Thistle, Bull

Scientific name: Cirsium species
Abundance: uncommon
What: stem, roots, leaf ribs
How: peel stem then eat raw or cooked; tea from leaves, stem; roots are boiled; large center leaf ribs are stripped from leaf and eaten raw.
Where: fields
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: some vitamins and minerals
Other uses: cordage from stem fibers
Dangers: Very prickly

Leaf Arrangement: It forms a basal rosette at first followed by alternating leaves on stem as it grows. Edges of leaf are prickly.

Leaf Shape: Young leaves are elliptical; older leaves are deeply incised, very spiny, and up to 24 inches long​​.

Leaf Venation: Veins are pinnate.

Leaf Margin: Deeply incised with pronounced stiff spines along the edges​​.

Leaf Color: Green on the upper surface, softer white hairs below; cottony and woolly underside​​.

Flower Structure: Gumdrop-shaped flowers, one to two inches long, grow singly at the ends of shoots and branches​​.

Flower Color: Pinkish-purple, occasionally white​​.

Fruit: No fruit. Seeds are light-colored, oblong, and have dark brown to black longitudinal stripes​​.

Seed: 1/16" long, somewhat flattened with white, plume-like hairs (pappus) that detach at maturity​​​​.

Stem: Erect, spiny-winged stems two to five feet tall, sparsely hairy​​. Hollow and produces white sap when cut.

Hairs: Stiff hairs on the leaf upper surface, cottony and woolly on the underside​​.

Height: Typically grows 2 to 5 feet tall, can grow up to 6 feet.

Young bull thistle


Immature bull thistle flower.


Mature flower.


Harvested mature thistle. Wear thick gloves.


The hollow stem. You want to peel away the stem's outer red-green layer.


Partially-peeled stem. The outer reddish-green layer easily splits away from the delicious inner light-green layer.


I'm told you can boil, peel and eat the thistle heads like artichokes but I have not tried this yet.


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.


A bane to many landowners, Bull Thistles stand tall and spikely menacing across Texas fields. They can reach over four feet tall in ideal growing conditions with multiple purple flowers on each stalk. The spines along the edges of the leaves and flowers are stiff, sharp, and very painful. Few animals will eat these plants due to the daunting spines and so without any enemies to keep them in check Bull Thistles can overrun a field in just a few years.

Bull Thistles are an absolutely delicious treat if you know the trick. When the very first flowers appear cut down the thistle as close to the ground as possible and cut off the leaves, discarding them. Peel the outer, stringy layer off the stem which is easy to do. Get your thumbnail under it and pull the outer layer off, it'll come off easily. The peeled stalk tastes like sweet celery and I love it raw and used in salads. You can also cook it in any dish which calls for celery such as stews and Asian stir-frys.


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.

Turk's Cap

Scientific name: Malvaviscus arboreus
Abundance: common
What: flowers, fruit, young leaves
How: Flowers and young leaves raw or cooked; flowers can make pink lemonade type drink; fruit can be made into tea or preserves.
Where: shady areas, often used in landscaping
When: Flowers can appear all year long if warm enough.
Nutritional Value: Flowers high in antioxidants; seeds are high in protein & starch; leaves high in minerals; fruit high in vitamin C

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are generally ovate to lanceolate, with a length ranging from 3 to 6 inches and a width of 2 to 4 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate.

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

Leaf Color: The upper surface of the leaves is dark green, while the underside may have a lighter green color. Young leaves will be a lighter green, turning darker green as the mature.

Flower Structure: The flowers are unique, with a distinctive tubular shape resembling a Turkish fez or cap. The diameter of the flower can range from 1 to 2 inches. Each flower has five fused petals, forming the cap-like structure.

Flower Color: The flowers come in various colors, including shades of red, pink, or white.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, round capsule resembling a slightly flattened apple. The fruit easily splits along very faint seams.

Seed: Seeds are small, brown, and found within the "apples" one per segment.

Stem: The stems are generally upright and may have a reddish or green color when young and brown when older.

Hairs: The stems and leaves are covered in fine, upright hairs giving them a fuzzy texture.

Height: Turk's Cap plants typically range in height from 3 to 8 feet, depending on growing conditions and variety.

Young turk's cap leaves in the spring.




Turk's Cap shrub/bush in the summer and already flowering.


