Violet

Scientific name: Viola species
Abundance: uncommon
What: Leaves, flowers
How: Leaves and flowers raw (great in salads), tea from flowers
Where: small, heart-shaped flowers in shady, moist areas
When: Winter (in Houston), Spring, early summer
Nutritional Value: very rich in vitamin A,C
Nutritional Value: Violets contain the chemical Violine which, in VERY large doses, can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Medicinal Summary:
Roots/Leaves/Flowers - expectorant; mild laxative; wound healer; soothes upper respiratory and skin inflammations; reduces blood sugar (poultice, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: Each leaf is directly connected to underground tuber.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically heart-shaped (cordate) to kidney-shaped (reniform), with a varying size range.

Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple, large veins branching out from the base of the leaf to points along its edge. Smaller, secondary veins branch out from the larger veins.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin can be entire or toothed, depending on the species.

Leaf Color: Leaf color varies but is often green with varying shades.

Flower Structure: Five-petaled flowers with a distinctive lower petal (spur), usually solitary on a long stem. Flowers are approximately 1" in diameter across their widest spread.

Flower Color: Flower colors can vary widely among species, including shades of purple, blue, pink, and white. Stripes of color may be present.

Fruit: The fruit is a capsule containing small seeds.

Seed: Small seeds are contained within the capsules.

Stem: A true stem is nonexistent. Each leaf stem passed separately down through the soil to an underground, segmented tuber. 

Hairs: Fine hairs may be present on some species but are not a prominent feature.

Height: Wild Viola species vary in height, typically ranging from a few inches to about a foot.

Wild violet plant.



Wild violet seed pods.


Close-up of wild violet flower.

Wild violet leaves and tubers.

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.


Wild violets are a wonderful winter/spring nibble and if you're lucky, summer and fall, too! They prefer cool, damp areas of woods during the summer but during the winter they can be found in sunnier locations including yards. The heart-shaped leaves grow in a rosette form from an underground tuber and the leaf stems usually enter the soil individually. The violet flowers have five petals with the lowest petal being significantly thicker than the other petals. Only only flower forms per flower stalk. The "seed pods" hang down from individual stalks and kind of have the appearance of purple/brown bell peppers.

The leaves and flowers of wild violets are loaded with vitamin A & C which help keep many an Appalachian child nourished. The leaves and flowers are eaten raw or mixed in any sort of salad or green smoothie.

A reader of this blog wrote me of a bad experience after eating a bunch of wild violets sautéed with butter and garlic. Later that night she was struck by horrible stomach distress and spent the night in the bathroom. This issue had never come up in my experience or in any reference books I own. Further research turned up a record in an old Indian (Asian subcontinent) herbal book that the violet compound "violine" is an emeto-cathartic (makes you purge from both ends!) in large doses. The fact that this isn't mentioned anywhere else suggests it is an extremely rare issue and not one I'm concerned about when eating reasonable amounts of violets.


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.

Water Hyacinth

Scientific name: Eichhornia crassipes
Abundance: invasive
What: young leaves, stems, bottom "flotation pods"
How: boiled, fried
Where: marshes, water
When: all year
Nutritional Value: Vitamin A
Dangers: Raw and cooked plants may cause itchiness in some people. Also, these plants collect and concentrate any toxin/pollutants in the water, so only collect them from areas of know high water quality. Water hyacinth is very prolific and invasive which has resulted in many places outlawing its transport. This means you might get arrested for taking some home to eat. Water hyacinths are a free floating plant that can be very invasive.

Leaf Arrangement: Rosette formation at the plant's center, with leaves emerging in a circular pattern.

Leaf Shape: Broadly ovate to rounded, typically 4 to 8 inches in diameter.

Leaf Venation: Veins radiate from the leaf base, visible and prominent.

Leaf Margin: The margins are wavy or crinkled, and entire.

Leaf Color: Bright green, often with a glossy surface.

Flower Structure: Flowers are borne on a spike, each with six petals and showy, distinctively arranged. Flower diameter is about 3".

Flower Color: Lavender to purple, with a yellow patch on the uppermost petal.

Fruit: The fruit is a three-celled capsule, but it is rarely seen as reproduction is mainly vegetative.

Seed: Seeds are small and numerous, though infrequently produced.

Stem: Short, thick, spongy stems that support the floating rosette.

Hairs: There are no hairs on the leaves or stems; surfaces are smooth.

Height: The plant floats on the water surface, with leaves and flowers rising a few inches to a foot above the water.  

Water hyacinths floating in a lake.


Cluster of water hyacinths.




Closeup of water hyacinth air bladders.


Full plant removed from the water.


