Cottonwood

Scientific Name(s): Populus deltoides, other Populus species
Abundance: rare
What: inner bark
How: raw, cooked
Where: sunny fields near water
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: calories, vitamin C
Dangers: none

Medicinal Summary:
Young Bark - anti-inflammatory; pain reliever; fever reducer (tisane)
Leaf Buds - pain reliever; antimicrobial, heals sprains and contusions (infused oil)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broadly triangular or deltoid in shape, with a length of approximately 3 to 6 inches.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are serrated, featuring coarse teeth.

Leaf Venation: Leaf veins are pronounced and light colored than leaf.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically bright green, turning yellow in the fall. 

Flower Structure: Eastern cottonwood trees are dioecious, producing separate male and female catkins (long, narrow clusters of tiny flowers).

Flower Color: Male catkins are red or yellow, while female catkins are green.

Fruit (Capsule): The fruit is a small, capsule-like structure, around 1/4 inch in size.

Bark: Bark is smooth and greenish-gray on young trees, becoming deeply furrowed and gray-brown on mature trees.

Height: Eastern cottonwood trees can reach towering heights of 50 to 100 feet.

Hairs: Leaves and mature bark are generally smooth.

Wood Color: The heartwood is light brown. Center of branches have a distinct, darker, 5-pointed start in their center.

Cottonwood tree.


Cottonwood branch.


Cottonwood leaves in early fall with both green and yellow leaves.


Cottonwood bark.


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.


Cottonwood trees were a welcome sight for those settlers and Native Americans crossing Texas. Their presence indicated water within easy digging distance. Quick growing, they can reach 100 feet tall with a spread of 75 feet in under twenty years. In the early summer Cottonwoods produce LOTS of the cottony fluff for which they are named. Come fall their leaves take on a striking yellow color which stands out boldly among the lesser trees and bushes.

The inner bark (cambium layer) is a good source of calories and vitamin C. One must peel away the thick, outer bark to get to this edible cambium layer. The cambium is finely diced before eating to lessen the amount of chewing needed. It can be eaten raw or boiled into a porridge. Please note that removing this inner bark will likely kill the tree and Cottonwoods are becoming rare in Texas. Please harvest the bark only in a matter of life or death. However, Cottonwoods shed branches during storms. Harvest the cambium layer from these fallen branches as soon as possible.

During the winter Cottonwoods protect their next year's leaf buds with a resinous coating. These buds were collected in the winter and gently boiled in an edible oil to make a salve to treat sore throats and coughs. Being a relative of willows, the bark of the Cottonwood can also be used as a source of aspirin.


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.

Magnolia

Scientific Name(s): Magnolia grandiflora
Abundance: common
What: flowers, leaves, maybe seeds
How: flowers pickled; leaves as tea; seeds...you're on your own!
Where: landscaping, woods
When: spring flowers, fall seeds, leaves all year
Nutritional Value:
Dangers: some sources list the seeds as edible others list them as poisonous

Medicinal Summary:
Seeds - anti-tumor; anti-inflammatory; anti-bacterial; anti-seizure; sedative (tincture)
Leaves - anti-cancer; antibacterial (tisane, tincture)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are typically arranged alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Simple, large, and broadly ovate leaves, varying in size among species.

Leaf Color: Leaves will be dark green on top and a bronze color underneath. 

Flower Structure: Magnolias are known for their large, showy flowers with multiple petals and protruding center. They give off a sweet, floral scent.

Flower Size: Flower size can be over a foot in diameter.

Flower Color: Colors range from white and cream to faint pink or yellow.

Fruit (Cone): The fruit is a cone-like structure, often reddish or brown when mature, measuring a few inches in length. Dozens of red seeds can be seen peeking out of each cone when mature.

Seed Size: Seeds are typically 1/4"-1/2 ovals, with a hard, red coat and a white/cream interior.

Bark: Mottled gray-brown and somewhat rough/wrinkled, kind of like elephant skin.

Height: Heights of mature magnolia trees can range from 15 to 80 feet, depending on the species.

Hairs: Seed pods and leaf stems are fuzzy.

Magnolia tree. Note the green tops and brown undersides of the leaves.


Magnolia flower buds.


Flower beginning to open which I feel is the best time to pick them for use.


Open flower. Soon after they open the petals begin turning brown. I don't harvest them once several petals have become spotted.


After the flower petals drop away the fuzzy seedhead is revealed.


Come fall, the red seeds begin bursting out of the seedhead. The hard, red shell covers a light-tan interior.


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.


Fifty million years ago Magnolia trees dominated the Earth. Today they are found in the southeastern United States and running down into Central and South America. Oh, how the might have fallen! Yet, there's some pleasure in knowing Texas has some of the last northern holdouts of this ancient race. Looking at these trees, with their giant, ambrosial-scented flowers and thick, leathery leaves, it's not surprising they come from the time of Eocene period, when global temperatures were much hotter than today and plant life thrived.

Look for these trees both as landscaping centerpieces as well as wild in the east Texas woods. They keep their large, somewhat oval leaves all year around. Flowers appear in mid-spring followed by the clusters of hard, red seeds in the fall. The bark is relatively smooth and gray with assorted discolorations of lichen. Mature trees can have round crowns forty feet across.

