Native Edibles: Cooking on the Wild Side

Tamara Walkingstick, Ph.D.UA Division of Agriculture

Arkansas Forest Resources Center

Introduction

Wild Edible Plants What’s Native?

Native plants Non-native Resources

Why Wild Edibles?

Connects people to the environment

Much more interesting than tree id., esp. for kids

Can tie together culture, plant study, & history

Also connects w/different audiences including MG’s, kids, older adults,

environmentalists, teachers, libraries, schools, etc.

Teaches about Trees

Tree & Plant Id. Compound vs. Simple leaf Deciduous vs. Coniferous

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.htm

So Identification is Key!

Leaf Arrangement

Name that Tree!

Alternate Leaf Lobed Leaves No Hairs Fruit is an Acorn What is it?

Name That Tree!!!

Opposite Leaves Simple Leaf Fruit is a samara

What is a Native Plant?

First define “Native” Some Controversy over definition

• 1) Anything that’s been here awhile• 2) Anything here prior to European settlement

Native: “Existing in or belonging to one by nature; Growing, living, or produced originally in a certain place” Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary

Why “Native”?

More suited to environment• Adapted to soils, temperatures, & rainfall • Require less irrigation & fertilization

More resistant to insects & diseasesNative trees usually not too invasiveConserves native vegetation

• Planting “native” helps & educates

A Few Natives Oaks Hackberry Sassafras Black Walnut Hickory Persimmon Eastern Redbud Paw Paw Honeylocust Pines Elderberry Sumac

Jerusalem Artichoke Pokeweed Sunflower Spiderwort Prickly Pear Spider-Flower Greenbrier Yucca Sweet Goldenrod Violets May Apple Others

Oaks: Quercus sps.

Several Species Size varies by Sps. (75 – 100 Ft) Two families: white & red

All are edible but White oak is better Good Shade Fall Color Relatively fast growing Very adaptable Acorns are edible

Hackberry: Celtis occidentalis

• Rapid growth• Medium sized: 40 to 60 ft.• Very adaptable• Drought, wind, & pollution

tolerant• Berries are edible in Fall• Use berries to make syrup,

pemmican, etc

Sassafras: Sassafras albidum

Moderate to rapid growth Good fall color Medium sized: 60 – 80 ft. Interesting leaves Wildlife attractant Roots & leaves for tea &

spice 1st crop of colonies Used medicinally

Black Walnut Juglans nigra

Valuable wood Likes deep soil Large, difficult to

crack nuts Alleopathic Hulls used for dye &

“fishing”

Hickory: Carya sps.

Several species Member of the Walnut

family Very tasty nuts Very difficult to crack Important for many SE

tribes Used just like a pecan Avoid Bitternut Hickory

Eastern Redbud:Cercis canadensis

Widely spread Purple-pink flowers Use flowers in salads Can use green seed

pods as a veggie Twigs used to make

baskets

PawPaw: Asimina triloba Prefers moist sites Good butterfly tree Interesting fruit “Vanishing” native Fruit can be used in ice

cream, bread, jam, popsicles

Taste like a banana sort of…

http://www.ohiopawpaw.com/

Honeylocust: Gleditsia triacanthos var.

Thornless cultivars available Sturdy, withstands bad

conditions Fruit pod has sticky

substance inside Can be used to make a

drink Used to make beer in 1600’s

Pines Pinus Species

Native to Arkansas Shortleaf Pine Loblolly Pine

All have edible nuts Best are Pinon,

Digger, & Sugar Pines Large, fast growing Young growth can be

used as a “tea”

Common Persimmon Diospyros virginiana

Name means “fruit of the Gods”

One of best wild fruits – when ripe

Invades pastures Need male & female

trees Important wildlife food

Elderberry: Sambucus canadensis Rich, Moist site Shrubby Opposite, compound

leaves Deep Purple fruit Can be mistaken with

water hemlock Makes good jelly,

fritters, and wine

Pokeweed: Phytolacca americana

Woodland margins Disturbed sites Used as food,

medicine, ink, dye Toxic but can eat it Indians introduced

it to colonists Prevented scurvy

Sumac: Rhus sps.

Common on roadsides, pastures, fence rows

Several species are edible: Smooth, Staghorn, Aromatic: all have red berries

Poison sumac and ivy have WHTIE berries

Make lemonade of berries

Sunflower: Helianthus annuus

Domesticated by Indians Cultivated for over 3,000

years Increased seed size by

1,000% Part of belief system of

several tribes© James L. RevealUSDA, NRCS

Jerusalem Artichoke: (Helianthus tuberosus L.

Same family as sunflower Large, edible knobby root Can grow to 12 feet tall Grows aggressively Cultivated by Native Americans Dig roots in winter or early

Spring Use like potato: raw can create

tummy upset

Spiderwort: Tradescantia occidentalis Roadsides: sandy soil Perennial to about 20

inches tall Used as food by

Cherokees Young stems and leaves

as pot herb Flowers in salads Flowers in early summer

© William S. Justice

Spider-Flower: Cleome serrulata

Nice crown shape Somewhat invasive Attracts butterflies Young plant used as

food Seed can be used Plant boiled to make

paint

Prickly Pear: Opuntia phaeacantha

Rocky or Sandy soils Showy Flowers Fruit & pads are edible Plant can be invasive Good for droughty

areas & soils Native to Arkansas

Greenbrier: Smilax sps.

Common “weed” of woodlands, roadside, clearings, fields

Native to Arkansas Can be very invasive Young tendrils and

shoots are edible…tastes like asparagus

Best served raw

Yucca: Yucca arkansana

Native to central South US & AR

Usually dry, sandy soils Has been planted a lot Young flower stalks,

flowers & buds Fibers used as well for

weaving Leaves for soap

Sweet Goldenrod: Solidago odora

Fall blooming perennial Grows in E. US on sandy

soils Leaves have licorice odor

& taste Use as tea & as a dye Used as substitute for tea

during Amer. Revolution

Violets: Viola species

Edges of Woods, rich soils, meadows, roadsides

Blooms in early Spring Leaves heart-shaped Edible flowers are the

blue flowered variety Leaves & flowers

edible

May Apple: Podophyllum peltatum

Rich deciduous woods, moist shaded roadsides

Occurs in large colonies Plant is toxic except for

RIPE fruit Takes 7 years to produce

a single fruit Used medicinally

Photo by Dave Schilling

Other Edible PlantsNATIVE Sheep Sorrel Ostrich fern Bee Balm Jewel weed Spring beauty Water cress May Pop New Jersey Tea

NON-NATIVE Dandelion Sour Dock Lamb’s Quarters Evening Primrose Henbit Pigweed Kudzu Day Lily

Resources

Lots of books On-line resources Best to start with identification Check several sources Be 100% certain of your id & that it is edible Try different recipes Common question: can I buy this in stores Answer: not usually. That’s the point. Get out

there & forage

Summary Native trees & plants have

a great natural history Even “weeds” can have

value Know your plants before

you try any edible Thank you to Billy Joe

Tatum and others