Closeup of water hyacinth flowers.




More pictures of water hyacinths.




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.


Sadly, the invasive Water Hyacinths are choking Texas waterways. They quickly reproduce from just a small bit of root, easily covering entire lakes in a few months. Imported from Asia as a decorative plant due to their beautiful flowers, these floating, bulbous plants are an ecological nightmare. Due to their incredible ease and speed of reproduction, it is illegal to transport Water Hyacinths even if your plan is to eat it.

In Asian countries the "heart" of the Water Hyacinth is cooked up and used in a manner like artichoke hearts. They must be cooked to kill any waterborne, infectious microbes. To prepare, cut away the leaves, flowers, and fine roots from the core of the water Hyacinth. Boil this heart or thinly slice it for use in a stir-fry dish.


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.

Water Plantain

Scientific name: Alisma plantago
Abundance: uncommon
What: rootstock, young leaves
How: boiled, roasted
Where: sunny water
When: roots - winter, spring, early summer
Other uses: carbohydrates
Dangers: Must be cooked to be edible otherwise it is too bitter and somewhat toxic.

Water plantain in pond.


Water plantain along edge of stream.


Water plantain 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.


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.


Quickly appearing in just about any shallow water, from streams and lakes to roadside ditches, the somewhat spearhead-shaped, palmately-veined leaves of Water Plantains are easy to spot. The white, three petaled flowers on a stalk add a certain beauty, in my eyes. They are very common across Easy, Central, and the Gulf Coast regions of Texas but more rare in the drier West Texas lands.

The thicker roots contain starch which becomes edible/digestible after boiling or roasting. They are quite bitter so often boiling THEN roasting is the recommended way of preparing them.


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.

Wax Myrtle/Bayberry

Scientific name: Myrica cerifera
Abundance: plentiful
What: leaves
How: seasoning herb
Where: woods, landscapes
When: leaves are present all year, though they are most aromatic in late winter/early spring.
Nutritional Value: flavonoids/anitoxidants
Other uses: The small blue berries have a wax coating which can be used to make bayberry candles.

Medicinal Summary:
Root Bark - soothes inflamed skin; soothes gastrointestinal and urinary tract inflammation; diuretic to flush kidney stones; soothes sore throat (poultice, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are alternate along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are simple, elliptical to lanceolate.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire, but it can be slightly serrated.

Leaf Color: The leaves are glossy green on the upper surface, while the underside may have a silvery-white or grayish color.

Flower Structure: Wax Myrtle produces small, inconspicuous flowers in catkin-like structures. The flowers are unisexual, meaning individual plants are either male or female.

Flower Color: The flowers are yellow-green.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, waxy berry-like drupe. They grow in tight clusters along the branches of female plants.

Seed: The seeds are contained within the waxy drupe and are typically small and hard.

Bark: The bark is generally smooth and grayish-brown.

Hairs: No hairs.

Height: Wax Myrtle can vary in height but typically grows as a large shrub or small tree, reaching heights of 10 to 20 feet.

Wax myrtle/Bayberry berries


Wax myrtle/Bayberry leaves


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.


Allow leaves to dry or force-dry the leaves in an oven, then crumble into food. These are one of the key seasoning for Cajun seafood boils. I like to use it as a replacement for Italian season to make a delicious "Cajun" lasagna.

Bayberry candles are made from the wax found on the outside of the small, blue berries. Boil the berries in some water and collect the wax that floats to the surface. This wax is brittle and doesn't mold well. Combine the bayberry wax with beeswax or other soft wax for better results. Yes, I know bayberry candles are a key component of pagan money spells. No, I don't sell bayberry candles.


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.

Wild Bergamot

Scientific Name(s): Monarda fistulosa
Abundance: uncommon
What: flower
How: tea; flavoring
Where: shady, moist areas
When: late spring, summer, early fall
Nutritional Value: unknown
Dangers: bees love these flowers

Medicinal Summary:
Flowers/Leaves/Stem - soothes irritated skin; antibacterial; relieves indigestion; sweat inducer; stimulant; diuretic; helps pass kidney stones; pain reliever; expectorant; headache reducer; soothes sore throat (poultice, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged opposite-alternating along the stem. Two leaves will be directly opposite one another, but the leaf pairs above and below will be rotated 90 degrees around the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are lanceolate to ovate, measuring 2 to 4 inches in length and 0.5 to 2 inches in width.

Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation is observed, with prominent veins running parallel to each other.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is toothed, with small serrations along the edges.

Leaf Color: The leaves exhibit a medium green coloration.

Flower Structure: Flowers are tubular in shape and are arranged in dense, terminal, spherical clusters known as inflorescences.

