Day Lily

Scientific name: Hemerocallis fulva
Abundance: common
What: leaves, flowers, flower pods, tubers
How: young leaves-raw or cooked; flowers/pods raw or cooked; tubers-cooked
Where: sunny areas, often in flower beds but have escaped
When: summer
Nutritional Value: calories, minerals, vitamins B & C
Dangers: The original species (Hemerocallis fulva) of day lilies is considered edible but due to extensive experimental breeding toxic forms of day lilies have been created. It is safest to only eat day lilies that you can confirm are Hemerocallis fulva at the time of purchase (it should say the species name somewhere on the sales tag).

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are basal, growing directly from the base of the plant in a fan-like arrangement.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are long and linear, typically 18 to 24 inches in length and 1 to 1.5 inches wide.

Leaf Venation: The venation is parallel, running the length of the leaf.

Leaf Margin: Margins are entire, with smooth edges.

Leaf Color: A bright to deep green, often with a slightly glossy appearance.

Flower Structure: Flowers are large, funnel-shaped, and borne on tall, erect scapes.

Flower Color: The blooms are typically orange, with variations ranging from yellow to red.

Fruit: Produces a capsule containing black seeds.

Seed: The seeds are black and glossy, enclosed within the capsule.

Stem: The flowering stem, or scape, is long, round, and hollow, rising above the foliage.

Hairs: There are no significant hairs on the leaves or scapes.

Height: The foliage remains close to the ground, while the scapes can reach about 3 feet tall.

Day Lily flowers and flower pods.




Root tubers.


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


The flowers add a colorful splash to salads while the unopened flower buds are best battered then fried...but then everything is good battered then fried. Roast the tubers.


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 Claw

Scientific Name(s): Proboscidea altheaefolia and Proboscidea parviflora
Abundance: uncommon
What: young seed pods, seeds
How: seed pods cooked; seeds raw or cooked
Where: fields, disturbed soil, full sun
When: summer
Nutritional Value: unknown

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are heart-shape, with a lengths and widths of about 3 to 5 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is usually entire but may be wavy.

Leaf Color: The leaves are typically green, with no significant color variation between the top and underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are trumpet-shaped, with a unique long, slender projection resembling a unicorn's horn. The diameter of the flower is around 1 to 2 inches.

Flower Color: The flowers can range in color, including shades of white, pink, or purple.

Fruit: The fruit is a capsule, often curved, up to 9" long, and contains numerous seeds. After maturity, it dries and splits open longitudinally, with the tips of each side curving into a sharpe, clingy point. 

Seed: Seeds are small, flat, and have a papery wing for wind dispersal.

Stem: The stems are usually green, sometimes with a reddish tint, and much branching.

Hairs: The plant may have fine hairs on the stems, leaves, flowers, and seed pods.

Height: Devil's claw can reach a height of 1 to 3 feet.

Devil's Claw plant (Proboscidea altheaefolia).

Photo compliments of Burr Williams.


Photo compliments of Terri Cox.

Close-up of Proboscidea altheaefolia flower.

Photo compliments of Burr Williams.

Close-up of seedpods. Note the fine hairs on the pod.

Photo compliments of Burr Williams.


Photo compliments of Terri Cox.

Mature seedpod starting to split open.

Photo compliments of Terri Cox.

Fully dried and split seedpod.

Photo compliments of Terri Cox.

Devil's Claw (Proboscidea parviflora) plant.

Compliments of Brandy McDaniel.


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.



Across the sandy, arid areas of west and south Texas grows Devil's Claw...though sometimes its hooked seedpods deliver it all the way to east Texas fields, too! This large weed, practically a bush, appears after a good rain and then grows throughout the hot summer. Proboscidea parviflora is an annual which grows to maturity and then dies over the course of the summer. This annual species has pinkish flowers. The perennial is Proboscidea altheaefolia and it's flowers are yellowish-white. It may die back in the winter but then returns from its deep, thick taproot. The leaves of both species are heart-shaped, have sticky surfaces, and smell bad. Mature seedpods can reach fifteen inches in lengths. Seeds are black in color but a white-seeded variety was also grown by Native Americans. The pods split into two or sometimes three sections when mature.

