I took a workshop this spring to learn about some edible wild plants in the Pacific Northwest. Many of these plants may also grow wild in other parts of the US. I have done my best to correctly identify these plants in the photographs I took, but I may have made a mistake here or there. Please do not use my Wild Food Diary as your only foraging resource as it is only meant to be enjoyed as a visual tour of wild plants. If you intend to forage for food, please aquire and read at least onebook on poisonous plants and become familiar with local laws before foraging. I am not an expert on wild plants, I am only beginning on my wild plant education.

A couple of important notes about about foraging, it is usually illegal to gather plants in national and other public parks, as it is to trespass on private property. Please forage only in places you know have not been sprayed with pesticide or herbicide. Some local farms will let you "weed" their garden if you ask nicely, but expect to do so at the farmer's convienince.

When gathering greens the best tools are scissors, a knife, and white plastic bags, and a spray bottle of water. The reason for the plastic bag is to hold the greens while not causing them to stew. It's important to know what part of a plant is edible, when that part is best gathered, and to have some understanding of the life of the plant in question, which leads us to the subject of books. I have a copy of The Forager's Harvest, the book John Kallas said is the best on the market right now. Kallas of Wild Food Adventures plans on having his own book published in 2009. I'll be first in line to purchase one when it is released. Every tip I am posting here, I picked up from his workshop, so those in the Portland area should seriously consider attending his classes to get a more in-depth experience.



Staghorn Sumac blooms, not pictured here because it's too early, can be steeped in hot (but not boiling) water to infuse the water with a lemony flavor.



Dandelion pictured above, is best enjoyed in early spring because the green leaves often become more bitter as they green from exposure to sunlight. They remain edible however year-round. One way to cut bitterness is to cut up the leaves and intersperse them throughout a salad. The flowers are also edible. As you can see dandelion leaves are serrated.



Cat's Ear (above) is often mistaken for dandelion because of the similar flowers, but whereas dandelion blooms in early spring, cat's ear won't until summer. Cat's ear has fuzzy foliage hence the name. It is similar to dandelion in taste and ediblity.



English Daisy is edible.



Nipplewort (wort from the german word for plant) is named for the shape of its seed pods.



Despite its name, Bittercress isn't bitter at all. The larger leaves at the bottom are the most edible part, althoug this particular plant is too small to provide much nourishment.



Miner's Lettuce is incredibly tasty. Notice how the leaves form little collars around the blossoms.



Shepherd's Purse is n edible plant that is easy to identify by the unique heart-shaped leaves.


Here are examples of Broadleaf Dock, Bittercress and Henbit. All are edible.



Broadleaf Dock is best when cooked. Here you see pictures (blurry) of both sides of a Dock leaf.



Here is a picture of Burdock as a whole plant including the part that went to seed last year, and the spade-shaped leaves at the bottom. The stems have a half-moon shape like celery with reddish ends. Inside the stem is sweet but will oxidize quickly and become bitter. Cold water will halt oxidation. The leaves have small hairs.



Chicory has hairs on the underside of the leaves and is edible.


I believe this is a picture of Curly Dock. It is edible.



Above are pictures of Hemlock and Wild Carrot. Hemlock is incredibly poisonous, and as you can see, the two plants look very much alike. It's best not to even bother with Wild Carrot for that reason. For educational purposes only, the plant on the top picture is Hemlock. Hemlock has a more triangular shape to its leaf formation, but Wild Carrot can vary a lot in appearance. Contrary to what many wild food books say, Hemlock does not smell bad to most people. But it will kill anyone who eats even a small amount of the root. So again, don't even think about trying to eat anything that even remotely resembles either plant.

This concludes my Wild Food Diary so far. As I learn more about wild foods this section will grow. In the meantime John Kallas's website linked above has book reviews and recommendations.