Edible Plants

Presents a season-by-season guide to the identification, harvest, and preparation of more than two hundred common edible plants to be found in the wild.

The founder of Wild Food Adventures presents the definitive, fully illustrated guide to foraging and preparing wild edible greens. Beyond the confines of our well-tended vegetable gardens, there is a wide variety of fresh foods growing in our yards, neighborhoods, or local woods. All that’s needed to take advantage of this wild bounty is a little knowledge and a sense of adventure. In Edible Wild Plants, wild foods expert John Kallas covers easy-to-identify plants commonly found across North America. The extensive information on each plant includes a full pictorial guide, recipes, and more. This volume covers four types of wild greens: Foundation Greens: wild spinach, chickweed, mallow, and purslane Tart Greens: curlydock, sheep sorrel, and wood sorrel Pungent Greens: wild mustard, wintercress, garlic mustard, and shepherd’s purse Bitter Greens: dandelion, cat’s ear, sow thistle, and nipplewort

This book describes or mentions the great bulk of the edible plants found in the western United States west of the Great Plains and in southwestern Canada and northwestern Mexico. Carefully illustrated, it helps you identify many hundreds of edible plants that may give you helpful food on a camping trip or someday save your life.

More than 370 edible wild plants, plus 37 poisonous lookalikes, are described here, with 400 drawings and 78 color photographs showing precisely how to recognize each species. Also included are habitat descriptions, lists of plants by season, and preparation instructions for 22 different food uses.

So that we will become intimately acquainted with edible and medicinal plants.

Anyone who has spent serious time outdoors knows that in survival situations, wild plants are often the only sustenance available. The proper identification of these plants can mean the difference between survival and death. This book describes habitat and distribution, physical characteristics, and edible parts of wild plants—the key elements of identification. Hugely important to the book are its color photos. There are over one hundred of them, further simplifying the identification of poisonous and edible plants. No serious outdoors person should ever hit the trail without this book and the knowledge contained within it.

Arranged according to uses, offers a detailed listing of one thousand species of edible wild plants and ferns.

Whether you're a seasoned outdoor enthusiast, a passionate botany enthusiast, or simply curious about unconventional nutritional sources, this guide is an invaluable asset. Originally designed for military use, this comprehensive manual can also be used by civilians, serving as an indispensable survival resource. In the face of survival challenges, foraging emerges as a crucial skill, offering essential sustenance and remedies from the wilderness. Safely harnessing the power of wild plants requires precision in identification, understanding proper preparation techniques, and an awareness of potential risks they may carry. Familiarity with botanical structures and insights into their habitats facilitate the search for - and recognition of - these life-sustaining resources. The Official U.S. Army Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants details the physical traits, natural environments, and edible parts of various wild plants. Heavily illustrated with beautiful color photographs, this guide simplifies the process of identifying these incredibly useful plants.

CLICK HERE to download the section on foraging for field mustard with four sample recipes from Northwest Foraging * Suitable for novice foragers and seasoned botanists alike * More than 65 of the most common edible plants in the Pacific Northwest are thoroughly described *Poisonous plants commonly encountered are also included Originally published in 1974, Northwest Foraging quickly became a wild food classic. Now fully updated and expanded by the original author, this elegant new edition is sure to become a modern staple in backpacks, kitchens, and personal libraries. A noted wild edibles authority, Doug Benoliel provides more than 65 thorough descriptions of the most common edible plants of the Pacific Northwest region, from asparagus to watercress, juneberries to cattails, and many, many more! He also includes a description of which poisonous "look-alike" plants to avoid -- a must-read for the foraging novice. Features include detailed illustrations of each plant, an illustrated guide to general plant identification principles, seasonality charts for prime harvesting, a selection of simple foraging recipes, and a glossary of botanical terms. Beginning with his botany studies at the University of Washington, Doug Benoliel has been dedicated to native plants. He has owned a landscaping, design, and nursery business, and done his extensive work with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Doug lives on Lopez Island, Washington.

Originally published: Practical guide to edible and useful plants. Austin, Tex.: Texas Monthly Press, c1987.