Palm - Windmill

Scientific Name(s): Trachycarpus fortunei
Abundance: common
What: flower buds and flowers (inflorescences)
How: raw or cooked
Where: landscaping
When: spring
Nutritional Value:
Dangers:

Windmill palm.


Windmill palm base.


Windmill palm trunk.


Windmill palm fan-type leaf.


Native to China, this palm actually prefers cold climates and doesn't do well in hot, humid areas such as the Gulf Coast region. The leaf fibers make an excellent cordage.

The flower buds and flower bodies are eaten raw though I bet they could be candied, too.

Fruit ranges in color from yellow to black.


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.

Parsley Hawthorn

Scientific Name: Crataegus marshallii
Abundance: uncommon
What: flowers, leaves, fruit
How: flowers & leaves as tea; fruit raw, tea, or preserves
Where: landscaping, woods, moist
When: spring, summer, fall
Nutritional Value: vitamin C
Dangers: may trigger asthma attacks

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Flowers/Berries - beta-blocker; lowers blood pressure; improves capillary flexibility; suppresses fight-or-flight reflex; may help reduce PTSD (tisane, tincture)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Simple, lobed leaves shaped similar to parsley or cilantro leaves, with serrated margins, typically measuring 2 to 3 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically dark green.

Flower Structure: Clusters of small, white flowers with five petals.

Flower Size: Individual flowers are around 1/4 inch in size.

Fruit (Pome): The fruit is a small, red to orange pome (apple-like), typically measuring 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter.

Thorns: Parsley hawthorn may have thorns along the branches, which can vary in size. Longer thorns may have smaller thorns growing off them.

Bark: Bark is typically gray but peeling to reveal smooth, reddish under-bark.

Height: Parsley hawthorn can grow to be a small to medium-sized tree, reaching heights of 15 to 25 feet.

Hairs: Hair-free leaves and stems.

Branching Pattern: The branching pattern is irregular, and the tree may have a somewhat open form.

Parsley hawthorn leaves and thorns.


Parsley hawthorn leaves and young fruit.




Parsley hawthorn flowers (March in Houston).




Parsley hawthorn fruit (November in Houston).


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 Parsley Hawthorns along suburban streets as well as in the woods. Being hawthorns, they like moisture and somewhat acidic soil. Most of the landscaping trees will be relatively small (under 15' tall) but in the wild under good conditions they will grow to 20' tall.

The unique beauty of Parsley Hawthorn trees have lead to it being taken out of the wild and added to many landscapes. The mottled, flakey gray-brown bark makes it an interesting specimen during its leafless winter months. Come early spring it covers itself in a thick blanket of white flowers...which have a rather unpleasant smell to many people. At the same time the tree's parsley-shaped leaves appear. Soon after the flowers disappear numerous small, green fruit show up. By November these fruit will have turned bright red and most of the leaves will be dropping. Still small, these fruit a rarely bigger than peas but have a wonderful, sweet flavor.

The ripe fruit can be eaten raw, dried, or made into jelly. The raw and dried fruit can be made into a very beneficial tea. The flowers and leaves can also be used to make tea.

Western science has found a number of medicinal properties with Parsley Hawthorn (and also many of the other hawthorns). Extracts of the flower, leaves, and fruit have found to help strengthen the heart and lower high blood pressure. The blood pressure reduction comes from some beta-blocking effects of compounds in this plant. That being said, I recommend following your M.D.'s orders and prescriptions in reducing blood pressure. The concentration of active beta-blocking agents in Parsley Hawthorn can vary quite a bit from plant to plant so getting the correct dosage is very difficult. Also, beta-blockers are known to trigger asthma attacks in those who suffer from asthma.

One of the potential good side effects of beta-blockers is they can reduce the "fight-or-flight" reactions in humans. Many concert musicians and actors/actresses who suffer from stage fright (a common fight/fight situation) request beta-blockers from their M.D.s to help counter the physiological effects of stage fright. Hawthorn tea should have a similar effect but note that hawthorn tea is diuretic (makes you have to pee), so plan accordingly if you are going to drink some before heading up onto stage!


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.

