Veratrum viride – Indian poke
Indian poke/False hellebore (Veratrum viride) is a native plant that is extremely toxic. It could be confused for ramps in the spring. This perennial plant can be found in swamps and moist meadows. The plant produces ribbed leaves that grow in a whorled pattern. Small yellow-green flowers appear in early summer. The entire plant […]
Forsythia spp. – Forsythia
Forsythia (Forsythia spp.) is a commonly planted shrub that is native to Eastern Asia. It can be found in lawns and occasionally on forest edges, escaping cultivation. Forsythia can be identified by its yellow tubular flowers with four petals. The flowers appear before the narrow leaves develop. The flowers are edible raw but are […]
Equisetum arvense – Common horsetail
Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a native plant that is a relative of the fern. Common horsetail is a descendent of a group of plants that grew to be the size of trees 350 million years ago. It grows two separate stems. In early spring, the brown reproductive stem emerges to disperse spores. Then, the […]
Yucca filamentosa – Common Yucca
Common yucca, also known as Adam’s needle (Yucca filamentosa), is native to southeastern North America, but can be found wild in CT in sandy soils. The plant has a basal rosette of sword-shaped leaves. It produces clusters of white flowers from spring to summer. Flowers become green fruits that ripen to brown in the fall. […]
Phyllotopsis nidulans – Mock Oyster
The mock oyster (Phyllotopsis nidulans) is an inedible mushroom that could be confused for edible oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.). It can be found growing on decaying hardwoods and conifers from fall-spring. The mock oyster can be identified by its fuzzy, fan-shaped orange cap. The cap color fades with age. Gills are orange. The mushroom […]
Daedaleopsis confragosa – Thin-walled maze polypore
Thin-walled maze polypore (Daedaleopsis confragosa) is a parasitic and saprobic polypore that can be used to make natural dyes. It can be found growing singularly or in groups on dead and dying hardwoods, particularly willows and birch. It fruits June-December but can persist on wood year-round. Thin-walled maze polypore, also known as the blushing bracket, […]
Inonotus obliquus – Chaga
Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a medicinal mycelial mass that can be found growing on birch trees. Chaga is a parasite that infects scarred birch trees and will kill the tree within 80 years. It can be found growing in colder regions throughout the world. It is thought to be best harvested in the winter when […]
Maublancomyces korfii – Snow False Morel
Maublancomyces korfii (Snow false morel) is a look alike to true morels (Morchella spp.). Both true and false morels fruit in the spring. The snow false morel can be found growing under hardwoods. It is saprobic and potentially also mycorrhizal. Some false morel mushrooms have the toxin gyromitrin, which becomes monomethyl hydrazine (MMH) when […]
Solidago sempervirens – Seaside goldenrod
Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) is a native perennial that can be found along the coast. It prefers full sun and sandy soils. Seaside goldenrod has waxy, somewhat succulent leaves. It produces yellow flowers in a pyramid shape from August-October. Seaside goldenrod produces larger flowers than other goldenrod species. Flowers are edible. They have a floral […]
Phragmites australis – Common reed
Common reed (Phragmites australis) is an edible perennial wetland grass. There is a native and non-native variety. Common reed is often found growing in dense clumps at the edge of water. The plant can be identified by its grayish-green lanceolate leaves. It produces dark purple flower spikes in late summer, which fade to brown in […]
Celastrus orbiculatus – Oriental bittersweet
Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is an invasive and toxic vine. It can be found climbing up autumn olive shrubs and confuse people for autumn olive berries. The plant was brought to the U.S. for ornamental use but has escaped cultivation and chokes out native plants. Oriental bittersweet is a perennial vine with alternate toothed leaves. […]
Elaeagnus umbellata – Autumn olive
Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is an invasive shrub/small tree that produces nutritious and delicious berries in the fall. Autumn olive can be found in areas with full sun and poor soil. They are nitrogen fixers so can grow in almost any environment. The plant has leaves with silvery, speckled undersides. It produces small creamy yellow […]
Eurybia divaricata – White wood aster
White wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) is a native perennial with edible and medicinal uses. White wood aster can be identified by its heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges. The plant produces clusters of small white flowers with 10 petals and a yellow center late summer-fall. Young leaves in the spring are non-toxic and can be consumed […]
Galium mollugo – Hedge bedstraw
Hedge bedstraw (Galium mollugo) is a non-native perennial with edible uses. Hedge bedstraw can be found in fields and farms. Hedge bedstraw can be identified by its smooth stems and leaves that are in whorls of 6-8. Small white flowers are produced in the summer. The young shoots or top few inches of older stems […]
Cryptotaenia canadensis – Canadian Honewort
Mitsuba/Canadian Honewort (Cryptotaenia canadensis) is a native, edible perennial in the carrot family. Canadian honewort can be found in woodland areas with partial to full shade. It has toothed leaves that are divided into three leaflets. The stem creates a sheath at its base. The plant has a carrot-like scent when crushed. Umbels of white […]
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae – New England Aster
New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a native perennial with late blooming flowers. New England aster can be found in open, sunny areas such as meadows and fields. New England aster is easiest to identify in the fall when it produces pale lavender to purple flowers with yellow centers. Stems and leaves have a […]
Helianthus tuberosus – Sunchoke
Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is a native perennial sunflower with edible tubers. Sunchoke, also known as Jerusalem artichoke, can be found in river floodplains and meadows with partial to full sun. Sunchokes grow up to 12 feet tall. Leaves and stems have a tough texture. Flowers have 10-20 petals and bloom August-September. Tubers are reddish to […]
Hypholoma fasciculare – Sulfur Tuft
Sulfur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) is a toxic look alike to the edible brick cap mushroom (Hypholoma lateritium) and honey mushrooms (Armillaria spp.). It can be found April-November on decaying hardwoods and conifers. The mushroom grows in dense clusters with converging stems. The cap is a sulfur yellow color with whitish edges. Gills are covered by […]
Scleroderma citrinum – Common Earthball
Common earthball (Scleroderma citrinum) is a toxic look-a-like to puffballs. It fruits late summer-early winter in mossy areas with sandy soil. Common earthballs have a tougher exterior than puffballs. The exterior will be a yellow-brown color. Earthballs have a grayish to purplish-black interior. Puffballs should be pure white inside when consumed. Toxic earthballs must be […]
Menispermum canadense – Common Moonseed
Common moonseed (Menispermum canadense) is a perennial native vine that produces clusters of blue-black berries in the fall. It is a toxic look-a-like to grapes. Common moonseed grows in clearings of woodlands. It can be differentiated from grapes by its smooth leaves and lack of tendrils. Berries have a single crescent-shaped seed inside. Grapes have […]