Black Walnut

Scientific name: Juglans nigra
Abundance: common
What: nuts, sap
How: nuts raw, cooked, picked, or tinctured; sap boil to syrup
Where: forests, fields
When: fall
Nutritional Value: fats, protein, some minerals
Other uses: dye, fish poison
Dangers: shell juice stains objects and poisons fish

Black Walnut trees at a roadside rest area in east Texas.


Almost ripe nuts. They are a little larger than golf balls when ripe.




Green ones picked from the tree are better than brown ones from the ground.


The compound leaves of Black Walnut contain an even number of leaflets.


Close-up of the leaves, front and back.


Branch tips with new, young leaves.


Craggy, grayish bark of a Black Walnut tree.


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.


Standing up to 125’ tall with a rounded crown, black walnut trees cut an impressive figure across the fields of Texas. They prefer open, sunny locations but can also be found in forests. Black walnut leaves are compound with an even number of leaflets and being deciduous, drop off in the fall. The bark is grayish, dark and deeply furrowed/rough. The round nuts of this tree are contained in a thick, green cover which begins to splits open when ripe. The juice of this green coat smells like iodine and will stain skin and cotton fabric brown. Black walnut tree leaves, bark, and nut husks contain a poison which kills most other non-grass plants so do not add these materials to compost piles. The wood of black walnut trees is treasured by woodworkers and commands a premium price. This has led to many incidents of “tree rustling” where huge, old trees are cut down and stolen.

The nuts become ripe in the fall. Peeling the green husk is staining so wear gloves and avoid letting the peels come in contact with anything you don’t want turned brown. The thick shell of the walnut is very hard and most standard nut crackers can’t crack them. Waiting a few weeks after removing the husk allows the nuts to dry some, making shelling them slightly easier. The usual method of shelling black walnuts is to run over the nuts with a car followed by picking apart the shell with a nutpick. If you only have a few nuts they can be broken open with a hammer. If you have a lot of nuts it may be worthwhile to invest in a manual cracker specifically designed for black walnuts. Black walnuts have a stronger flavor than English walnuts so most people reduce the amount of nut meat used by one half in recipes.

The crushed green husks were used by Native Americans as a fish poison. Several large, woven bags of these husks were placed in a still pond or weir and the chemical juglones would seep out and stun the fish, causing them to float to the surface.

When the nuts are still green and soft enough to cut in half with a knife they can be pickled and then blended not a ketchup-substitute. As they get bigger the still-unripe notes can be soaked in vodka with a bit of lemon peel, cinnamon, star anise, and sugar syrup to create the Italian liquor "Nocino". Black walnut trees grow farther south than maples and though they produce only about 1/4 as much sap as maples, the resulting syrup made by boiling the sap down is quite delicious.

Never plants a Black Walnut near a garden as the roots, twigs, and leaves all produce a toxin which kills many other plants. Native grasses seem to resist this poison better than domesticated, decorative or food plants. My mom still nags me about the black walnut seedling I planted at the edge of her garden which eventually grew tall and wiped out a quarter of her crops even though this happens 30 years ago.


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.

Bottlebrush Tree

Scientific Name(s): Callistemon spp.
Abundance: common
What: leaves, flowers
How: tea, seasoning
Where: dry sunny yards, landscaping
When: all year
Nutritional Value: flavanoids

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Flowers - antifungal; antibacterial; antioxidant; cough suppressant (tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are typically arranged alternately along the branches.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are lance-shaped, measuring around 2 to 6 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: The leaves have a prominent midrib with lateral veins.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are generally smooth, without serrations.

Flower Structure: The distinctive feature of the bottlebrush tree is its cylindrical flower spikes resembling a bottlebrush. The spikes can range from 2 to 12 inches in length.

Flower Color: Flowers come in various colors, including red, pink, purple, yellow, or white, depending on the species or cultivar.

Seed: The seeds are small and enclosed in woody capsules within the spent flower spikes.

Bark: The bark is typically smooth and ranges in color from gray to brown.

Height: Bottlebrush trees can vary in height, with some species growing up to 10 to 15 feet, while others can reach up to 30 feet.

Hairs: Leaves and stems may have fine hairs, particularly when young.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, woody capsule containing the seeds. Colors can range from brown to gray.

Bottlebrush tree




Close-up of opened flowers.


Close-up of closed flowers.


Close-up of leaves.


Close-up of branch with woody fruit.


Bottlebrush branch.


