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You are here: Home / Archives for edible

Giant Puffball: Cautions, Edible, Medicinal & Other Uses

October 20, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

giant puffball calvatia giganteagiant-puffball-back

Giant Puffball, Calvatia gigantea, one of the four safe mushrooms to forage, but forager be warned!

There are no foolproof methods for determining edible or poisonous mushrooms. Make sure the interior flesh is pure white, it becomes bitter when it turns yellow. Always discard Puffballs in which the flesh is not white and firm. Your digestive system can be upset when the spores begin to form. Look-a-likes include Pigskin Puffballs that are about the size of a tennis ball. They are dense, tough-skinned, have a black interior, and they are poisonous. Also, Make sure you cut it open to be sure there is no rudimentary stems or gills. Do not eat if you see a pattern of a developing capped mushroom on the interior after you cut it. You could die from eating an amanita (Death Cap or Destroying Angel) button. If you decide to eat this mushroom you are doing it at your own risk. You have been warned!

Western medicine has used Calvatia gigantea as a styptic (to contract tissues or blood vessels), and it was used as a wound dressing. The fungus was harvested prior to battles, and used either in powdered form or as slices 3 cm thick to stop bleeding. Small quantities of an anti-cancer agent called calvacin has been extracted from young fruit-bodies and cultures of the puffball species, and used effectively against tumors.

It was used as a tinder and it has also been used in beekeeping. The fumes of smoldering fruit-bodies were used to calm bees and allow easier access to the hive.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Giant Puffball Sources:

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 401

Fischer, David. Giant, Gem-Studded and Pear-shaped Puffballs Scientific names: Langermannia gigantea, Lycoperdon perlatum, L. pyriforme, and others. American Mushrooms. Web.

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 98

Landers, David. Giant Puffballs, Calvatia gigantea, Cornell University. October 26, 2006. Web.

Lincoff, Gary H., & Nehring, Carol. Nation Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1981. Print. pg. 823-824, pl. 647

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 133

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 238-239

Kew Botanica Gardens Calvatia Gigantea”. Retrieved 1 May 2016.

Filed Under: August, Blog, Edible Mushrooms, Medicinal Mushrooms, Mushrooms, October, September Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Calvatia gigantea, American Indian Remedies Giant Puffball, anti-cancer, Bushcraft Calvatia gigantea, Bushcraft Giant Puffball, Calvatia gigantea, edible, Edible Calvatia gigantea, Edible Giant Puffball, Edible Wild Mushroom Calvatia gigantea, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Calvatia gigantea, Ethnobotany Giant Puffball, field guide, food, Giant Puffball, Iroquois medicine, medicinal, Medicinal Calvatia gigantea, Medicinal Giant Puffball, Medicine Calvatia gigantea, Medicine Giant Puffball, Mushroom ID Calvatia gigantea, Mushroom ID Giant Puffball, Mushroom Identification Calvatia gigantea, Mushroom Identification Giant Puffball, nature, P2F, Plight to Freedom, Survival food Calvatia gigantea, Survival food Giant Puffball, Survival Medicine Calvatia gigantea, Survival Medicine Giant Puffball, Survival Mushroom Calvatia gigantea, Survival Mushroom Giant Puffball, Uses Calvatia gigantea, Uses Giant Puffball, warning, wild edible, Wild Edible Mushroom Giant Puffball, Wild Edibles Calvatia gigantea, Wild Edibles Giant Puffball, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Calvatia gigantea, Wild Medicine Giant Puffball, wound dressing

Passionflower: Edible, Medicinal & Cautions

August 31, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

PassionflowerPassionflower back

Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, also known as Maypop is a fruiting vine with a lemon flavor that has amazing and beautiful flowers. The fruit turns yellow when ripe and can be made into a juice or jelly. The Cherokee used Maypops as a dermatological aid for wounds and inflammation, used the root juice for earaches and to wean babies off of breastmilk and the plant was used as a liver aid.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Passionflower Sources:

