Dandelion

Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale
Abundance: common
What: leaves, flowers, roots
How: young leaves in salad or boiled; flowers are used in wine; roots are roasted to make a coffee substitute or boiled for twenty-thirty minutes before eating
Where: yards, sunny
When: spring, early summer
Nutritional Value: Vitamins A, B, thiamine, riboflavin, minerals, and protein

Medicinal Summary:
Flower - wound healer (salve, infused oil)
Root/Leaves - diuretic; antibacterial; laxative; sedative; appetite stimulant (poultice, tisane, tincture)

Leaf Shape: The leaves of a dandelion are spatulate to oblong, often deeply lobed with the asymmetrical lobes pointing back towards the base of the leaf, giving them a jagged appearance.

Venation: Dandelion leaves exhibit pinnate venation, with a central vein running the length of the leaf and smaller veins branching off to the sides.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are irregularly toothed or lobed, often described as dentate or runcinate (sharp lobes).

Leaf Color: They are a dark green color, sometimes with a hint of red or purple.

Flower Structure: Dandelions have a single flower head on a hollow stem; each head is actually made up of many tiny flowers called florets. Stamens tops are split, often into two spirals.

Flower Color: The flowers are bright yellow supported by a dark green calyx.

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: Hollow, leafless, and milky, typically 6 to 24 inches tall.

Stem: The stem is hollow, smooth, and exudes a milky sap when broken.  

Roots: Extremely long (12 feet!) taproots that are tan on the outside and white/off-white inside. Surface of root will be covered with fine rootlets.

Hairs: There are no hairs on the leaves of the dandelion but the flower stems may have fine hairs.

Height: When in flower, dandelions typically reach a height of 2 to 18 inches.

Single dandelion plant.




Dandelions are very persistent!


Cluster of dandelion plants, flowers, and seed-heads.


Perfect time to harvest dandelion leaves, just before any flower stems appear.


You only want to use the yellow and white parts of dandelion flowers. Their green collar is extremely bitter and must be removed.


Close-up of Dandelion flower. Note how the stamens split into two curls at the top.


Dandelion flower stems are hollow, may have fine hairs, and end in a single flower.


A mature dandelion root can be twelve feet long! This one was a little over one foot.


The best part of dandelions for eating are the white leaf stems right at the top of the root, sautéed in some bacon grease!


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.


Dandelions are one of the superfoods of foraging due to their high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein as well as the multitude of ways to use them. However, these nutrients come at a cost, mainly the strong bitter flavor of this plant.

This bitterness can be tamed via several different methods. The easiest is just to boil the leaves in several changes of water to extract the bitter compounds. This will remove a small amount of the nutrients and the resultant leaves are not very visually appealing.

If you have access to milder greens with which to make a salad then "dilute" a small amount of shredded dandelion leaves with a much large amount of mild greens. 1 part dandelion + 9 parts mild greens is a good ratio.

Wilting the dandelion greens with hot bacon grease is perhaps the most flavorful method. The hot grease both destroys some of the bitter compounds as well as coats and "desensitizes" your tongue to the bitterness. This is my favorite treatment. Note that olive oil will also work though not quite as well.

Overwhelming the bitterness with (sour) vinegar and or salty (soy sauce) flavors also works. A strong vinegar/oil salad dressing with the dandelion greens works very well.

The yellow flowers can be used to make wine, tea, or dress up a salad. Remove the extremely bitter, green bracts from the base of the flower though.

To make dandelion coffee you first need to collect a large bowl of dandelion roots. Scrub them to remove dirt, then roast them in an oven at 400 degrees F until they turn brown. The dark brown the darker the resultant coffee. Grind the browned roots in a coffee grinder and then you can use the results as you would regular coffee grounds. While this tastes just like normal coffee it does not contain any caffeine.

Here's another great source on how to grow and use dandelions: Gardener's Path - Dandelions

Edible Dandelion Mimics:
Dandelion
Cat's Ear
Chicory
Japanese Hawkweed
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.

Day Lily

Scientific name: Hemerocallis fulva
Abundance: common
What: leaves, flowers, flower pods, tubers
How: young leaves-raw or cooked; flowers/pods raw or cooked; tubers-cooked
Where: sunny areas, often in flower beds but have escaped
When: summer
Nutritional Value: calories, minerals, vitamins B & C
Dangers: The original species (Hemerocallis fulva) of day lilies is considered edible but due to extensive experimental breeding toxic forms of day lilies have been created. It is safest to only eat day lilies that you can confirm are Hemerocallis fulva at the time of purchase (it should say the species name somewhere on the sales tag).

