Prunus maritima – Beach Plum
Beach plum (Prunus maritima) is a native plant with edible fruit. It is often found in dunes. It prefers full sun and has a high salt tolerance. Beach plums are shrubs that typically grow 4-8 feet tall. They produce five-petaled white flowers in spring. The leaves are alternate and finely toothed. The fruits are much […]
Xerocomus illudens
Xerocomus illudens is an edible bolete that fruits July-October. It forms mycorrhizal relationships with oaks and possibly other hardwoods. The cap is cinnamon-brown or pinkish-cinnamon colored. The pores are lemon yellow and angular. The flesh is pale yellow and does not stain blue. The stem is mustard-yellow and has a course net. Spore print is […]
Asparagus officinalis – Wild Asparagus
Wild Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is the same species as cultivated asparagus. The plant has escaped cultivation and can now be found growing in riverbanks and seashores that receive full to partial sun. Being a perennial, the plant will re-grow in the same spot year after year. Shoots that look like store-bought asparagus appear in early […]
Macrolepiota procera – Parasol Mushroom
The Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) is an edible mushroom that fruits August-October. It can be found in open woodlands near conifers or hardwoods or on lawns. The parasol mushroom is saprobic. The cap has scattered brown scales and develops a rounded bump on the center. The stem is slender, tall, and bulbous at the base. […]
Rosa rugosa – Beach Rose
Beach rose (Rosa rugosa) is an invasive plant from Asia that was brought to the U.S. as an ornamental. It is salt tolerant so is often found near beaches. Beach roses have wrinkled, compound leaves with 5-9 leaflets. The canes have short, straight prickles. In late summer, flowers turn into rose hips that resemble tomatoes. […]
Commelina communis – Asiatic Dayflower
Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis) is a non-native annual that can be found in disturbed areas in partial shade. It has the ability to spread quickly, forming dense clusters. The plant can be identified by its unique flower. The flower consists of two larger blue petals on top and a smaller white petal underneath. Flowers last […]
Sarcodon imbricatus – Scaly Hedgehog
The Scaly Hedgehog (Sarcodon imbricatus) is an edible, but often bitter mushroom that can be found July-November. It grows in the ground near water or in hilly areas. The mushroom is often found growing near conifers, especially spruce. The scaly hedgehog, also known as “Hawk’s wing”, has raised brownish scales on its cap. Under the […]
Rubus allegheniensis – Common Blackberry
Common Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) is a native perennial with edible berries and leaves. It can be found along forest edges and fields in sun or partial shade. Blackberry canes can be identified by their ridged stems and wide, curved prickles. Leaves are compound with 3 to 7 leaflets. Flowers with five white petals appear in […]
Baorangia bicolor – Bicolor Bolete
Bicolor Bolete (Baorangia bicolor) is an edible mushroom that can be found from June-October. It has a mycorrhizal relationship with oak and other hardwood trees. Bicolor boletes grow in the ground scattered or in small clusters. The cap is pinkish to dark red. Occasionally young mushrooms will have a yellow cap. The pore surface is […]
Clinopodium vulgare – Wild Basil
Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgare) is a native edible perennial in the mint family. It can be found at the edge of forests and in meadows. The leaves are opposite and often have wavy edges. The plant is softly hairy. The stem is four-sided. Flowers are composed of five petals and range in color from pink […]
Viburnum lantanoides – Hobblebush
Hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides) is a native shrub with edible berries. It can be found in rich, moist woodlands. The plant is very shade tolerant. Hobblebush grows particularly well along the Adirondacks where it can form dense patches. The plant produces clusters of flat-topped white flowers in the spring. Flowers become red berries that eventually ripen […]
Rubus strigosus – Wild Red Raspberry
Wild red raspberry (Rubus strigosus) is a native plant that is closely related to cultivated raspberries (Rubus idaeus). Red raspberries can be found at the edges of woods, fields, and roadsides. The leaves are divided into 3-7 leaflets which have a green upper surface and silvery-white undersurface. Berries ripen mid-to-late summer. Red raspberries are delicious […]
Lactifluus hygrophoroides – Hygrophorus Milk Cap
Hygrophorus milk cap (Lactifluus hygrophoroides) is an edible mushroom that can be found in the eastern United States. It fruits late summer to early fall. The Hygrophorus milk cap forms mycorrhizal relationships with oaks and potentially other hardwoods. It grows singularly on the ground near its host tree. The cap is pale orange to reddish-brown […]
Phylloporus rhodoxanthus – Gilled Bolete
The Gilled Bolete (Phylloporus rhodoxanthus) is an edible mushroom that can be found June-October. It is mycorrhizal with beech and oak. Phylloporus rhodoxanthus is the most common gilled bolete mushroom in North America. There are 6+ species of gilled boletes in North America. The gilled boletes have a bolete-like shape with a thick cap and […]
Craterellus ignicolor – Flame Chanterelle
Flame Chanterelle (Craterellus ignicolor) is a choice edible mushroom that is native to eastern North America. It can be found July-November in swampy forests. The flame chanterelle, also known as “yellowfoot chanterelle” can tolerate very wet environments. It is often found growing in clusters in moss of hardwood forests. It is mycorrhizal with oaks, beech, […]
Craterellus fallax – Black Trumpet
Black trumpets (Craterellus fallax) are a delicious wild mushroom whose flavor is compared to truffles. Black trumpets can be found summer to fall. They often fruit in moss, near oak and beech trees. Black trumpets can be either mycorrhizal or saprobic. They are in the same family as chanterelles and are often found growing in […]
Monarda didyma – Bee Balm
‘Raspberry wine’ bee balm (Monarda ‘Raspberry wine’) is a bee balm cultivar of the native Monarda didyma. Bee balm is named for the ability of its resin to sooth the pain from bee stings. It is a perennial with a history of edible and medicinal uses. Bee balm can be found in partial shade to […]
Rumex crispus – Curly Dock
Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) is a distant relative of buckwheat that is native to Europe. Curly Dock can be found in fields, roadsides, and open areas. It can grow in full sun to part shade. Curly Dock has long, narrow, hairless leaves with wavy edges. It produces seeds in the summer which can stay […]
Rosa virginiana – Wild Rose
Wild Rose (Rosa virginiana) is a native plant with edible and medicinal uses. We have six native species of wild rose in New England and two introduced species. Wild rose can be found in sandy and saline soil. It requires at least 6 hours of sun per day. Leaves are alternate and composed of […]
Coprinopsis variegata – Scaly Ink Cap
The Scaly Ink cap (Coprinopsis variegata) is a decomposer with questionable edibility. The scaly ink cap can be found growing on decaying hardwoods in eastern North America. It fruits summer-fall. The cap is covered by a felty, whitish veil when young. The veil soon breaks into large, felty patches revealing a brownish yellow surface underneath. […]