Showing posts with label Blue Flower. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blue Flower. Show all posts

Chaste Tree


Scientific Name(s): Vitex agnus-castus L.
Abundance: common
What: seeds
How: ground for seasoning
Where: landscaping
When: fall, winter
Nutritional Value: none
Dangers: supposedly lowers libido in men while also makes women more likely to get pregnant

Medicinal Summary:
Dried Seeds* - maintains proper progesterone/prolactin levels; reduces excess prolactin; soothes PMS breast tenderness; reduces heavy menstrual bleeding; reduces cycles longer than 28-days; increase milk production; may prevent uterine fibroids; mild sedative; reduces PMS and menopause mood swings; which helps with PMS mood swings; reduces menopause hot flashes (tincture, tisane)
*can reduce male libido over time

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are opposite, arranged in pairs along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Palmately compound leaves with typically 5 to 7 leaflets, each leaflet measuring around 2 to 4 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically gray-green.

Flower Structure: Chaste tree produces spikes of small, fragrant flowers. The spikes can reach lengths of 6 to 12 inches.

Flower Color: Flowers come in various shades, including lavender, blue, pink, or white.

Fruit (Seed): The fruit is a small, round drupe, approximately 0.2 to 0.3 inches in diameter.

Bark: The bark is typically smooth and gray-brown.

Height: Chaste trees can grow to be 10 to 20 feet tall.

Hairs: Leaves and stems are generally smooth, but fine hairs may be present on the undersides of leaves.

Branching Pattern: Chaste trees have an open, spreading habit.

Chaste Tree
ChasteTree1

Chaste Tree leaves (not edible).
ChasteTreeLeaf1

Chaste Tree flowers (not edible).
ChasteTreeFlower1

Chaste Tree flowers close-up.
ChasteTreeFlower2

Chaste Tree seeds (edible).
ChasteTreeSeeds1

ChasteTreeSeeds2

Chaste Tree bark.
ChasteTreeBark1

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
ChasteTreeTX
This map is very incomplete.

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
ChasteTree

With summer comes the multitude of blue, flowering spikes of the Chaste Tree. Used in landscaping all across the south, this multi-trunked small tree/large bush is cherished for it's beauty, scent, and attraction for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Rarely if ever is tree found in the wild and if so it will be in full sun to partial shade with well drained soil. Besides almost every branch ending in a large spike of small flowers, the leaves of the Chaste Tree are sometimes mistaken for those of the marijuana plant.

In fall the flowers have become small gray/brown seeds which, when crushed release a pungent but pleasant aroma and flavor. For this reason the seeds have been used as a seasoning for ages. However, there is a belief that the seeds, when consumed, reduce a man's desire hence the name "chaste". Monks supposedly used Chaste Tree seeds to season their food and also reduce their passions. Chaste Tree seeds, in small doses, can slightly increase the amount of female hormone prolactin in men, which may give rise to the...uh, failure to rise. However, larger doses can actually reduce prolactin in men, perhaps making them more manly.

There is quite a bit of evidence and scientific studies which show these seeds have a great deal of beneficial effects for women. There is proof these seeds help with PMS, and many other menstrual issues, helping fertilized eggs bond to the womb, and many other hormone-based issues. Please note, this is not medical advice, just a review of what others claim.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Chicory

Scientific name: Cichorium intybus
Abundance: uncommon
What: Leaves, roots, flowers
How: leaves raw or cooked; root roasted then ground into a coffee substitute; flowers can be eaten raw or pickled
Where: Sunny areas, ditches, abandoned yards
When: early spring otherwise leaves are too bitter
Nutritional Value: Leaves contain vitamins A, C, K

Medicinal Summary:
Root - diuretic; antibacterial; laxative; sedative; appetite stimulant (tisane, tincture)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in a basal rosette at the ground level, with alternate arrangement along the flowering stems.

Leaf Shape: Basal leaves are spatulate to oblong, with sharp lobes, while stem leaves are lanceolate and no or very shallow lobes.

Venation: This plant features pinnate venation, with a central vein and smaller branching veins.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves vary, with basal leaves having irregular, lobed, and dentate (toothed) margins, and stem leaves more often having entire margins.

Leaf Color: The leaves are a bluish-green color.

Flower Structure: Chicory flowers are daisy-like, composed of many small florets, all of which are ray florets. Each petal widens outwards and ends in several short spikes, shaped similar to Bart Simpson's hair.

Flower Color: The flowers are predominantly blue.

Fruit: The fruit is an achene, which is a small, dry fruit that does not open to release the seed.

Seeds: Seeds are small, brown, oblong, and slightly ridged. Each has a "flying parachute" like dandelion seeds.

