Wood's Ear Mushrooms

Scientific Name(s): Auricularia americana
Abundance: uncommon
What: mushroom body
How: in soup
Where: dead trees, especially elderberry trunks
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: protein, iron, calcium, phosphorous
Dangers: don not mistake Raisin Jelly Cup (Ascotremella faginea) for Wood's Ears.

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Growth Form: Auricularia americana, known as "jelly ear," grows in clusters on hardwood or conifer wood, often in cooler, wet conditions.

Cap Shape and Size: Cap is wavy, ear-shaped to irregular, approximately 1 to 4 inches across, thinner than 1/4", and attached to wood along one strip.

Gills or Pores: Lacks gills or pores, features a finely hairy lower surface when young.

Stipe Characteristics: Does not have a stipe.

Odor: Not distinctive.

Bruising: Does not show bruising (color change) when scratched or pressed.

Spore Color: Produces white spores.

Substrate and Habitat: Saprobic on decaying hardwood; found in spring, summer, and fall.

Other Characteristics: Upper surface brown to fuzzy gray and less wrinkled than underside. Lower surface is dark brown and smooth skinned but with ridges.

Clusters of Wood's Ear mushrooms. Note the gray tops and brown/dark purple undersides.








Close-up of the topside and edge of Wood's Ear.


Close-up of the bottom side. Note the ridges just like a human's ear.


Assorted Wood's Ear ready for cooking.


The only public lands you can legally harvest mushrooms are National forests and grasslands.

Mushrooms of all types spring up after a heavy rains but few are as distinctive as the brown-gray, rubbery Wood's Ear. They appear only on dead wood which they slowly break down. Wood Ear mushrooms prefer the dead trunks of Elderberry bushes but pretty much any hardwood can be overrun by these oddities of nature any time of the year as long as hard rains have recently fallen. Shady areas are more likely to have a growth of Wood's Ear as these cooler spots don't dry out as quickly.

Wood Ear's actually do look like ears in size and rough shape. Often they will form upside down cup shapes when young (~1" across) and then widening out into broad fans as they mature. However big they grow these mushroom never thicken, remaining under 1/4" thick. The topside of these mushrooms is usually gray and powdery. Underneath they are shiny, dark-brown to very dark-purple. Held up to the light Wood's Ear are semi-translucent rather than opaque.

If the rains stop and dry weather appears the Wood's Ear mushrooms will shrink down to half their size and harden into a shell-like mass. Once shrunk, the gray exterior is still easily recognized. These dried mushrooms can be harvested from the tree and stored for use later.

Wood's Ear mushrooms are the traditional Black mushrooms used in Chinese Hot and Sour soup. Tasteless by themselves, they readily absorb the flavors of whatever broth they are immersed. Cut the mushrooms, either fresh or dried, into finger-sized strips and add them to soups, hot pots, pot roasts, or any other dish that involves a broth.

Beware the somewhat similar looking Raisin Jelly Cup Mushrooms. The inedible Jelly Cups grow as lumpy, brain-like clumps instead of the flat, ear-like shape of Wood's Ear mushrooms.


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.

Wood Sorrel

Scientific name: Oxalis species
Abundance: plentiful
What: leaves, flowers, seedpods, tubers
How: salad, seasoning
Where: shady undergrowth
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: Vitamins A & C
Dangers: Contains some oxalic acid, limit consumption to a handful per day.

Medicinal Summary
Leaves, Flowers, Stems - fever reducer; diuretic; relieves indigestion (tisane, tincture)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Oxalis species are typically arranged alternately along the stem. Leaves fold up together at night.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are compound with three heart-shaped (cordate) leaflets, each leaflet measuring around 1/2 to 1.5 inch in width (depends on species).

Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation with veins running from the base to the tip of each leaflet.

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

Leaf Color: The leaves vary in color but are often medium green.

Flower Structure: Five-petaled flowers with distinctive, funnel-shaped petals.

Flower Color: Flower colors can vary widely among Oxalis species, including shades of white, yellow, pink, and purple.

Fruit: The fruit is an elongated, pointed capsule containing small seeds.

Seed: Small, rounded seeds are found within the capsules.

Stem: The stem is usually smooth and erect, often with no or few hairs.