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 1439-1441

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 275-276

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 191-192

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 47

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 379

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 396-397

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 94-95

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (4) Leaves Divided 76, August, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, July, Medicinal Wildflowers, November, October, Purple, September, White Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Maypop, American Indian Remedies Passiflora incarnata, American Indian Remedies Passionflower, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cherokee, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Maypop, Edible Passiflora incarnata, Edible Passionflower, Edible Wild Plants Passiflora incarnata, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Maypop, Ethnobotany Passiflora incarnata, Ethnobotany Passionflower, field guide, food, Houma, Maypop, medicinal, Medicinal Maypop, Medicinal Passiflora incarnata, Medicinal Passionflower, medicinal roots, Medicine Maypop, Medicine Passiflora incarnata, Medicine Passionflower, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, Passiflora incarnata, Passionflower, Plant ID Maypop, Plant ID Passiflora incarnata, Plant ID Passionflower, plant identification, Plant Identification Maypop, Plant Identification Passiflora incarnata, Plant Identification Passionflower, Plight to Freedom, Survival food Maypop, Survival food Passiflora incarnata, Survival food Passionflower, Survival Medicine Maypop, Survival Medicine Passiflora incarnata, Survival Medicine Passionflower, Survival Plants Maypop, Survival Plants Passiflora incarnata, Survival Plants Passionflower, Uses Maypop, Uses Passiflora incarnata, Uses Passionflower, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Maypop, Wild Edible Plants Passionflower, Wild Edibles Maypop, Wild Edibles Passiflora incarnata, Wild Edibles Passionflower, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Maypop, Wild Medicine Passiflora incarnata, Wild Medicine Passionflower, Wilderness, wildflower

Common Mullein: Cautions, Edible, Medicinal & Other Uses

August 17, 2016 by Mike 6 Comments

Common MulleinCommon Mullein BackCommon Mulleins 3

Common Mullein, Verbascum thapsus, is a medicinal plant asthma suffers may want to know. Though it sounds strange the leaves were dried, ground, and smoked to relieve asthma attacks. Beyond that this plant has been used for a variety of ailments from colds and coughs to rashes and wounds. The plant has such a long history that the Romans used to dip the flower spikes in grease and use them as torches. The leaves are still used to this day as wicks.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Common Mullein Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Culpeper, M.D., Nicholas. Culpeper Color Herbal. Ed. David Potterton. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1983. Print. pg. 130

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 2054-2055

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 130-131

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 45

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 215-216

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 590-591

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 188-189

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 72-73

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, August, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, July, June, Medicinal Wildflowers, September, Yellow Tagged With: Abnaki, American Indian Remedies Common Mullein, American Indian Remedies Verbascum thapsus, atsugewi, Bushcraft Common Mullein, Bushcraft Verbascum thapsus, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, catawba, Cherokee, Common Mullein, creek, Delaware, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Common Mullein, Edible Verbascum thapsus, Edible Wild Plants Verbascum thapsus, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Common Mullein, Ethnobotany Verbascum thapsus, field guide, food, Hopi, Iroquois, Malecite, medicinal, Medicinal Common Mullein, medicinal roots, Medicinal Verbascum thapsus, Medicine Common Mullein, Medicine Verbascum thapsus, Menominee, Micmac, Mohegan, naticoke, National Park, nature, Navajo, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ojibwa, P2F, penobscot, Plant ID Common Mullein, Plant ID Verbascum thapsus, plant identification, Plant Identification Common Mullein, Plant Identification Verbascum thapsus, Plight to Freedom, Potawatomi, Survival food Common Mullein, Survival food Verbascum thapsus, Survival Medicine Common Mullein, Survival Medicine Verbascum thapsus, Survival Plants Common Mullein, Survival Plants Verbascum thapsus, Uses Common Mullein, Uses Verbascum thapsus, Verbascum thapsus, warning, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Common Mullein, Wild Edibles Common Mullein, Wild Edibles Verbascum thapsus, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Common Mullein, Wild Medicine Verbascum thapsus, Wilderness, wildflower

