Duckweed

Scientific name: Spirodela polyrhiza, Lemna minor
Abundance: plentiful
What: whole plant
How: puree and add to soups and stews, sautee in oil or butter, dry then powder for a food additive
Where: still water open to the sun
When: summer
Other uses: Dry, crush, then rub on skin to use as an insect repellent.
Nutritional Value: high in protein
Dangers: this plant must be cooked to kill any dangerous aquatic microbes

Leaf Arrangement: Duckweed does not have true leaves; the plant body is a thallus, which floats directly on the water surface.

Leaf Shape: The shape of the thallus is broadly ovate to round, typically measuring 0.04 to 0.2 inches across.

Leaf Venation: There is no venation; the plant's thallus is a simple structure with a single layer of cells.

Leaf Margin: The margins are entire and smooth, as the thallus is undifferentiated.

Leaf Color: The color is usually a vibrant green but can vary to yellow-green depending on nutrient availability and environmental conditions.

Flower Structure: Flowers are seldom seen and are minute when present, lacking petals and reduced to a simple pistil and stamen.

Flower Color: Flowers, when they do appear, are inconspicuous and generally greenish.

Fruit: The fruit is a utricle, a small, bladder-like, one-seeded fruit, but is rarely produced in natural conditions.

Seed: Seeds are small and also rarely produced; the plant primarily reproduces vegetatively.

Stem: Duckweed does not have a stem; the thallus performs all necessary functions.

Hairs: There are no hairs on duckweed; the plant body is smooth.

Height: As a free-floating plant, duckweed does not have height in the traditional sense; the thickness of the thallus is typically less than 0.06 inches.

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.


During the warm summer months Duckweed will completely cover sunny, still or slow-moving waters. These plants are the fastest at reproducing known, doubling in surface coverage every two days. On type, Wolffia microscopica, can bud off new plants in as little as 30 hours! Many private lake owners hate the look of a green-covered lake and pump in poisons to kill it...which sucks because among other things this covering of duckweed can suppressed mosquito populations.

Dried duckweed contains 25-45% protein, 4% fat, and 8-10% fiber, which is kind of amazing. Boil it to kill any aquatic microbes which could cause sickness in humans. Because it is so high in protein and grows so fast it is a favorite for use by smart people for chicken and hog food. Really smart people use the dried, powdered duckweed to kick up the nutritional values of their own food.


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.

Frog Fruit

Scientific Name(s): Lippia nodiflora
Abundance: common
What: leaves
How: cooked, tea, smoked
Where: yards, landscaping, fields, sunny,
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: vitamins
Dangers: beware of harvesting from soils treated with pesticides.

Medicinal Summary
Leaves - fever reducer, antimicrobial, cough suppressant, reduces respiratory issues (tisane, smoke)

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broadly elliptical to ovate, typically measuring about 0.5 to 1.5 inches in length and 0.25 to 0.75 inches in width.

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

Leaf Margin: The margins are serrated or toothed, particularly towards the leaf tip.

Leaf Color: The color of the leaves is a deep green, often with a slightly lighter shade along the veins.

Flower Structure: Flowers are small, clustered in dense, rounded heads at the tips of stems or in leaf axils, and have a funnel shape.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually white or pale pink.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry, two-part capsule.

Seed: Seeds are tiny, contained within the small capsules.

Stem: Stems are slender, creeping or trailing, and can root at the nodes.

Hairs: There are fine hairs along the stems and leaves.

Height: The plant typically spreads along the ground, with the flowering stems rising a few inches above the foliage.

Lots of frog fruit.




Frog fruit leaves.


Close-up of frog fruit's flower cluster.


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.



I really don't know why frog fruit has this name, though the flower clusters do look kind of like tiny pineapples. This common, summertime weed seems to like sunny, grassy areas and disturbed locations. In these places it can form thick mats, shot through with a few other low weeds and grasses. Its tough leaves have pointy-toothed edges and a pinnate vein pattern. Stems are tough and somewhat rough. Because of its durable, drought resistant nature it is becoming popular in landscaping.