Partridgeberry/Squawberry

Scientific name: Mitchella repens
Abundance: uncommon
What: berries
How: raw
Where: woods, shade
When: late summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: Vitamin C
Dangers: may cause miscarriages!

Medicinal Summary:
Berries - diuretic, astringent, sedative, assists with birth, stabilizes with female hormone cycle

Partridge berry. Note the two "eyes".


Another closeup of the berry.


Partridge berry creepers. The berries are found at the end of the plant.




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 lowly partridge berry plant forms a ground covering vine throughout the piney woods of Texas. This small, creeping vine-like plant creeps through the fallen leaves with a bright red berry the only really noticeable thing to differentiate it from the similar looking yaupon holly seedlings.

The bright red color of the berries suggest that the fruit itself would have an equally powerful taste but they are actually very bland. These fruit also have a grittiness to their flesh so the overall impression to me is much like very tiny pears. Not being a fan of pears, I'm not wild about partridge berries either. They are fairly nutritious, as most brightly-covered edible plants are and were used as food by native Americans. They can be eaten raw, dried, or made into jellies and jams, though for the later I recommend they be combined with other more strongly-flavored fruit.


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.

Passion Vine/Maypop

Scientific name: Passiflora incarnata
Abundance: common
What: flowers, ripe fruit, juice, leaves
How: raw, preserves, cold drink, tea
Where: sunny fields, yards, borders
When: late summer through fall until frost
Nutritional Value: Vitamin A & niacin

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves - sedative (tisane)
Flowers - anti-anxiety (tisane)

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

Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically palmately lobed and palmately veined, with usually three to five lobes, each lobe being ovate to triangular, measuring approximately 3 to 6 inches in width.

Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with prominent veins running from the base to the tip of each lobe.

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

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually medium green.

Flower Structure: Purple Passionflower produces intricate and showy flowers with a unique structure. They have five petal-like sepals, five petal-like corolla segments, and a central crown of filaments and anthers. The flowers can be up to 3 inches in diameter.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically violet-purple and have white or pinkish-purple filaments.

Fruit: The fruit is an ovoid to globose berry approximately 2" in diameter with a tough outer rind. Rind is green when young then turns yellow as it ripens.

Seed: Inside the fruit are numerous small seeds suspended in clear gel.

Stem: The stem is typically a climbing vine with tendrils for support.

Hairs: Fine hairs may be present on the stem.

Height: Passiflora incarnata can climb on other vegetation and reach varying heights.

Passion vine flower


Unripe passionvine fruit (maypop)


Inside of a passionvine fruit (maypop).


Three-lobbed passion vine leaves


Closeup of the passion vine 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.


The maypop fruit is ripe when it turns from "Kermit the Frog" green to light green to yellow-orange in color. A better indication of a ripe maypop is a somewhat wrinkly skin whereas the unripe maypop fruit will have a firm, tight feel. Upon splitting the fruit you will see numerous seeds coated in a translucent goo while the inside of the skin will have a thick layer of white pulp. Suck the goo off the seeds like you were eating a pomegranate. The white pulp inside the skin is scrapped off with a spoon and eaten. Roasted seeds of these maypops are considered to be a wonderful snack in Puerto Rico.

Wild passion vines are uncommon in Texas so refrain from harvesting many the low-nutritional value fruit unless you find a vine really covered in fruit. These vines seem to produce a lot of fruit the year after a drought.

Tea made from the dried leaves and stem of the passionvine contain alkaloids with a sedative effect on humans. This tea can be purchased over the counter as a "sleepy time" the United States. Passionvines can quickly grow to cover a large area so harvesting young leaves and stems for use in tea will help keep the vine in check. As with any medicinal tea, I don't recommend drinking it more than 2-3 cups per week. They flowers can also be used for tea but they lack the sedative effect and you also lose the fruit from that 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.

Pawpaw

Scientific Name(s): Asimina triloba (spp.)
Abundance: rare
What: fruit
How: raw, jam, jelly
Where: moist, shady woods
When: late summer
Nutritional Value: protein, calories, Vit C, A, minerals K, Mg, Ca, essential amino acids.

