Showing posts with label White Fruit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White Fruit. Show all posts

American Beautyberry

Scientific name: Callicarpa americana, Callicarpa japonica
Abundance: Plentiful
What: ripe berries
How: raw, preserves
Where: woods
When: late summer, fall
Nutritional Value: minor amounts of vitamins and carbohydrates
Other uses: Recent studies indicate beauty berry leaves contain several very strong mosquito repellent molecules. Toxicity of these molecules still needs to be determined.
Dangers: Some people have reported stomach upset after eating beauty berries. Limit yourself to small servings until you know how your body will react.

Medicinal Summary:
Root Bark - diuretic; treats dysentery and stomach aches (tisane)
Leaves & Root - sweatbath soothes rheumatism

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in an opposite-alternating pattern along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are typically ovate to elliptic, with a length ranging from 2 to 6 inches and a width of 1.5 to 3 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is serrated or toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves are green.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small, with a diameter of approximately 1/8 inch, and are clustered around leaf/stem junctions.

Flower Color: Callicarpa americana flowers can be pink to purple.

Fruit: The fruit is a drupe, usually glossy and violet to purple, about 1/8 inch in diameter.

Seed: Seeds are small and enclosed within the drupe.

Bark: The bark is usually smooth and brown.

Hairs: Leaves and stems have fine hairs.

Height: Callicarpa americana typically grows to a height of 3 to 8 feet.


American Beautyberry with ripe berries.
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Closeup of the berries. They are almost ripe, just need to darken to a deep purple color.
Beautyberries

Closeup of a beautyberry leaf.
BeautyberryLeaf

Immature berry clusters.
Youngbeautyberry

Japanese beautyberry stay white rather than turn purple. They are edible.
AsianBeautyberry

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.
BeautyberryTX

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

As late summer turns to fall the bright magenta berries of American beautyberry capture the eye. These shrubs average 3’ to 5’ tall and wide but exceptional ones can grow over 8’ tall. They are understory plants found in most wooded areas, especially if moist soil. American beautyberry shrubs lose their leaves in the winter but the clusters of dried berries often remain on its long, drooping branches. Leaves appear in late spring, often after many other plants. The clusters of purple/pink flowers appear in early summer and quickly become small, white-pink berries.

American beautyberry berries become edible upon reaching full ripeness which usually occurs in late summer to early fall. They should be a dark purple/magenta color but not turning wrinkled and dry. These berries can be eaten raw and have a mild, slight medicinal flavor. To truly maximize the potential of these berries it is best to make jelly out of them. Combine 1.5 qts of berries with 1 qt. water, boil for 20 minutes and then strain out the solids. Add 4.5 cups of sugar and one envelope of Sure Jell to the liquid. Bring the liquid back up to boil for two minutes, skimming off any foam. Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars and seal. If it doesn't set up you'll need to add another 1/4 envelope of Sure Jell or just use it as a fantastic syrup! The resulting jelly has a unique flavor which reminds me of rose petals and champagne.

These berries can also be used to make wine. Being low in sugars it is best to combine American beautyberry fruit with something sweeter such as grapes or bananas, otherwise the resulting wine will be a bit weak and have an uncomplex flavor.

Some people have reported stomach upset after eating beauty berries. Limit yourself to small servings until you know how your body will react

Three different molecules having mosquito repellent properties have been found in the leaves. Testing by the US army shows these compounds are similar to DEET in their ability to repel mosquitoes but human toxicity has not been determined. I recommend rubbing crushed leaves on your clothing rather than directly onto bare skin. Also note, while effective against mosquitoes these three chemicals don't seem to repel wood ticks or chiggers.



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.

Honey Mesquite

Scientific name: Prosopis glandulosa
Abundance: plentiful
What: young leaves, seed pods, seeds
How: seed pods raw, cooked; mature beans pounded into flour, made into tofu or tea. Young leaves in salad or cooked like spinach
Where: arid fields
When: late summer, early fall
Nutritional Value: carbohydrates, protein, calcium
Other uses: excellent firewood
Dangers: up to 20% of mesquite pods are infected with very dangerous aflatoxin-producing fungus. Only pick pods that are still on the tree and have not been attacked by hole-boring beetles.

Leaf Arrangement: Bipinnate compound leaves arranged alternately along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Small, elongated leaflets, measuring approximately 0.25 to 0.75 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Green to bluish-green foliage.

