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", 2nd 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