Wireweed

Scientific Name(s): Sida rhombifolia, S. acute, S. cordifolia, S. elliottii, S. Espinosa,
Abundance: common
What: leaves, fruits, roots
How: leaves tea, cooked; roots medicinal
Where: disturbed areas, wet, borders, sunny, shade, fields
When: winter, spring, summer
Nutritional Value: calories, protein,
Dangers: Leaves and roots contain ephedrine. Roots also contain soap-like saponins.

Medicinal Summary:
Root/Seeds - contain ephedrine - stimulant; decongestant; raises blood pressure; appetite suppression (tincture, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are generally lanceolate or ovate, with a length ranging from 1 to 3 inches and a width of approximately 0.5 to 1 inch.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with prominent veins extending from the central midrib to the edges of the leaves.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are often serrated or toothed.

Leaf Color: The upper surface of the leaves is typically green, while the underside may have a slightly lighter shade.

Flower Structure: The flowers are typically small, consists of five petals, and are found on short stems growing from leaf junctions. They may be clustered at the ends of branches and individual or smaller groups along the branches.

Flower Color: The flowers are commonly yellow, but they may also appear in shades of orange.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, flat, dark, segmented capsule containing the seeds.

Seed: Seeds are small, brown, and found within the capsules.

Stem: The stems are usually slender, upright, and may have a reddish or green color.

Hairs: The plant may have fine hairs on the stems or leaves, contributing to a slightly textured appearance.

Height: Wireweed plants typically range in height from 1 to 3 feet, depending on growing conditions and species variation.

Wireweed aka sida plant in construction site.
Sida Wireweed

Close-up of leaves, ripe fruit, and seeds.
Sida Wireweed

Wireweeds left alone turn into sparse bushes.
IMG_7005

They can grow in temporary wet areas. Note the diamond-shaped mature leaves closer to the stem and more elongated, younger leaves near the ends of the branches.
Sida Wire Weed

Close-up of leaves and flower buds.
Wireweed Sida

Close-up of nearly opened flower, fruit, and toothed leaves.
Sida Wireweed

Close-up of opened, five-petaled blossom. Note how the petal bases overlap.
Sida Wireweed

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.
Wireweed Sida USDA TX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Wireweed Sida USDA NA

Stroll past any disturbed area, especially one that's a bit damp, and you are almost guaranteed to come across lots of this wiry, weedy, sparsely-leafed, yellow flowered plant called wireweed. It seems to love the edges of parking lots, underpasses, and anywhere else the soil is abused and unloved by humans. It first shows up in late spring, carries on through the summer's heat, and lasts into fall until the real "cold" weather hits. Wireweed can survive mild winters, leading it to become perennial. These leggy weeds usually seem to get about two feet tall but if it does survive the winter it can double that height.

The stem is tough, round, and green to brownish. The somewhat elongated or diamond-shaped leaves are toothed, with a pinnate vein pattern, lightly hairy on top and more hairy on the undersides. The leaves themselves grow in an alternating pattern. The yellow flowers have five petals which overlap at their bases and yellow stamen in the center. After the flowers is done a green "button" style of fruit appears which eventually turns dry and brown. Flowers seem to close up during the night and usually open at mid-day though some may open sooner and others later. Wireweed grows a thickish taproot with many side roots coming off it.

The leaves of wireweed are about 7% protein along with a high concentration of carbohydrates but this plant's main claim to fame is both the leaves and roots contain high levels of ephedrine. This medicinal compound is usually accessed by making tea from the leaves and root or smoking the leaves. Please note, ephedrine can cause issues with lungs and heart especially if you already have high blood pressure, other heart issues, diabetes, enlarged prostrate, or thyroid problems. Ephedrine can also interfere with the performance of monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressant medications.

Side rhombifolia leaves are eaten as a vegetable in Australia. The tender, young seed pods are mild in flavor but their ephedrine concentration is unknown so use some care if you decide to eat them. The stems of S. rhombifolia contain mucilage but because of it's innate toughness I don't recommend using the chopped-up stem as a thickener. The strength of these stems and roots are what gives it the name "wireweed" and is why it has a long history of being used to weave baskets and otherwise be used as cordage in the wild. The stems and branches were also used to make brooms.


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Wisteria

Scientific Name(s): Wisteria spp.
Abundance: common
What: flowers
How: raw
Where: landscaping, sunny borders
When: spring
Nutritional Value:
Dangers: only the flowers are edible, everything else is TOXIC!