The strong scent of freshly-opened magnolia flowers can be overpowering and so the flowers themselves aren't eaten raw. Shredding the flowers then pickling using the pickled okra recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, produces something similar to pickled seaweed served at sushi joints. A number of bartenders and distilleries have been experimenting with magnolia flower infused gins to create Texas-specific cocktails.

The leaves, after drying, has a long history of herbal medicinal use to fight cancers. Testing by western science has revealed magnolia leaves contain several compounds that reduce the growth of blood vessels to tumors. Lots of work still remains in turning these into an accurate, predictable medicine.

In the fall the trees are covered with clusters of bright red seeds about the size of small jelly beans. Digging through the research on the edibility of these magnolia beans, one find them listed as both poisonous and edible.Being a scientist, I've eaten three of them so far. At the first bite they have a sweet, pleasant flavor but at the second bite my mouth tasted like it was flooded with gasoline. Bleeech! The seeds have the outer, red coat surrounding pale, tan nutmeat. I suspect that the sweet flavor comes from the coat and the gasoline flavor from the nutmeat or perhaps vice-versa. More experimentation with these beans is required.


50 Million year old! Fights cancers! Link leads to another website.

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.

Desert Hackberry

Scientific Name: Celtis pallida
Abundance: common
What: fruit
How: raw, cooked
Where: dry, desert areas
When: late summer, fall
Nutritional Value: calories
Dangers: spines are sharp!

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Simple, ovate leaves with serrated margins, typically measuring 1 to 2 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically pale green to gray-green.

Flower Structure: Inconspicuous, small, greenish flowers are arranged in clusters.

Flower Size: Individual flowers are very small, around 1/8 inch in size.

Fruit (Drupe): The fruit is a small, rounded drupe, about 1/4 inch in diameter, typically reddish-brown when ripe.

Bark: Bark is mottled grayish-brown, with thorns. Some thorns may have smaller thorns.

Height: Desert hackberry can grow to be a medium-sized tree, reaching heights of 20 to 30 feet.

Hairs: Leaves may have microscopic hairs, giving a slightly rough texture.

Branching Pattern: The branching pattern is irregular, and the tree may have a somewhat open form.

Desert Hackberry fruit when ripe.


Close-up of ripe fruit.


Thicket of Desert Hackberry trees. They grow with interlaced trunks and branches.


Close-up of leaves.


Note how the young branch "zig-zags" betweens leaf nodes and spines.


Close-up of spines on young twig.


Close-up of spine on mature branch.


Desert Hackberry trunk.


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.


As much as I love Desert Hackberries, birds love them even more. The spiny thickets that these small tree form are are a safe, food-filled haven for all manner of small birds. Look for these thickets in arid, hot areas of south and west Texas, though in these environments they will likely cluster near water sources including dry gullies. The trees rarely get much over 15 feet tall. The small, oval leaves stay on the tree most of the year but can fall in extremely dry conditions.

The ripe fruit is quite sweet, orange in color, and its single seed is much softer than the hard stone found in Sugar Hackberry fruit. I eat the whole thing raw, seed and nut combined. It can be eaten raw, mashed then baked into a calorie-laden snack bar, or boiled in some water to make a syrup. A truly industrious person could gather enough of the ripe fruit to make a bottle of wine or two if they were willing to fight through the plant's thorns...and deal with the resulting angry birds.


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.

Desert Willow

Scientific Name(s): Chilopsis linearis
Abundance: common
What: flowers, leaves, bark
How: tea, poultice, tincture
Where: stream banks, arroyos of the desert areas
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: low
Dangers: don't mistake a poisonous, landscaping Oleander for desert willow!

Medicinal Summary:
Flower - tea soothes coughs
Bark & Root - teas and tinctures are antimicrobial and antifungal

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are alternate along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Chilopsis linearis leaves are linear or lanceolate, giving the plant its specific epithet.

Leaf Venation: The venation is parallel.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is entire, meaning it lacks serrations.

Leaf Color: The leaves are typically green, and there is often no significant color difference between the top and underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are tubular and arranged in terminal clusters. Lower flowers on the branch will be open while ones nearer the branch tip may still be closed.

Flower Color: Chilopsis linearis flowers come in various colors, including shades of pink, lavender, or white.

Fruit: The fruit is a long, slender bean-like capsule.

Seed: Seeds are small and numerous within the capsule.

Bark: The bark is typically smooth and dark-grayish.

Hairs: Flower buds are covered in fine hairs, as is the interior of seed pods.

Height: Chilopsis linearis can reach heights of 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9 meters), depending on environmental conditions.

Desert Willow in March in a gully in Big Bend Ranch State Park (no foraging allowed).


Close-up of flower in March in Big Bend Ranch State Park. Note the unopened buds higher up the branch.


Another close-up of the flower.


Unopened flower buds in March in Big Bend Ranch State Park (no foraging allowed).


Desert willow bark is generally smooth, dark and spotted. Note the


Last year's dried seedpods may still be hanging on the desert willow. They have fluffy seed "parachutes" like milkweed.