Narrow-Leaved Cattail: Edible, Medicinal, Cautions & Other Uses

August 3, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Narrow-Leaved Cattail Narrow-Leaved Cattail back 1Narrow-Leaved Cattail (Typha anguvstifolia) is a plant everyone can identify. Cattails have very distinct flowers that look like fluffy hotdogs. Narrow-leaved cattail is similar to most cattail but there is a distinct gap between the upper and lower flowers. As for the plants edibility you can harvest the young shoots, stalk, flowers, pollen, and even roots. The shoots contain vitamins K and B6 and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Medicinally it was used for dysentery, diarrhea, gonorrhea and infantile complaints.

If you’re into bushcraft then you might be interested to know that the plant was used to weave baskets, roofing, mats, rugs, and bedding. The silky down from the flower heads have been used as stuffing in pillows and to make a birds nest for fire starting. The heads were also dipped in oil or grease and used as a torch. Some have even used the stalk as an arrow shaft.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Narrow-Leaved Cattail Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 2011-2012

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 82-85

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 350-351

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 573

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 410-411

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 158-159

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, Blog, Brown, Edible Wildflowers, Green, July, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Narrow-Leaved Cattail, American Indian Remedies Typha angustifolia, bushcraft, Bushcraft Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Bushcraft Typha angustifolia, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Edible Typha angustifolia, Edible Wild Plants Typha angustifolia, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Ethnobotany Typha angustifolia, field guide, food, Malecite, medicinal, Medicinal Narrow-Leaved Cattail, medicinal roots, Medicinal Typha angustifolia, Medicine Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Medicine Typha angustifolia, Micmac, Narrow-Leaved Cattail, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, Plant ID Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Plant ID Typha angustifolia, plant identification, Plant Identification Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Plant Identification Typha angustifolia, Plight to Freedom, Survival food Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Survival food Typha angustifolia, Survival Medicine Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Survival Medicine Typha angustifolia, Survival Plants Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Survival Plants Typha angustifolia, Typha angustifolia, Uses Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Uses Typha angustifolia, warning, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Wild Edibles Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Wild Edibles Typha angustifolia, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Narrow-Leaved Cattail, Wild Medicine Typha angustifolia, Wilderness, wildflower

Ohio Spiderwort: Edible & Medicinal

June 30, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Ohio Spiderwort Ohio Spiderwort back

Ohio Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis, also known as Bluejacket is a plant named after my home state. This grass-like plant can be found in woods and meadows. It has blue or purple flowers that can be observed between June and July. The petals are broad and has sepals that have hairy tips if the hair exists at all. The flowers grow in umbel-like clusters with two long, leaf-like bracts below the clusters. The leaves alternate along the stem, are entire, and whiten when it blooms.

Spiderworts are edible, the young leaves and stem can be eaten raw, added to salads or boiled for 10 minutes and served with other dishes. The flowers can be turned into a candy. The Cherokee parboiled the young growth until tender, fried it and mixed it with other greens. They also used it for a variety of medicinal uses such as a laxative, cancer treatment and for insect bites.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Ohio Spiderwort Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 124

