10 Wild Edibles, You Should Know
This is a list of wild edibles that are abundant, easy to identify, and significant in one way or another. These are some of the basics that are good to know if you’re stuck in the woods in a survival scenario or simply camping and hiking. There are some basic identification features mentioned here but […]
Oak Tree Acorns, A High Calorie Wild Edible
Oak Trees (Genus: Quercus) are deciduous or evergreen broad-leaved trees or shrubs that grow all over the world. There are over 550 species of Oak Trees worldwide. Oak Tree acorns were a staple food for Native American Indian tribes and other indigenous people around the globe. Oak Trees are very common and produce edible acorns […]
Canadian Hemlock, A Hot Winter Tea
Canadian Hemlock(Tsuga canadensis), also known as Eastern Hemlock is a large forest tree native to North Eastern United States and parts of Canada. There are other species in the same genus that grow in the western part of the continent, this article generally applies to those species as well. Canadian Hemlock is an evergreen tree […]
Sassafras, An Illegal Substance That Grows Wild In Our Back Yards
Sassafras Tree Sassafras is the primary ingredient in traditional root beer as well as being used in the production of MDMA(ecstasy) and MDA. Sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum) is a very common native plant in the Eastern United States. It is often seen in clumps of weedy saplings, but as sassafrases mature they can grow to be large trees. There […]
What is the story behind the banning of Safrole?
Safrole which is a unique substance in Sassafras can not be found in significant quantity in any food products sold in the united states today. On the surface it looks like a clear and simple reason. Official Reason behind the banning of Safrole In the 1950s in a government study, Safrole had been force fed […]
Eastern Red Cedar Berries, A Touch of Natural Flavor
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in December 2013. Updated April 2022. Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a very common native plant in Eastern North America. The common name can be slightly misleading as it’s technically not a true cedar but a juniper. These tall, slim trees with their waxy, light blue-colored berries […]
Turkey Tail, A Powerful Medicinal Mushroom
Turkey Tail Mushroom (Trametes versicolor) is a very common mushroom that can be found all over the world. It is a decayer of wood and the mushrooms last a long time, often living into the winter. Turkey Tail Mushroom is an ancient indigenous medicine for different cultures around the world. It can be found growing […]
Wild Garlic, A Great Addition to Foraged Meals
There are a number of plants that go by the name wild garlic, this article focuses on a very common species, Allium vineale which is also called crow garlic. This species has been introduced from Europe and Africa. Onions, Leeks, Garlic, and Shallots all are in the genus Allium and there are multiple wild plants […]
Black Tupelo, A Native American Fruit Tree
Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) , also called black gum tree is a North Eastern American native tree producing edible fruit in the fall. There are 2 other species in the genus native to South Eastern US, they are the Ogeechee Lime (Nyssa ogeche) and Water Tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), This article primarily focuses on Nyssa silvatica […]
Japanese Barberry, Invasive Winter Fruit
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is an invasive shrub in eastern United States. It can grow in dense forest shade and is not typically eaten by dear. It is commonly used as a landscape plant and a few varieties have been developed for that purpose. Efforts are under way to prevent the species and all its […]
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 […]