Stem: Stems are tough, branching, and rough-textured, often with milky sap.

Roots: Forms a thick taproot that can grow to several inches in diameter and over a foot long.

Hairs: Chicory leaves are smooth on top but have fine hairs underneath.

Height: It typically reaches heights of 30 to 45 inches.


Chicory plant before growing flower stalks.
chicory

Chicory flowers along a stem. The long, narrow leaves around the flowers are wild onions hiding the chicory leaves.
Chicory

Close-up of chicory flower.
ChicoryFlower

Chicory leaves are smooth on top but hairy underneath.
Chicory Leaves

Chicory root.
Chicory Roots

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Chicory

Look for chicory in old, abandoned fields and farmhouse yards. It also shows up quite plentifully in road ditches but that's not a good place to harvest plants. In Texas chicory is a cool-weather (fall/winter/spring) plant but across the rest of North America it can be found most of the summer.

The young leaves can be eaten raw in salads, though they do have a strong, somewhat bitter taste. This bitterness increases once the plant flowers. See "Preparation Tips for Bitter Greens" for ways to cut the bitterness of these greens.

Unlike dandelions, chicory will produce multiple blossoms along a stiff, somewhat woody stem. These flowers are eaten raw or pickled. One could probably make tea from them but it won't have the flavor or medicinal properties of dandelion flower tea.

Chicory roots can be used as a caffeine-free coffee substitute. Roast the roots to a dark brown color in an oven at 400F. The darker the color the more roasted flavor they will have. After roasting coarsely grind the roasted roots before using to brew coffee.



Edible Dandelion Mimics:
Dandelion
Cat's Ear
Chicory
Japanese Hawkweed
Salsify
Sow Thistle
Texas Dandelion
Wild Lettuce


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Dayflower

Scientific name: Commelina communis
Abundance: plentiful
What: flowers, leaves, stem
How: flowers raw or cooked, leaves salad, stem steamed or cooked
Where: shade, partial sun, woods, fields, landscaping
When: spring, late summer, fall
Nutritional Value: minor amounts of vitamins and minerals
Other uses: the normally blue stamen hairs indicated mutation by turning pink when exposed to radiation. The same effect has since been observed when the spiderwort plant is subjected to chemical pollution.

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate, with leaves emerging one at a time along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Oval to lanceolate, typically ranging from 2 to 5 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: Parallel, with veins running lengthwise from base to tip.

Leaf Margin: Entire, with smooth edges.

Leaf Color: Bright green, often with a shiny or glossy surface.

Flower Structure: Solitary or clustered in leaf axils or at the stem's end, each flower with two petals. Blossoms are about 1" across.

Flower Color: Usually bright blue, occasionally white or purple.

Fruit: A capsule, typically small and round.

Seeds: Small, black or dark brown, enclosed within the capsule.

Stem: Erect or creeping, depending on the species, and can be either slender or somewhat fleshy.

Hairs: Generally smooth, but some species may have fine hairs along the stem or leaves.

Height: Varies by species, typically between 6 inches to 2 feet tall.

Dayflower plants in the morning.
Dayflower

Dayflower plants in the afternoon after the day's flowers have gone away.
Dayflower

Close-up of dayflowers.
Dayflower

Close-up showing a leaf, too.
Dayflower

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
DayflowerTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Dayflower

In just about everyone's flowerbed creeps Dayflower. The thin, weak stems fall over until there's so many present that they force each other upright. In the morning these stems will end in blue, two-petal flowers coming out of a green, beak-like structure. The flowers don't last though, shriveling up a little after the solar noon. The tough leaves have a a parallel vein structure and join to the stem with a sheath which runs down the stem approximately 1/4 inch. This plentiful weed appears in the spring and grows through the summer and fall, dying back only when a hard frost hits it. Be warned, if you just pull it up from your garden or flowerbed and toss it aside it'll take root and begin growing wherever it lands and touches soil.

Dayflowers are slightly more tender than Spiderworts, but are still tough. Because of this, even though the entire plant is edible I rarely use any more than just the top cluster of flowers and flower buds. These bits can be added to salads for a splash of color or tossed into cooked dishes, too. On rare occasions I'll include the uppermost 1-3 leaves if I'm making a curry or stew that'll be simmered a long time. While the stems do contain a slime, the quantity is too low to be a worthwhile thickening agent or first aid gel.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Pimpernel

Scientific Name(s): Anagallis arvensis
Abundance: common
What: flowers, leaves, stem
How: dried and powdered, tea
Where: sunny fields, yards,
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: medicinal
Dangers: contains small amount of saponins which can cause stomach upset. Some people develop skin rashes from contact. It also contains some estrogen mimics.

