Seasonal Schedule of Edible Wilde Plants

Seasonal Schedule Of Edible Wild Plants
In Southeastern Ohio

The following table lists the genera (where several species are used in the same way) or species of wild and naturalized vascular plants that can be foraged in southeastern Ohio (principally in Athens County and the surrounding region) for food products. Rare species in the region, e.g., Zizania aquatica (wild rice), are not listed. Only those plants, and those parts of listed plants, are mentioned below that provide comparatively "edible" and palatable products (at least to some authors or their constituents); abhorrent or sickly products are excluded. Medicinal plants in the strict sense are not treated here unless particular preparations are also palatable condiments or confections, e.g., wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) tea with methyl salicylate, related to aspirin, and coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) drops used for millenia in Europe for colds but tasty as a lozenge, too. A few plants still widely used but recently reported to have carcinogenic or other adverse qualities in substantial quantities, e.g., Hemerocallis spp. (daylily) and Sassafras albidum (sassafras), are included but are indicated by an asterisk (*); these should be used sparingly and infrequently if at all. Finally, certain members of the Araceae, notably Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit) and Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage) are left off because of the 6-month drying time required to rid the corms of calcium oxalate and render them usable for food.

Plants are listed alphabetically by family, genus and species in the first column. Where three or more species of a genus in our region have the same parts used in similar ways, these are lumped together under "spp.". Parts most commonly used are noted in the second column. Scientific nomenclature follows Gleason and Cronquist’s "Manual of Vascular Plants", 2^nd edition (1991, New York Botanical Garden, New York); common names are based on ethnobotanical literature, state and regional floras and our experience in the area. The season(s) during which each part is best harvested and utilized is indicated by an "X". For simplicity, the seasons are divided equally into three month blocks: spring, March-May; summer, June-August; fall, September-November.

Some highlighted plant species or genera have links to individual Web pages with information on identification, ecology, products and preparation, and personal observations on palatability. We plan to greatly expand the number of Web pages linked to particular species and genera in the near future.

Plant	Part(s)	Spr	Sum	Fall
Aceraceae
Acer spp. (maple)	sap	X-early

Acoraceae
Acorus calamus (calamus, sweet flag)	rhizome	X	X	X

Alismataceae
Sagittaria spp. (arrowhead, wapatoo)	tubers			X-late

Amaranthaceae
Amaranthus spp. (amaranth, pigweed)	young shoot	X
"	seeds		X

Anacardiaceae
Rhus spp. (sumac)	fruit [=berries]		X

Annonaceae
Asimina triloba (pawpaw, custard apple)	fruit [="berries"]			X

Apiaceae
Daucus carota (wild carrot, Queen Anne’s lace)	taproot	X	X	X
"	fruit [=schizocarp]		X

Aristolochiaceae
Asarum spp. (wild ginger)	rhizome	X	X	X

Asclepiadaceae
Asclepias syriaca [& other spp.?] (milkweed)	young shoots	X
"	young leaves	X	X
"	buds		X

Asteraceae
Arctium spp. (burdock)	taproot		X
Cichorium intybus (chicory)	young crowns	X
"	taproot	X	X	X
Helianthus annuus (sunflower)	fruits [=achenes]		X
H. tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke)	tuber			X-late
Inula helenium (elecampane)	root			X-late
Lactuca canadensis, L. serriola [& other spp.?] (wild lettuce)	leaves/young shoots	X-early
Sonchus spp. (sow thistle	young leaves	X
Taraxacum spp. (dandelion)	young crowns	X
"	taproot	X	X	X
"	"flower" [=head]	X	X	X
Tragopogon spp. (salsify, vegetable oyster)	taproot [first-year plants]	X	X	X
"	young leaves	X
Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot)	leaves		X

Balsaminaceae
Impatiens capensis (jewelweed, touch-me-not)	young shoots	X

Berberidaceae
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)	fruit [=berries]			X
Podophyllum peltatum (May apple)	fruit [=berry]		X

Betulaceae
Betula lenta (sweet birch)	sap	X-early
"	twigs	X	X	X
Corylus americana (American hazelnut)	fruit [nuts]			X

Brassicaceae
Arabis spp. (rock cress)	young leaves	X-early
"	buds	X
Armoracia rusticana (horse-radish)	rhizome	X	X	X
"	leaves	X-early
Barbarea verna, B. vulgaris (winter cress)	leaves	X-early
"	buds	X
Brassica nigra [& other spp.?] (mustard)	leaves	X-early
"	buds	X	(X)
"	seeds		X
Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd’s purse)	young leaves	X-early
Dentaria spp. (crinkleroot, pepperroot)	rhizome	X	X	X
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (water-cress)	leaves	X	X	X
"	shoots	X	X	X

Caprifoliaceae
Sambucus canadensis (common elder, elderberry)	flowers		X
"	fruit [=berries]		X	X
Triosteum spp. (tinker’s weed, wild coffee, horse gentian)	fruit [=drupes]			X
Viburnum spp. (black-haw, highbush cranberry, nannyberry or wild raisin)	Fruit [=drupes]			X