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


Used often as a decorative landscaping tree, the striking red blossoms of the bottlebrush tree offer more than visual beauty. Their aroma is invigorating, somewhat minty or menthol in nature. The trees are small, rarely more than 15' tall and equally as wide. The leaves are evergreen and the blossoms also last can be found on the tree almost all year round. These flowers really explode vigorously in mid-spring and are often swarmed with bees who know a good thing when they smell it!

Both the flowers and leaves can be used to make an aromatic tea. The fresh blossoms do give a sweeter flavor than leaves. Aging the harvested leaves for two weeks helps as this breaks down the cell walls, allowing more of the flavorful compounds to escape into the tea. Flowers, being more delicate, do not benefit any from being aged and ideally are used fresh off the tree.

You can also use the leaves and flowers of the bottlebrush tree similar in manner to bay or rosemary leaves. Add several to a sauce, stew, or roasting meat to add an exotic flavor.

Mashed bottlebrush leaves rubbed on the skin is reported to keep away insects. This property may also be used to keep clothes, bedding, and houses bug free by laying sprigs of the leaves around whatever you want protected.


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.

Buffalo Gourd

Scientific Name(s): Cucurbita foetidissima
Abundance: common
What: flower, seeds, root
How: flowers raw or fried; seeds roasted or boiled; root as tea
Where: dry fields
When: summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: calories and protein in the seeds
Dangers: flesh of the gourd is extremely bitter and can be poisonous in large doses due to saponins.

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

Leaf Shape: Leaves are broadly ovate to heart-shaped, measuring up to 14" long and 7" wide near the base. 

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

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically serrated or toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually gray-green.

Flower Structure: The flowers are large and showy, with five petals reaching 4" across and a prominent central column of stamens and pistils.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically bright yellow.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, mottled/striped skin, and spherical gourd 4" across. They start out green and turn a stripped yellow as the mature. Inside is mostly stringy white flesh with many seeds.

Seed: Inside the gourd are large, flat, off-white seeds.

Stem: The stem is typically creeping along the ground rather than climbing.

Root: Produces a giant taproot, may be human-shaped, multiple feet in size.

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

Height: Cucurbita foetidissima can trail along the ground or climb on other vegetation and can reach varying heights.

Buffalo Gourd plant when young.



Mature Buffalo Gourd vine.


Buffalo Gourd fruit.


Small buffalo gourd root.




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.


Nose and eye find this plant at nearly the same time. The large, heart-shaped leaves and yellow, 5-petaled flowers of Buffalo Gourd give off an unpleasant smell which reminds me of nasty gym socks. Starting in mid-summer the fruit appear. Looking first like small, round watermelons these fruit eventually turn more yellow as they mature but never grow bigger than a baseball. Buffalo Gourd vines can stretch many yards from a central taproot and the beings perennials, show up in the same spot year after year. It's large taproot makes the plant very drought resistant and it grows best in the drier areas of Texas, especially in the Hill country and westward.

The flowers, similar to squash blossom, can be eaten both raw and fried. They do have a bad odor and are somewhat bitter when raw.

Buffalo gourd seeds were a staple food of early Texas Native Americans. The seeds must be completely cleaned of any gourd flesh or else they will be extremely bitter. Once completely cleaned they can be boiled and mashed into a porridge or roasted like pumpkin seeds and have a similar flavor. These seeds do contain a large amount of calories in the form of oil (25-42%) as well as a significant concentration of protein (22-35%).

The large taproot of Buffalo Gourds were to be strong medicine by Native Americans. These roots were used internally as a tea and also externally in poultices. Due to the high concentration of saponins and other potent chemicals healing with this root should only be tried under the direction of a trained herbalist!

Saponins are found in both the plant's root and in the skin of the gourds and are capable of producing a lather when vigorously combined with water. Because of this they were used as a soap substitute.


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.

Bull Nettle

Scientific Name(s): Cnidoscolus stimulosus, Cnidoscolus texanus
Abundance: common
What: seeds, taproot
How: seeds raw, roasted; root baked
Where: sunny fields
When: summer, fall
Nutritional Value: protein, calories
Dangers: entire plant is covered in stinging hairs similar to stinging nettle.

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

Leaf Shape: Leaves are deeply lobed, often resembling a maple leaf, with pointed tips.

Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate with each lobe having its own prominent, central vein.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are serrated or toothed.

Leaf Color: They are typically bright green in color.

