Malus spp. – Wild Apples
Wild Apples (Malus spp.) are apple trees that grew from seed. The apples are considered crab apples if the fruit is less than 2 inches in diameter. There are over 40 species of crab apples across the world and 4 species that are native to the United States. Two of these species can be found […]
Maianthemum racemosum – False Solomon’s Seal
False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum) is a native woodland plant with edible berries. False Solomon’s seal has a long, arching stem and berries that turn bright red in late summer. It is in the Asparagus family. Berries are edible, but bittersweet. Berries should be eaten in moderation as large quantities can have a laxative effect. […]
Aronia melanocarpa – Black Chokeberries
Black Chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa) are edible, native berries that mature in early Fall. Black chokeberries can be found near swamps, bogs, and lakes. They prefer wet areas. The thornless shrub is self-fertile, so you only need one plant to get berries. Each berry grows on its own stem, in clusters of 2-20 berries. Leaves […]
Maianthemum canadense – Canada Mayflower
Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) is a native plant that can be found on forest floors. Canada mayflower has 1-3 shiny dark green leaves. The plant is less than 6 inches tall. In the fall, the plant has small red berries that have 1-2 seeds per berry. Fully ripe berries are edible raw or cooked. They […]
Rhus glabra – Smooth Sumac
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) is a native woody shrub with edible berries. Smooth sumac has 11-31 pointed leaflets per leaf. Female plants will produce upright berry clusters, or drupes, that ripen to a dark red color in late summer. The berries can be picked through winter. Smooth sumac can be differentiated from Staghorn sumac (Rhus […]
Sambucus canadensis – Elderberries
Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) are a native woody shrub that like to grow near water. Elderberries hang down in a cluster at the end of the branch. The leaves grow in 5-11 leaflets that are opposite and serrated. Elderberry leaves and stems are toxic. Berries should be cooked, and seeds removed to avoid stomach upset. Elderberry […]
Lindera benzoin – Spicebush
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a native deciduous shrub that can be found in moist areas. Spicebush can be identified by its alternative, glossy leaves with smooth margins. The female plants produce glossy, red berries in early fall. The berries have a large seed inside. The shrub can grow up to 15 feet tall. Fruits and […]
Cornus kousa – Kousa Dogwood
Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) is a common landscape plant that is native to Japan, Korea, and China. Kousa dogwood produces edible fruits that ripen in the end of summer. The fruits are ripe when the skin is orange-red and the fruit is slightly soft to the touch and easily pulls off the tree. The fruit […]
Hibiscus syriacus – Rose of Sharon
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is an edible type of hibiscus that is native to Asia, but commonly planted in the United States. Rose of Sharon can be identified by its tropical-looking flowers and different shaped, asymmetrical leaves. The entire Rose of Sharon plant is edible. Leaves can be enjoyed spring-fall. The leaves taste similar […]
Rhus typhina – Staghorn sumac
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is a native deciduous tree or shrub in the cashew family. It can be found in sunny areas, along highways, and at the edge of meadows. Staghorn sumac has alternate, compound leaves with serrated edges. The leaves turn scarlet colored in autumn. The plant produces small yellow-green flowers that turn into […]
Nyssa sylvatica – Black tupelo
Black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) is a native tree that produces edible fruits in the fall. The tree can live hundreds of years and grow up to 100 feet tall. Black tupelo has alternate, single-lobed leaves that turn bright red in the fall. The branches come off the tree at a 90 degree angle. The tree […]
Apios americana – Groundnuts
Groundnuts (Apios americana) are a native plant in the pea family that can be found in crowded wet areas. It is a climbing, thin-stemmed vine with a 2-year growth cycle. Groundnut leaves have 3-9 toothless leaflets with pointed edges. They produce edible lavender to brown colored flowers. Tubers grow in a rhizome chain a few […]
Monarda fistulosa – Wild Bergamot
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a native edible plant in the mint family. It can be found blooming in sunny areas in mid to late summer. Wild Bergamot has square stems with opposite, toothed leaves. The leaves produce an oregano-like aroma when crushed due to their thymol content. Wild Bergamot leaves, stems, and flowers are […]
Ischnoderma resinosum – Resinous Polypore
The Resinous polypore (Ischnoderma resinosum) is a saprobic fungus that can be found on fallen hardwoods from September until the first hard frost. The resinous polypore is thick and fleshy when young with a pale brown cap and thick white margins. The mushroom toughens and the cap becomes a darker brown with age. The cap […]
Entoloma abortivum – Shrimp of the Woods
Shrimp of the Woods (Entoloma abortivum) is a unique looking mushroom that develops when an Entoloma fungus parasitizes a honey mushroom (Armillaria sp.). Shrimp of the woods can be found from September-November in decaying forest material. Shrimp of the woods have a folded, twisted, brain-like shape with a pink interior. They have no gills. The […]
Hypholoma lateritium – Brick Caps
Brick Caps (Hypholoma lateritium) are edible mushrooms that can be found on hardwood stumps and deadwood from August-November. They can be found throughout the United States but are most common in the Northeast. Brick caps grow in bouquet-like, dense, tight clusters. The cap has a brick red color in the center, fading to a lighter […]
Armillaria gallica – Bulbous Honey Mushroom
The Bulbous Honey Mushroom (Armillaria gallica) is a parasitic and saprobic mushroom that can be found July-November. Honey mushrooms will always be growing on wood, although sometimes the wood is buried. The mushrooms grow in clusters. Cap color varies from yellow to brown. Armillaria gallica tends to have more of a brown cap color, while […]
Clitocybe nuda – Wood Blewits
Wood Blewits (Clitocybe nuda) are edible mushrooms that can be found in compost heaps, wood chips, and leaf litter after heavy rains. The mushrooms can fruit multiple times per season from fall to early winter. Wood Blewits have suede-like caps that are purple when the mushroom is young, turning tan then white as it ages. […]
Pleurotus pulmonarius – Italian Oyster Mushrooms
Italian oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius) are edible oyster mushrooms that grow in New England from summer-fall. These mushrooms tend to be smaller and whiter than the Pearl Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) which prefers cooler weather. Oyster mushrooms are among the most cultivated and consumed edible mushrooms in the world. Oyster mushrooms are identified by their […]
Hypomyces lactifluorum – Lobster Mushrooms
Lobster mushrooms (Hypomyces lactifluorum) are a parasitic mold that takes over a Russula or Lactarius mushroom, turning the mushroom red and improving the texture and taste. The mold most commonly infects Russula brevipes and Lactarius piperatus mushrooms. Lobster mushrooms grow in the ground, near hardwoods or hemlocks. They can be found July-October. Lobster mushrooms can […]