Another desert willow growing along a dry streamback in Big Bend Ranch State Park (no foraging allowed).


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.


Late winter/early spring is a beautiful time in west Texas desert areas, especially along the streambeds that winter rains had soaked the soil briefly but thoroughly. The water walks up the desert, covering it with a confetti of flowers. Perhaps the most beautiful are the big, pink-purple flowers of the desert willow. This small, usually multi-trunked tree can be found growing upwards from the safety of large boulders along the arroyos of west Texas but also in a few counties randomly spread across Texas. Because of its compact but interesting growth pattern and wonderful flowers it is used as a xeriscape landscaping tree in many Texas cities from Houston to Amarillo.

Though note a true willow, the desert willow gets its name from its liner to lanceolate, hairless leaves. These leaves have pinnate vein patterns with a main, center vein from which secondary veins branch outwards and upwards, reconnecting out towards the edge of the leaf.The edges of the leaves are entire, lacking any sort of serrations or lobes. Oddly, the leaves can be arranged along the branches in both alternating and opposite patterns. A tea (tisane) or tincture made from the leaves and bark is antimicrobial, especially against fungal infections. Rinsing out the cuts and scratches one gets when traveling through the desert are well cared for with a wash of the leaf/bark tea. A tincture will also clean out wounds but will sting.

The violet-scented flowers are triggered by the earliest warm rains of spring. They sprout near the ends of branches beyond the leaves. These branches continue to grow and produce new flower buds into the summer. Pink and purple flowers with light-colored throats seem to be the most common but even white flowers are possible. The inside surface of the petal(s) can often be striped with a much darker shade than the rest of the flower.

Tea made from the fragrant flowers of desert willow is what you're really after. Gently tug on a flower and if it comes off the tree easily add it to a jar until the container is half full. Fill it to the top with water (approximately 1 part flowers, 2 parts water) and let it soak in the sunlight for half a day. Strain out the flowers, add some ice to cool it down, and drink the drink of desert secrets. Medicinally, the flower tea soothes rough coughs.

After the flowers come long, green seedpods. By fall these pods can be 6"-10" long and soon split open to release their fluffy seeds to float away. The brown, dried pods remain on the tree, helping identify it when the flowers aren't present. Though these long beans look inviting when green, they are not considered edible.

While these small trees require little water their growth indicates water is likely close to the surface. Digging around them can often uncover a seep of murky but life-giving water. Be sure to purify it as you would any wild water, such as by boiling, filtering, or a chemical treatment.

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.

Devil's Walking Stick

Scientific Name(s): Aralia spinosa
Abundance: rare
What: young shoots, young leaves
How: shoots cooked, leaves raw or cooked
Where: sunny fields
When: spring
Nutritional Value: vitamins, flavanoids, phytochemicals
Dangers: very thorny

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are compound and alternate along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Each leaf consists of numerous leaflets. Individual leaflets are ovate to lanceolate, measuring approximately 6 to 12 inches in length.

Leaf Margin: Leaflet margins are serrated with coarse teeth.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically green.

Flower Structure: Small, white flowers are arranged in large, compound umbels at the top of the plant.

Flower Color: Flowers are generally white and appear in late summer.

Fruit (Berry-Like): The fruit is a small, dark purple to black berry, around 1/4 to 1/2 inches in diameter. Grow in umbel-like clusters. 

Bark: The bark is covered with sharp prickles, especially on younger stems.

Height: Devil's Walking Stick can grow to be 15 to 30 feet tall.

Hairs: Stems and leaves are generally smooth.

Thorns: Prickles form distinct rings around trunk and branches, unlike the randomly placed thorns of Prickly Ash/Toothach Tree.

Devil's Walking Stick trees are small, only growing about 30' tall.




Close-up of spines on young tree (found on trunk and branches). Note how the thorns grow in rings around the wood.




Leaves have a compound opposite layout.




Close-up of a single leaflet.


New leaves sprouting in late winter. This is a good time to harvest the new shoots for cooking.


Young leaves two months later, ready to be cooked.


Young leaves in the spring.




New growth is a lovely green color while the previous years' growth is gray.


In late summer Devil's Walking Stick trees produce tons of small, yellowish blooms.


Close-up of blooms.


Unripe fruit photographed in August in Houston. Ripe fruit is red but NOT edible.


Close-up of the unripe berries.


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.


Throughout central, southern and eastern United States you may encounter the spiny/thorny Devil's Walking Stick tree in sunny fields, along woodland borders, or along the woodland paths. Some may mistake this tree for the Toothache Tree (Zanthoxylum species) but that tree's thorns are randomly placed and quite thick on mature Toothache Trees whereas the Devil's Walking Stick thorns remain small (though wicked sharp!) and form rings around the trunk and branches.

The new shoots and young leaves of the Devil's Walking Stick tree can be eaten in the spring before the spines on the leaf stems stiffen. The shoots make a good celery substitute when cooked. The young leaves can be eaten raw but the usual method of preparation is to finely chop the leaves then cook. The non-edible berries form in large clusters, starting out green in mid-summer and then turn red around September. Deer love eating any of the berries they can reach.


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.