Horsetails

Scientific name: Equisetaceae spp.
Abundance: uncommon
What: young stems, roots
How: tea with young stems boiled in 3-4 changes of water or roots after roasting
Where: near water
When: young shoots in the spring, roots all year
Nutritional Value: minerals
Other uses: These plants contain a large amount of silica which makes them excellent for scrubbing dishes in the wild. They also contain some very astringent compounds which makes mashed-up horsetails an excellent clotting agent to help stop bleeding.
Dangers: Equisetaceae species contain thiaminase, an enzyme which removes vitamin B from the body. This enzyme is destroyed by cooking the horsetails.

Medicinal Summary:
Stems - hemostat; wound Healer; diuretic; assists rebuilding non-chronic connective tissue damage (poultice, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in whorls at regular intervals along the stem. These leaves are small and scale-like.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are reduced to small, non-photosynthetic scales that are fused at the base, forming a sheath around the stem.

Leaf Venation: There is no distinct venation due to the reduced size and form of the leaves.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are not applicable, as the leaves are scale-like and fused.

Leaf Color: The scale leaves are usually the same color as the stem, typically green to brownish-green.

Flower Structure: These plants do not produce true flowers. They reproduce by spores produced by "bee hive" looking structures at the tips of the stalks.

Flower Color: Not applicable, as Equisetaceae species do not have flowers.

Fruit: No true fruit is produced; they reproduce via spores released from cone-like structures.

Seed: No seeds are produced; reproduction is through spores.

Stem: The stem is elongated, jointed, and hollow, with ridges and furrows running along its length. Texture is rough.

Hairs: There are no hairs on the stem or leaves.

Height: The height varies widely among species, ranging from a few inches to several feet tall.

Stand of horsetails




Close-up of stalk tip.


Spore-producing bodies maturing left to right.


Really close-up of Horsetail tips.


Close-up of Horsetails "joints".


Getting ready to clean some pots.


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.


Looking like prehistoric reeds, horsetails are found in large clumps in the sandy soil along Texas streams. They look prehistoric because they are prehistoric, being 100 million years old. Horsetails reproduce via spores rather than seeds, which puts them closer to ferns than most other vascular plants. A tall stand can reach 30 inches high and densely packed.

Tea from the plant has a slight "black licorice" crossed with green tea flavor. Crushed up a 6-8 horsetails into a cup of water and then boil them for ten minutes. Let stand until cool enough to drink. The silicic acid found in horsetail tea is thought to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and the air sacs in lungs along with promoting regrowth of damaged joint tissue. Its astringent chemicals reduce bleeding especially in the mouth and act as a diuretic to flush out the body.

The high silicate content of horsetails makes them excellent wilderness pot scrubbers. A handful of them rubbed will quickly scrap clean a dirty cook pot, as many old boy scouts know.


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.

Jerusalem Artichoke

Scientific name: Helianthus tuberosus
Abundance: rare
What: tubers
How: raw, cooked
Where: fields, wastelands
When: winter
Nutritional Value: carbohydrates, minerals
Dangers: may cause gas/flatulance

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broadly ovate to lanceolate, typically measuring about 4 to 10 inches in length and 2 to 5 inches in width.

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

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are serrated or toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves are a vibrant green color, often with a slightly lighter shade on the underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are located at the top of the plant and in leaf axils. Each flower has about 10 to 20 petals and measures approximately 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually bright yellow.

Fruit: The plant does not produce a typical fruit; instead, it forms irregular-shaped, lumpy, elongated tubers underground.

Seed: Seeds resemble tiny sunflower seeds, which is a close relative.

Stem: The stem is sturdy and rough in texture, growing up to 6 to 10 feet tall.

Hairs: There are small hairs along the stem and leaves, giving them a rough texture.

Height: The plant typically reaches heights of 6 to 10 feet.

Jerusalem artichoke plants in their preferred habitat, the sanding banks of a river.


Tubers




A single, large tuber.


Plant.


Close-up of Jerusalem artichoke leaves


Young flower buds before opening.


Jerusalem artichoke flowers.


Wild sunflower flower on left, Jerusalem artichoke flower on right.


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.


Jerusalem artichokes thrive in neglected waste areas and produce a large amount of starchy tubers. This makes them an excellent plant for guerrilla gardening in vacant lots and other urban-blighted areas. They belong to the same family as sunflowers and produce similar flowers in the late summer/fall.