The young, tender pods are cooked (boiled, steamed, or fried) before eating...but frying them like okra is the best. Boiled or steamed Devil's Claw pods are kind of an...acquired taste. If they are starting to get tough just leave them on the plant until the pod matures. This is indicated by the pod turning hard, brown/black in color, and beginning to split. At this point collect the seeds. They can be eaten raw but roasting them first improves the flavor. Once roasted they can be boiled as a porridge or ground into a gluten-free flour.

The fibers of the mature seedpods were prized for weaving baskets.

 

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.

Elaeagnus

Scientific Name(s): Elaeagnaceae spp.
Abundance: common
What: berries, seeds
How: raw, jam, jelly
Where: landscaping shrub
When: early spring
Nutritional Value: Vitamins A, Bs, C, E, lycopene, flavanoids, fatty acids, and protein

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are elliptical to ovate, with a length of 2 to 3 inches and a width of 1 to 1.5 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is entire, presenting a smooth edge.

Leaf Color: The upper surface of the leaves is typically dark green with white/silver dots, while the underside is silver-gray with bronze dots. 

Flower Structure: The flowers are small, tubular, and inconspicuous, clustered in the leaf axils.

Flower Color: The flowers are often silvery-white to yellowish.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, oval drupe, about 0.5 inches in length and a red-gold, spotted coloration.

Seed: Each drupe contains a single, football-shaped seed.

Stem: The stems are brown, woody, and may have silvery spots/scales.

Hairs: The plant is covered with silvery scales, giving it a distinctive silvery appearance and usually lacks noticeable hairs. Leaves may have a slight texture to their surfacees.

Height: Silverleaf Elaeagnus is a shrub that can reach a height of 10 to 15 feet, but the height can vary based on environmental conditions.

Small elaeagnus shrub.


One wonderfully-scented elaeagnus flower appears at the base of each leaf around Thanksgiving in the Houston area.


Elaeagnus berries are ripe in mid-to-late February.




Close-up of elaeagnus's mottled-red berries


Top of elaeagnus leaf.


Bottom of elaeagnus leaf.


Standing in the front yard of many Texas house, elaeagnus bushes are a staple of suburban home landscaping. Their thick, evergreen foliage and tolerance of many growing conditions coupled with their low cost makes them attractive. In the fall their small but plentiful white/yellow flowers entice bees. In late winter/early spring the small, football-shaped berries are ready to eat. The top of elaeagnus leaves are green with gray spots while the bottom of the leaf is gray with copper-colored spots. Ripe berries are silvery with many tiny red dots. These berries are hidden towards the center of the bush rather than exposed and visible so you may not notice them unless you lift the branches to look.

The berries have a wonderful sweet/tart taste with a hint of astringency. Most people considering elaeagnus multiflora to have the best flavor. They are nutritional powerhouses loaded with a number of good compounds including a high concentration of lycopene. The seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids but they can be bitter in flavor and so unpalatable.

The flesh of the berries make a good jam, jelly, and fruit leather. There's no reason they couldn't be made into wine.


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.

Goldenrod

Scientific Name(s): Solidago spp.
Abundance: plentiful
What: young leaves, flowers
How: tea and small addition to salads, sautéed
Where: fields, borders
When: late summer, early fall
Nutritional Value: low

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Flowers - vascular strengthener; anti-inflammatory; diuretic; anti-spasmodic; antibacterial; antifungal; hemostatic, rebuilds vascular/fluid-holding tissues (tisane, tincture, poultice)

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

Leaf Shape: Leaf shape varies among species, but they are generally lanceolate or elliptical, and can range from 1 to 6 inches in length and 0.2 to 0.6 inches in width.

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

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins can be smooth, toothed, or serrated, depending on the species.

