How will you learn? On the left you'll find details posts on over 200 edible and medicinal plants, each with multiple, big pictures and information you need for proper identification. At the top of this website are upcoming live classes where we actually will walk side by side as I show you the useful plants around you. You'll be able to hold them in your hand as you learn the structural features you need to recognize the plants on your own...before popping them into your mouth!
Follow the Foraging Texas Facebook page and/or Instagram account for daily introductions to the edible, medicinal, and poisonous plants of Texas (and other, equally important places!)
Watch the YouTube videos of my live show and from many plant-walks, great for bing-watching!
Email your questions to Merriwether@ForagingTexas.com and I'll answer them in a day or so (okay, maybe three days).
In the end, the secret is to identify the most common plants around you then look up if those plants are edible, medicinal, or toxic. The resources I'm sharing with you will simplify that process down to one plant at a time rather than drowning you in a sea of green. Trust me, you can do this. Humans have been doing it for 200,000 years!
The key is you need to match at least five structural features of the plant in question with whatever resource guide you're using for proper plant identification needed to eat the plant. This is why I give twelve structural features for every plant and mushroom on this website. But to really speed up the process learn your plants in the following order:
1. Start by identifying the trees around you. They are usually the easiest to properly identify and plant identification apps do fairly well on them...but only them!
2. Identify the landscaping plants around your home, neighbors homes, your workplace, church, and anywhere else you visit frequently. A good way to do this is simply take a picture of the plant, go to a local nursery, and ask them what the plant is. They should know.
3. Next, identify any vines in your area. For as diverse as plant life is in Texas, we don't have that many vines. Here's a free pdf file that's pretty comprehensive guide for identifying them: Vines of Central Texas by Jan Redden
4. Now tackle identifying Texas wildflowers. That will keep you busy most of the summer! My favorite book on Texas wildflower identification is: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason
5. Now you are ready to start on weeds. These can require patience, especially before they have produced flowers, so just take your time. I like this book for guidance: Weeds by Alexander C. Martin
6. Finally, you are ready for mushrooms. These require matching 8-10 structural features for proper identification. Due to their trickiness, I recommend the first four books at THIS LINK.