As the tuber grow during the summer they are filled with a large starch molecule called inulin. Inulin tastes sweet but is a very complex carbohydrate which the human digestive system can not break down to extract any usable calories. Tubers eaten in the summer or fall will give you some minerals, a few vitamins, and some fiber but the inulin starch will just pass through the digestive track. Sidenote: some bacteria in the gut can eat this inulin and after doing so this bacteria will produce quite a bit of methane gas...which may lead to excessive flatulence.

However, after the first frost of the year the tuber starts producing a slow-acting enzyme which breaks the inulin down into simple sugars that the plant will use to grow new stalks in the spring. We can digest/metabolize these simple sugars. This means if we have to wait until late winter to harvest the tuber to get calories from them.

If possible leave the tubers in the ground during winter and just dig them up as need. This works great in Houston or other southern climates. Tubers stored in a refrigerator tend to get mushy for some reason. If you are up north store the tubers outside in a covered wooden box filled with loose, dry sand.

Jerusalem artichoke tubers were a staple food of many Native American tribes and were spread throughout North America via trade between tribes. However, they were not actively cultivated like corn, squash, beans or other well-known native crops. The tubers were buried and then the plants were usually just ignored until late winter when the natives were running low on stored food. At this time the women would go searching for field mouse homes to raid for Jerusalem artichoke tubers. The mice loved the tubers and would spend a great deal of time digging them up and stockpiling them around their nest. The women would then just steal them from the mice.

These plants are somewhat rare in the wild so if you do find them it is best just to buy 5-10 tubers from some fancy grocery store and plant them somewhere on your own property. They will then rapidly form your own stand of Jerusalem artichokes and within two years you'll have all the tubers you could want.


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.

Lady's Thumb

Scientific Name(s): Polygonum persicaria
Abundance: common
What: leaves
How: cooked
Where: moist, sunny areas
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: assorted vitamins & minerals
Dangers: none known

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are lanceolate to elliptic, usually measuring about 2 to 6 inches in length and 0.5 to 1 inch in width. A short sheath will run down the stem from the base of the leaf.

Leaf Venation: Leaf venation is pinnate, with a central vein and smaller veins branching off to the sides.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are entire, meaning they are smooth without serrations or teeth.

Leaf Color: The leaves are generally green, but they often have a distinctive dark blotch in the center. This splotch can range from a thick "V" to a roundish blotch. How pronounced the sploch is depends on the age of the leaf, with it becoming more distinctive as the leaf ages.

Flower Structure: Flowers are small, grouped in dense, elongated spikes located at the tip of the stem or arising from leaf axils. Each flower is typically around 0.1 to 0.2 inches in diameter.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually pink to red.

Fruit: The plant produces a small, black, shiny nutlet as its fruit.

Seed: The seed is enclosed within the nutlet, which is about 0.1 inch in diameter, round, and black.

Stem: The stem is slender, often reddish, and can be smooth or slightly hairy.

Hairs: There may be fine hairs along the stem and the underside of the leaves.

Height: The plant usually grows to about 1 to 3 feet in height.

Lady's thumb. The dark "V" stain is supposed to look like the thumbprint of a lady.


Lady's Thumb (note the dark smudge on the leaf between the 3" and 4" section of the ruler)


"Smudge-free" lady's thumb.


A stand of lady's thumb blooming along Spring Creek.


Close-up of flowers.


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.


This "weed" prefers moist, sunny locations on the banks of streams and lakes but it can occasionally be found in much drier locations. It will usually be in clumps and standing approximately 18"-24" tall. In early summer the pink flowers will appear in small, round clusters at the tops of the stems. From a distance these flowers will make the whole clump of plants look pink.

A delicious potherb, simply boil the leaves for 8-10 minutes then serve with butter or roasted garlic or bits of bacon or all of those combined. It is better to cook it than to eat it raw because bacteria from the water this plant grows along can contaminate the leaves.


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.

Lizard's Tail

Scientific Name(s): Saururus cernuus
Abundance: uncommon
What: roots, leaves
How: tea
Where: moist areas, edge of water.
When: spring, summer, fall
Nutritional Value: none

Medicinal Summary:
Roots - sedative; pain relief; wound healing (tisane)

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are heart-shaped (cordate) with a length of approximately 4 to 8 inches and a width of 3 to 6 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is prominently palmate, radiating from the base of the leaf like the fingers of a hand.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is smooth (entire) with no serrations.