Leaflet Margin: Leaflets have entire margins without serrations.

Flower Structure: Small, yellow-green, inconspicuous flowers arranged in elongated spikes (racemes).

Flower Size: Individual flowers are very small, typically less than 0.2 inches.

Fruit (Pods): Long, flat, narrow, curved seed pods (legumes) measuring around 4 to 8 inches. green when immature, turning reddish-brown as they ripen.

Seed Size: Seeds within the pods are small, about 0.2 to 0.4 inches.

Bark: Bark is often rough, dark brown to gray.

Height: Mature trees can reach heights of 15 to 30 feet.

Honey mesquite tree.
HoneyMesquite2

Honey mesquite bark and spines.
HoneyMesquite1

Honey mesquite trees have compound leaves consisting of many leaflets.
Mesquite

Just-opened honey mesquite flowers (racemes).
Mesquite

More mature flowers transitioning into seedpods.
MesquiteFlower

Young mesquite seed pods.
MesquitePods

Pods almost mature.
Mesquite

Mature honey mesquite seed pod.
MesquitePod

A mesquite pod picked from the ground. The hole indicates a beetle may have been infected it with dangerous aflatoxin fungus, rendering it unusable.
Mesquite

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.
HoneyMesquiteTX

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

Dotting (or perhaps creating!) the arid regions of Texas, mesquite trees are becoming nuisance thickets. Their huge demand for water sucks the land around them dry, preventing the growth of most other plants. The dense, aromatic wood has a long history of being used to add the distinctive taste to grilled foods. This wood burns extremely hot and can destroy chimneys and melt metal fire rings so be careful with it. Historical note, the underground roots of dead mesquite trees were considered to be an excellent source of firewood.

Mesquite seeds/seed pods are rich in protein, minerals, and fructose. This fructose makes them an exceptionally good food source for diabetics as the body does not use insulin to break down the fructose. The hard, shucked beans can be dried for storage and ground into a calorie-rich flour as needed. Be warned thought that these beans are extremely hard and require a very high-quality grain mill to crush them.

The dried beans can be roasted to make a tea/caffeine-free coffee substitute. Roast them for a few minutes at 400F then crush them before boiling to make the tea.

Pods that have fallen to the ground or which have bore-holes in them have up to a 20% chance of being infected by a aflatoxin-producing fungus. However, undamaged pods still on the tree are unlikely to have this problem. Most adults are quite resistant to aflatoxin effects but small children can be at risk. Very large doses of aflatoxin can eventually cause liver cancer.


Buy my book! Idiots Guide 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.

Mulberry

Scientific name: Morus microphylla and other Morus species
Abundance: plentiful
What: berries (red, pink or white), young leaves, inner bark
How: berries raw, dried, jelly, wine. Young leaves in salad. Inner bark can be boiled and eaten all year.
Where: Woods, borders between woods and fields, urban landscapes
When: spring
Nutritional Value: high in vitamins C&K, minerals and some carbohydrates

Medicinal Summary: 1g of mulberry leaves have the blood sugar control powers of a standard dose of Metformin. 

Leaf Arrangement: Simple, alternate leaves along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Varied leaf shapes among species, commonly lobed or heart-shaped, with lengths ranging from 2 to 8 inches. Palmate veins are sunken on topside of the leaf and raised on the underside.

Leaf Color: Green foliage, but shades may vary.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins can be serrated or entire. Asymmetrical lobes may be prsent on mature leaves whereas sapling leaves will have five distinct, symmetrical lobes.

Flower Structure: Small, pale flowers arranged in catkins or clusters approximately 1" long

Flower Size: Individual flowers are very small, typically less than 0.2 inches.

Fruit (Mulberries): Multiple small, juicy berries clustered together similar to blackberries, ranging from 0.5 to 1 inch in length. Colors can range from light pink to very dark purple when ripe. Immature fruit will be white to pale green.

Seed Size: Seeds within the berries are small, less than 0.2 inches.

Bark: Bark color and texture vary among species, often brown to gray and smooth on young trees, becoming rougher with age.

Height: Mulberry trees can range from 15 to 30 feet or more, depending on the species.