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 190

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 56

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 565

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 120-121

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 130-131

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire 33, Blue, Edible Wildflowers, July, June, Medicinal Wildflowers, Purple Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Bluejacket, American Indian Remedies Ohio Spiderwort, American Indian Remedies Tradescantia ohiensis, Bluejacket, Bushcraft Tradescantia ohiensis, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Bluejacket, Edible Ohio Spiderwort, Edible Tradescantia ohiensis, Edible Wild Plants Tradescantia ohiensis, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Bluejacket, Ethnobotany Ohio Spiderwort, Ethnobotany Tradescantia ohiensis, field guide, food, Medicinal Bluejacket, Medicinal Ohio Spiderwort, Medicinal Tradescantia ohiensis, Medicine Bluejacket, Medicine Ohio Spiderwort, Medicine Tradescantia ohiensis, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, Ohio Spiderwort, P2F, Plant ID Bluejacket, Plant ID Ohio Spiderwort, Plant ID Tradescantia ohiensis, plant identification, Plant Identification Bluejacket, Plant Identification Ohio Spiderwort, Plant Identification Tradescantia ohiensis, Plight to Freedom, Survival food Bluejacket, Survival food Ohio Spiderwort, Survival food Tradescantia ohiensis, Survival Medicine Bluejacket, Survival Medicine Ohio Spiderwort, Survival Medicine Tradescantia ohiensis, Survival Plants Bluejacket, Survival Plants Ohio Spiderwort, Survival Plants Tradescantia ohiensis, Tradescantia ohiensis, Uses Bluejacket, Uses Ohio Spiderwort, Uses Tradescantia ohiensis, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Bluejacket, Wild Edible Plants Ohio Spiderwort, Wild Edibles Bluejacket, Wild Edibles Ohio Spiderwort, Wild Edibles Tradescantia ohiensis, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Bluejacket, Wild Medicine Ohio Spiderwort, Wild Medicine Tradescantia ohiensis, Wilderness, wildflower

Wild Garlic: Edible & Medicinal

June 17, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Wild GarlicWild Garlic back

Wild Garlic, Allium canadense, is a great plant to add some seasoning to your foraged goods. This plant pops up in early spring but it is hard to distinguish from other Allium. The flowers have six regular parts; basal leaves that are entire, long, and narrow; and a bulb for a root.

The nutritional value of Wild Garlic is unknown but it can be speculated that it may be a good source of vitamin C. History Buffs might be interested to know that besides the American Indians utilizing this plant as a food source, Lewis and Clark chewed on the bulblets to fight off starvation and scurvy. Though this plant is called Wild Garlic the flavor is more reminiscent to onions rather than garlic.

The Cherokee had a variety of medicinal uses for this plant using it for things such as gout, colds, coughs, headaches and more. The Mahuna used Wild Garlic as a protection against venomous creatures, and western medicine used this plant for a variety of ailments.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Wild Garlic Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 1. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 145-146

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 126-130

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 34-36

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 35

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 243

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 57

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 334-335

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 114-115

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, April, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Pink, White Tagged With: Allium canadense, American Indian Remedies Allium canadense, American Indian Remedies Wild Garlic, astringent, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cherokee, colds, diuretic, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Allium canadense, Edible Wild Garlic, Edible Wild Plants Allium canadense, epilepsy, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Allium canadense, Ethnobotany Wild Garlic, field guide, food, headache, hemorrhages, Iroquois, kidneys, mahuna, medicinal, Medicinal Allium canadense, medicinal roots, Medicinal Wild Garlic, Medicine Allium canadense, Medicine Wild Garlic, Menominee, menstruation, Meskwaki, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, Plant ID Allium canadense, Plant ID Wild Garlic, plant identification, Plant Identification Allium canadense, Plant Identification Wild Garlic, Plight to Freedom, Potawatomi, sight, sores, sudorific, Survival food Allium canadense, Survival food Wild Garlic, Survival Medicine Allium canadense, Survival Medicine Wild Garlic, Survival Plants Allium canadense, Survival Plants Wild Garlic, Uses Allium canadense, Uses Wild Garlic, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Wild Garlic, Wild Edibles Allium canadense, Wild Edibles Wild Garlic, Wild Garlic, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Allium canadense, Wild Medicine Wild Garlic, Wilderness, wildflower

Pale Violet: Edible, Medicinal & Cautions

May 19, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Pale Violet
Pale Violet backPale Violet, Viola striata, also known a Cream Violet is one of the taller members of the violet family in my neck of the woods. The irregular flowers are cream to milk white in color and the leaves are heart-shaped and toothed. Both the flowers and leaves are edible. The flowers can be eaten raw or made into a candy. The leaves are rich in vitamins A and C and can be added to salads, boiled for 5-10 minutes and eaten as cooked greens or added to soups as a thickener. The Iroquois used this plant as a hunting charm and to protect young women against witchcraft.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