Leaf Color: The color of the leaves is typically a bright green, sometimes with a paler underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in dense, pyramidal or plume-like clusters at the tops of the stems or along the sides.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually bright yellow, with each small flower consisting of both ray and disk florets.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry seed, often with a tuft of hair to aid in wind dispersal.

Seed: The seeds are very small, enclosed within the dry fruit.

Stem: The stem is erect and can be smooth or hairy, varying by species. Normally it will grow as a single stalk, but pruning it will cause branching to occur.

Hairs: Stems will generally be hair-free while leaves may have fine, still hairs causing a rough texture.

Height: The height of goldenrod plants can vary greatly, typically ranging from 2 to 5 feet.

Goldenrod in the fall.


Close-up of goldenrod flowers.


Goldenrod flowers are usually bees last source of nectar before winter hits.


Goldenrod seedlings appear in mid-winter to early spring.


The easiest way to recognize them when young is finding them where last year's brown, dry goldenrod stems stand, such as in this photo.


Young goldenrod plant (with more in the background) in late spring. These the young leaves make a tasty tea.


Close-up of goldenrod leaves. Note also, the stem is relatively smooth and hairless.




To properly harvest goldenrod leaves snip just the last 3"-4" where the leaves are lighter green.


By mid-summer many goldenrods have developed these round "galls" in their stems. Each gall is the home of a single, small grub of the Goldenrod Gall Fly. Note, these grubs are edible and also make good fishing bait.


Flowers before they bloom.


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.


Goldenrod can be found lining the roads and standing in fields in every US state and Canadian province. Most of the year they go unnoticed, their green stem and leaves acting like camouflage against the background of green grasses. Come fall, they explode like golden fireworks of deep yellow, pyramidal-clustered flowers. At this time they often get blamed wrongly for hay fever and allergy problems when in reality Ragweed, with it's almost invisible flowers, that is actually to blame.

The youngest, most tender leaves, when used in moderation, add an interesting dimension to the flavor of salads. There is often a noticeable color difference between the top 1"-3" of the stem (lighter) and lower parts (darker). Cut the goldenrod off at the point where the light color turns darker. These top leaves are the best for both raw snacks and dried tea.

The leaves can be collected and dried for tea any time from seedling until the flowers bloom. Once the flowers bloom the leaves begin deteriorating and usually are no longer worth collecting. For a black licorice-flavored tea, cut the young leaves or flower stalks off the plant in late morning after dew has evaporated but before the hot sun bakes them. Gather the flowers within the first few days of them opening for the richest flavors. Hang the flower stalks upside-down to dry inside a brown paper bag to dry. Steep one teaspoon of the dried flowers in hot water to make an anise-flavored tea.

Please note though that Goldenrod is the last flower of the season for bees to collect nectar. If you take many of the flowers you may prevent a bee hive from getting enough nectar to get through the winter. This is why I only take leaves.

Many goldenrods will form round galls on their stems. These are caused by a fly grub which is also edible by humans though most prefer to use the grub as fishing bait.

While dried goldenrod leaves can be smoked as an herbal tobacco replacement, it is generally used medicinally in tea form. A goldenrod infusion is diuretic and so good for flushing out urinary tract infections and kidney stones but I prefer its antioxidant properties and assistance in circulation by strengthening capillary walls. Goldenrod also assists with respiratory and sinus issues as well as loosening phlegm. Don't forget to infuse some oil with goldenrod then thicken it with beeswax as a skin salve. It can help induce sweating to expel toxins via the skin and its slight astringency makes its tea a good body wash for cleaning and tightening skin.

Once the goldenrod flower clusters are more than 1/3 brown they're too old to use. By now, most will have reached that point unfortunately. You'll most likely have to wait until next fall. However, this gives you the ability to increase the goldenrod flower production by pruning the last 4" off

goldenrod stalks next June. The plant will send up 3-5 new shoots from the cut location, each producing its own big cluster of flowers. Then in the fall both you and the bees will have all the flowers you need.

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.