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of wisteria are arranged alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically compound, pinnately divided into numerous small leaflets.

Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation, with veins running from the base to the tip of each leaflet.

Leaf Margin: The leaflets typically have entire margins.

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually medium to dark green.

Flower Structure: Wisteria produces fragrant flowers that are arranged in pendulous clusters called racemes. The individual flowers have a unique pea-like structure with a banner, wings, and keel petals.

Flower Color: Flowers can vary depending on the species, but they are often shades of purple, blue, pink, or white.

Fruit: The fruit is a legume pod, usually elongated, flattened, and typically a few inches long..

Seed: Inside the pod are numerous small, hard seeds that are typically brown or black. These seeds are often shiny and have a smooth surface.

Stem: The stem is typically a climbing vine, often with woody, twisting branches.

Hairs: Fine hairs may be present on some parts of the plant, including the stem and leaves.

Height: Wisteria can climb and trail on various supports and can reach significant heights, sometimes over 30 feet.

Wisteria vine.
Wisteria1

Wisteria flowers.
Wisteria2

Wisteria flowers closeup.
Wisteria3

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.
Wisteria

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

The fragrant flowers of wisteria make a wonderful addition to salads or just nibbled as a raw snack. Long ago they were used to flavor wines, but I haven't had a chance to try that. Note that all other parts of the plant (leaves, stem, seeds etc...) are very toxic and must not be consumed!


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.

Wolfberry

Scientific Name: Lycium berlandieri
Abundance: uncommon
What: fruit
How: raw, cooked
Where: sunny, coastal areas, deserts
When: winter, spring
Nutritional Value: Vitamins A, C, E, flavanoids, and essential fatty acids

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are lanceolate, with a length ranging from 1 to 3 inches and a width of approximately 0.5 to 1 inch. The leaves may be slightly thicker than those of similar-sized leaves on other bushes.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate but the branching veins may be hard to see.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are entire, with a smooth edge.

Leaf Color: The upper surface of the leaves is typically light green with a grayish cast.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small and tubular, with a diameter of about 0.25 inches. They are arranged in clusters at the tips of the stems.

Flower Color: The flowers can be lavender or purple.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, round berry.

Seed: Seeds are small, flat, and numerous within the berry. They are typically tan or yellowish in color.

Stem: The stems are woody in appearance and brown in color.

Hairs: The plant may have fine hairs on the stems or leaves, contributing to a slightly fuzzy appearance.

Height: Wolfberry plants typically range in height from 3 to 6 feet, depending on growing conditions and species variation.


Woodberry with ripe berries.
Wolfberry
Picture curtesy of Colleen M. Simpson - Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve & Learning Center

Close-up of berries and leaves.
Wolfberry
Picture curtesy of Colleen M. Simpson - Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve & Learning Center

Wolfberry
Picture curtesy of Colleen M. Simpson - Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve & Learning Center

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.
WolfberryMap_TX

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

As you cross the dry, sandy, alkaline soils of south and west Texas and southern coastal areas you make see a gray-colored bush covered in thick, elongated oval leaves. Depending on the time of year, the bush may be covered in long, tubular, white-yellowish-green-ish flowers or if you are lucky, marble-sized, red fruit. It's bark is smooth and gray though lighter than the green-gray of its leaves. You've found a Wolfberry bush and that means you have some great, super-nutritious food!

The berries ripen in mid-winter to early spring. They have a tangy taste as they are related to tomatoes...and so are in the nightshade family. Related to the fad-food Gogi berries, this Texas plant has all the same high vitamin content as well as other beneficial chemical compounds. Usually the berries are dried/dehydrated then nibbled as a healthy snack. They can be added to muffins, and breads. People also use them in smoothies! of course, you can also make infused vodka out of them for a nutritional martini. Recent studies have shown they might help stroke victims.


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.

Wood's Ear Mushrooms

Scientific Name(s): Auricularia americana
Abundance: uncommon
What: mushroom body
How: in soup
Where: dead trees, especially elderberry trunks
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: protein, iron, calcium, phosphorous
Dangers: don not mistake Raisin Jelly Cup (Ascotremella faginea) for Wood's Ears.

COLLECTING MUSHROOM REQUIRES 100% CERTAINTY. WWW.FORAGINGTEXAS.COM ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR IDENTIFICATION ERRORS BY ANY READERS.