Flower Structure: The flowers of bull nettle are small and white, arranged in clusters.

Flower Color: Predominantly white, sometimes with a hint of green or yellow.

Fruits: The plant produces spiny fruits 3/4" in diameter, that contain the seeds.

Seeds: The seeds are small and hard, approximately 1/2" long, with a brown mottled skin. 

Stems: The stems are covered in stinging hairs, which can cause irritation upon contact.

Roots: Large tuber up to two feet long and eight inches wide, with 1" diameter side-roots coming off the tuber.

Hairs: The hairs on the stem and leaves are one of its most notable features, delivering a stinging sensation when touched.

Plant Height: Bull nettles typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet.

Bull nettle plant.

Bull nettle flower.



Bull nettle leaves.

Bull nettle leaf stem.

Bull nettle seed pod which hold the tasty seeds.




Bull nettle plant.


Digging up a Bull Nettle root.


Holy crap!!


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.


Usually found in sunny, loose-soiled fields and other disturbed areas, these small, leggy bushes rarely grow more than two feet tall. The stinging hairs which cover bull nettle stems, leaves, and fruit offer a great protection against man and beast. While the pain they inflict is fierce, it often lasts less than an hour. The white blooms begin appearing in early spring and continue on through mid-summer. The green seed pods track the flowers by about a month.

Strangely enough, bull nettles are often commonly found growing near sassafras trees in Central and East Texas woods such as the Sam Houston National Forest. Bull nettles prefer full sun so finding them in the woods is odd, especially only in the presence of sassafras. Perhaps the sassafras root system both loosens the soil and releases some chemical which aids the bull nettles growth.

This plant, though armed with a similar defensive mechanism, is not related to stinging nettle. It's leaves are not edible in any way.

Harvesting the delicious seeds is best done using BBQ tongs or thick leather gloves to remove the seed pods from the plant. Then place these pods in a brown paper bag and wait a while (days). The pods will dry and then rupture, releasing the seeds which can then be toasted for a wonderful treat. The roasted seeds can also be pounded/ground into something similar to cornmeal and used in the same manner.

Digging up the taproot can be tricky. First, carefully cut away the top part of the plant with a machete or other long blade, then dig a hole 18" deep approximately one foot away from the stem of the plant. Carefully shave away the soil on the plant-side of the hole until you see the earth-colored root. At this point carefully remove the dirt from around the fragile root until you can lift it from the soil. Peel the root and then either roast or boil it like a potato. It will retain a bit of firmness rather than turning as soft as a potato. Through the root’s center runs a strong fiber core which needs to be discarded.


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.

Canna Lily

Scientific name: Canna indica
Abundance: common
What: Tubers, young shoots
How: Pulp to remove starch, cook shoots
Where: Sunny areas, often in landscapes
When: summer, fall
Nutritional Value: Calories
Other uses: They will absorb pollutants/contaminants from wetlands.

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternately arranged along the stem, forming a spiral pattern.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are broad, lanceolate to ovate, often measuring 1.5 to 2 feet long and 6 to 10 inches wide.

Leaf Venation: Venation is pinnate, with a prominent midrib and secondary veins branching off.

Leaf Margin: Margins are entire, smooth along the edges.

Leaf Color: Typically a lush green, but some cultivars may have variegated or purplish leaves.

Flower Structure: Flowers are large and showy, with three petals and three sepals, resembling petals.

Flower Color: Varies widely among cultivars, commonly red, orange, yellow, or pink.

Fruit: Produces a capsule-like fruit approximately 1" in diameter.  

Seed: Seeds are round and black, about the size of small peas.

Stem: Stems are fleshy, erect, and can be either green or pigmented, depending on the variety.

Hairs: Leaves and stems are generally smooth, without significant hairs.

Height: Typically grows 3 to 6 feet tall, though some varieties may reach up to 10 feet.

Mature canna lilies in the wild.

The leaves look like banana plants and can be used to wrap foods for cooking just like banana leaves.

Mature canna lilies in my backyard.


Edible tuber. Use it just like a potato.


Young edible shoot.


Flowers (not edible).








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


Canna lilies were a vital food source for Northwestern Native Americans and contain the highest percentage of starch of any known tuber. They can be cooked like potatoes though the natives would also make flour from them. To obtain canna lily flour slice the tubers into 1/4" disks and allow them to dry for a day or two. Then crumble these disks up in a large bowl of water. The starch (flour) will sink to the bottom of the bowl and any fiber will float to the top where it can be collected and discarded. Allow the starch to dry completely then grind/pound it into flour.

