Sweetgum

Scientific name: Liquidambar styraciflua
Abundance: plentiful
What: seeds; sap; leaf buds
How: Break apart large seed pods to get to the sweetgum seeds then rub the seeds to free them from their outer shell before eating or grinding into flour; sap can be dried for chewing gum substitute; the young leaf buds raw
Where: woods, urban & suburban landscapes
When: leaf buds in spring; seed pods in fall; sap in spring
Nutritional Value: seeds contain calories and protein
Other uses: leaves can be mashed into a poultice for antibiotic and sting-bite relief
Dangers: stepping on seed pods while barefoot hurts

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Bark/Seeds - antimicrobial; antiviral (tisane, tincture)
Sap - anti-cancer; antimicrobial; antiviral; cough suppressant; anti-inflammatory; anti-hyperactivity; anti-convulsant; liver strengthener; wound healer; immune system inflammation suppressant (tisane, tincture)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are star-shaped with five to seven pointed lobes.

Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is serrated.

Leaf Color: The upper side of the leaves is glossy green, while the underside may have a paler hue. Leaves turn red in the fall.

Flower Structure: Sweetgum trees produce small, spherical flower clusters, called inflorescences, that are inconspicuous.

Flower Color: The flowers are greenish-yellow and not showy.

Fruit: The fruit is a spiky ball-like capsule.

Seed: Each capsule contains numerous tiny seeds.

Bark: The bark is deeply furrowed and corky, with irregularly shaped ridges. Bark "wings/fins" may appear on younger branches

Hairs: The plant is typically smooth with no significant hairs.

Height: Sweetgum trees can reach heights of 60 to 100 feet or more.

 
Sweetgum leaves

Sweetgum leaf and seed pod in fall.

Sweetgum seed pod

More sweetgum pods


Sweetgum leaf and tree trunk.


Sweetgum bark.

Young branch wings/fins

 

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.


The green pods contain small, aromatic seeds which, when chewed after a meal, help with digestion. The somewhat sweet sap was allowed to dry some and then used as a chewing gum. In its fresh, liquid form it was used to flavor chewing gum up into the 1920's. The young buds are actually tasty, raw nibble.

The leaves contain natural antibiotics and were used to pack wounds. Crush or masticate (chew) the leaves some first to release these antibiotic compounds. Some of the seeds inside the green, spikey pods contain shikimic acid, which is used to make the active ingredient in the flu-fighting medicine Tamiflu. Tea and alcohol extracts of the crushed seed pods have been traditional flu medicines in several different cultures.

Sweetgum sap has amazing medical properties when dried then made into a tisane (aka tea) or tincture. "V" shaped cuts are made into the trunk and over the next few days the sap is collected. Western science has show this sap contains compounds that function as anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, cough suppressant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperactivity, anti-convulsant, liver strengthener, wound healer, and immune system inflammation suppressant. Be grateful you have a sweetgum in your yard rather than cursing it.


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.

Texas Dandelion

Scientific Name(s): Pyrrhopappus pauciflorus
Abundance: common
What: root, young leaves
How: root as tea, coffee; leaves as bitter greens
Where: fields, disturbed areas, roadsides
When: spring
Nutritional Value: minerals, vitamins C & A
Dangers: don't mistake for Common Groundsel

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Texas dandelion form a basal rosette, which means they grow in a circular arrangement at the base of the plant, close to the ground.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are generally oblong or lanceolate, often with lobes that can be irregular/asymmetrical.

Venation: The venation is pinnate.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are usually toothed or slightly lobed, giving them a serrated appearance.

Leaf Color: The color of the leaves is typically a medium to dark green, sometimes with a hint of red or purple along the veins or edges.

Flower Structure: Pyrrhopappus pauciflorus produces flower heads at the ends of slender stalks. Each flower head is composed of many small yellow ray and disk florets, resembling a dandelion flower. 

Flower Color: The flowers are bright yellow with a ring of black stalks around the flower's core. Underside of flowers will have several light-tan rays.

Fruits: The fruit is a small, dry, one-seeded achene that is brownish and ridged, often with a tuft of fine hairs (pappus) at the top, aiding in wind dispersal.

Seeds: The seeds are small and oblong, with a pappus (feathery umbrella) that facilitates wind dispersal.

Stems: The flowering stems are erect, hollow, and branched, often reaching heights of 10 to 20 inches. They are typically green and may have fine hairs. Stems branch multiple times.

Hairs: The edges and undersides of leaves have fine hairs, as do the stems.