Caryophyllaceae
Stellaria media (chickweed)	shoots	X	X	X

Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodium spp. (lamb’s-quarters)	young shoots	X	(X)	(X)
"	seeds		X

Cupressaceae
Juniperus virginiana (red-cedar)	shoots	X	X	X

Cyperaceae
Cyperus esculentus (chufa, yellow nut-grass)	tubers	X	X	X

Ebenaceae
Diospyros virginiana (persimmon)	fruit [=berries]			X-late
"	leaves		X

Ericaceae
Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen)	leaves	X	X	X
"	fruit [="berries"]			X
Gaylussacia baccata (huckleberry)	berries		X	X
Vaccinium spp. (blue-, cranberry)	berries		X	X

Fabaceae
Apios americana (groundnut, Indian potato)	tubers	X	X	X
Robinia pseudo-acacia (black locust)	flowers		X
Trifolium pratense (clover)	flowers	X	X
"	tops (fls+shoots)	X	X
Wisteria spp. (wisteria)	flowers		X

Fagaceae
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)	fruit [nuts]
Quercus spp. (oak)	fruit ["acorns" =nuts]			X

Juglandaceae
Carya spp. (hickory)	fruit [=nuts]			X
Juglans cinerea, J. nigra (butternut, black walnut, respectively)	fruit [=nuts]			X

Lamiaceae
Hedeoma pulegioides (American pennyroyal	leaves		X	X
Marrubium vulgare (horehound)	leaves		X	X
Mentha piperita, M. spicata (peppermint, spearmint, respectively)	leaves		X	X
Nepeta cataria (catnip)	leaves		X	X
Monarda spp. (bee-balm, wild bergamot, horsemint, Oswego tea)	leaves		X	X

Lauraceae
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)	twigs	X	X	X
"	fruit [=berries]			X
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)*	root	X	X	X

Liliaceae
Allium canadense, A. tricoccum (wild onion, wild leek or ramp, respectively)	leaves	X
"	bulb	X
Medeola virginiana (Indian cucumber)	rhizome	X	X	X

Asparagus officinalis (asparagus)	young shoot	X
Hemerocallis spp. (daylily)*	buds		X

Malvaceae
Malva neglecta (common mallow)	fruit [=mericarps]		X	X

Moraceae
Morus alba, M. rubra (mulberry)	fruit [=aggregate "berries"]		X

Onagraceae
Oenothera spp. (evening primrose)	roots	X	X	X

Phytolaccaceae
Phytolacca americana (pokeberry)	young shoots	X

Pinaceae
Pinus spp. (pine)	needles	X	X	X

Plantaginaceae
Plantago spp. (plaintain)	young leaves	X

Polygonaceae
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed)	young shoots	X
Rumex spp. (dock)`	young leaves	X-early

Portulaceae
Claytonia virginica (spring beauty)	"tuber" [=corm]	X
Portulaca oleracea (purslane)	shoots	X	X	X
"	seeds		X	X

Ranunculaceae
Caltha palustris (marsh marigold)	leaves	X	X	X
"	buds	X

Rhamnaceae
Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey tea)	leaves		X

Rosaceae
Amelanchier spp. (Juneberry, service- berry, shadbush)	fruit [=pome]		X
Crataegus spp. (hawthorn)	fruit ["haw" =pome]			X
Fragaria vesca, F. virginiana (strawberry)	fruit [=aggregate "berries"]		X
Prunus spp. (cherry, peach, plum)	fruit [=drupes]		X
Pyrus [Amygdalus, Malus] spp. (apple, crabapple, pear)	fruit [=pomes]			X
Rosa spp. (rose)	flowers [pink, fragrant best]	X	X
"	fruit ["hip"]			X
Rubus spp. (black-, dew-, raspberry)	fruit [=aggregate "berries"]		X
"	leaves	X

Rubiaceae
Galium aparine (bedstraw, cleavers)	shoots	X

Saxifragaceae
Ribes spp. (currant, gooseberry)	fruit [=berries]		X	X

Smilacaceae
Smilax spp. (greenbrier)	young shoots	X	X

Solanaceae
Physalis spp. (ground cherry)	fruit [=berry]			X

Tiliaceae
Tilia americana (American linden, basswood)	flowers	X

Typhaceae
Typha spp. (cattail)	rhizome	X-early
"	young shoot	X
"	young spike	X	X
"	pollen		X

Ulmaceae
Celtis occidentalis (hackberry)	fruit [=drupe]			X

Urticaceae
Urtica dioica (stinging nettle)	young shoot	X

Violaceae
Viola spp. (violet)	young leaves	X
"	flowers [blue spp.]	X

Vitaceae
Vitis spp. (grape)	leaves		X	X
"	fruit [=berry]			X

To further information on selected Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Southeastern Ohio

Back to the Introductory Web Page for Edible "Wild" Plants of Southeastern Ohio

To Department of Environmental and Plant Biology Home Page

To Ohio University Home Page or the College of Arts and Sciences Home Page

Author: Harvey Ballard, Sep 1997