Chufa (Nut Grass), Sweet, Nutty and Nutritious Tubers

Chufa (Cyperus esculentus), is an annual sedge found throughout most of the world. Originally thought to be native to Africa, southern Europe and western Asia, it has now spread quite prolifically throughout the other continents. It is known by a number of other commonly used names such as nut grass, yellow nutsedge and water grass, […]

Hazelnuts, A Wild Favorite for Many Foragers

Hazelnuts (Corylus spp.) are the familiar produce of the hazel shrub. A deciduous plant that is native to southeast Canada and the Eastern US states. Two species can be found here, those being the beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) and the American hazelnut (Corylus americana). The latter has the widest range, reaching across the midwestern states […]

Day Flower, A Dainty and Overlooked Wild Edible

Day flowers (Commelina spp.), are a group of flowering plants that inhabit all corners of the world, from Australia to Africa. The most prolific species are the Asiatic day flower (Commelina communis) and Benghal day flower (Commelina benghalensis). Both are originally native to wide areas of Asia, particularly China and India, however they have become […]

Spring Beauty, Dainty Flowers and a Tasty Potato Alternative

Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica), or eastern spring beauty as its commonly called, is a small perennial plant native to the northeastern states. As its name suggests, it is an attractive and delicate plant bearing white flowers with streaks of magenta. Other delightful names include eastern spring-beauty, fairy spud and grass-flower. You’ll find them growing mainly […]

Ox-eye daisy, Simple Beauty with Edible Leaves and Flowers

Ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) are a species of flowering perennials that grow throughout the world. They are originally native to Europe and some areas of Asia with a cooler climate, however you’ll now find them growing prolifically in North America. They are also commonly known by the names dog daisy, field daisy and also moon […]

Thistle, Nutritious and Beautiful on the Inside

Thistles (Cirsium spp.), are a diverse group of plants, noted for their spiky and impenetrable exteriors. There are species native to each continent, and no matter where they grow, they are almost always treated as weeds. You may be surprised to learn that under that intimidating exterior lies a nutritious wild edible. In North America […]

Chicory, a Tasty Potherb and Coffee Alternative

Chicory (Cichorium intybus), is a small perennial herb originally native to Europe. Due to farming, and it being used within animal feed, chicory can now be found throughout the world. It is particularly abundant in north America and China. It has a range of old and local names including, blue daisy, blue weed and horseweed. […]

Lamb’s Quarters, Easy to Forage Leafy Green

Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album), is a fast spreading weed found throughout the world. It is originally thought to be a native of Europe and parts of Eastern Asia. In many areas, particularly India it is cultivated as a food crop, meaning it likely spread via trade and colonisation. Other common names include melde and white […]

Shepherd’s Purse, a Bountiful Potherb with Mild and Peppery Flavor

Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its name has been influenced by the shape of the small edible seedpods, which resemble old coin holders used by medieval shepherds. They are native to eastern Europe, particularly Turkey, and also large parts of western Asia. Due to their popularity as a […]

Wild Mustard, an Abundant Edible with Delicious Spice

Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis) is a species of plant that belongs to the broad, mustard family (Brassicaceae). This family contains a huge number of species, exceeding well over 4000, another wild edible included in this family is winter cress. Other notable members include a high number of commercially farmed plants, including broccoli, kale and cabbage. […]

Huckleberry, Nutritious Fruits That Deserve the Spotlight Once Again

Huckleberry (Vaccinium and Gaylussacia) are a group of fruiting trees and shrubs that belong to the heather family Ericaceae. The family contains a wide variety of huckleberry species native to each corner of the US. Some members of this family contain other well-known berries. Including cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), and lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), all […]

Bunchberry, a Beautiful and Valuable Wild Edible

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), or also known as creeping dogwood, is a perennial flowering subshrub species. This plant is native to East Asia, Russia, Northern USA, and Canada. Unlike its other relatives, bunchberry is a creeping plant that only grows to about 8” tall at most. In some parts of the world, this plant is considered […]

Giant Puffball Mushroom, a Soft and Tasty Delicacy

Giant puffball mushroom (Calvatia gigantea)

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in September 2019. Updated April 2022. Puffball is a name often given to mushroom species with a rounded shape. But, in this article, we’ll focus on one specific puffball, the giant puffball mushroom (Calvatia gigantea). As its name suggests, this wild edible mushroom can grow up to a […]

Redroot Pigweed, a Humble and Underrated Wild Edible

Redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus)

Redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus), also known as pigweed amaranth, is a common summer annual herb. This plant is native to the tropical Americas, but it has been introduced to also every continent in the world. In the US, this plant is mainly used as livestock fodder, especially for hogs and pigs, hence its name. Other […]

Sourwood Tree, Gorgeous Foliage and Tasty Flowers

Sourwood Tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) in the fall

Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) is a small deciduous tree that’s native to eastern North America. This tree is especially common in Southeastern US. You can find them growing in oak-heath forests, near riverbanks, and along roadsides. This tree can easily be identified by their lush dark green foliage which turns a striking fiery red in […]

Wild Cucumber, Inedible Fruits but Great for Making Tea

Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata)

Wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) is an annual vine plant that belongs to the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). Wild cucumber is native to North America. It’s well known for its prickly fruits, hence its other name, prickly cucumber.  Also, did you know? There’s another plant that’s also called wild cucumber. The plant’s scientific name is Cucumis anguria. […]

Wild Cucumber, a Hairy and Prickly Gherkin Cucumber

Wild Cucumber Plant (Cucumis anguria)

Wild cucumber (Cucumis anguria), or more commonly known as West Indian gherkin, is a vine that belongs to the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). This plant is native to Africa but it has naturalized all throughout the globe, including in America. Even though it’s not a garden cucumber (Cucumis sativus), this plant’s small and roundish fruits look […]

Juneberry, Tasty and Nutritious Native Fruits

Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Juneberry (Amelanchier), also known as saskatoon, serviceberry, or wild-plum, is a genus comprised of more than 20 species of deciduous shrubs. It belongs in the Rosacea family, meaning that it’s related to roses. Most juneberry tree species are native to North America. In fact, almost every US state has a native juneberry tree species. These […]

Chickweed, a Delicious and Nutritious Weed

Chickweed (Stellaria Media) Whole Plant

Chickweed is a common winter annual plant that grows all over Asia,  Europe, and North America. The name chickweed itself actually doesn’t only apply to one particular plant. There are two species under the name this name, Stellaria media and Cerastium fontanum. The former is considered as the true chickweed while the latter is more […]

Ground Ivy, an Aromatic, Evergreen Wild Edible

Field of Ground Ivy (Glechoma Hederacea)

Despite its name, ground ivy (Glechoma Hederacea) is actually not related to the true ivy. Instead, it’s actually a member of the mint family. This aromatic, evergreen plant grows perennially is many parts of the world. Native to Europe and Western Asia, it was carried over to North America by the settlers.  In North America, […]