Bottlebrush Tree

Scientific Name(s): Callistemon spp.
Abundance: common
What: leaves, flowers
How: tea, seasoning
Where: dry sunny yards, landscaping
When: all year
Nutritional Value: flavanoids

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Flowers - antifungal; antibacterial; antioxidant; cough suppressant (tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are typically arranged alternately along the branches.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are lance-shaped, measuring around 2 to 6 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: The leaves have a prominent midrib with lateral veins.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are generally smooth, without serrations.

Flower Structure: The distinctive feature of the bottlebrush tree is its cylindrical flower spikes resembling a bottlebrush. The spikes can range from 2 to 12 inches in length.

Flower Color: Flowers come in various colors, including red, pink, purple, yellow, or white, depending on the species or cultivar.

Seed: The seeds are small and enclosed in woody capsules within the spent flower spikes.

Bark: The bark is typically smooth and ranges in color from gray to brown.

Height: Bottlebrush trees can vary in height, with some species growing up to 10 to 15 feet, while others can reach up to 30 feet.

Hairs: Leaves and stems may have fine hairs, particularly when young.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, woody capsule containing the seeds. Colors can range from brown to gray.

Bottlebrush tree




Close-up of opened flowers.


Close-up of closed flowers.


Close-up of leaves.


Close-up of branch with woody fruit.


Bottlebrush branch.


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


Used often as a decorative landscaping tree, the striking red blossoms of the bottlebrush tree offer more than visual beauty. Their aroma is invigorating, somewhat minty or menthol in nature. The trees are small, rarely more than 15' tall and equally as wide. The leaves are evergreen and the blossoms also last can be found on the tree almost all year round. These flowers really explode vigorously in mid-spring and are often swarmed with bees who know a good thing when they smell it!

Both the flowers and leaves can be used to make an aromatic tea. The fresh blossoms do give a sweeter flavor than leaves. Aging the harvested leaves for two weeks helps as this breaks down the cell walls, allowing more of the flavorful compounds to escape into the tea. Flowers, being more delicate, do not benefit any from being aged and ideally are used fresh off the tree.

You can also use the leaves and flowers of the bottlebrush tree similar in manner to bay or rosemary leaves. Add several to a sauce, stew, or roasting meat to add an exotic flavor.

Mashed bottlebrush leaves rubbed on the skin is reported to keep away insects. This property may also be used to keep clothes, bedding, and houses bug free by laying sprigs of the leaves around whatever you want protected.


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.

Box Elder

Scientific Name: Acer negundo
Abundance: common
What: sap, seeds, young sprout, inner bark
How: sap is boiled to syrup; young sprouts raw or cooked; inner bark boiled; seeds are roasted
Where: lowland & moist areas; often along water; windbreaks
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: carbohydrates, protein, fiber
Dangers: none, though young seedlings may look like Poison Ivy

Medicinal Summary:
Inner Bark - vomit inducer

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are opposite-alternating, meaning they are arranged in pairs along the stems but each pair is shifted 90 degrees from the pairs above and below it.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are compound, typically with three to seven leaflets, each leaflet measuring 2 to 4 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: The leaflets have prominent veins.

Leaf Margin: Leaflet margins are serrated, featuring small teeth.

Flower Structure: Box elder trees produce small, inconspicuous flowers in clusters, typically appearing in early spring.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically yellowish-green.

Seed: The seeds are paired, winged samaras, each measuring about 1 to 2 inches in length.

Bark: The bark is smooth and light gray on younger trees, becoming rougher with age, displaying furrows and ridges.

Height: Box elder trees can grow to be 30 to 50 feet tall.

Hairs: None on leaves or other surfaces.

Color of Seeds: The seeds, or samaras, start green when young and then mature to a light brown with a papery wing.

A young Box Elder tree.


Close-up of young Box Elder bark. When mature the ridges and furrows will be much larger and craggier.


Unripe Box Elder "helicopters". The seeds will be opposite the "fin". They'll be twice this size, dry, and tan when ripe.


Mature seeds.