Growth Form: Auricularia americana, known as "jelly ear," grows in clusters on hardwood or conifer wood, often in cooler, wet conditions.

Cap Shape and Size: Cap is wavy, ear-shaped to irregular, approximately 1 to 4 inches across, thinner than 1/4", and attached to wood along one strip.

Gills or Pores: Lacks gills or pores, features a finely hairy lower surface when young.

Stipe Characteristics: Does not have a stipe.

Odor: Not distinctive.

Bruising: Does not show bruising (color change) when scratched or pressed.

Spore Color: Produces white spores.

Substrate and Habitat: Saprobic on decaying hardwood; found in spring, summer, and fall.

Other Characteristics: Upper surface brown to fuzzy gray and less wrinkled than underside. Lower surface is dark brown and smooth skinned but with ridges.


Clusters of Wood's Ear mushrooms. Note the gray tops and brown/dark purple undersides.
Mushroom Wood's Ear

Mushroom Wood's Ear

Mushroom Wood's Ear

Mushroom Wood's Ear

Close-up of the topside and edge of Wood's Ear.
Mushroom Wood's Ear

Close-up of the bottom side. Note the ridges just like a human's ear.
Mushroom Wood's Ear

Assorted Wood's Ear ready for cooking.
Mushroom - Wood's Ear

The only public lands you can legally harvest mushrooms are National forests and grasslands.

Mushrooms of all types spring up after a heavy rains but few are as distinctive as the brown-gray, rubbery Wood's Ear. They appear only on dead wood which they slowly break down. Wood Ear mushrooms prefer the dead trunks of Elderberry bushes but pretty much any hardwood can be overrun by these oddities of nature any time of the year as long as hard rains have recently fallen. Shady areas are more likely to have a growth of Wood's Ear as these cooler spots don't dry out as quickly.

Wood Ear's actually do look like ears in size and rough shape. Often they will form upside down cup shapes when young (~1" across) and then widening out into broad fans as they mature. However big they grow these mushroom never thicken, remaining under 1/4" thick. The topside of these mushrooms is usually gray and powdery. Underneath they are shiny, dark-brown to very dark-purple. Held up to the light Wood's Ear are semi-translucent rather than opaque.

If the rains stop and dry weather appears the Wood's Ear mushrooms will shrink down to half their size and harden into a shell-like mass. Once shrunk, the gray exterior is still easily recognized. These dried mushrooms can be harvested from the tree and stored for use later.

Wood's Ear mushrooms are the traditional Black mushrooms used in Chinese Hot and Sour soup. Tasteless by themselves, they readily absorb the flavors of whatever broth they are immersed. Cut the mushrooms, either fresh or dried, into finger-sized strips and add them to soups, hot pots, pot roasts, or any other dish that involves a broth.

Beware the somewhat similar looking Raisin Jelly Cup Mushrooms. The inedible Jelly Cups grow as lumpy, brain-like clumps instead of the flat, ear-like shape of Wood's Ear mushrooms.


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.

Wood Sorrel

Scientific name: Oxalis species
Abundance: plentiful
What: leaves, flowers, seedpods, tubers
How: salad, seasoning
Where: shady undergrowth
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: Vitamins A & C
Dangers: Contains some oxalic acid, limit consumption to a handful per day.

Medicinal Summary
Leaves, Flowers, Stems - fever reducer; diuretic; relieves indigestion (tisane, tincture)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Oxalis species are typically arranged alternately along the stem. Leaves fold up together at night.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are compound with three heart-shaped (cordate) leaflets, each leaflet measuring around 1/2 to 1.5 inch in width (depends on species).

Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation with veins running from the base to the tip of each leaflet.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire, but it can be slightly toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves vary in color but are often medium green.

Flower Structure: Five-petaled flowers with distinctive, funnel-shaped petals.

Flower Color: Flower colors can vary widely among Oxalis species, including shades of white, yellow, pink, and purple.

Fruit: The fruit is an elongated, pointed capsule containing small seeds.

Seed: Small, rounded seeds are found within the capsules.

Stem: The stem is usually smooth and erect, often with no or few hairs.

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

Height: Oxalis species vary in height but are generally low-growing, typically ranging from a few inches to about a foot.