Mulberry flowers in mid-March in Houston.
Mulberry

Ripe and unripe mulberries (picture taken in late April).
mulberry3
Mulberryripe

Mulberryripe

Mulberry

Leaves all from the same Mulberry tree. They can have 0-5 lobes.
Mulberry

Young mullberries (picture taken in November)
youngmullberries.jpg

Mulberry seedlings are very odd looking with leaves very differently shaped than those of mature trees.
Mulberry

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.
MulberryTX

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

Usually preferring a bit of shade to full sun, mulberry trees are found just about anywhere trees grow in Texas though they usually like a fair amount of water. The leaves are highly variable, ranging from unlobed to five lobes and drop off in the fall, not reappearing until spring. The bark of mulberry trees is smooth and gray. The wood is strong and makes good tool handles.

Come spring, the young leaves can be collected and added to a salad. The inner bark (cambium layer) can be pounded into into fines then boiled into a rough porridge.

The immature berries are white and should not be eaten. Ripe berries can vary in color from white to dark purple. You can tell they are ripe when they come off the tree with just a slight tug. Mulberry fruit is usually ready just after blackberries ripen leading to a supply of lots of berries.

The easiest way to harvest the berries is lay a tarp or sheet under the tree and then shaking the branches. Ripe fruit will fall onto the tarp where they are easily collected.


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.

Pyracantha

Scientific Name(s): Pyracantha genus
Abundance: plentiful
What: berries
How: raw, syrup, jelly, dehydrated fruit leather
Where: landscaping, woods
When: fall
Nutritional Value: vitamin C when raw or dehydrated
Dangers: thorns contain a natural, painful irritant

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are typically elliptical, with a length of 1 to 2 inches and a width of 0.5 to 1 inch.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are serrated, with sharp teeth along the edges.

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually dark green, and their color is uniform on both the upper and lower surfaces.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small and grouped in clusters called corymbs at the tips of the branches. Each flower has five petals.

Flower Color: Flower colors can vary but are commonly white, cream, or light pink.

Fruit: The plant produces small, apple-like pomes/berries as fruit, usually in clusters.

Seed: The seeds are contained within the fleshy pomes.

Stem: The stems are woody and may have thorns or spines, depending on the variety.

Hairs: The plant may have fine hairs on the stems or leaves, contributing to a textured or slightly fuzzy appearance.

Height: Pyracantha species vary in height, ranging from 6 to 15 feet, forming dense, evergreen shrubs.


Leaves look like Yaupon holly leaves but Pyrancantha leaf edges are smooth whereas Yaupon holly leaf edges are bumpy.
Pyracantha

Leaves and thorns
Pyracantha

Thorn
Pyracantha

Close-up of flower
Pyracantha

Unripe fruit, April in Houston. Note the "crowns" at the base of the fruit.
Pyracantha

Almost ripe, October in Houston.
Pyracantha

Fully ripe and ready to be made into jelly, January in Houston.
Pyracantha

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.
Pyracantha TX

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

Fall brings forth a lot of different red berries in Texas, both wild and landscaping. One of the most thickly-covered red berry bushes is Pyracantha. These started out as a non-native landscaping plant but due to birds LOVING these berries, the seeds have been spread far and wide. Finding these thorn-covered bushes in the wild is becoming more and more common. The alternative name for these is "fire thorn" because the tips of its long, sharp thorns contain a powerful irritant, making any scratch from it hurt a lot more than expected.

Ripe, red Pyracantha (aka fire thorn) berries are a bland food but high in vitamin C. The most common use for these berries is to make jelly. Like with beautyberry, you need to add a lot more pectin to the syrup to get it jell up properly, up to doubling the amount pectin for a proper jelly. Some cinnamon improves the apple-like flavor. The end result will have lost a lot of its vitamin C due to the cooking process.

The best place to plant these evergreen shrubs is in front of large, first-floor windows. Their sharp, irritating thorns make an excellent barrier, sending thieves looking for an easier target. Food and protection in one plant! Prune it 1-2 times a year to shape the wall of thorns. If you're a birdwatcher, placement by a window will give you a front row seat as cedar waxwings and other birds show up to devour these berries.


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.

Identification and Treatment of Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
Poison Ivy

If you are a forager one of the first plants you need to be able to recognize is Poison Ivy...in all it's disguises. This is the true bane of those who wander the wild (and not so wild!) places. If you are allergic to the urushiol oil it produces this plant can cause havoc with you any time of the year. Time and again people suffer reactions internally from breathing the smoke from burning logs with a Poison Ivy vine attached. Due to the hard-to-remove properties of urushiol, clothes or pets that brushed against this terrible vine can cause a rash long after initial contact had occurred. Luckily, Poison Ivy has several distinctive features that make it easy to train your eye to spot it regardless of its attempts to hide!