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Stem/Flowers - antimicrobial; anti-inflammatory; anti-fungal; appetite stimulant (tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in an opposite-alternating pattern along the stem, sometimes appearing whorled at the stem tips. Leaves are connected directly to stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are ovate to elliptical, typically measuring about 0.5 to 1 inch in length and 0.2 to 0.5 inches in width.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with a central vein and faint, smaller veins extending towards the leaf margins.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are entire, meaning they are smooth and not serrated.

Leaf Color: The leaves are a bright green, often with a slightly glossy appearance.

Flower Structure: The flowers are solitary, arising from the leaf axils on slender stalks. Each flower has five petals.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually scarlet-orange but a common mutation causes blue flowers. They often have a purplish center.

Fruit: The plant produces a small, round capsule as its fruit.

Seed: The seeds are small and numerous, contained within the capsule.

Stem: The stem is slender, square in cross-section, and may have a trailing or ascending growth habit.

Hairs: The plant is generally smooth, with no hair on the stem and leaves.

Height: Anagallis arvensis typically grows to a height of 4 to 12 inches.

Pimpernel before producing flowers.
Pimpernel

Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) plants. Note the square stems. Flowers are only 1/4 inch across.
ScarletPimpernel2

Close-up of scarlet pimpernel flower.
PimpernelFlower2

PimpernelFlower1

Scarlet pimpernel, blue variety (Anagallis arvensis Forma azurea).
BluePimpernelFlower

Close-up of pimpernel leaf.
BluePimpernelLeaves

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
PimpernelTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Pimpernel

The scarlet pimpernel has a tradition of medicinal use going back to the ancient Greeks. They considered it to be a "cure-all", capable of treating any sort of injury, illness, or infection of bone, muscle, eye or other organ. The plant was dried and powdered, this powder then consumed in a drink. The raw plant has a rather unpleasant taste, probably due to the small amount of bitter saponin compounds it contains. It was also used as a wash for bad skin. Perhaps more importantly the pimpernel was thought to raise spirits and dispel melancholy, for which tea made from the fresh plant was recommended.

The pimpernel flowers close up when rain approaches, allowing them to be used as a crude method of predicting bad weather. The flowers also close up in the evening and won't reopen until stuck by sunlight.

The young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, but generally they are too bitter. Also note that they can be fatal to small animals such as rabbits and rodents so don't feed them to pets. Also, don't mistake it for chickweed (Stellaria media)

Pimpernel contains an estrogen mimic and so if that sort of thing concerns you then avoid this plant. The estrogen mimic can cause problems during pregnancy as well with certain hormone-sensitive issues. These include cancers of the breast, uterus, and ovaries along with endometriosis.



Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Spiderwort

Scientific name: Tradescantia species
Abundance: plentiful
What: leaves, stem
How: leaves salad, stem steamed or cooked
Where: shade, partial sun, woods, fields
When: spring, late summer, fall
Nutritional Value: minor amounts of vitamins and minerals
Other uses: the normally blue stamen hairs indicated mutation by turning pink when exposed to radiation. The same effect has since been observed when the dayflower plant is subjected to chemical pollution.

Medicinal Summary:
Stem Sap - demulcent; soothes inflamed skin; soothes insect bites and stings; soothes gastrointestinal and urinary tract inflammations; laxative; helps control high blood sugar (poultice, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate; single leaves spaced evenly along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Linear-lanceolate; long and narrow with parallel sides and pointed tips, measuring 2-6 inches long and 1/2-1 inch wide.

Leaf Venation: Parallel; multiple unbranched veins running longitudinally along the length of the leaf.

Leaf Margin: Entire; smooth and unbroken edges.

Leaf Color: Deep green, sometimes with a bluish-gray sheen.

Flower Structure: Three petals, typically rounded and overlapping, arising from a cup-shaped calyx. Stamens: six, with yellow anthers. Pollen bright yellow.

Flower Color: Variable, most commonly blue-violet to purple, but also pink, rose, or rarely white. Flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon.

Fruit: Capsule; dry, splitting open at maturity to release numerous small seeds.

Seed: Globose; round and shiny, about 1/16 inch in diameter, black or dark brown.

Stem: Erect and clumping; unbranched or sparingly branched, growing 1-2 feet tall. Smooth and hairless.

Hairs: Absent; no hairs present on any plant parts, depending on the specific species.

Height: 1-2 feet.


