edible plants

[snakeman]

Hi, I live near Greensboro, NC. Do any of ya'll know some wild edible plants,nuts, or roots around here? I've searched the internet to find some but i can't find much.
Thanks





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[purplehook]

Peterson's field guides are very useful for identifying wild edibles around your area. Blackberries (may be gone by now), wild onions, dandelion greens, wild cherry, just to name a few are probably out right now.

[canid]

i just got back from the canyon today and about half the blackberries are ripe, the grapes are about a month out, some of the figs where ripe [i took home several lb in my shirt], there is ample pokeweed around, a species or two of amaranth. the cattails are long gone to flower but the rhisomes are firm, if a bit woody. there are tons of acorn, dock, thistle and a great deal more besides. most of these plants are common and probably grow in your area.

[Scoobywan]

I agree with the Peterson's field guide. Picked up a copy on my way to WV last week.
Little did I know just how much of my mother-in-law's backyard was edible :) .

[canid]

word. i find that true of many places. i went to upper bidwell park earlier and was reminded of the words of a friend of mine years ago. he said of chico california that for a person to starve in that town-a small one with a high homeless population, they would have to be paying verry little attention.

[wareagle69]

check wildman steve brill on google and i will do some looking for you.

[snakeman]

Thanks, we do have lots of blackberries around here and sometimes i'll find a wild carrot or green onion plant. We have tons of clover and dandelion, (no grass) in our yard but have been sprayed by weed killer. I think all the fiddleheads have gone away because I can't find any. It seems like all the plants are ready in spring but the nuts are ready in fall.

[pogaboy]

go to wildcrafting.com she has good dvd's on edible plants in your area.

[Rick]

Peterson's Guide is the best in my book. Edible Plants of Eastern/Central North America.

[wareagle69]

hate to dissagre there rick but what i have found that i use and will work in the same areas as peterson guide is weeds of canada by lone pine press and the wild man hisself steve brill lots and lots of detail descriptive and hand drawn

[Rick]

When have you ever hated to disagree?

[wareagle69]

what are you a lawyer now, based on that question i invoke the fith amendment on the basis of i do not want to incriminate my self

[Rick]

Nope. That's Ken. Where's he been anyway? Sure been quiet with him and Bragg gone.:rolleyes:

[danmc]

snakeman, you're about 6 hours north of me so I'm not sure how much the plants changed. As far as nuts, hickory, walnut, and acorns are all really easy to identify without a problem of misidentification. Someone else on a different thread (sorry, don't recall who it was) gave some dire warnings about never eating a plant that you're not sure of. I have to agree.

I've been pretty happy with the petersens guide too for trees. Another book which may help is "Trees of Georgia and Adjacent States" http://www.amazon.com/Trees-Georgia-Adjacent-States-Claud/dp/0881921483

It isn't really a wild edibles book, but for tree ID I've liked it. It has the nice feature of each species has a section that tells you of other species that you might confuse it with and how to tell the difference.

If you're going to eat wild carrots, make sure you're 100% sure. I'm personally not 100% confident of my abilities with that one and the downside is too severe.

-Dan

[canid]

i have to agree aswell. the wild onion/garlic and carrot/parsnip for example are easy plants to identify and safe when you know them but in both cases, the cost of mistake can be dear. it could cost you your life.