Box Elder compound leaf (top). They have five leaflets.


Box Elder compound leaf (bottom). The top section may look tri-lobed in this picture but it is three separate leaflets.


The trunk of a Box Elder sapling. Note the rich, green color.


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.


A large part of my childhood was spent up among the branches of the giant Box Elder tree in our backyard. Well, it seemed like a giant tree when I was a kid. These amazingly fast-growing trees max out around 70 feet tall and 30 feet wide. The wood is weak and any big winds will cause branches to drop including those greater than one foot in diameter. Never park under a Box Elder in a storm! These damaged areas quickly lead to the inner heartwood rotting away, making it popular with assorted birds, mammals, and bugs. They do not handle the full Texas sun well, preferring to grow in the partial shade of other trees. They fairly common in East Texas, much less common in the Hill Country and North Texas, and rare to non-existent in West Texas

Box Elders have thick, coarse bark when mature and compound leaves. Both these features hide the fact that they are in the maple (Acer) family. Being maples, they can be tapped for sugary sap in the late winter. Complete directions for tapping maples for syrup can be found here: Making Maple Syrup & Sugar.

Come the warmth of spring, many Box Elder seedlings will sprout up. These are tasty treats to deer, rabbits, and humans! Get them when they are still tender and under eight inches tall. It will have a green, smooth bark and three-part leaves. Actually, the young seedlings look a bit like Poison Ivy to the untrained eye so make sure you know what you are eating. The first set of side leaves of Box Elder are symmetrical whereas Poison Ivy side leaves are asymmetrical with "thumbs" pointing away from the center leaf. The second set of Box Elder leaves will have asymmetrical "thumbs", similar to Poison Ivy.

The inner bark of these trees, like other maples, are edible and contain a fair amount of carbohydrates. Finely chop this inner bark then boil it. Be sure to drink the water to get all the calories. This boiled bark will be a bit sweeter than most other non-maple barks but a flavoring agent will help improve its taste. This inner bark is available all year long though its sugar-content will be highest in the later winter when the sap is flowing.

Box Elder seeds are, in my opinion, the best part of the tree. They grow in "helicopter" shells with two joined together at the stem. Come fall, the ripe shells will break apart and fall spinning to the ground. This fluttering motion will send them a small distance from the mother tree. Treat these seeds like pumpkin seeds except they must be freed from their helicopter shell before boiling them for ten minutes in salt water then salting and roasting them at 400F for 10-20 minutes. Cooking time depends on how crisp you want the final product.


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.

Buffalo Gourd

Scientific Name(s): Cucurbita foetidissima
Abundance: common
What: flower, seeds, root
How: flowers raw or fried; seeds roasted or boiled; root as tea
Where: dry fields
When: summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: calories and protein in the seeds
Dangers: flesh of the gourd is extremely bitter and can be poisonous in large doses due to saponins.

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

Leaf Shape: Leaves are broadly ovate to heart-shaped, measuring up to 14" long and 7" wide near the base. 

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

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

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually gray-green.

Flower Structure: The flowers are large and showy, with five petals reaching 4" across and a prominent central column of stamens and pistils.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically bright yellow.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, mottled/striped skin, and spherical gourd 4" across. They start out green and turn a stripped yellow as the mature. Inside is mostly stringy white flesh with many seeds.

Seed: Inside the gourd are large, flat, off-white seeds.

Stem: The stem is typically creeping along the ground rather than climbing.

Root: Produces a giant taproot, may be human-shaped, multiple feet in size.

Hairs: Rough hairs may be present on some parts of the plant, including the stem.

Height: Cucurbita foetidissima can trail along the ground or climb on other vegetation and can reach varying heights.

Buffalo Gourd plant when young.



Mature Buffalo Gourd vine.


Buffalo Gourd fruit.


Small buffalo gourd root.




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.


