Corn Salad

Scientific Name(s): Valerianella olitoria, V. locusta, & other Vealerianella species
Abundance: rare
What: leaves
How: raw or cooked when young before flowers appear
Where: moist shaded yards, borders, and woods
When: fall, winter (in Houston), spring
Nutritional Value: Vitamins A,Bs,C
Dangers: Beware the inedible, similar-looking Cudweed.

Leaf Arrangement: Forms a basal rosette.

Leaf Shape:  Club-shaped (oblanceolate to spatulate) with a broader base narrowing towards the tip. 

Venation: Pinnate, with a central vein more pronounced than the lateral ones.

Margin: Entire, with smooth edges.

Leaf Color: Dark green, with a slightly glossy appearance.

Flower Structure: Tiny flowers grouped in loose cymes at the top of the stem.

Flower Color: Pale blue to white, sometimes with a hint of pink.

Fruit: A small, dry nutlet, less than 1/8" in diameter, slightly lobed.

Seeds: Typically one seed per fruit, small and enclosed within the nutlet.

Stem: Grows in a fractal pattern - one stem coming out of the ground which branches into two stems, and each of those may branch into another two, and each of those may branch again into two before ending with the flowers at the tips.

Hairs: Generally lacks hairs, presenting a smooth surface.

Plant Height: Ranges from 6 to 20 inches in height.

Young corn salad, ready for picking.


Mature Corn Salad (doesn't taste good at this point)


Close-up of Corn Salad flowers


Close-up of the Corn Salad stem. Note how the stem leaves encircle the stem itself.


Texas distribution, attributed to U.S. Department of Agriculture.



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

I have found it in Harris & Montgomery counties as well as assorted places in East Texas, from Dallas to the Louisiana border.

Quickly sprouting up in late spring, Corn salad appears in sandy, shaded soil. It's delicate club-shaped leaves grow in an alternating opposite arrangement and that is when you want to eat it. In just a few weeks the plant's single stem will split into two stalks and then each of those will split into two more. Where the stem splits the leaves fuse into a single, pointy leaf surrounding the stem. At the top of the stalks a small cluster of white flowers appear, followed quickly by it going to seed. This plant grows and dies in just a few weeks.

Corn salad is not native to North America but came over with French settlers. It is a common, domestic salad vegetable in France. It has escape French gardens and can now be found in growing in thin stands in sandy, well-drained soil but needs a fair amount of moisture.

Be careful not to mistake Cudweed (Pseudognaphalium species) for Corn Salad. Picture below is the inedible (but medicinal and smokable) Cudweed. Note it has many more leaves than corn salad and the underside of the leaves are gray.



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Cottonwood

Scientific Name(s): Populus deltoides, other Populus species
Abundance: rare
What: inner bark
How: raw, cooked
Where: sunny fields near water
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: calories, vitamin C
Dangers: none

Medicinal Summary:
Young Bark - anti-inflammatory; pain reliever; fever reducer (tisane)
Leaf Buds - pain reliever; antimicrobial, heals sprains and contusions (infused oil)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broadly triangular or deltoid in shape, with a length of approximately 3 to 6 inches.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are serrated, featuring coarse teeth.

Leaf Venation: Leaf veins are pronounced and light colored than leaf.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically bright green, turning yellow in the fall. 

Flower Structure: Eastern cottonwood trees are dioecious, producing separate male and female catkins (long, narrow clusters of tiny flowers).

Flower Color: Male catkins are red or yellow, while female catkins are green.

Fruit (Capsule): The fruit is a small, capsule-like structure, around 1/4 inch in size.

Bark: Bark is smooth and greenish-gray on young trees, becoming deeply furrowed and gray-brown on mature trees.

Height: Eastern cottonwood trees can reach towering heights of 50 to 100 feet.

Hairs: Leaves and mature bark are generally smooth.

Wood Color: The heartwood is light brown. Center of branches have a distinct, darker, 5-pointed start in their center.

Cottonwood tree.