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

Height: Oxalis species vary in height but are generally low-growing, typically ranging from a few inches to about a foot.

Wood sorrel (Oxalis crassipes)


Another picture of wood sorrel (Oxalis crassipes)


Close-ups of wood sorrel flower (Oxalis crassipes).




Common yard weed wood sorrel (Oxalis dillenii), often mistaken for a clover.


My girls love the tangy wood sorrel "bananas" or seed pods of wood sorrel.


Purple-flower, giant wood sorrel with their tubers.


Two types of wood sorrel.


Close-up of wood sorrel tubers. Each "scale" is a thick, triangular wedge that easily break away from each other.


Tubers from a decorative, purple-leaf wood sorrel.


Wood Sorrel leaves (left) are heart-shaped while Clover leaves (right) are rounded.


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.


Patches of wood sorrel are very prevalent on forest floors, often near wild violets, cleavers, wild onions, etc... The three-lobed leaf looks similar to clover/shamrocks but sorrels have a cleft at the top, giving them a heart-shape whereas clovers are round or slightly pointed. Wood sorrel leaves range in size from 1/2" to almost 3" across. They have a very strong, tangy flavor that some people find too intense. It only takes a few to spice up a salad. The purplish-pink flowers can also be added to salads though mainly just for color. Wood sorrel whipped into butter makes a lemony-butter that goes great on bread, fish, and crawfish. Throw 1/2 cup of chopped wood sorrel into a can of cream of mushroom soup if you want to tick off Poland (sorry, you'll have tp take my class in person to get that full story!).

Wood sorrel tubers can be just about any color of the rainbow. They have less oxalic acid than other parts of the plants so they aren't as tangy. Their flavor is somewhat like a carrot and so that's how I use them: raw, steamed, or tossed into stews.

Excessive amounts of oxalic acid theoretically can lead to kidney stones though there's never been any actual reported case of this happening. Cautious types should be sure to drink plenty of water when eating wood sorrel. Also avoid dairy products, if possible, as the oxalic acid binds strongly to the calcium to make calcium oxalate, which is the key mineral of the kidney stones.


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.

Musclewood

Scientific Name(s): Carpinus caroliniana
Abundance: uncommon
What: seeds
How: raw, roasted, flour
Where: woods
When: fall
Nutritional Value: calories
Dangers: none

Leaf Arrangement: Simple, alternate leaves along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Ovate to elliptical leaves, usually 2 to 4 inches in length. Tiny, stiff hairs present on leaf

Leaf Color: Green foliage in the summer, transitioning to yellow, orange, or bronze in the fall.

Leaf Margin: Finely serrated leaf margins.

Flower Structure: Inconspicuous, small flowers in pendulous, slender catkins.

Flower Size: Individual flowers are tiny, less than 0.25 inches.

Fruit (Samara): Flat, papery samaras, about 0.5 to 1 inch in length, cluster in a hanging manner from 1" stalks.

Seed Size: Seeds within the samaras are small, less than 0.25 inches.

Bark: Smooth, gray bark on young trees, becoming fluted and muscular in appearance as the tree matures.

Height: Mature trees typically reach heights of 20 to 35 feet.

The trunk is smooth, gray, and rarely exceed 10" in diameter


Clusters of leaves and young seedheads.


The seeds are starting to become visible.


Note the edges of the leaves are finely serrated, the vein structure is pinnate, and the leaves alternate on the branch.

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.

Passing through the Texas woods your eye may well be captured by the smooth, strong looking trunk of musclewood, also known as ironwood. It prefers full shade and stays small so that bigger trees block the sun from it. Don't let its relatively small size fool you, though. Its wood is extremely hard and durable. Chopping one down is very hard work!

It's unusual seedhead clusters look somewhat like those of the beer-necessity hop vine. The leaves resemble elms but without the distinctive, directional hairs of the Ulmus (elm) species. The trunk, as mentioned before is smooth with flowing waves that look like muscles under the gray bark.

The seeds, though small, are plentiful and easy to collect. This made them an important food source for Native Americans. While the seeds have been used to make beer, they act as a source of grains/starch rather than the bitter hops. They have a mild, nutty flavor raw. Roasting them a bit makes them taste even better. Both the raw and roasted seeds can be boiled into a porridge or ground into a gluten-free flour. From there let your imagination run wild!


