Autumn Olive, A Common Invasive Edible Fruit
Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is an invasive shrub in central and eastern United States. It was introduced in the 1930s and promoted in the 1950s as a great food for wildlife. It is a great food for wildlife, and people, but it produces so much fruit that birds carry the seeds all over the central […]
Wild Cherry Tree, A Native American Necessity
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in September 2013. Updated April 2022. The name ‘wild cherry tree’ refers to a number of species in the genus Prunus. Some of the most common include the black cherry (Prunus serotina) and the chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), both of which are native to North America. There is also […]
Crickets, An Abundant Source of Protein Worldwide
Crickets( Family: Gryllidae) can be found in almost every area on the globe where humans live. Crickets are a substantial snack food for many people around the globe, including parts of Asian and Africa. Your native or local crickets can be collected and raised easily with very little, food water and space requirements. Edibility And […]
Amaranth, A Weed Here, A Staple Food Everywhere Else
Amaranth(Genus: Amaranthus) is a genus of plants native to The Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is a primary food source in all these places because it can grow in many soil types, and most if not all members of the genus have edible leaves, roots, seeds. This article focuses on the Amaranth that is […]
Mission Statement
Our Mission is To teach and learn about all the edible things this earth has to offer and why eating an extremely diverse diet is better for people and planet. Eating wild edibles has historically been one of the most important skills a person could have. It has been ingrained in the culture of mankind […]
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 […]
Kousa Dogwood Fruit, Tropical Flavor in Temperate Climates
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in August 2013. Updated April 2022. Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) is a small tree or shrub native to Asia that is now a widely popular landscape plant in the US. And it’s easy to understand why… In Spring it will display a mass of delicate star-shaped flowers. And […]
Chicory, Street Side Salad Greens and Tea
Chicory( Cichorium intybus ) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows throughout all of the US except for Alaska and Hawaii. It also grows in most of Canada except for the far north. Chicory is native to Europe but has naturalized in The US and Canada. Chicory is known by a few other names including […]
Purslane, A Wild Edible Weed With Many Culinary Uses
Purslane(Portulaca oleracea), also known as Little Hogweed and Moss Rose is a very common weed throughout the US and Canada and other parts of the world. It grows in planting beds, cracks in driveways and sidewalks and any other sunny area. It is not a lawn weed, it does not grow well when competing with […]
Staghorn Sumac, Native American Lemonade
The first thing we think about when we hear the word sumac is the dreaded poison sumac. Just to clarify, the Sumac we are speaking of here is in the Genus: Rhus, the poison sumac is in the Genus Toxidendron, with Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. To make matters more confusing Poison Ivy, Oak and […]
Lamb’s Quarters, A Great Spinach Substitute
Lamb’s Quarters (Genus: Chenopodium) is a group of wild edible plants that is native to North America and other parts of the world. Lamb’s Quarters is also known as Lambs Quarter, Pigweed, Goosefoot, Fat Hen and other colloquial names. There are many species of Lamb’s Quarters, two very common species in America are Chenopodium album, […]
Hickory, Pretty Good As Far As Wild Nuts Go
The Hickory Tree( Genus: Carya) is a common forest tree of many parts of the United States and Canada. Hickory trees get big, and can live up to 200 years. There are many species of Hickory trees, the most famous edible one is Carya illinoinesis the Pecan tree, yes the pecan is a type of […]
What The Heck Is Mucilage?
Many plants produce a substance known as mucilage, it is also produced by some fungus, bacteria and animals. Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance, produced by almost all plants but found in higher concentrations in specific species. If you’ve ever cut open an Aloe vera plant then you know what mucilage is, it’s what makes […]
Wood Sorrel, A Woodland Plant With Flavor
Wood Sorrel( Genus: Oxalis) is a common edible perennial or annual plant that grows in many sun and soil conditions. In the North East Common Yellow Wood Sorrel grows in shady woodland areas. There are many species in this genus, some are native to North America, some are native to other parts of the world. […]
Amelanchier, A Very Tasty Wild Edible Fruit
Why are wild fruits so Tasty? It all comes down to evolution. Plants evolved to make their fruit appealing to humans, because if we eat them then we spread their seeds, and humans evolved to enjoy such a nutritious snack, because it improves our health. The Amelanchier( Genus: Amelanchier ), more commonly known by many […]
Yard Plantain, An Ancient Herb For Eating And Healing
The yard plantain(Genus: Plantago) is a very common low growing leafy plant. Different species of plantains in the genus Plantago grow all over the globe. Common species In The United States are Common Plantain (Plantago major), Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and Blackseed Plantain(Plantago rugelii). Blackseed Plantain is a traditional Native American medicine and food source. […]
Puffball Mushroom, You’ll Be Ok If You Follow One ID Feature
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in May 2013. Updated April 2022. Puffball mushrooms (Genus: Calvatia, Bovista, and others) are a fantastic wild edible. With a little examination, they have easily identifiable characteristics and they’re a common find in many meadows and forests. However, they do have some extremely poisonous look-a-likes to be wary of, […]
Land Shrimp, A Small Relative Of Our Favorite Seafood
Pillbugs, also known as woodlice, roly-polies, or land shrimp are a very common arthropod in the same taxonomic class as Shrimp and lobster. These small arthropods, are very recognizable, they have 11 body segments, and can be seen curling up in a ball for defense. They can easily be found under rotting logs or bark, […]
Sheeps Sorrel, A Common Weed With Flavor
Sheep’s Sorrel(Rumex acetosella) is a common lawn weed. This is an edible plant that tastes great. It grows throughout the summer in many soil types. Sheep’s sorrel is native to Europe and Asian but has naturalized in the Northern United States. It has a uniquely shaped leaf that makes it easy to identify. Edibility and […]
Safe Foraging: Pesticides, Poisons, And Allergies
Foraging for wild edible plants, bugs and fungus can and should be an enjoyable experience for all. But there are some guidelines to follow for safe foraging. There are 3 primary cautions associated with foraging for anything and these are: 1) Accidentally eating a poisonous organism, or a poisonous part of an organism that may […]