Cottonwood branch.


Cottonwood leaves in early fall with both green and yellow leaves.


Cottonwood bark.


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.


Cottonwood trees were a welcome sight for those settlers and Native Americans crossing Texas. Their presence indicated water within easy digging distance. Quick growing, they can reach 100 feet tall with a spread of 75 feet in under twenty years. In the early summer Cottonwoods produce LOTS of the cottony fluff for which they are named. Come fall their leaves take on a striking yellow color which stands out boldly among the lesser trees and bushes.

The inner bark (cambium layer) is a good source of calories and vitamin C. One must peel away the thick, outer bark to get to this edible cambium layer. The cambium is finely diced before eating to lessen the amount of chewing needed. It can be eaten raw or boiled into a porridge. Please note that removing this inner bark will likely kill the tree and Cottonwoods are becoming rare in Texas. Please harvest the bark only in a matter of life or death. However, Cottonwoods shed branches during storms. Harvest the cambium layer from these fallen branches as soon as possible.

During the winter Cottonwoods protect their next year's leaf buds with a resinous coating. These buds were collected in the winter and gently boiled in an edible oil to make a salve to treat sore throats and coughs. Being a relative of willows, the bark of the Cottonwood can also be used as a source of aspirin.


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Cow Parsnip

Scientific name: Heracleum maximum
Abundance: rare
What: young leaves, stem, roots, seeds
How: leaves-raw/cooked; stem and roots-peel then boil; seeds-dry then add to soups and stews
Where: shade, borders, woods, marsh
When: spring, summer, fall
Nutritional Value: sugars/calories in stem and roots
Dangers: WARNING: Similar-looking to deadly, foul-smelling hemlock! Also, juice and hairs of cow parsnip can irritate skin and contains suspected cancer-causing chemicals.

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate, with leaves large and deeply lobed.

Leaf Shape: Broadly ovate, with deep lobes and a serrated or toothed margin. Mature leaves can be over 16" across at their widest.

Venation: Palmate, with a prominent central vein and visible lateral veins branching off in each lobe.

Margin: Serrated or toothed, particularly towards the leaf tip.

Leaf Color: Bright to dark green, with a slightly coarse texture.

Flower Structure: Compound umbels, large and flat-topped, with numerous tiny flowers in each umbel.

Flower Color: White, sometimes with a slight pinkish hue.

Fruit: Flat, oval, two-seeded schizocarps.

Seeds: Small, flat, and attached in pairs.

Stem: Tall, stout, and hollow, often with purplish or reddish blotches.

Hairs: Generally hairless, but the stem may have fine bristles.

Height: Typically grows between 4 to 10 feet tall.

Cow parsnip plant (almost seven feet tall).


Closeup of flowers.


Another view of flowers.


Mature seedhead of cow Parsnip.


Leaves of cow parsnips are huge, well over twelve inches across.


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


Look for Cow Parsnips in partially shady areas where water (usually a stream) meets woods. They seem to prefer hardwood forests to pine.

While not quite on par with Pokeweed, Cow Parsnips do require caution when harvesting and preparing the young shoots. Like Pokeweed, harvest the shoots when they're under 9" tall but you'll also want to take the cow parsnip's root. Wear gloves and arm guards while collecting them so the furanocoumarin chemical in the sap and surface needles can't adhere to your skin. If this chemical does get on you it'll make those areas of skin super-sensitive to sunlight, resulting in patches of 2nd degree sunburns.

Still the plant is quite tasty. Saute the diced-up leaves, stem, and roots in butter, oil, or bacon grease along with onions or garlic for a few minutes. They'll shrink a little but not disappearing like spinach. Hit them with a dash of cedar-infused apple cider vinegar and have at them!


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Horse Crippler Cactus

Scientific Name(s): Echinocactus texensis
Abundance: uncommon
What: flowers, fruit
How: raw, cooked
Where: sunny fields, dry areas
When: fall, winter
Nutritional Value: calories, vitamin C
Dangers: beware of thorns!

