Wild Herbs

Remember the old saying about mushroom hunters, it goes for all plant hunters ... "There are bold mushroom hunters, and there are old mushroom hunters. But there are NO old, bold mushroom hunters."

When you try new foods of any kind, please account for food allergies (please see foodallergy.org and also see food-allergy.org) as well as for food intolerances (please see foodcanmakeyouill.co.uk and also see nutritionaustralia.org).

Have you identified the plants pictured on this page? The plant pictured at the top left is called Shadbush, Juneberry or Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) and is one of the first flowering shrubs to bloom. It is found in woods and thickets from Canada to Georgia. The fruit is like tiny, little, sweet apples and is highly prized by all. That is the problem ... when we humans try to get to them, the forest creatures have been there first. The plant pictured at the center right is Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) and is found from Canada to the northern US. Often the bright, red fruit persists through part of the winter. The fruit is tart but can be used to make drinks, sauces and jellies. The plant pictured at the bottom left is called chives (Allium schoenoprasum). It is included here just to let you know that it, as well as many other onions, are wild or can escape and become part of the landscape.