Balloon Vine

Scientific Name(s): Cardiospermum corindum
Abundance: invasive
What: young leaves; vine tips
How: cooked
Where: fields, borders, dry, moist
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: minor
Dangers: none

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

Leaf Shape: Leaves are compound, usually with three leaflets, each leaflet being broadly ovate to heart-shaped, measuring approximately 1 to 3 inches in width.

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

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

Leaf Color: The leaves are green.

Flower Structure: The flowers are approximately 1/4" across, with four petals, and occur in clusters.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white.

Fruit: The fruit is a distinctive, papery capsule with three inflated chambers, resembling balloons.

Seed: Inside each inflated capsule are small, black seeds with a white band running partway around the seed. 

Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, and it may have fine hairs.

Hairs: Appears hairless or extremely fine hairs.

Height: Cardiospermum corindum can climb to significant heights but is often seen trailing along the ground or climbing on other vegetation.

Ballon vine plant in the fall.


Balloon Vine flower. They can keep producing flowers while the temperatures are still warm.


Balloon vine leaf.


Balloon vine leaf and green seed pod "balloon". Seed pod/seeds are NOT edible.


Dried balloon vines seed pods.


Balloon vine seeds.


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


Balloon Vine on the left, Ground Cherry on the right.


Across fields and disturbed areas of Texas and the South, Balloon Vines are taking hold. Keep an eye out in sunny fields, especially along ditches and other areas where water may collect. Balloon vines are easily spotted by their small, puffy, pointed seed pods. These pods are mostly air with the fruit located in the center. If the weather stays warm these vines can produce these balloon-like seed pods all year long so you may see white flowers, young, green pods, and dried, brown pods all on the same vine.

Balloon vines are an invasive species from Asia and can quickly cover and kill native plants. This makes a good argument for eating them! The edible parts are its young leaves and vine tips. These are cooked before eating, though to be honest I don't know why. That's how they do it in Asian countries, which is a good enough reason for me.

The puffy seed pods are not eaten, nor are the seeds contained in these "balloons". However, both the leaves and seeds were used medically in India and Asia, along with the roots. Leaf poultices were used on skin wounds and infections as well as minor muscle and joint problems like strains, sprains and arthritis. Tea made from the leaves was traditionally used against stress and bronchitis. Tea from the root was applied topically to treat hemorrhoids. The seeds were crushed for a tea given to relieve fevers and joint pain.


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.

Bastard Cabbage

Scientific Name(s): Rapistrum rugosum
Abundance: invasive
What: young leaves, flower buds, flowers, young seedpods
How: raw, cooked
Where: sunny ditches, fields, disturbed areas
When: late fall, winter, spring, early summer
Nutritional Value: minerals, vitamin C, antioxidants
Dangers: none known

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broad lanceolate, with a length of approximately 1.5 to 4 inches and a width of about 0.5 to 1 inch. Some lobes may be present, especially on older, larger leaves.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with prominent veins running from the base to the tip of the leaves.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are serrated or toothed, creating a slightly jagged edge.

Leaf Color: The leaves are generally green, with no significant color variation between the top and underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small and have four petals, forming a cross-shaped structure. They are clustered at the ends of the stems.

Flower Color: The flower color can vary but is often yellow.

Fruit: The fruit are small, bulbous, pod with a spike at the tip, growing in a spiraling pattern up the ends of stem and branches. 

Seed: Seeds are small, oval-shaped, and numerous within the pod. They may have a brown or black color.

Stem: The stems are erect, branching, and may have a reddish or greenish hue.

Hairs: The plant may have fine hairs on the stems or leaves, contributing to a slightly textured appearance and fuzzy feel.

Height: Rapistrum rugosum typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet, depending on environmental conditions.

Full plants seen along a roadside.






A single stalk of Bastard Cabbage. Note the alternating leaf pattern.


Close-up of flowers and flower buds.


Close-up of seedpods. Note the "beaks" extending from the tips of the pods away from the stem.


Close-up of the stem and unopened flower buds. Note the hairs.


Mature leaf of Bastard Cabbage.


A seedling of Bastard Cabbage.



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.


There's a yellow-flowered invader lining the roadsides and taking over fields of Texas and the rest of North America and it's name is Bastard Cabbage! Wow, that was a lot of "and"s in that previous sentence. Oh well. These plants prefer cool weather, fall through spring, during which time they're unfortunately everywhere. On the plus side, being a member of the brassica (mustard) family, pretty much all parts of this invader from southern Europe are edible.

Starting at the top and working our way down the plant, it's flowers have the standard mustard-family structure of four petals (yellow in this case) in an "X" arrangement surrounding six stamens, four of which are long and two stamens are short. The flowers grow in bunches off the stem and before they blow the highly-packed clusters look like tiny heads of broccoli, which is also a member of the mustard family. Below the flowers are seedpods arranged in a spiral up the stem. Note the "beak" jutting out from the top of the seedpod away from the stem.