While the cooked leaves are edible, their texture and grass-like flavor isn't all that great. A more common use is to make a tea or smoked. Used in these manners, frog fruit is believed to offer relief from fevers, coughs, and other mild respiratory issues. For tea and smoking, let the leaves dry for a few weeks for best flavor and medicinal properties.



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.

Ephedra

Scientific Name(s): Ephedra nevadensis,  E. torreyanna, E. trifurca, E. pedunculata, E. coryi, E. aspera, E. antisyphilitica
Abundance: common
What: leaves, stems, flowers
How: tea (tisane)
Where: arid land, deserts
When: spring
Nutritional Value: stimulants ephedrine and pseudoephedrine
Dangers: too much can lead to heart issues

Medicinal Summary: stimulant

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are scale-like and arranged in whorls along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The scale-like leaves are typically about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long and have a narrow, lanceolate shape.

Leaf Venation: The leaves lack prominent venation due to their scale-like structure.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the scale-like leaves are entire, presenting a smooth edge.

Leaf Color: The color of the leaves varies by species but is often green or greenish-gray. The undersides are usually similar in color to the upper surface.

Flower Structure: Ephedra plants are typically dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. The flowers are inconspicuous and lack petals.

Flower Color: The flowers are often yellowish or greenish and are borne in cone-like structures.

Fruit: The fruit is a cone-like structure containing seeds.

Seed: Seeds are small and found within the cone-like structures. They can vary in size and color depending on the species.

Stem: The stems are woody and jointed, with a green to brown color.

Hairs: The stems and leaves may lack noticeable hairs.

Height: Ephedra plants vary in height depending on the species and environmental conditions but are generally low-growing shrubs, ranging from a few inches to several feet in height.

Ephadra growing up through a cracked rock near Marfa, TX.


Another Marfa, TX ephedra thriving unprotected in full sun.




In March/April in West Texas the ephedra produces tan/gold flower cones at the stem joints.


Closeup of ephedra flower cones.


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.

If you've been anywhere in West Texas you've seen the bundle of sticks that is the ephedra plant growing up out of the sand and gravel. It seems to prefer full sun over shade, with physical adaptions to withstand the harsh climate. It lacks traditional leaves but relies on photosynthesis occurring in its green, jointed stems. This is a perennial bush whose older, lowers sections will be gray and woody. In the spring there will be clusters of small, gold-brown flowers that turn into small "pine cone" like seedheads over the spring/early summer.

The younger, aerial parts of the plant have a long history of being used as a stimulant. Since it doesn't contain caffeine it was considered okay for use by the Church of Later Day Saints, giving it the name "Mormon tea". Note, the preferred species for Mormon tea is Ephedra nevadensis because it lacks the ephedrine found in other members of this genus.

Ephedrine is is a bronchodilator which helps with asthma and other breathing issues. It dries runny sinuses associated with colds and allergies. It also has stimulant properties. The most common form of taking this plant is as a tea aka tisane made from one teaspoon of the dried, crushed plant in one cup hot water, maximum two cups per day.

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.

Elderberry

Scientific name: Sambucus canadensis
Abundance: common
What: flowers, berries
How: the flowers can be eaten raw or fried as fritters, the berries are best when cooked into muffins/pancakes/waffles, made into jam or wine
Where: edges, wet areas
When: summer
Nutritional Value: Vitamin A & C, calcium, iron, sterols, and flavonoids.
Dangers: all other parts of plant (bark, leaves, wood) are poisonous. Berry clusters must be flat, kind of like cauliflower, not rounded like a globe. Compounds in elderberry flowers and berries can disrupt chemotherapy drugs.

Medicinal Summary:
Flowers, Berries - immune system stimulant (syrup, tincture, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are opposite, arranged in pairs along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Compound leaves with 5 to 11 leaflets. Each leaflet measures around 2 to 4 inches in length.

Leaf Margin: Leaflet margins are serrated with fine teeth.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically dark green.

Flower Structure: Large, flat-topped clusters of tiny, fragrant, white flowers known as umbels.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically creamy white and bloom in late spring to early summer. The flowers have five petals, with a diameter of the individual flower being 1/4". 

