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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Spicebush, A Warm Fall Woodland Spice
Spicebush(Lindera benzoin) is a shrub native to north eastern United States. It is a common woodland shrub that can be identified easily by the fragrance of its crushed leaves. The leaf shape is difficult to distinguish, especially for beginners. This plant produces red berries in summer which is a prized item for wildlife. The species […]
Wild Violets Are A Versatile Edible Plant
Wild Violets Johnny jump ups, hearts ease, pansies, wild violets, and a host of other names all point to plants in the Viola genus. There are 400-500 species worldwide and they can be found in almost all temperate climates. In the North Eastern United States Viola sororia is a common wild violet. This information also […]
Bittercress, a Nationwide Herb
Hairy bittercress(Cardamine hirsuta) and similar species such as Pennsylvania bittercress (Cardamine pensylvanica) are small annual or biennial herbs that are prolific native plants in almost every state in the US. It is a winter annual so it germinates in the fall, stays alive throughout the winter then flowers and puts out seed in the spring. […]