Pale Violet Sources:

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 275

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 48

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 149

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 598

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 56-57

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 132-133

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (3) Leaves Toothed or Lobed, April, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, White Tagged With: American Indian Remedies (Cream) Pale Violet, American Indian Remedies Viola striata, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cream Violet, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible (Cream) Pale Violet, Edible Viola striata, Edible Wild Plants Viola striata, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany (Cream) Pale Violet, Ethnobotany Viola striata, field guide, food, Medicinal (Cream) Pale Violet, Medicinal Viola striata, Medicine (Cream) Pale Violet, Medicine Viola striata, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, P2F, Pale Violet, Plant ID (Cream) Pale Violet, Plant ID Viola striata, plant identification, Plant Identification (Cream) Pale Violet, Plant Identification Viola striata, Plight to Freedom, Survival food (Cream) Pale Violet, Survival food Viola striata, Survival Medicine (Cream) Pale Violet, Survival Medicine Viola striata, Survival Plants (Cream) Pale Violet, Survival Plants Viola striata, Uses (Cream) Pale Violet, Uses Viola striata, Viola striata, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants (Cream) Pale Violet, Wild Edibles (Cream) Pale Violet, Wild Edibles Viola striata, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine (Cream) Pale Violet, Wild Medicine Viola striata, Wilderness, wildflower

Star-of-Bethlehem: Poison, Edible & Medicinal

May 17, 2016 by Mike 2 Comments

Star-of-Bethlehem

Star-of-Bethlehem backStar-of-Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum, is a bitter-sweet plant of spring time but not because of its taste. The plant is known to be poisonous causing nausea, vomiting, stomach and intestinal irritation, burning, dilated pupils, tremors, seizures, shortness of breath, swelling of the lips, tongue and throat, abnormal heart rate, cardiac arrest, and death.

This may have been the bulb written about in 2 Kings 6:25 of the Bible called “dove’s dung” that was valued as food during the great famine in Samaria. “And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.”

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

 

 

Star-of-Bethlehem Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Boericke, William. Boericke’s Homeopathic Materia Medica, 1901.

Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 369

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 334-335

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 52-53

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, April, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, White Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Ornithogalum umbellatum, American Indian Remedies Star-of-Bethlehem, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Ornithogalum umbellatum, Edible Star-of-Bethlehem, Edible Wild Plants Ornithogalum umbellatum, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Ornithogalum umbellatum, Ethnobotany Star-of-Bethlehem, field guide, food, medicinal, Medicinal Ornithogalum umbellatum, medicinal roots, Medicinal Star-of-Bethlehem, Medicine Ornithogalum umbellatum, Medicine Star-of-Bethlehem, National Park, nature, Ornithogalum umbellatum, P2F, Plant ID Ornithogalum umbellatum, Plant ID Star-of-Bethlehem, plant identification, Plant Identification Ornithogalum umbellatum, Plant Identification Star-of-Bethlehem, Plight to Freedom, Poison Ornithogalum umbellatum, Poison Star-of-Bethlehem, Star-of-Bethlehem, Survival food Ornithogalum umbellatum, Survival food Star-of-Bethlehem, Survival Medicine Ornithogalum umbellatum, Survival Medicine Star-of-Bethlehem, Survival Plants Star-of-Bethlehem, Uses Ornithogalum umbellatum, Uses Star-of-Bethlehem, warning, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Star-of-Bethlehem, Wild Edibles Ornithogalum umbellatum, Wild Edibles Star-of-Bethlehem, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Ornithogalum umbellatum, Wild Medicine Star-of-Bethlehem, Wilderness, wildflower

Large-Flowered Bellwort: Edible & Medicinal

May 13, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Large-flowered Bellwort Large-flowered Bellwort backLarge-Flowered Bellwort, Uvular grandiflora, is a common plant found in rich woods, especially in limestone regions. The flowers are orangish-yellow that will later turn into a triangular seedpods. The leaves are either oval or oblong in shape with a whitish downy beneath and the stem pierces the leaves.  The young shoots are edible without their leafy heads that turn bitter when cooked. American Indians such as the Menominee, Ojibwa and Potawatomi used this plant for its medicinal values to reduce swelling and as an analgesic. Western herbal medicine used a poultice of this plant for wounds, ulcers and venomous snakebites.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!