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are basal, growing directly from the base of the plant in a fan-like arrangement.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are long and linear, typically 18 to 24 inches in length and 1 to 1.5 inches wide.

Leaf Venation: The venation is parallel, running the length of the leaf.

Leaf Margin: Margins are entire, with smooth edges.

Leaf Color: A bright to deep green, often with a slightly glossy appearance.

Flower Structure: Flowers are large, funnel-shaped, and borne on tall, erect scapes.

Flower Color: The blooms are typically orange, with variations ranging from yellow to red.

Fruit: Produces a capsule containing black seeds.

Seed: The seeds are black and glossy, enclosed within the capsule.

Stem: The flowering stem, or scape, is long, round, and hollow, rising above the foliage.

Hairs: There are no significant hairs on the leaves or scapes.

Height: The foliage remains close to the ground, while the scapes can reach about 3 feet tall.

Day Lily flowers and flower pods.




Root tubers.


North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


The flowers add a colorful splash to salads while the unopened flower buds are best battered then fried...but then everything is good battered then fried. Roast the tubers.


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.

Magnolia

Scientific Name(s): Magnolia grandiflora
Abundance: common
What: flowers, leaves, maybe seeds
How: flowers pickled; leaves as tea; seeds...you're on your own!
Where: landscaping, woods
When: spring flowers, fall seeds, leaves all year
Nutritional Value:
Dangers: some sources list the seeds as edible others list them as poisonous

Medicinal Summary:
Seeds - anti-tumor; anti-inflammatory; anti-bacterial; anti-seizure; sedative (tincture)
Leaves - anti-cancer; antibacterial (tisane, tincture)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are typically arranged alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Simple, large, and broadly ovate leaves, varying in size among species.

Leaf Color: Leaves will be dark green on top and a bronze color underneath. 

Flower Structure: Magnolias are known for their large, showy flowers with multiple petals and protruding center. They give off a sweet, floral scent.

Flower Size: Flower size can be over a foot in diameter.

Flower Color: Colors range from white and cream to faint pink or yellow.

Fruit (Cone): The fruit is a cone-like structure, often reddish or brown when mature, measuring a few inches in length. Dozens of red seeds can be seen peeking out of each cone when mature.

Seed Size: Seeds are typically 1/4"-1/2 ovals, with a hard, red coat and a white/cream interior.

Bark: Mottled gray-brown and somewhat rough/wrinkled, kind of like elephant skin.

Height: Heights of mature magnolia trees can range from 15 to 80 feet, depending on the species.

Hairs: Seed pods and leaf stems are fuzzy.

Magnolia tree. Note the green tops and brown undersides of the leaves.


Magnolia flower buds.


Flower beginning to open which I feel is the best time to pick them for use.


Open flower. Soon after they open the petals begin turning brown. I don't harvest them once several petals have become spotted.


After the flower petals drop away the fuzzy seedhead is revealed.


Come fall, the red seeds begin bursting out of the seedhead. The hard, red shell covers a light-tan 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.


Fifty million years ago Magnolia trees dominated the Earth. Today they are found in the southeastern United States and running down into Central and South America. Oh, how the might have fallen! Yet, there's some pleasure in knowing Texas has some of the last northern holdouts of this ancient race. Looking at these trees, with their giant, ambrosial-scented flowers and thick, leathery leaves, it's not surprising they come from the time of Eocene period, when global temperatures were much hotter than today and plant life thrived.

Look for these trees both as landscaping centerpieces as well as wild in the east Texas woods. They keep their large, somewhat oval leaves all year around. Flowers appear in mid-spring followed by the clusters of hard, red seeds in the fall. The bark is relatively smooth and gray with assorted discolorations of lichen. Mature trees can have round crowns forty feet across.

The strong scent of freshly-opened magnolia flowers can be overpowering and so the flowers themselves aren't eaten raw. Shredding the flowers then pickling using the pickled okra recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, produces something similar to pickled seaweed served at sushi joints. A number of bartenders and distilleries have been experimenting with magnolia flower infused gins to create Texas-specific cocktails.

The leaves, after drying, has a long history of herbal medicinal use to fight cancers. Testing by western science has revealed magnolia leaves contain several compounds that reduce the growth of blood vessels to tumors. Lots of work still remains in turning these into an accurate, predictable medicine.

In the fall the trees are covered with clusters of bright red seeds about the size of small jelly beans. Digging through the research on the edibility of these magnolia beans, one find them listed as both poisonous and edible.Being a scientist, I've eaten three of them so far. At the first bite they have a sweet, pleasant flavor but at the second bite my mouth tasted like it was flooded with gasoline. Bleeech! The seeds have the outer, red coat surrounding pale, tan nutmeat. I suspect that the sweet flavor comes from the coat and the gasoline flavor from the nutmeat or perhaps vice-versa. More experimentation with these beans is required.