Height: The plant usually grows to a height of about 12 to 24 inch

Open flower and never-opened flower buds.


Open flower and previously-opened flower.


Close-up of flower. Note the dark stamens.




Back and front of flower, along with flower stem. Note the tan structures.


Base rosette and stem. Note the base leaves lack deep serrations.


Mature leaf.


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 more and more people move into Texas from lesser desirable states the fields of our yellow Texas Dandelion leads to confusion in late spring and early summer. The flower looks like a true dandelion, except for the dabs of brown on the stamens. Closer observation shows multiple flowers and leaves growing off the thick, green stem that grows up to nearly three feet tall. The leaves lack the sharp spearpoint and backwards pointing pointy lobes. These signs should indicate you don't have a true dandelion. But that's okay! You can use the Texas Dandelion the same as true dandelions.

The flowers of Texas Dandelion make an okay tea, perhaps not quite as rich in flavor as true dandelions. Remember to remove the green "collar" from the flower just as you must with true dandelions. You can also make jelly from these flowers which actually tastes pretty dang good.

The leaves of Texas Dandelion are used in the same manner as true dandelion leaves but unfortunately they aren't quite as nutritious. Texas Dandelion roots can be dried for tea or roasted for a coffee-substitute. The bitter flavor of the roots are becoming popular with high-end bartenders making their own concoctions where these roots replace traditional bitters.


Edible Dandelion Mimics:
Dandelion
Cat's Ear
Chicory
Japanese Hawkweed
Salsify
Sow Thistle
Texas Dandelion
Wild Lettuce


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.

Sycamore Tree

Scientific Name(s): Platanus occidentalis
Abundance: common
What: sap
How: boiled down to give a syrup
Where: sunny edges of woods, along banks of rivers and lakes
When: sap flows best in winter just before leaf buds appear
Nutritional Value: calories, water

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are palmately lobed with three to five lobes, resembling a maple leaf.

Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is serrated.

Leaf Color: The upper side of the leaves is bright green, and the underside is paler.

Flower Structure: Sycamores have small, dense, ball-like flower clusters called heads. The flowers are not showy.

Flower Color: The flowers are greenish and inconspicuous.

Fruit: The fruit consists of a spherical cluster of achenes, often hanging in groups.

Seed: Each achene of the fruit contains a single seed. Each fruit will have upwards of hundreds of seeds.

Bark: Sycamore bark is distinctive, with a smooth, patchy, exfoliating, green-brown outer layer that reveals lighter gray, inner bark.

Hairs: Sycamore leaves feel slightly fuzzy.

Height: Sycamore trees can reach impressive heights, commonly exceeding 80 feet.

Sycamore bark has a distinctive flaking, mottled look.


Sycamore leaves are similar in shape to their relative, the maple.


Mature sycamore leaves are huge, easily reaching more than 12" across.


In the winter the deciduous sycamores lose their leaves leaving behind inedible seed pods.


Close-up of seedpod and its many achenes.


Seep pod split open to reveal fuzzy 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.


The sycamore is a relative of maples and so can be tapped in late winter for sap. Sycamore syrup is much lower quality than maple syrup and takes approximately 50 gallons of sap to produce 1 quart of syrup. Generally this not considered to be worth the effort. However, this sap flows strongly and can be used as an emergency source of water throughout most of the year.

While inedible, the fruit which consists of a cluster of many seeds, is still useful. Left intact, the fruit make a somewhat durable bobber for fishing, though if the water does penetrate the fruit it'll eventually sink. The fluff inside the fruit can be used as tinder to start a fire.

The leaves make one of the best wild toilet papers, but remember to pinch rther than smear.


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.

Thistle, Bull

Scientific name: Cirsium species
Abundance: uncommon
What: stem, roots, leaf ribs
How: peel stem then eat raw or cooked; tea from leaves, stem; roots are boiled; large center leaf ribs are stripped from leaf and eaten raw.
Where: fields
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: some vitamins and minerals
Other uses: cordage from stem fibers
Dangers: Very prickly

Leaf Arrangement: It forms a basal rosette at first followed by alternating leaves on stem as it grows. Edges of leaf are prickly.

Leaf Shape: Young leaves are elliptical; older leaves are deeply incised, very spiny, and up to 24 inches long​​.

Leaf Venation: Veins are pinnate.

Leaf Margin: Deeply incised with pronounced stiff spines along the edges​​.

Leaf Color: Green on the upper surface, softer white hairs below; cottony and woolly underside​​.

Flower Structure: Gumdrop-shaped flowers, one to two inches long, grow singly at the ends of shoots and branches​​.