Spiderwort.
Dayflower1

Clump of spiderwort plants.
SpiderwortCluster

Close-up of mature spiderwort stems.
SpiderwortStems

Spiderwort flower, flowerbeds, and stem.
Spiderwort

Close-up of spiderwort unopened flower buds.
Spiderwort

Close-up of spiderwort flowers.
Spiderwort

Spiderwort

Spiderwort leaves.
Spiderwort

Mucilaginous slime from Spiderwort stem.
Spiderwort

Stemless Spiderwort (Tradescantia subacaulis)lacks a stem...which is probably obvious from the name.




















Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
SpiderwortTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Spiderwort

I love this plant because it is nutritious and can be found in many parts of Texas area almost all year long. Spiderworts seem to prefer shady, sandy soil along streams and ponds but can appear anywhere it's moist, even low spots in sunny fields. They grow upright on pencil-thick stems, too about the height of two feet. They'll have a cluster of a few opened flowers and many unopened flower buds. Each flower opens in the morning and rarely lasts beyond noon. New flowers appear each morning, all spring, summer, and fall, even lasting into the winter if the weather is mild enough. The leaves are long, tough, slightly rough, with a parallel venation. Looking closely at the leaves, you'll notice they clasp/wrap around the stem with a bit of the leaf running down the stem. Hard frosts will kill it back to the ground but it'll be back and ready to eat in about two months.

All parts of the plant are edible but due to the overall toughness of the plant, I generally only eat the flowers and flower buds. The sap of these plants is very mucilaginous, similar to okra and aloe vera. Rubbed on minor (1st degree) burns this sap brings relief. Also like okra, it can be used to thicken stews, just chop up the stem really fine. The longer the bits of stem are simmered the softer they'll become.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Violet

Scientific name: Viola species
Abundance: uncommon
What: Leaves, flowers
How: Leaves and flowers raw (great in salads), tea from flowers
Where: small, heart-shaped flowers in shady, moist areas
When: Winter (in Houston), Spring, early summer
Nutritional Value: very rich in vitamin A,C
Nutritional Value: Violets contain the chemical Violine which, in VERY large doses, can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Medicinal Summary:
Roots/Leaves/Flowers - expectorant; mild laxative; wound healer; soothes upper respiratory and skin inflammations; reduces blood sugar (poultice, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: Each leaf is directly connected to underground tuber.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically heart-shaped (cordate) to kidney-shaped (reniform), with a varying size range.

Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple, large veins branching out from the base of the leaf to points along its edge. Smaller, secondary veins branch out from the larger veins.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin can be entire or toothed, depending on the species.

Leaf Color: Leaf color varies but is often green with varying shades.

Flower Structure: Five-petaled flowers with a distinctive lower petal (spur), usually solitary on a long stem. Flowers are approximately 1" in diameter across their widest spread.

Flower Color: Flower colors can vary widely among species, including shades of purple, blue, pink, and white. Stripes of color may be present.

Fruit: The fruit is a capsule containing small seeds.

Seed: Small seeds are contained within the capsules.

Stem: A true stem is nonexistent. Each leaf stem passed separately down through the soil to an underground, segmented tuber. 

Hairs: Fine hairs may be present on some species but are not a prominent feature.

Height: Wild Viola species vary in height, typically ranging from a few inches to about a foot.


Wild violet plant.
violet.jpg
WildVioletRuler

Wild violet seed pods.
WildVioletBuds

Close-up of wild violet flower.
VioletFlower

Wild violet leaves and tubers.









































Texas distribution, attributed to U.S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
WildVioletTX

North American distribution, attributed to U.S. Department of Agriculture.
WildViolet

Wild violets are a wonderful winter/spring nibble and if you're lucky, summer and fall, too! They prefer cool, damp areas of woods during the summer but during the winter they can be found in sunnier locations including yards. The heart-shaped leaves grow in a rosette form from an underground tuber and the leaf stems usually enter the soil individually. The violet flowers have five petals with the lowest petal being significantly thicker than the other petals. Only only flower forms per flower stalk. The "seed pods" hang down from individual stalks and kind of have the appearance of purple/brown bell peppers.

The leaves and flowers of wild violets are loaded with vitamin A & C which help keep many an Appalachian child nourished. The leaves and flowers are eaten raw or mixed in any sort of salad or green smoothie.

A reader of this blog wrote me of a bad experience after eating a bunch of wild violets sautéed with butter and garlic. Later that night she was struck by horrible stomach distress and spent the night in the bathroom. This issue had never come up in my experience or in any reference books I own. Further research turned up a record in an old Indian (Asian subcontinent) herbal book that the violet compound "violine" is an emeto-cathartic (makes you purge from both ends!) in large doses. The fact that this isn't mentioned anywhere else suggests it is an extremely rare issue and not one I'm concerned about when eating reasonable amounts of violets.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

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