all know what this […]
Canadian Hemlock, A Hot Winter Tea
Canadian Hemlock(Tsuga canadensis), also known as Eastern Hemlock is a large forest tree native to North Eastern United States and parts of Canada. There are other species in the same genus that grow in the western part of the continent, this article generally applies to those species as well. Canadian Hemlock is an evergreen tree […]
Japanese Barberry, Invasive Winter Fruit
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is an invasive shrub in eastern United States. It can grow in dense forest shade and is not typically eaten by dear. It is commonly used as a landscape plant and a few varieties have been developed for that purpose. Efforts are under way to prevent the species and all its […]
Linden Tree – Abundant Edible Leaves and Flowers
If you can’t find a Linden Tree in the wild you can purchase seeds here: American Linden (Tilia americana) – 40 seeds Little Leaf Linden (Tilia cordata) – 40 seeds The American Linden Tree (Tilia americana) is a New England Native Tree that also goes by the name Basswood Tree. This article also applies to many other […]