Leaf Arrangement: Not applicable, as Echinocactus texensis is a cactus and does not have true leaves, with the primary structure being the ribbed stem.

Leaf Shape: The plant lacks traditional leaves; the spines emerge from areoles on the ribbed stem.

Leaf Venation: Not applicable due to the absence of traditional leaves.

Leaf Margin: Not applicable as there are no leaves.

Leaf Color: Not applicable; the plant features a green to bluish-green stem.

Flower Structure: Flowers are solitary, growing from the crown of the cactus.

Flower Color: The flowers are usually pink to red.

Fruit: Produces a fleshy, barrel-shaped fruit, approximately 1" in diameter, clustered at the center of the cactus.

Seed: Seeds are small and black, contained within the fruit.

Stem: Globular to cylindrical, with pronounced ribs and areoles from which spines emerge.

Hairs: The plant has spines, which are modified hairs, typically dense and covering the ribs.

Height: The cactus typically grows to a height of 6 to 8 inches.

Top view of Horse Crippler with fruit.


Side view of Horse Crippler with fruit.




Close-up of fruit.


Close-ups of thorns.




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.


Hiding low in the grasslands of the southwestern counties of Texas as well as randomly in other arid prairie locations, Horse Crippler Cactus is a boobytrap waiting to puncture the foot of the unwary. This low, dome-shaped cactus grows only 1-2 inches tall but up to a foot across with a lifespan measure in centuries! These cacti are covered with clusters of seven or so wicked thorns, one of which will be 2-3 inches long while the others will only be about 1 inch in length. Most of the thorns will have a slight downward curve. Horse Cripple Cacti can bloom in spring through summer and these flowers have red centers surrounded by duo-toned, pink or light purple petals which open during the day but close up at night.

The ripe, red fruit looks very similar to the "tunas" of prickly pears and are used the same way. The flavor of these fruit is more subtle than that of prickly pears but still delicious. Due to the numerous seeds, I prefer squeezing the juice from these fruit then boiling it down into a syrup. The seeds can be collected from the fruit, roasted, then boiled into porridge or ground into a gluten-free flour.

Horse Crippler Cactus transplant easily into WELL drained pots and will love the hottest, direct sunlight Texas has to offer. They love the south or west-facing, wind-swept balconies of apartments where any other plant would shrivel up and die.


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Cow's Tongue Cactus

Scientific Name(s): Opuntia engelmannii var. linguiformis
Abundance: uncommon
What: pads, flowers, fruit
How: peeled pads can be pickled, fried, made into jerky; fruit can be raw or blended into a smoothy/icee drink; juice from strained fruit can be drunk, made into ice cream, mixed drinks, preserves.
Where: sunny fields, landscaping
When: fruit in fall, pads-all year though younger pads taste better.
Nutritional Value: vitamin C, some minerals
Dangers: burn or scrap off the tiny needles (glochids) before eating, 1% of population is allergic to cactus-based foods.

Leaf Arrangement: The plant features small, ephemeral leaves that quickly transform into spines, with the primary structure being the stem pads.

Leaf Shape: Initially small and cylindrical, the leaves quickly modify into spines and are not a lasting feature.

Leaf Venation: Not applicable, as the leaves transition into spines and lack typical venation patterns.

Leaf Margin: Undefined in the modified spiny leaves.

Leaf Color: Initially green but quickly replaced by spines and therefore not a prominent feature.

Flower Structure: Flowers are solitary and grow from the edges of the stem pads.

Flower Color: The flowers are typically yellow, sometimes with red or orange hues.

Fruit: Produces a fleshy, elongated fruit, which can be red or purple when ripe.

Seed: The seeds are small, contained within the fruit.

Stem: Characterized by flat, broad stem segments, commonly referred to as pads, that are linguiform (tongue-shaped).

Hairs: No true hairs are present, but there are spines and glochids (tiny barbed bristles) on the stem segments.

Height: The plant typically forms a low, spreading shrub, generally reaching 2 to 4 feet in height.