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.

Yarrow

Scientific name: Achillea millefolium
Abundance: uncommon
What: flowers, leaves, roots
How: flower/leaves-tea, young leaves-salad greens
Where: sunny fields, landscaping, yards
When: summer
Nutritional Value: low
Other Uses: used in the past to treat cuts and wounds.
Dangers: may cause allergic reaction in some people

Medicinal Summary:
Flowers/Leaves/Roots - hemostatic; anti-diarrheal; thermoregulator/fever reducer; wound healer; antibacterial; heals bruises, sprains, and strains; reduces swelling; reduces urinary tract problems; expectorant (poultice, tisane, tincture)

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are compound, finely dissected and feathery, with numerous small leaflets. Each leaflet is lanceolate and measures approximately 1 to 4 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation, with veins running from the base to the tip of each leaflet. Veins are hard to see due to thinness of the leaflets.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically serrated or toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually medium to dark green.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in flattened, umbrella-like clusters known as compound corymbs.

Flower Color: Flower colors can vary, but common colors include white, pink, or yellow.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry, one-seeded achene.

Seed: Small, brown, and seed-like achenes are produced.

Stem: The stem is erect, slender, and usually hairless.

Hairs: Fine hairs may be found on some parts of the plant but are not a prominent feature.

Height: Achillea millefolium typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet.  

Yarrow



Yarrow flowers

Yarrow stem and leaves


Young yarrow plants

Mature yarrow, going to seed.

Extreme close-up of yarrow 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.


Look for yard along the edges of woods just inside the shady areas as well as in fields, especial across Central Texas. The finely divided leaves, from which it gets part of its scientific name "millefolium" give it a wild carrot-like appearance but it is a much shorter plant, rarely reaching three feet in height.

It's main use is medicinal rather than as a food source. Tea from its flowers and leaves helps produce productive sweating to flush toxins from the body and skin as well as to help fight infections. The leaves are a potent blood clotting agent used to staunch bleeding from even severe wounds as well as reduce the chance of infection. They were a part of Roman soldiers' "first aid kits" and worked surprisingly well.

There is some record of the dried flowers and leaves being smoked for respiratory 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.

Yucca/Spanish Dagger

Scientific name: Yucca spp.
Abundance: common
What: young flowers; flower stalks on both thick and thin-leaf yuccas before flowers appear; edible fruit of thick-leaf yucca (Yucca treculeana).
How: New flowers raw or cooked, flower stalks raw or cooked, fruit baked or roasted, stems raw or cooked
Where: Sunny areas
When: Flowers just after bloom, flower stalks before flowers appear, fruits when ripe, March through end of summer.
Nutritional Value: carbohydrates, minerals
Other uses: Soap from stem and root, fibers/cordage from leaves, laxative properties, fish poison (saponins) from root.
Dangers: Only flowers, flower stalk, and fruit are edible, the rest of the plant is very poisonous.

Yuccu plant


Yucca flowers. They are best within the first few days or opening but after that they can turn nasty. Taste one before harvesting a lot.


Closeup of yucca flowers and flower pods.


Yucca fruit.




Yucca just before flowering.


Close-up of unopened flower stalk.


Close-up of flowers just beginning to open. The individual flower buds taste like cauliflower.


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 flower stalk is sweet-tasting before it produces flower pods/flowers. Roast or pickle it before the pods appear. As the flower pods mature the stalk becomes tasteless and tough. After the flowers have past the ripe fruit of the thick-leaf yucca (Yucca treculeana) can be roasted and eaten like eggplant. Thick-leaf yucca is identified by the leaf base being four inches across where it attaches to the yucca's trunk.

The fibers of the yucca leaf are very strong and have been twisted into cordage for thousands of years. It is best to soak the leaves in water for a week or more to rot (aka retting) away the non-fibrous portion of the leaf which would otherwise weaken the cordage.

Yucca root contains a very high concentration of chemicals called "saponins" which are a natural soap. Native Americans used to put mashed yucca root in a woven bag, which was then dropped into a small pond or stream which had been dammed. The saponins enter into the bloodstream of the fish through their gills, stupefying them. They float to the surface where than can be easily caught. If quickly placed in clean, un-poisoned water the fish may revive and not suffer permanent damage.


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.