Let's start with something almost everyone has heard "Leaves of three, let it be!" Okay, sounds good but what does this actually mean? Well, every variation of Toxicodendron radicans will have compound leaves consisting of three leaflets. While there are non-dangerous plants with compound leaves having three leaflets it is good to be wary when first encountering such a plant until further observations can be made.

Poison Ivy

Looking at the pictures here notice that the center leaf is mostly (but not always perfectly) symmetrical, having very similar shape and area on either side of its center vein. However, the two side leaflets are asymmetrical with the side nearer the center leaflet being significantly thinner in area than the sides away from the center leaflet. The "away" sides will be much thicker and will usually have one or more lobes. Think of these side leaflets as being mitten-shaped with their thumbs pointing away form the center leaf.

These three leaflets can vary in "pointy-ness" ranging from almost like spearheads down to rounded ovals. In each case though the symmetrical/asymmetrical areas of the center/sides leaves will remain.

Poison Ivy

Another annoying thing that interferes with identification of poison ivy is that its leaves can vary in size from barely an inch across up to the size of dinner plates. If you are used to one size leaflet you may not spot a much bigger/smaller version until it's too late.

Now lets look at the plant in its entirety. It is a vine which can creep along the ground but prefers to climb up trees, fences, walls, or any other vertical surface it can grab. How does it grab the surface? Not using a few long tendrils like Grapes or Passionvine but rather with thousands of short hairs which hold the vines tightly against the tree/wall/old tractor/etc. In Texas (and other states of lesser importance) its always smart to avoid touching hairy vines tight against a surface. Many of these, even though not Poison Ivy, produce sap which can still cause irritation and rashes on bare skin.

Hairy vines = bad vines!
Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy creeping along the ground.
Poison Ivy

Since Poison Ivy is so good at protecting itself, it won't have any thorns. If you find a vine with thorns it won't extrude urushiol...but still pay close attention! Poison Ivy looks to climb the same trees as thorny vines such as Greenbriar, often even wrapping itself around the greenbriar vine itself. That sucks because greenbriar is delicious.

Poison Ivy flowers are green-yellow and appear in clusters. Soon they are replaced by small, green berries which turn white upon reaching maturity. The berries will have a small dot opposite their stem, making them look a bit like eyes. White berries are somewhat rare in the wild and so make a good warning that you've entered an area with Poison Ivy! Birds are unaffected by urushiol and love to feast on these plentiful fruit...thereby spreading Poison Ivy wherever they fly to.

Young, green berries before they turn white.
Poison Ivy

In the fall Poison Ivy leaves turn a beautiful red or yellow color, then brown before dropping from the vine. Once the leaves have dropped the hairy vines are easily seen clinging to tree trunks. Young vines will barely be thicker than a pencil lead whereas many-year old vines can be two inches thick or more.

Poison Ivy

Many people claim to be resistant to Poison Ivy's urushiol and that is quite likely. The rash is actually an allergic reaction rather than a specific chemical attack. However, like all allergies one can suddenly (and usually permanently!) develop an allergic response to Poison Ivy even after years of no effect. Doesn't that just suck?

Sometimes you'll hear of someone reversing their allergy to Poison Ivy by eating one of its leaves every day when they first appear in the spring. I have not tried this as it just sounds like a bad idea to me!

If you know you're going into an area heavy with Poison Ivy I strongly recommend coating your skin with Workman's Friend Skin Barrier Cream as prevention against the urushiol from coming in contact with your skin. Please note that this barrier cream only offers protection for about four hours and it doesn't protect your clothing from absorbing this nasty plant oil. Also in light of full disclosure, I currently work for the company that produces Workman's Friend Skin Barrier Cream

If you do accidentally touch Poison Ivy the best treatment I've found is the Tecnu product line, which whom I have no financial interest. Within the first eight hours of contact use Tecnu Original Poison Oak & Ivy Outdoor Skin Cleanser, ideally before any rash appears. If your skin is already blistering carefully use Tecnu Extreme Medicated Poison Ivy Scrub to remove any residual urushiol and help heal the rash.

If you didn't buy Tecnu in advance and no blisters have yet appeared you can try scrubbing very thoroughly with some sort of mechanics soap that's specifically designed to remove engine oil and grease. Supposedly this can be somewhat effective.


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.

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