50 Million year old! Fights cancers! Link leads to another website.

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.

Dead Nettle

Scientific Name: Lamium purpureum
Abundance: rare (in TX, uncommon elsewhere)
What: leaves, flowers
How: salad, smoothies, tea
Where: fields, disturbed areas, sunny, shade
When: winter, spring
Nutritional Value: vitamins, iron, antioxidants

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves - hemostatic; diuretic; sweat inducer (poultice, tisane)
Seeds - antioxidant (raw, ticture, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: Opposite-alternating, with pairs of leaves emerging from the same level on the stem, but rotated 90 degrees around the stem compared to the leaves directly above and below.

Leaf Shape: Heart-shaped to ovate, typically 1 to 2 inches long.

Leaf Venation: Pinnate, with a central midvein and branching side veins.

Leaf Margin: Scalloped or serrated, with rounded teeth along the edges.

Leaf Color: Green, often with purplish tinges, especially on the upper leaves.

Flower Structure: Small, tubular flowers arranged in whorls at the leaf axils.

Flower Color: Purple to pink, with a two-lipped appearance typical of the mint family.

Fruit: Small, dry nutlets.

Seeds: Tiny, contained within the nutlets.

Stem: Square-shaped (a characteristic of the mint family), often with a reddish or purplish hue, ranging from 4 to 8 inches tall.

Hairs: Soft, fine hairs covering the leaves and stem, giving a fuzzy texture.

Height: Typically 4 to 8 inches tall, sometimes reaching up to 12 inches.

Cluster of Dead Nettle plants.


Dead Nettle.


Root to tip of a Dead Nettle plant.


Close-up of Dead Nettle head before flowers are fully formed.


Dead Nettle are in the mint family and so have the square hollow stems and alternating opposed leaves of this family.


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've only found one colony of Dead Nettles in Texas and as the USDA map indicates, it was up in East Texas. Dead Nettles look very similar to the very common Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) but Dead Nettle leaves are pointed triangular whereas Henbit leaves are "kidney" shaped at first then mature to very rounded triangles. Dead Nettles leaves have a somewhat purple shade whereas Henbit leaves are green. Dead Nettle leaves are somewhat more hairy than Henbit leaves, especially along the edges. Both have purple, tubular flower appearing in clusters at the top of the plant.

Dead Nettles are usually found in fields, yards, and disturbed areas such as roadsides and abandoned lots. In East Texas look for them at the same time Henbit is appearing, usually late winter/early spring. They seem to prefer sunny areas but can also grow in shade.

The leaves of Dead Nettle are added raw to salads but can be cooked, too. They have a mild, almost bland flavor. Some people add them to springtime smoothies along with Chickweed and other spring weeds. I haven't tried it yet but I'd bet they ferment well.

Dead Nettle seeds supposedly have some strong antioxidants but they are small and it'd take a lot of plants to produce enough seeds to do any good. You're better off spreading the seeds around to increase the population of this funky, purplish plant.


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.

Desert Hackberry

Scientific Name: Celtis pallida
Abundance: common
What: fruit
How: raw, cooked
Where: dry, desert areas
When: late summer, fall
Nutritional Value: calories
Dangers: spines are sharp!

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Simple, ovate leaves with serrated margins, typically measuring 1 to 2 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically pale green to gray-green.

Flower Structure: Inconspicuous, small, greenish flowers are arranged in clusters.

Flower Size: Individual flowers are very small, around 1/8 inch in size.

Fruit (Drupe): The fruit is a small, rounded drupe, about 1/4 inch in diameter, typically reddish-brown when ripe.

Bark: Bark is mottled grayish-brown, with thorns. Some thorns may have smaller thorns.

Height: Desert hackberry can grow to be a medium-sized tree, reaching heights of 20 to 30 feet.

Hairs: Leaves may have microscopic hairs, giving a slightly rough texture.

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

Desert Hackberry fruit when ripe.


Close-up of ripe fruit.


Thicket of Desert Hackberry trees. They grow with interlaced trunks and branches.


Close-up of leaves.


Note how the young branch "zig-zags" betweens leaf nodes and spines.


Close-up of spines on young twig.


Close-up of spine on mature branch.


Desert Hackberry trunk.


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 much as I love Desert Hackberries, birds love them even more. The spiny thickets that these small tree form are are a safe, food-filled haven for all manner of small birds. Look for these thickets in arid, hot areas of south and west Texas, though in these environments they will likely cluster near water sources including dry gullies. The trees rarely get much over 15 feet tall. The small, oval leaves stay on the tree most of the year but can fall in extremely dry conditions.