Wood sorrel (Oxalis crassipes)
WoodSorrel.jpg

Another picture of wood sorrel (Oxalis crassipes)
WoodSorrel

Close-ups of wood sorrel flower (Oxalis crassipes).
WoodSorrelFlower

WoodSorrelFlower2

Common yard weed wood sorrel (Oxalis dillenii), often mistaken for a clover.
woodsorrel

My girls love the tangy wood sorrel "bananas" or seed pods of wood sorrel.
WoodSorrelFruit

Purple-flower, giant wood sorrel with their tubers.
Wood Sorrel

Two types of wood sorrel.
Wood Sorrel

Close-up of wood sorrel tubers. Each "scale" is a thick, triangular wedge that easily break away from each other.
Wood Sorrel

Tubers from a decorative, purple-leaf wood sorrel.
Wood Sorrel

Wood Sorrel leaves (left) are heart-shaped while Clover leaves (right) are rounded.
Wood Sorrel Clover

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.
WoodSorrelTX

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

Patches of wood sorrel are very prevalent on forest floors, often near wild violets, cleavers, wild onions, etc... The three-lobed leaf looks similar to clover/shamrocks but sorrels have a cleft at the top, giving them a heart-shape whereas clovers are round or slightly pointed. Wood sorrel leaves range in size from 1/2" to almost 3" across. They have a very strong, tangy flavor that some people find too intense. It only takes a few to spice up a salad. The purplish-pink flowers can also be added to salads though mainly just for color. Wood sorrel whipped into butter makes a lemony-butter that goes great on bread, fish, and crawfish. Throw 1/2 cup of chopped wood sorrel into a can of cream of mushroom soup if you want to tick off Poland (sorry, you'll have tp take my class in person to get that full story!).

Wood sorrel tubers can be just about any color of the rainbow. They have less oxalic acid than other parts of the plants so they aren't as tangy. Their flavor is somewhat like a carrot and so that's how I use them: raw, steamed, or tossed into stews.

Excessive amounts of oxalic acid theoretically can lead to kidney stones though there's never been any actual reported case of this happening. Cautious types should be sure to drink plenty of water when eating wood sorrel. Also avoid dairy products, if possible, as the oxalic acid binds strongly to the calcium to make calcium oxalate, which is the key mineral of the kidney stones.


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.

Musclewood

Scientific Name(s): Carpinus caroliniana
Abundance: uncommon
What: seeds
How: raw, roasted, flour
Where: woods
When: fall
Nutritional Value: calories
Dangers: none

Leaf Arrangement: Simple, alternate leaves along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Ovate to elliptical leaves, usually 2 to 4 inches in length. Tiny, stiff hairs present on leaf

Leaf Color: Green foliage in the summer, transitioning to yellow, orange, or bronze in the fall.

Leaf Margin: Finely serrated leaf margins.

Flower Structure: Inconspicuous, small flowers in pendulous, slender catkins.

Flower Size: Individual flowers are tiny, less than 0.25 inches.

Fruit (Samara): Flat, papery samaras, about 0.5 to 1 inch in length, cluster in a hanging manner from 1" stalks.

Seed Size: Seeds within the samaras are small, less than 0.25 inches.

Bark: Smooth, gray bark on young trees, becoming fluted and muscular in appearance as the tree matures.

Height: Mature trees typically reach heights of 20 to 35 feet.

The trunk is smooth, gray, and rarely exceed 10" in diameter
Hornbeam

Clusters of leaves and young seedheads.
Hop Hornbeam Musclewood

The seeds are starting to become visible.
Hop Hornbeam Musclewood

Note the edges of the leaves are finely serrated, the vein structure is pinnate, and the leaves alternate on the branch.

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.


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















Passing through the Texas woods your eye may well be captured by the smooth, strong looking trunk of musclewood, also known as ironwood. It prefers full shade and stays small so that bigger trees block the sun from it. Don't let its relatively small size fool you, though. Its wood is extremely hard and durable. Chopping one down is very hard work!

It's unusual seedhead clusters look somewhat like those of the beer-necessity hop vine. The leaves resemble elms but without the distinctive, directional hairs of the Ulmus (elm) species. The trunk, as mentioned before is smooth with flowing waves that look like muscles under the gray bark.

The seeds, though small, are plentiful and easy to collect. This made them an important food source for Native Americans. While the seeds have been used to make beer, they act as a source of grains/starch rather than the bitter hops. They have a mild, nutty flavor raw. Roasting them a bit makes them taste even better. Both the raw and roasted seeds can be boiled into a porridge or ground into a gluten-free flour. From there let your imagination run wild!


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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