Bunchberry, a Beautiful and Valuable Wild Edible
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), or also known as creeping dogwood, is a perennial flowering subshrub species. This plant is native to East Asia, Russia, Northern USA, and Canada. Unlike its other relatives, bunchberry is a creeping plant that only grows to about 8” tall at most. In some parts of the world, this plant is considered […]
Redroot Pigweed, a Humble and Underrated Wild Edible
Redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus), also known as pigweed amaranth, is a common summer annual herb. This plant is native to the tropical Americas, but it has been introduced to also every continent in the world. In the US, this plant is mainly used as livestock fodder, especially for hogs and pigs, hence its name. Other […]
Sourwood Tree, Gorgeous Foliage and Tasty Flowers
Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) is a small deciduous tree that’s native to eastern North America. This tree is especially common in Southeastern US. You can find them growing in oak-heath forests, near riverbanks, and along roadsides. This tree can easily be identified by their lush dark green foliage which turns a striking fiery red in […]
Juneberry, Tasty and Nutritious Native Fruits
Juneberry (Amelanchier), also known as saskatoon, serviceberry, or wild-plum, is a genus comprised of more than 20 species of deciduous shrubs. It belongs in the Rosacea family, meaning that it’s related to roses. Most juneberry tree species are native to North America. In fact, almost every US state has a native juneberry tree species. These […]
Wild Blackberries and Raspberries, a Diverse Group of Delicious Edibles
Do you know what Rubus is? It is a diverse genus of flowering plants in the Rosaceae family. Most Rubus plants are easily recognizable from their rough and prickly wood stems, much like the common thorny stems of rose plants. These stems are usually tangled, forming a bush called brambles. The fruits from a Rubus […]
Black Chokeberry, a Native Super Food
Despite its funny name, black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) is a super healthy food that has been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years. It’s native to eastern North America, but due to its various uses, chokeberry bushes were later introduced to Europe as well. They’re easily recognized in the wild from their glossy dark green […]
Ramps, a Popular and Versatile Herb
Ramps (Allium tricoccum) are a wild onion species native to North America. While this woodland edible’s bulbs resemble that of a scallion, it has beautiful broad green leaves. It’s one of the earliest wild edibles to emerge in the spring and it’s a wonderful food source all year round. This herb is well-known among foragers […]
Wild Sarsaparilla, a Native Source of Energy and Health
Despite their similar name, wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) is not related to the true sarsaparilla at all. Unlike true sarsaparilla which belongs to the Greenbrier family, wild sarsaparilla belongs to the Ginseng family. Wild sarsaparilla is a perennial flowering plant that comes from northern and eastern North America. This plant can easily be […]
Indian Cucumber, Tasty Edible Roots with Many Virtues
Much like may other plants in the Lily (Liliaceae), Indian cucumber (Medeola virginiana) is a good wild edible. Indian cucumber is a perennial plant that’s native to eastern North America. This plant got its name from the fact that it tastes and smells almost exactly like cucumber. Aside from its culinary uses, this plant also […]
American Ginseng, a Truly Wonderful Panacea
Most people associate ginseng with Asia and Asian medicine. However, did you know that there are several different types of ginseng growing in different parts of the world? One particular species is native to North America and apparently, Native Americans have been using this herb as medicine for thousands of years. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) […]
Sassafras Root Beer
It’s not every day that you use a potentially illegal substance to cook. Sassafras(Sassafras albidum) is the key ingredient to make root beer, but at the same time, it’s also used to produce ecstasy and MDA. The Sassafras tree is native to the Eastern United States. Despite the many controversies behind it, it’s no secret […]
Acorn Pancakes Recipe
Oak Trees(Genus: Acer) are evergreen, broad-leaved trees that grow all over the world. The Oak Trees’ acorns are a staple food for Native American tribes and other indigenous tribes all around the world. These acorns are very common and plentiful, especially in the fall. Acorns are a great wild edible since they’re packed with calories […]
Cottonwood Buds are Medicinal, Leaves are Edible
Cottonwood Tree The eastern cottonwood tree (Populous deltoides) is a native North American tree that is common in eastern and central United States as well as southern Canada. Many people recognize this tree from the cottony substance that falls from the trees in early summer. This “cotton” acts as a sail to move the seeds as far […]
Pickled Pawpaws
Pickled Pawpaws Pawpaw fruits are fruits from the pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba). The Pawpaw tree is a very unique U.S. native fruit tree. It is very unique because all of its closest relatives are tropical fruit tree species. This tree has evolved to handle cold weather and has brought its tropical flavor with it. Pickled […]
Pawpaw Fruits, A Tropical Fruit in Temperate Climates
Pawpaw trees Pawpaw trees(Asimina triloba) are unique because most of their closest relatives are tropical species, but these trees are not. Pawpaw trees are native to temperate climates of eastern and central United States and southern Canada. This USDA map shows their range in the U.S. and Canada. Pawpaw trees are in the same plant family as tropical […]
Hawthorn, an Ornamental Tree With Edible Fruit
Washington hawthorn tree (Crataegus phaenopyrum) is a common ornamental landscape tree in the Eastern and Central United States. The genus Crataegus is a large genus including many species referred to as hawthorn tree, hawthorn apple thornapple, maytree, whitethorn and hawberry. Although this article focuses on the washington hawthorn tree the information here applies to many other species in the […]
Spruce – Surprisingly Edible Abundant Evergreen Tree
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in June 2014. Updated April 2022. Spruce trees (Genus: Picea) are a very abundant tree across the globe, especially in northern areas. In the United States, a common non-native species is the Norway Spruce (Picea Abies), and two of our native American species are White Spruce (Picea glauca) […]
Eastern White Pine, An Effective Remedy For The Common Cold
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) is a common native forest and landscape tree in the eastern half of the United States. The Pines (Genus: Pinus) are a prolific genus of trees and shrubs including slightly more than 100 species. This particular species is a long lived tree, some exceptional specimens have been estimated to be […]
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 […]