The ripe fruit is quite sweet, orange in color, and its single seed is much softer than the hard stone found in Sugar Hackberry fruit. I eat the whole thing raw, seed and nut combined. It can be eaten raw, mashed then baked into a calorie-laden snack bar, or boiled in some water to make a syrup. A truly industrious person could gather enough of the ripe fruit to make a bottle of wine or two if they were willing to fight through the plant's thorns...and deal with the resulting angry birds.


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.

Desert Willow

Scientific Name(s): Chilopsis linearis
Abundance: common
What: flowers, leaves, bark
How: tea, poultice, tincture
Where: stream banks, arroyos of the desert areas
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: low
Dangers: don't mistake a poisonous, landscaping Oleander for desert willow!

Medicinal Summary:
Flower - tea soothes coughs
Bark & Root - teas and tinctures are antimicrobial and antifungal

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are alternate along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Chilopsis linearis leaves are linear or lanceolate, giving the plant its specific epithet.

Leaf Venation: The venation is parallel.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is entire, meaning it lacks serrations.

Leaf Color: The leaves are typically green, and there is often no significant color difference between the top and underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are tubular and arranged in terminal clusters. Lower flowers on the branch will be open while ones nearer the branch tip may still be closed.

Flower Color: Chilopsis linearis flowers come in various colors, including shades of pink, lavender, or white.

Fruit: The fruit is a long, slender bean-like capsule.

Seed: Seeds are small and numerous within the capsule.

Bark: The bark is typically smooth and dark-grayish.

Hairs: Flower buds are covered in fine hairs, as is the interior of seed pods.

Height: Chilopsis linearis can reach heights of 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9 meters), depending on environmental conditions.

Desert Willow in March in a gully in Big Bend Ranch State Park (no foraging allowed).


Close-up of flower in March in Big Bend Ranch State Park. Note the unopened buds higher up the branch.


Another close-up of the flower.


Unopened flower buds in March in Big Bend Ranch State Park (no foraging allowed).


Desert willow bark is generally smooth, dark and spotted. Note the


Last year's dried seedpods may still be hanging on the desert willow. They have fluffy seed "parachutes" like milkweed.


Another desert willow growing along a dry streamback in Big Bend Ranch State Park (no foraging allowed).


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.


Late winter/early spring is a beautiful time in west Texas desert areas, especially along the streambeds that winter rains had soaked the soil briefly but thoroughly. The water walks up the desert, covering it with a confetti of flowers. Perhaps the most beautiful are the big, pink-purple flowers of the desert willow. This small, usually multi-trunked tree can be found growing upwards from the safety of large boulders along the arroyos of west Texas but also in a few counties randomly spread across Texas. Because of its compact but interesting growth pattern and wonderful flowers it is used as a xeriscape landscaping tree in many Texas cities from Houston to Amarillo.

Though note a true willow, the desert willow gets its name from its liner to lanceolate, hairless leaves. These leaves have pinnate vein patterns with a main, center vein from which secondary veins branch outwards and upwards, reconnecting out towards the edge of the leaf.The edges of the leaves are entire, lacking any sort of serrations or lobes. Oddly, the leaves can be arranged along the branches in both alternating and opposite patterns. A tea (tisane) or tincture made from the leaves and bark is antimicrobial, especially against fungal infections. Rinsing out the cuts and scratches one gets when traveling through the desert are well cared for with a wash of the leaf/bark tea. A tincture will also clean out wounds but will sting.

The violet-scented flowers are triggered by the earliest warm rains of spring. They sprout near the ends of branches beyond the leaves. These branches continue to grow and produce new flower buds into the summer. Pink and purple flowers with light-colored throats seem to be the most common but even white flowers are possible. The inside surface of the petal(s) can often be striped with a much darker shade than the rest of the flower.

Tea made from the fragrant flowers of desert willow is what you're really after. Gently tug on a flower and if it comes off the tree easily add it to a jar until the container is half full. Fill it to the top with water (approximately 1 part flowers, 2 parts water) and let it soak in the sunlight for half a day. Strain out the flowers, add some ice to cool it down, and drink the drink of desert secrets. Medicinally, the flower tea soothes rough coughs.

After the flowers come long, green seedpods. By fall these pods can be 6"-10" long and soon split open to release their fluffy seeds to float away. The brown, dried pods remain on the tree, helping identify it when the flowers aren't present. Though these long beans look inviting when green, they are not considered edible.

While these small trees require little water their growth indicates water is likely close to the surface. Digging around them can often uncover a seep of murky but life-giving water. Be sure to purify it as you would any wild water, such as by boiling, filtering, or a chemical treatment.

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.