Nose and eye find this plant at nearly the same time. The large, heart-shaped leaves and yellow, 5-petaled flowers of Buffalo Gourd give off an unpleasant smell which reminds me of nasty gym socks. Starting in mid-summer the fruit appear. Looking first like small, round watermelons these fruit eventually turn more yellow as they mature but never grow bigger than a baseball. Buffalo Gourd vines can stretch many yards from a central taproot and the beings perennials, show up in the same spot year after year. It's large taproot makes the plant very drought resistant and it grows best in the drier areas of Texas, especially in the Hill country and westward.

The flowers, similar to squash blossom, can be eaten both raw and fried. They do have a bad odor and are somewhat bitter when raw.

Buffalo gourd seeds were a staple food of early Texas Native Americans. The seeds must be completely cleaned of any gourd flesh or else they will be extremely bitter. Once completely cleaned they can be boiled and mashed into a porridge or roasted like pumpkin seeds and have a similar flavor. These seeds do contain a large amount of calories in the form of oil (25-42%) as well as a significant concentration of protein (22-35%).

The large taproot of Buffalo Gourds were to be strong medicine by Native Americans. These roots were used internally as a tea and also externally in poultices. Due to the high concentration of saponins and other potent chemicals healing with this root should only be tried under the direction of a trained herbalist!

Saponins are found in both the plant's root and in the skin of the gourds and are capable of producing a lather when vigorously combined with water. Because of this they were used as a soap substitute.


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.

Bull Nettle

Scientific Name(s): Cnidoscolus stimulosus, Cnidoscolus texanus
Abundance: common
What: seeds, taproot
How: seeds raw, roasted; root baked
Where: sunny fields
When: summer, fall
Nutritional Value: protein, calories
Dangers: entire plant is covered in stinging hairs similar to stinging nettle.

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

Leaf Shape: Leaves are deeply lobed, often resembling a maple leaf, with pointed tips.

Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate with each lobe having its own prominent, central vein.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are serrated or toothed.

Leaf Color: They are typically bright green in color.

Flower Structure: The flowers of bull nettle are small and white, arranged in clusters.

Flower Color: Predominantly white, sometimes with a hint of green or yellow.

Fruits: The plant produces spiny fruits 3/4" in diameter, that contain the seeds.

Seeds: The seeds are small and hard, approximately 1/2" long, with a brown mottled skin. 

Stems: The stems are covered in stinging hairs, which can cause irritation upon contact.

Roots: Large tuber up to two feet long and eight inches wide, with 1" diameter side-roots coming off the tuber.

Hairs: The hairs on the stem and leaves are one of its most notable features, delivering a stinging sensation when touched.

Plant Height: Bull nettles typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet.

Bull nettle plant.

Bull nettle flower.



Bull nettle leaves.

Bull nettle leaf stem.

Bull nettle seed pod which hold the tasty seeds.




Bull nettle plant.


Digging up a Bull Nettle root.


Holy crap!!


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.


Usually found in sunny, loose-soiled fields and other disturbed areas, these small, leggy bushes rarely grow more than two feet tall. The stinging hairs which cover bull nettle stems, leaves, and fruit offer a great protection against man and beast. While the pain they inflict is fierce, it often lasts less than an hour. The white blooms begin appearing in early spring and continue on through mid-summer. The green seed pods track the flowers by about a month.

Strangely enough, bull nettles are often commonly found growing near sassafras trees in Central and East Texas woods such as the Sam Houston National Forest. Bull nettles prefer full sun so finding them in the woods is odd, especially only in the presence of sassafras. Perhaps the sassafras root system both loosens the soil and releases some chemical which aids the bull nettles growth.

This plant, though armed with a similar defensive mechanism, is not related to stinging nettle. It's leaves are not edible in any way.

Harvesting the delicious seeds is best done using BBQ tongs or thick leather gloves to remove the seed pods from the plant. Then place these pods in a brown paper bag and wait a while (days). The pods will dry and then rupture, releasing the seeds which can then be toasted for a wonderful treat. The roasted seeds can also be pounded/ground into something similar to cornmeal and used in the same manner.