Flower Color: The flowers display lavender to pink-purple coloring.

Fruit: The fruit consists of small nutlets, but it is not often a significant feature for identification.

Seed: Small and irregularly shaped seeds are present but are not typically used for identification.

Stem: The stem is square-shaped and its color can vary from green to purple.

Hairs: Fine hairs can be found on the stem and sometimes on the leaves of this plant.

Height: Monarda fistulosa typically reaches a height of 2 to 4 feet.

Wild Bergamot 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.


Stands of wild bergamot flowers dot the Texas countryside during summer. They prefer shade and moist soil so look for them under trees along drainage ditches and near ponds. What looks like a single big flower is actually a cluster of many long, tubular flowers...usually swarming with bees! Being a mint, they have the mint family's square, hollow stem and opposite-alternating leaves.

The flower makes a great tea with a sweet, herbal flavor similar to its smell. The flowers can be dried for later use but I prefer them fresh off the plant. A tincture (alcohol extract) made from wild bergamot is supposedly an excellent oral treatment for yeast infections. It also is used medicinally in the same manner as other mints. When smoked it SUPPOSEDLY delivers the antibiotics directly to the lungs to fight lung infections but I can't confirm this.


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.

Woolly Bean

Scientific Name(s): Strophostyles helvola

Abundance: uncommon

What: young beans

How: young pods - raw, cooked; mature beans - boiled, roasted

Where: sunny fields, borders, along streams, coastal dunes

When: spring, summer

Nutritional Value: protein, fiber

Dangers: due to the large number of poisonous members of the Fabaceae family, you MUST confirm you've found Strophostyles helvola by comparing to the structural feature below.

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are trifoliate, with each leaflet being ovate to lanceolate, measuring about 1 to 3 inches long and 0.5 to 1.5 inches wide.

Leaf Venation: The leaf venation is pinnate, with a central midrib and secondary veins extending outward.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaflets are entire and smooth.

Leaf Color: The leaves are medium green in color.

Flower Structure: The flowers are papilionaceous, typical of the pea family, with a standard petal about 0.5 to 1 inch long and a keel that is shorter and curved. Both yellow and pink/purple flowers are present.

Flower Color: The flowers come in two colors, pink and yellow, on the same vine and often side by side. Individual pink and yellow flowers can also be found.

Fruit: The fruit is a legume pod, measuring about 1.5 to 4 inches long and 0.2 to 0.4 inches wide, containing several seeds. Young pods are green, but darken to brown as they age. Mature pods will split into two twisted halves.

Seed: The seeds are small, approximately 0.1 to 0.2 inches in diameter, and are round to slightly oval. They are gray-brown with fine hairs.

Stem: The stem is slender, twining, and somewhat hairy. Color ranges from green to purple-brown.

Hairs: The plant has fine, short hairs on the stems, leaves, pods, and seeds.

Height: The plant typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet long, with greater length possible in sandy soil along water and getting full sun.

Woolly bean vines with flowers, immature beans, and mature beans.

Closeup of beans. Note the fine hairs. They are best harvested around 1.5" long.

Pink and yellow flowers on the same stem tip.

Yellow and pink flower, with immature bean.

Closeup of yellow flower.

Closeup of pink flower.

Topside of trifoliate, compound leaf.

Underside of trifoliate, compound leaf.

Flower and bean on hair stem.

Naturally split, twisting, mature seed pod with bean seeds.

Closeup of bean seed.

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.

One of the general rules of thumb when foraging is if you don't recognize the specific species of some bean-producing plant, assume it is extremely dangerous to eat. Well, woolly beans aka trailing beans are one you need to learn to identify because they are great food! The young, tender pods, from 1/2" to 1.5" inches long are a direct replacement for green beans and can be eaten raw or cooked. Woolly ban casserole, anyone?

As these pods continue to grow, their shell becomes rather tough and not very tasty. However, at maturity when the pods have turned brown but haven't split open, gather them up to collect the small hard bean seeds they contain. These seeds can be roasted and then eaten like granola, boiled like other hard beans, or used in any other hard bean recipe.

I really love Strophostyles helvola due to its ease in identification. It continues to flower on put out new beans all through the summer up until the cooler weather (50s and lower) appear. During this time, it will almost always have both the yellow and pink flowers. If you only see pink flowers, come back another day and check for new, yellow flowers. If no yellow, no eating!

These vines do well in a suburban backyard but they do spread vigorously and need things to climb on. Be sure to let some of the pods ripen, split, and drop their seeds for next year's crop. Do that any you'll have a permanent source of green beans!


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.