The stem itself is somewhat hairy branched. The leaves at its base are large, broad, deeply lobed, and form a rosette whereas the leaves closer to the tops of the stems will be elongated, narrow, and unloved or very shallowly lobed. Underground, bastard cabbage forms a heavy taproot, similar to that of horseradish.

How do I eat this invasive species? The flowers and green seedpods I like raw straight off the plant or added to salads. The broccoli-like flower buds are also eaten raw or cooked like broccoli florets (drizzled with cheese!) The younger, tender leaves are cooked like turnip/collard greens, sautéing them with some garlic and bacon. The younger, tender parts of the stem do well when cooked/steamed like asparagus. I have yet to experiment with the roots but suspect a low-grade "horseradish" sauce could be made from them.


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.

Bamboo/River Cane

Scientific name: Arundinaria gigantea
Abundance: uncommon
What: seeds, young shoots
How: cooked/steamed
Where: river banks above high-water level
When: early spring through summer
Nutritional Value: small amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and vitamin C
Other uses: fishing poles, lattice structures, blow guns
Dangers: beware of deadly purple Ergot fungus.

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate, with each leaf spaced out along the culm (stem), which is characteristic of many grass species.

Leaf Shape: Lanceolate and elongated, typically 8 to 12 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide.

Leaf Venation: Parallel venation is prominent, running the length of the leaf from base to tip.

Leaf Margin: Margins are serrulate, with fine teeth along the edge that are perceptible to touch.

Leaf Color: The foliage is a deep green, often turning yellow-green in fall.

Flower Structure: Inflorescences are panicles, branched and open, appearing terminal on the culms.

Flower Color: The small, individual flowers within the panicles are not showy, usually green or brownish.

Fruit: Produces a caryopsis, a grain typical of the Poaceae family, though fruiting is infrequent.

Seed: Seeds are small, enclosed within the dry fruit, and not commonly harvested or seen.

Stem: Known as culms in grasses, they are hollow, erect, and can reach heights of up to 25 feet. Interior is hollow between leaf nodes. Young sections of the culm will be green whereas older parts will be yellowish or brown.

Hairs: Young shoots may have a coating of fine hairs, which becomes less noticeable as the plant matures.

Height: Mature stands can range from 10 to 25 feet in height.

Rivercanes.




Rivercane


Closeup of stem.


Edible tips (peel off and discard the 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.


Once thick canebrakes used to be found along many Texas streams where they formed their own distinctive ecosystems. Over-grazing by cattle, who love the leaves, along with other habitat destruction has greatly reduced these canebrakes, leading to the loss of certain species of warblers which nested exclusively in the safety of these bamboo stands. Their scientific name suggests that this bamboo can grow to gigantic sizes but in truth they rarely get over ¾” thick and more than 9’ tall.

Tender river cane shoots of any size can be eaten raw or used in stir-fries and other Asian-style dishes. Firmly grab the top of the cane and pull. Usually whatever comes off is tender enough to eat but nibble the bottom end to make sure it isn’t too hard or fibrous. Peel off and discard the leaves or use them to weave tiny baskets. I like the youngest shoots, less than three inches tall growing from what looks like clumps of grass.

River cane makes excellent fishing poles. They were also used by Native Americans to make baskets, arrows and blowguns. Some of you more mature plants probably received a whack or two from a rivercane after misbehaving.

River cane is slightly susceptible to ergot fungal infections. Closely examine any river cane for signs of a purple powdery substance before harvesting, especially during rainy summers following very cold winters. Ergot poisoning can lead to hallucinations followed by death. I have yet to find any river cane infected with ergot, but I still keep an eye out for this fungus.


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.

Basswood/Linden

Scientific name: Tilia americana
Abundance: rare
What: flowers, leaves, buds, inner bark
How: leaves raw in salad, buds to nibble, flowers for tea, cambium (inner bark) raw or boiled for calories
Where: Sunny edges of woods
When: buds in late winter, young leaves spring/summer, flowers summer, cambium all year
Nutritional Value: Leaves contain vitamins and minerals, inner bark has carbohydrates
Other uses: cordage from bark, not a good firewood

Leaf Arrangement: Basswood trees typically have alternate leaf arrangement along the branches.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are generally large, heart-shaped, with lengths ranging from 4 to 6 inches.

Leaf Venation: Prominent veins are visible on the leaves, contributing to their overall structure.

Stem Characteristics: The stems are usually slender, and the trunk can reach diameters of 2 to 4 feet.

Flower Cluster: Basswood trees produce fragrant, pendulous clusters of small, pale-yellow to cream-colored flowers in late spring or early summer.

Flower Structure: Individual flowers are small and have five petals. Flowers can be around 0.2 to 0.3 inches in size.

Seed: The seed is enclosed in a papery wing, forming a structure known as a samara. The wings can measure around 1 to 2 inches in length, looking like a leaf. A several seed capsule pairs, all branching from a single stem, dangle down from the leaf-like wing.