Leaf Color: The upper side of the leaves is typically medium to dark green, while the underside may have a paler hue.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in a spike-like cluster, known as a raceme, located at the tip of a drooping (cernuus) stem. Each flower is small, with a diameter of about 0.2 to 0.3 inches, and has no distinct petals but rather white to greenish sepals.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually white or cream-colored.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, elongated capsule.

Seed: Seeds are tiny, ovoid, and brown.

Stem: The stems are erect, slender, and may have a reddish tint. They bear the raceme of flowers at the top.

Hairs: The plant is generally hair-free but the flower spikes may feel slightly fuzzy while still immature and green.

Height: Saururus cernuus typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet, with the flowering spike extending above the foliage.

Bed of Lizard's Tail plants.




Close-up of leaf.


Lizard's Tail flower stalk before flowers develop.


Lizard's Tail flowerhead and leaves.


The rhizome roots of Lizard's Tail.


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.


Look for Lizard's Tail lining the banks of shaded Texas ponds beginning in the late winter and lasting until mid-fall. The "tails" show up in late April, blossoms in May, and are gone by July. The root can be gathered any time of year.

It has no edible/nutritional value but its roots have a long history of being used medicinally as a tea, which has both sedative and some pain-relieving properties. A wash made from boiled roots was used as a surface wash for rheumatism. Also, a paste of boiled then mashed roots was applied the sore, chapped breasts of nursing mothers and to heal flesh wounds.


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.

Mallow - Marsh

Scientific name: Hibiscus lasiocarpos
Abundance: rare
What: roots, young leaves, flower buds,
How: Leaves, roots, stem, and flowers contain a mucilage-like material which can be used to thicken soups and stews. Flowers can be eaten raw. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked with other greens or boiled alone. Roots are peeled, sliced then fried. Flower buds can be raw or cooked. All parts of the plant can be made into tea, seeds are roast and ground for a coffee substitute.
Where: Moist areas
When: Young leaves in spring, summer; roots all year, flowers in summer.
Nutritional Value: Roots high in starch, rest of plant contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals

Medicinal Summary:
Root - demulcent; laxative; slows sugar transfer from stomach to blood; soothes gastrointestinal inflammations (poultice, tisane)

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broadly ovate, with a length of approximately 4 to 6 inches and a width of 3 to 5 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate, with prominent veins.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is serrated, featuring tooth-like projections along the edge.

Leaf Color: The upper side of the leaves is typically medium to dark green, while the underside may have a lighter hue.

Flower Structure: The 5-petaled flowers are large and showy, with a diameter of about 3 to 5 inches. They are located at the terminal ends of the stems.

Flower Color: The flowers are white to pink with deeper red centers. Calyx have long, narrow protrusions wrapping up the sides of the flower buds.

Fruit: The fruit is an okra-like capsule, approximately 1" long, containing longitudinal lines of seeds attached to a central, multi-sided rib.

Seed: Immature seeds are white and soft, turning dark and hard when mature.

Stem: The stems are erect, with a woody base, supporting the large, terminal flowers. Young stems sections are green or red whereas lower, mature sections can be brown.

Hairs: The leaves, stems, sepals, and calyx are covered in fine, fuzzy hairs.

Height: Hibiscus lasiocarpos can reach a height of 3 to 6 feet, with the large flowers extending above the foliage.

Marsh mallow flowers and flower buds, both of which are edible.


Marsh mallow (plants grow up to four feet tall). Note last year's dried seedpods.




Marsh mallow leaf.


Close-up of marsh mallow leaf. Note the fine hairs which give it a velvety feel.


Marsh mallow flower.




Marsh mallow flower buds before blooming.


Note the long, narrow calyx wrapping up the sides of the buds .


Tender seedpods taste kind of like okra.


Dried marsh mallow seed pods which have split open, revealing their seeds.


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


Marsh mallows are usually found in shady, moist areas but on occasion they can be found in sunny, moist areas, too.

To make original marshmallows, peel roots and slice them into thin wafers then boil 20 minutes in minimum amount of water. Remove the root slices, add sugar or other sweetener and boil down fluid until very thick. Whip this hot fluid like egg whites then drop globs onto wax paper, after they've cooled dust them with powdered sugar.

The seeds can be roasted then ground in a coffee grinder for use as a substitute for real coffee. It tastes pretty good, though does not have any caffeine.

Young leaves and tender flower buds can be used to thicken soups, stews, curries, and other sauces. The tender flower buds can also be pickled or fried like okra. Opened flowers can be used in salads or made into tea though these are best the first day they've opened.

The dried root has been used in herbal "tobacco" substitutes.

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.