Close-up of Turk's Cap flower.


Close-up of Turk's cap flower.


Close-up of fruit.




Pancakes with Turk's Cap flowers are delicious!


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.


It's hard to miss Turk's Cap shrubs in the summer. Their multitude of bright read, uniquely-shaped flowers set against dark green foliage draw not just the human eye but also many butterflies and hummingbirds. These native mallows, related to hibiscus, okra, and cotton thrive across Texas due to their ability to handle shade or sun, wet or dry soil, heavy clay or sandy ground, though they prefer well drained soil with only partial sun exposure. In full sun they stay closer to the grown and spread out to end up looking "leggy". In ideal conditions of partial sun and well drained but moist soil they grow into thick, beautiful shrubs five to six feet tall. With fall's cool weather Turk's Cap loses its leaves and remains bare through the winter. Come spring light green, velvety leaves appear which grow larger, darker green, and rough in texture. By late spring/early summer the strange, rolled flowers appear with the single "antenna" sticking out the center. These flowers eventually give way to small, dark-red fruit at the end of summer.

Turk's Cap are a wonderful source of foods. The young, tender leaves can be used like spinach but cook them to soften their texture. Steaming, sautéing, boiling, or stir-frying are all good ways to cook these leaves. Actually, boiling is a terrible way to cook just about any leafy green but so be it.

The flowers are also wonderful raw, tasting like honeysuckle. The flowers are loaded with nectar at mid-morning and again in mid-afternoon. Watch the hummingbirds, they'll often swarm the plant when the flowers are at their sweetest. These flowers can also be used either fresh or dried to make tea.

The fruit is ripe when it is dark reddish-orange with no white skin present. These fruit taste like apples but with very little tartness, mainly just a light sweetness. They and their seeds can be eaten raw though the seeds are better if lightly toasted. The berries can also be made into jelly, jam, wine, or dehydrated.

While not edible, the bark (both inner and outer) can be used to make a decent cordage. Stripping the bark will usually kill the plant so save this for emergency situations.


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.

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.


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


Wireweeds left alone turn into sparse bushes.


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.


Close-up of leaves and flower buds.


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


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


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.


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.


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.

Yucca/Spanish Dagger

Scientific name: Yucca spp.
Abundance: common
What: young flowers; flower stalks on both thick and thin-leaf yuccas before flowers appear; edible fruit of thick-leaf yucca (Yucca treculeana).
How: New flowers raw or cooked, flower stalks raw or cooked, fruit baked or roasted, stems raw or cooked
Where: Sunny areas
When: Flowers just after bloom, flower stalks before flowers appear, fruits when ripe, March through end of summer.
Nutritional Value: carbohydrates, minerals
Other uses: Soap from stem and root, fibers/cordage from leaves, laxative properties, fish poison (saponins) from root.
Dangers: Only flowers, flower stalk, and fruit are edible, the rest of the plant is very poisonous.

Yuccu plant


Yucca flowers. They are best within the first few days or opening but after that they can turn nasty. Taste one before harvesting a lot.


Closeup of yucca flowers and flower pods.


Yucca fruit.




Yucca just before flowering.


Close-up of unopened flower stalk.


Close-up of flowers just beginning to open. The individual flower buds taste like cauliflower.


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.


The flower stalk is sweet-tasting before it produces flower pods/flowers. Roast or pickle it before the pods appear. As the flower pods mature the stalk becomes tasteless and tough. After the flowers have past the ripe fruit of the thick-leaf yucca (Yucca treculeana) can be roasted and eaten like eggplant. Thick-leaf yucca is identified by the leaf base being four inches across where it attaches to the yucca's trunk.

The fibers of the yucca leaf are very strong and have been twisted into cordage for thousands of years. It is best to soak the leaves in water for a week or more to rot (aka retting) away the non-fibrous portion of the leaf which would otherwise weaken the cordage.

Yucca root contains a very high concentration of chemicals called "saponins" which are a natural soap. Native Americans used to put mashed yucca root in a woven bag, which was then dropped into a small pond or stream which had been dammed. The saponins enter into the bloodstream of the fish through their gills, stupefying them. They float to the surface where than can be easily caught. If quickly placed in clean, un-poisoned water the fish may revive and not suffer permanent damage.


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.