Fruit (Berry-Like): The fruit is a small, dark purple to black berry, around 1/4 to 1/3 inches in diameter growing in umbel-like clusters.

Bark: Young stems are smooth and green, while older stems are gray with small, dark spots. Beneath the bark is a soft, white pith.

Height: American elderberry can grow to be 5 to 12 feet tall.

Hairs: Stems and leaves are generally smooth.

Growth Form: American elderberry has a multi-stemmed, shrub-like growth form.

Stands of elderberry can be 12'-14' tall.




Elderberries along a stream bank.


The flowers start out as small, light-green balls then open up into white/cream flowers with five petals.


The flower clusters are shaped kind of like cauliflower in an "umbel" (aka umbrella shape).


Flowers (edible).


Close-up of flowers after harvesting.




Dark purple-black fruit (edible dry or cooked, not raw).




Close-up of compound (multi-leaflets) leaves (topside).


Close-up of compound leaves (underside).


By the end of summer the leaves can become very complex.


Stem/trunk of Elderberry. The spots where from leaves growing from the stem in previous years.


Getting ready to make a batch of Grandpa's "Cure's what ails ya!" (Godzilla movie not required). Directions below.


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 elderberry are most common along streams and other moist areas. Standing approximately 10 feet tall with compound leaves and green-to-gray, bumpy bark and white pithy interiors, elderberries are distinctive shrubs or small trees. The cauliflower-shaped clusters of white flowers appear in early spring, flowered by clusters of green and then dark purple berries. The plant will continue to produce flower clusters through the summer and berries into early fall. One has to be quick to gather the berries as birds love them!

The elderberry flowers are a good raw snack, eaten right off the tree. Other popular uses include adding the flowers to muffins, pancakes, frosting and batter-frying them into fritters. They can also be used to flavor assorted non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.

The berries do NOT taste great raw due to the presence of a rather off-putting volatile oil. However, drying or cooking the berries drives off this chemical resulting in a really good flavor. Add the berries raw or dried berries to pancakes, muffins or other batter-style cooked goods. Elderberry jam and jelly is an old-time favorite. Of course, the most popular way to use elderberries is to make wine!

My grandfather used to make great elderberry wine. He also made a general illness preventative/cure medicine called "Cure's what ails ya!" from the flowers by filling a 1 quart canning 1/3 to 1/2 full with fresh elderberry flowers (no stems!) then adding 1 tablespoon of sugar, two shots of Triple Sec orange liquor and filling to jar almost to the top with vodka. The jar was sealed tightly then shook twice a day for 6-8 week. At that point the solids were strained out and the fluid transferred into a tightly capped bottle. I am NOT giving medical advice but two shoots of this was our family treatment when we felt an illness coming on. Western science suggests elderberry flowers and berries contain the immune-system stimulating molecule "Sambucol" which can also be bought over the counter in pharmacies for use in fighting viral infections. Please note that if you are on immune system suppresants, such as after an organ transplant or if you suffer from an auto-immune disease, you should avoid consuming elderberry products.

There are two plants people often mistake for elderberry, Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) and Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum). Chinese Privet is slightly toxic and has simple rather than compound leaves though they are all lined up so as to look a little like the compound leaves of elderberry, but smaller and not pointed at the end. Chinese Privet fruit appears in the fall/winter in grape-like clusters of dark, purple, somewhat football-shaped berries instead of the umbels of elderberry berry clusters.

These are Pokeweed berries which are deadly. Note that they grow in a column rather than an umbrella-shape.


Chinese Privet berries and leaves. This plant is commonly mistaken for Elderberry but it is POISONOUS.




Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) produce umbel-shaped clusters of small, white flowers that look just like elderberry flowers but as with the Chinese Privet, Arrowwood leaves reveal its true identity. Arrows leaves are simple, oppositely-opposed along its branches and have toothed edges. After the flowers pass umbel-shaped clusters of grayish-purple, football-shaped berries ending in little dried flower bits appear. These fruit are edible but tasteless.

Arrowwood flowers (edibility unknown...so don't eat them).


Arrowwood leaves (not edible).


Arrowwood berries (edible but tasteless).



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.