Seed Characteristics: Seeds are small and brown, typically located at the center of the samara.

Height: Basswood trees can reach heights of 60 to 80 feet, with variations based on age and growing conditions.

Bark: The bark of young trees is smooth and light gray, becoming more furrowed and darker with age. Bark color can range from light gray to dark gray-brown.

Hairs: Young shoots and leaves may have fine hairs, but mature leaves are generally smooth. Inspect young shoots and leaf undersides for pubescence.

Fruit: The fruit consists of the winged samaras, which are produced in clusters as described above, and become tan to light brown as they mature.

Basswood tree used in urban landscaping.


Basswood leaf and flower/nut bract (long, narrow leaf-like thing).


Basswood flower cluster and flower bract.


Close-up of Basswood flowers.


Basswood leaves and seedpods.






Basswood leaves.


Almost-ripe Basswood nuts in the fall.


Ripe Basswood nuts.


Basswood 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.


Stately basswood trees range from 60 to 120 feet tall with shallowly-furrowed, somewhat greyish bark and round crowns. There are thirty species in North America with Tilia Americana and Tilia caroliniana being the most common in Texas. Basswoods prefer loose, well-drained soil with access to moisture, in particular river flood-plains and in low areas of woods.

The sweet sap, running in the spring before the leaf buds open, can be boiled down into a syrup or just drank as-is. Be sure to sterilize your tools before using them to cut or drill into the tree to collect sap or inner bark. This reduces the chance of a fungal infection striking the basswood.

A very delicious, spicy tea is made from the small flowers of basswood trees, which appear in the spring. The flowers can also be eaten raw. Bees love these flowers and often the tree can be found just by listening for the buzz of the hundreds of bees collecting its nectar. The resulting honey has a flavor imparted from the basswood nectar.

The young leaf buds and leaves can be eaten raw and have a slightly sweet flavor similar to the flowers. These parts can also be cooked like pot-herbs.

In the fall the nuts make a good trailside nibble while hiking, but only eat the inner meat, not the nuts’ outer shells.

The calorie-rich cambium layer, just under the bark, is stripped, finely diced, and boiled into a porridge-like mush to eat any time of the year. In Europe towards the end of World War II basswood sawdust was added to bread to try and produce enough loaves to fill everyone’s belly.

This cambium layer can be used to make strong fibers that can be woven into rope, containers and crude cloth. This inner bark must be soaked for up to two weeks to rot away the majority of the plant’s cells, leaving behind just the fibers. The wood itself is great for carving and for making the body of guitars.


Buy my book! Idiots Guide 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.
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.

Barbados Cherry

Scientific Name(s): Malpighia glabra and other Malpighia species
Abundance: common
What: flowers, berries
How: flowers raw or tea; fruit raw, jelly, jam, wine
Where: landscaping
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: vitamin C
Dangers: none

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged oppositely along the branches.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are ovate to elliptical, typically measuring 1 to 3 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: Venation is pinnate, with a distinct midrib and smaller lateral veins.

Leaf Margin: Margins are entire, smooth, and sometimes slightly wavy.

Leaf Color: A glossy green, often with a leathery texture.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small and have a diameter of approximately 1 inch. They are typically arranged in clusters at the terminal ends of branches. Flowers have five club-shaped petals spaced widely apart.

Flower Color: The flowers are typically pink or rose-colored with a diameter of about .

Fruit: Produces a bright red, berry-like fruit, similar in appearance to a cherry.

Seed: Each fruit contains several small seeds.

Stem: Stems are woody, with a branching habit forming a dense shrub.

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

Height: The plant usually forms a shrub up to 3 to 6 feet tall, sometimes taller under ideal conditions.

Barbados cherry bush.


Barbados cherry fruit.






Close-ups of the Barbados cherry flowers.




Barbados cherry 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.


Barbados cherries originally come from the Caribbean. When it was discovered a single berry contains the daily recommended dose of vitamin C it was quickly adopted by navies to help against scurvy and so planted in many places. The plant doesn't handle cold well, though it does fine in normal Southern winters if only a few hard frosts occur. They are evergreen, which increases their appeal in landscapes.

The flowers can be eaten raw or used to make tea. However, it is best to leave the flowers alone so as to maximize fruit production.
The fruit starts appearing in May and will continue to appear waves through the winter if the weather is mild. These berries range in flavor from somewhat sweet to very acidic, with the higher acid content also having the higher vitamin C. Eat the berries raw if they aren't too sour/acidic, otherwise use them in jelly, jam, juice or wine.

Many plant nurseries have Barbados cherries for sale. Plant in sunny, well-drained soil but do keep them watered. A layer of mulch will help prevent the roots from drying out. Single plants will produce berries but the fruit production will be much higher if two or more Barbados cherries of different varieties are planted within 4-16 feet of each other for cross-pollination.


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.