Medicinal Summary: Anti-lice shampoo was made from crushed seeds

Leaf Arrangement: Simple, alternate leaves along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Ovate to lanceolate leaves, typically 8 to 12 inches in length. Reminds me of the sole of a sandal in shape.

Leaf Venation: Very pronounced pinnate veins. 

Leaf Color: Foliage will be green on top and lighter green to gray underneath, with a smooth texture. Crushed leaves release a strong chemical/insecticidal smell.

Leaf Margin: Intact leaf edge.

Flower Structure: Large, maroon to brown flowers, often bell-shaped, with three petals. Flower scent is similar to spoiled meat.

Flower Size: Individual flowers can be 2 to 3 inches in diameter.

Fruit: Large, greenish-yellow to brownish fruit resembling a mango, typically 3 to 6 inches in length.

Seed Size: Seeds within the fruit are dark brown, smooth, and about 1 inch in length.

Bark: Smooth and brownish-gray on young trees, becoming more fissured and darker with age.

Height: Pawpaw trees typically range from 15 to 30 feet in height.

Pawpaw fruit on tree.


Close-up of Pawpaw flowers. They smell like spoiled met to attract flies as pollinators.


Almost ripe pawpaw fruit.


Small, almost ripe pawpaw.


Pawpaw seeds.


Pawpaw leaves are tropical-looking.


Pawpaw seedling. Note the alternating 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.


The banana-custard-like flavor/texture of pawpaw fruits leads many to consider it to be the best tasting fruit available (George Washington was a huge fan). However, once the pawpaw fruit is picked it begins to self-ferment almost immediately, making it unsuitable for shipping or selling in stores. They must be eaten right after harvesting or quickly turned into jam or jelly.

Pawpaw leaves have a sandal-like shape, being narrower a the base where it connects to the tree, widening out towards the end of the leaf, with a point at the very tip. A crushed leaf has a very strong, pungent odor, kind of like an insecticide.
 
The large pawpaw seeds actually do contain several insecticidal compounds and certain Native Americans used the powdered seeds to control lice. These seeds are still used in several over-the-counter lice treatments. It may be as simple to make as heating finely-crushed pawpaw seeds combined with baby shampoo in a crockpot at low heat for 8 hours, allowing to cool, then applying to the hair but I haven't actually tried this. If you do it, you are on your own!

The bark makes decent cordage but stripping it may often kill the tree.

The seeds should be planted right away after harvesting as they dry out and die otherwise. Pawpaws are NOT self-fertile so you need at least two separate trees and three is better, ideally grown from seeds from unrelated trees. The flowers pre-date bees and are pollinated by flies, instead.  Growers have been known to hang bits of raw meat up in the trees when flowers appear to attract flies as the meat rots.


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.

Pecan

Scientific name: Carya illinoinensis
Abundance: plentiful
What: nuts
How: raw, cooked
Where: pecan trees
When: fall
Nutritional Value: carbohydrates and protein

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate arrangement of compound leaves.

Leaf Shape: Odd-pinnate compound leaves with typically 9 to 17 leaflets.

Leaf Size: Individual leaflets are usually 2 to 6 inches in length, depending on location along the petile.

Leaf Color: Green foliage, with variations in shades.

Leaf Margin: Serrated leaflet margins.

Vein Patterns: Pinnate venation pattern on each leaflet. Center vein may not be perfectly centered on leaflet.

Flower Structure: Inconspicuous, appearing as long, drooping catkins.

Flower Color: Male catkins are yellow-green, while female flowers are reddish.

Fruit (Pecans): Large, brownish, football-shaped seeds (nuts), with lengths ranging from 1 to 2 inches, encased in a thick green husk. Husk usually splits open along four long seams to reveal a mottled, brown-shelled nut.

Seed Size: Pecans are typically 1 to 2 inches in length.

Bark: Gray to brown, with peeling, deep furrows and ridges as the tree matures.

Pecan nut


Ripe pecan nuts on tree.


Almost-ripe pecans (picture taken early August in East Texas).


Pecan tree.


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.



What truly needs to be said about pecans in Texas?
Best. Wild. Food. Ever!


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.