BLOG SIG

 

 

Large-Flowered Bellwort Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software. Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 2040

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 126

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 116-117

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 582

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 340-341

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 76-77

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, April, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, June, May, Medicinal Wildflowers, Orange, Yellow Tagged With: American Indian Remedies Large-Flowered Bellwort, American Indian Remedies Uvular grandiflora, Analgesic, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, demulcent, eastern wildflowers, edible, Edible Large-Flowered Bellwort, Edible Uvular grandiflora, Edible Wild Plants Uvular grandiflora, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Large-Flowered Bellwort, Ethnobotany Uvular grandiflora, field guide, food, gastrointestinal aid, Large-Flowered Bellwort, medicinal, Medicinal Large-Flowered Bellwort, medicinal roots, Medicinal Uvular grandiflora, Medicine Large-Flowered Bellwort, Medicine Uvular grandiflora, Menominee, National Park, nature, nervine, Ojibwa, orthopedic aid, P2F, Plant ID Large-Flowered Bellwort, Plant ID Uvular grandiflora, Plant Identification Large-Flowered Bellwort, Plant Identification Uvular grandiflora, Plight to Freedom, Potawatomi, pulmonary aid, snakebite, sores, Survival food Large-Flowered Bellwort, Survival food Uvular grandiflora, Survival Medicine Large-Flowered Bellwort, Survival Medicine Uvular grandiflora, Survival Plants Large-Flowered Bellwort, Survival Plants Uvular grandiflora, swelling, tonic, ulcers, Uses Large-Flowered Bellwort, Uses Uvular grandiflora, Uvular grandiflora, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Large-Flowered Bellwort, Wild Edibles Large-Flowered Bellwort, Wild Edibles Uvular grandiflora, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Large-Flowered Bellwort, Wild Medicine Uvular grandiflora, Wilderness, wildflower, wounds

Tall Coneflower: Edible & Medicinal

May 6, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Tall Coneflower fin Tall coneflower back fin

Tall Coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata, is a sunflower plant of moist thickets that you can’t miss and it offers both edible and medicinal benefits. The flowers are yellow and has a disk that is a greenish-yellow knob. American Indians ate the shoots, leaves, and stem. Medicinally, the plant is diuretic, tonic and balsamic and the blossoms were used as a burn dressing.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry!
BLOG SIG

 

 

Tall Coneflower Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software. Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 1. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 671-677

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 142

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 30

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 495

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 376-377

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

Filed Under: (4) Leaves Divided 73, August, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, Green, July, June, Medicinal Wildflowers, September, Yellow Tagged With: 734, absence of menstruation, Alternate Leaves, back to the land movement, balsamic, burn dressing, bushcraft, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cherokee, Chippewa, dietary aid, diuretic, eastern wildflowers, edible, edible Rudbeckia laciniata, edible Tall Coneflower, Ethnobotany, field guide, food, gastrointestinal aid, homesteading, Leaves divided, medicinal, medicinal roots, medicinal Tall Coneflower, National Park, nature, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, perennial, plant identification, Plight to Freedom, prepper, Rudbeckia laciniata, Rudbeckia laciniata edible, Rudbeckia laciniata medicinal, Rudbeckia laciniata medicine, survival, survival food, survival medicine, Survival Plants, survivalist, Tall Coneflower, Tall Coneflower edible, Tall Coneflower medicinal, Tall Coneflower medicine, tonic, veterinary aid, wild edible, wild medicinal, Wilderness, Wilderness education, wildflower

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