Cow's tongue cactus used in landscaping.


Cow's tongue cactus fruit (picture taken in mid September in Houston).


Another closeup of cow's tongue fruit (also taken in mid-September in Houston).


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


Closely related to prickly pears, cow's tongue cacti pads and fruit can be used in the same manner as other Opuntia species. The pads can be peeled then sliced and cooked like green beans though much slimier. The peeled pads can also be sprinkled with your favorite beef/venison jerky spices and then dehydrated into "vegan jerky".

The fruits are usually mashed, boiled, and then strained through a fine mesh such as cheesecloth to release their delicious juice. This juice can be drank straight, made into jelly or wine, or slightly sweetened (it's already quite sweet) then boiled down to make a syrup.

Before doing anything with the pads or fruit you must remove their tiny, almost invisible needles called glochids. Use a barbecue tongs to harvest the pads/fruit and then burn off the glochids with a torch or gas stovetop.

Burning glochids.


Peel the fruit then mash it up in a saucepan. Add just enough water so as to cover the pulp then boil for about ten minutes. Let the resulting juice cool a little then filter out the pulp and seeds through cheesecloth or other fine filter.

Peeled fruit before mashing and boiling.


Straining the juice.



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Cholla Pencil Cactus

Scientific Name(s): Cylindropuntia leptocaulis
Abundance: common
What: fruit
How: raw, jam, jelly, wine
Where: arid, sunny, shade, borders, fields
When: winter
Nutritional Value: calories
Dangers: tiny spines (glochids) can cause a lot of pain and discomfort if not removed from fruit before eating.

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are small and ephemeral, with the plant primarily characterized by its stem segments.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are scale-like, very small, and typically fall off early in the season.

Leaf Venation: Not discernible due to the small size and scale-like nature of the leaves.

Leaf Margin: The margins are smooth, as the leaves are more like scales.

Leaf Color: The leaves, when present, are green but quickly become inconspicuous.

Flower Structure: Flowers are solitary and borne at the tips of the stem segments.

Flower Color: The flowers are typically yellow to greenish-yellow.

Fruit: Produces dry, spiny, 3/4" long fruits that are red when ripe, often persisting on the plant. After a certain amount of time, new cholla branches grow from these fruit.

Seed: The seeds are small and found within the dry fruits.

Stem: Characterized by slender, cylindrical stem segments that can be green to or gray-brown depending on age, forming a dense, twiggy shrub.

Hairs: There are no hairs, but the plant has numerous spines and glochids (small barbed bristles).

Height: The plant typically reaches 2 to 6 feet in height.

Cholla cactus aka Christmas cactus aka pencil cactus with fruit in January.


New, green stems of the cactus grow off its fruit.




Close-up of cholla cactus fruit.


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.



Cholla Pencil cactus first appear in the drier areas of east Texas and becomes more and more common as you head west. This cactus is easily recognized by it's long, thin, multi-branched stems intersected by small, red, thorny, tasty fruit. Other names for it include "Tasajillo" and "Christmas Cactus". The red fruit starts appearing in late summer and hangs around through mid-winter. When intertwined with a tree or other support, they can grow almost six feet tall. Their small (1/2") yellow to slightly greenish flowers open in the afternoon and then close by sunset. Look for it in sunny fields, especially along fence lines and other borders. Unlike the fruit of most plants, Cylindropuntia leptocaulis fruits sprout multiple, new stems in late winter/early spring which make collecting these small treats somewhat difficult and time-consuming. Add to that their many thorns and tiny glochids and you have food that really takes some effort to harvest.

This is another plant that requires a thick, leather glove and a sharp knife to harvest. These fruit are too small to use the burning technique to remove their spines/glochids like I do with Opuntia cactus tunas. Carefully trim away the section of skin containing the thorns, then they're ready to eat. I suppose one could juice them or use them to make jelly, jam, or wine but honestly, even though they taste great I'm just to lazy to put in the effort required to harvest more than a quick snack's worth.


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.