Digging up the taproot can be tricky. First, carefully cut away the top part of the plant with a machete or other long blade, then dig a hole 18" deep approximately one foot away from the stem of the plant. Carefully shave away the soil on the plant-side of the hole until you see the earth-colored root. At this point carefully remove the dirt from around the fragile root until you can lift it from the soil. Peel the root and then either roast or boil it like a potato. It will retain a bit of firmness rather than turning as soft as a potato. Through the root’s center runs a strong fiber core which needs to be discarded.


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.

Burdock

Scientific name: Arctium minus, Arctium lappa
Abundance: rare
What: young leaves, flower stalks, 1st year root
How: young leaves raw, as tea, stir-fried, or boiled in 2-3 changes of water; peel green skin of plant stalks to reveal inner white core which is eaten raw or cooked; root of 1st-year plants less than 1" in diameter and must be peeled then boiled in two changes of water until tender; roasted roots for coffee
Where: open fields, sunny areas, woods
When: leaves in spring, flower stalks in summer, roots summer and fall
Nutritional Value: Roots contain some minerals, vitamins C & B6, and some calories. Leaves contain many vitamins and phytochemicals
Other uses: you can stick a bunch of the burrs together to make a crown, but that usually ends badly
Dangers: burrs are clingy, do not confuse with toxic Cocklebur (Xanthium pennsylvanicum)

Medicinal Summary:
Root - liver protective and accelerator; anti-inflammatory (tisane, tincture)

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

Leaf Shape: The basal leaves are large, broad, and heart-shaped.

Leaf Venation: They exhibit pinnate venation, with a prominent central vein from which smaller veins branch out.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are wavy and slightly toothed.

Leaf Color: They are dark green on the upper surface and lighter, often gray-green, and woolly underneath.

Flower Structure: Burdock has globular flower heads, clustered at the ends of branches.

Flower Color: The flowers are primarily purple or pinkish.

Fruits: The fruits are burrs, which are prickly and hook-like, aiding in seed dispersal by clinging to animals and clothing.

Seeds: Seeds are small, enclosed within the burrs.

Stems: Stems are stout, ridged, and can reach significant heights.

Roots: Long, slender taproot approximately 1.5" in diameter at the upper, thickest part and growing over 3 feet in length. Outer skin of roots is brown and inner flesh is white to off-white in color.

Hairs: The undersides of leaves and the stems may have fine hairs.

Plant Height: It typically grows about 3 to 4 feet in the first year and can reach over 6 feet in the second year.

Burdock plant. Note the large, wavey-edged leaves.






Mature Burdock plant with flowers and immature seed bur. Leaves towards top of plant are much smaller than those at base.


Close-up of Burdock flower and seed bur.


Burdock stem.


Burdock root (partial).


More burdock roots. These are up to 32 inches long.


Close-up of dried Burdock bur. Not the roundish shape and long, thin hooks.


Close-up of cluster of Burdock burs.


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


Burdocks prefer moist areas such as along stream banks and shady, wooded areas that stay wet. These biennial (live two years) plants produces large leaves the first year followed by flower stalks, flowers, smaller leaves, and clingy burs the second year. Both the Common Burdock (Arctium minus) and the Great Burdock (Arctium lappa) are edible. The outer rind of both the roots and plant stalks is very bitter and must be removed. If the root still has some bitterness boiling with changes of water will remove it. I find the peeled roots have a delicious sweet/savory flavor and a texture similar to bamboo shoots.

The peeled roots can also be used to make a caffeine-free coffee substitute. Dice the roots then roast them to your preferred level of darkness in an oven at 400F. Grind these roasted roots in a coffee grinder than either use as-is or mix with regular coffee grounds.

The roots are also excellent when pickled using the Ball Book of Canning recipe for pickling okra.

Cocklebur (Xanthium pennsylvanicum), which are toxic, also produce clingy burs. However, the burs of Cocklebur are much more oblong/cigar shaped than Burdock burs. Also, Cocklebur leaves are sharply toothed whereas the Burdock leaves have a wavy edge.

Cocklebur plant. Toxic, do not eat!


Close-up of the toxic Cocklebur leaf.



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.