The tubers can be eaten raw but cooking them makes their starch more digestible. Traditionally they are boiled but baking in medium heat (300F) a long time gives great results. Native cultures would bury them under a fire for up to 12 hours. Cook them with their skin to keep them from drying out during cooking but then discard the skin before eating.

The starchy tubers can also be used to make alcohol, just like potatoes. A amylase enzyme of some sort needs to be added to break its starch down into sugars which can be converted into alcohol by yeast. Yeast can't change starch into alcohol.

The young shoots can be cooked and eaten like asparagus and the leaves can be used like banana leaves to wrap food for baking.

These plants are hardy and grow very well in most conditions though they prefer sun and moisture. Leaf-roller caterpillars will "stitch" the top growing leaves together resulting in stunted, ugly growth but they don't kill the plant. Just open up the leaves and remove the caterpillar. You can also cut the rolled leaves off and the plant will resume normal growth.

These plants will thrive in the southern areas of the United States but north of the Mason-Dixon line it is best if you dig up the tubers and store them in a dark, cool (but not freezing!) place then replanting them in the spring.


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.

Carolina Bristle Mallow

Scientific Name(s): Modiola caroliniana
Abundance: plentiful
What: leaves
How: tea
Where: yards, fields, wastelands
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: minor
Dangers: beware poisonous mimic Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves of Modiola caroliniana are ovate to heart-shaped, often with a slightly lobed or undulating margin. Lobes become less pronounced as the plant matures.

Leaf Venation: Venation is palmate, with each lobe having a central vein.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are crenate or serrate, meaning they have rounded or sharp teeth respectively.

Leaf Color: Leaves are generally a medium to dark green.

Flower Structure: The 5-petaled flowers are solitary, 1/4" in diameter, and borne on long pedicels.

Flower Color: Carolina bristle mallow is notable for their bright orange to red color, with a yellow center.

Fruits: The fruit is a small, flat capsule containing several seeds. Young capsules are green, but turn dark as the mature.

Seeds: Seeds are tiny and numerous.

Stems: Stems are slender and can be either erect or sprawling but generally creep along the ground

Hairs: The plant has coarse hairs along the stems, leaves, and seed capsules.

Roots: Roots often grow wherever the stem's leaf junction touches soil.

Plant Height: Carolina bristle mallow typically grows to a height of 6 to 12 inches.

Carolina Bristle Mallow.






Close-up of flower and seedpod.


Surface portion of Carolina Bristle Mallow plus long runner.


Younger Carolina Bristle Mallow leaves are more deeply cleft/lobed than mature leaves.


The leaves feel coarse and the stem is hairy.


Close-up of the leaves.


The stem/runners of Carolina Bristle Mallow put down roots where it touches soil.


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.


Creeping through the grass of unkempt yards and just about anywhere else where other plant life doesn't tower over it, Carolina Bristle Mallow is found all over Texas...or at least anywhere there's enough rainfall to support grass. The plant looks and feels unappealing, with its coarse, scratchy leaves and stiff, hairy stem. While this plant looks a bit like the highly nutritious Malva neglecta, Carolina Bristle Mallow is unrelated and doesn't have a similar high vitamin, mineral, and protein content. In fact, it's not even in the Malvaceae family but rather the lone member of its own unique genus, Modiola.

It's not a plant one adds to salads nor is there any record of anyone cooking it. Its only common use is to make a refreshing cold tea by soaking the shredded leaves in water for a couple of hours, staining, then serving over ice. This tea was drank by Natives and settlers to fight overheating as there's some suggestions that it lowers the initial sweating temperature of its drinkers. The sooner one starts sweating, the more heat they can dump from their body as long as they are drinking enough water to stay well hydrated.

Don't mistake young, toxic Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens) for Carolina Bristle Mallow. Creeping Buttercup leaves have deeper clefts and a shinier, light-green color growing up from a single taproot. Remember, Carolina Bristle Mallow puts roots down anywhere its stems touch soil. If you aren't sure what you have, wait a few weeks to see how the plant grows. If it develops yellow flowers and sharply cleft leaves it's the toxic Creeping Buttercup.

Carolina Bristle Mallow on the left. Creeping Buttercup on the right.


Young, toxic Creeping Buttercup.


Mature, toxic Creeping Buttercup.



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.