Flower Color: Pinkish-purple, occasionally white​​.

Fruit: No fruit. Seeds are light-colored, oblong, and have dark brown to black longitudinal stripes​​.

Seed: 1/16" long, somewhat flattened with white, plume-like hairs (pappus) that detach at maturity​​​​.

Stem: Erect, spiny-winged stems two to five feet tall, sparsely hairy​​. Hollow and produces white sap when cut.

Hairs: Stiff hairs on the leaf upper surface, cottony and woolly on the underside​​.

Height: Typically grows 2 to 5 feet tall, can grow up to 6 feet.

Young bull thistle


Immature bull thistle flower.


Mature flower.


Harvested mature thistle. Wear thick gloves.


The hollow stem. You want to peel away the stem's outer red-green layer.


Partially-peeled stem. The outer reddish-green layer easily splits away from the delicious inner light-green layer.


I'm told you can boil, peel and eat the thistle heads like artichokes but I have not tried this yet.


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.


A bane to many landowners, Bull Thistles stand tall and spikely menacing across Texas fields. They can reach over four feet tall in ideal growing conditions with multiple purple flowers on each stalk. The spines along the edges of the leaves and flowers are stiff, sharp, and very painful. Few animals will eat these plants due to the daunting spines and so without any enemies to keep them in check Bull Thistles can overrun a field in just a few years.

Bull Thistles are an absolutely delicious treat if you know the trick. When the very first flowers appear cut down the thistle as close to the ground as possible and cut off the leaves, discarding them. Peel the outer, stringy layer off the stem which is easy to do. Get your thumbnail under it and pull the outer layer off, it'll come off easily. The peeled stalk tastes like sweet celery and I love it raw and used in salads. You can also cook it in any dish which calls for celery such as stews and Asian stir-frys.


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.

Thistle - Milk

Scientific Name(s): Silybum marianum
Abundance: uncommon
What: roots, leaves, young flowers, seeds
How: roots raw or cooked; young leaves raw or steamed after removing spines; flowers are steamed; seeds roasted or pressed for oil.
Where: sunny fields
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: Vit. C, calories
Dangers: Spines must be removed before cooking or eating. Some people may be allergic to milk thistles, especially those allergic to artichokes.

Medicinal Properties:
Flowers/Leaves/Stem/Seeds* - protects and heals liver (raw, tisane)
*greats medicinal property found in the seeds

Leaf Arrangement: Basal and alternate along the stem.

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Leaf Shape: Deeply lobed, obovate, spiny green leaves with distinctive white marbling.

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Leaf Venation: Pinnate with one main vein running from the base towards the tip.

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Leaf Margin: Has both teeth and lobes.

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Leaf Color: Spiny green leaves with white veins and noticeable white coloring following the veins.

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Flower Structure: Thistle-like, mildly-scented, purple-pink flower heads (2" across) subtended by spiny bracts.

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Flower Color: Purple-pink.

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Fruit: Small, dry, one-seeded fruits (achenes) attached to a parachute-like structure called a pappus.

Seeds: Each with a pappus for wind dispersal, resembling a small, brown, elongated seed.

Stem: Grooved, hollow, and may be covered in a light cottony fuzz.

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Hairs: Simple hairs on the leaf blade with no glands, not tangled or wooly.

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Height: Grows up to 6 feet tall.

Milk thistle.


Milk thistle seedling.


Slightly older milk thistle.


Close-ups of a milk thistle flower.




Milk thistle seed, which science has found to be a powerful source of liver-detoxification compounds.


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.


Milk thistles are easy to identify by their height (upwards of 6' tall), beautiful purple flowers, and white veins on blue-green leaves. Start looking for it in open fields in mid-February though depending on the weather they can be found into early summer.

The stem is tasty when peeled and then eaten raw, but try to get it before the flowers have opened. The leaf center "rib" is also tasty after the rest of the leaf (and prickers) are stripped away. The roots can be roasted for a coffee substitute.

They have a long history of medicinal use, especially for treatment of the liver. A tea made from all parts of the plant is the usual method of treating the liver though the seeds have the most effect according to recent research. Link to medicinal usage.

Beware mistaking White Prickly Poppy (Argemone albiflora) for milk thistle. Prickly poppy leaves are much narrower (less than 1" wide in lobed portions) and significantly less "milky" in the veins. If unsure, let the plant form flowers, which are white with yellow centers on prickly poppy.

Prickly Poppy leaf.


Prickly poppy flower.



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.