Linden Tree – Abundant Edible Leaves and Flowers

Linden Tree, Tilia cordata, Small leaved Linden leaves and flower bunches

If you can’t find a Linden Tree in the wild you can purchase seeds here: American Linden (Tilia americana) – 40 seeds Little Leaf Linden (Tilia cordata) – 40 seeds The American Linden Tree (Tilia americana) is a New England Native Tree that also goes by the name Basswood Tree. This article also applies to many other […]

Kousa Dogwood Fruit, Tropical Flavor in Temperate Climates

Cornus kousa, Kousa Dogwood Fruits

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in August 2013. Updated April 2022. Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) is a small tree or shrub native to Asia that is now a widely popular landscape plant in the US. And it’s easy to understand why… In Spring it will display a mass of delicate star-shaped flowers. And […]

Chicory, Street Side Salad Greens and Tea

Cichorium intybus, Chicory

Chicory( Cichorium intybus ) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows throughout all of the US except for Alaska and Hawaii.  It also grows in most of Canada except for the far north. Chicory is native to Europe but has naturalized in The US and Canada. Chicory is known by a few other names including […]

Purslane, A Wild Edible Weed With Many Culinary Uses

PPortulaca oleracea, Purslane Leaves and Flowers

Purslane(Portulaca oleracea), also known as Little Hogweed and Moss Rose is a very common weed throughout the US and Canada and other parts of the world. It grows in planting beds, cracks in driveways and sidewalks and any other sunny area. It is not a lawn weed, it does not grow well when competing with […]

Staghorn Sumac, Native American Lemonade

Rhus typhina, Staghorn Sumac fruit cluster

The first thing we think about when we hear the word sumac is the dreaded poison sumac. Just to clarify, the Sumac we are speaking of here is in the Genus: Rhus, the poison sumac is in the Genus Toxidendron, with Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. To make matters more confusing Poison Ivy, Oak and […]

Lamb’s Quarters, A Great Spinach Substitute

Chenopodium album, Lamb's Quarters leaf

Lamb’s Quarters (Genus: Chenopodium) is a group of wild edible plants that is native to North America and other parts of the world.  Lamb’s Quarters is also known as Lambs Quarter, Pigweed, Goosefoot, Fat Hen and other colloquial names.  There are many species of Lamb’s Quarters, two very common species in America are Chenopodium album, […]

Japanese Banana, The Only Cold Hardy Banana Tree, But There Is A Catch

Musa basjoo, Japanese Banana growing in USDA Zone 5

There is one Hardy Banana Tree(Musa basjoo) that will survive year after year in cold climates( down to USDA Zone 5). The catch is that it does not fruit or flower in cold climates, and even if it did, the fruits are not edible.  So why is this plant featured on Eat The Planet if […]

Hickory, Pretty Good As Far As Wild Nuts Go

Carya ovata, Shagbark Hickory nuts and leaves

The Hickory Tree( Genus: Carya) is a common forest tree of many parts of the United States and Canada.  Hickory trees get big, and can live up to 200 years. There are many species of Hickory trees, the most famous edible one is Carya illinoinesis the Pecan tree, yes the pecan is a type of […]

What The Heck Is Mucilage?

Cocoa seeds with and without mucilage coating

Many plants produce a substance known as mucilage, it is also produced by some fungus, bacteria and animals. Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance, produced by almost all plants but found in higher concentrations in specific species. If you’ve ever cut open an Aloe vera plant then you know what mucilage is, it’s what makes […]

Wood Sorrel, A Woodland Plant With Flavor

Oxalis stricta, Common Yellow Wood Sorrel leaves, flowers and seedpod

Wood Sorrel( Genus: Oxalis) is a common edible perennial or annual plant that grows in many sun and soil conditions.  In the North East Common Yellow Wood Sorrel grows in shady woodland areas.  There are many species in this genus, some are native to North America, some are native to other parts of the world.  […]

Amelanchier, A Very Tasty Wild Edible Fruit

Amelanchier lamarckii fruit and leaves

Why are wild fruits so Tasty?  It all comes down to evolution.  Plants evolved to make their fruit appealing to humans, because if we eat them then we spread their seeds, and humans evolved to enjoy such a nutritious snack, because it improves our health.  The Amelanchier( Genus: Amelanchier ), more commonly known by many […]

Yard Plantain, An Ancient Herb For Eating And Healing

Yard Plantain Leaves and Stalk

The yard plantain(Genus: Plantago) is a very common low growing leafy plant. Different species of plantains in the genus Plantago grow all over the globe. Common species In The United States are Common Plantain (Plantago major), Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and Blackseed Plantain(Plantago rugelii).  Blackseed Plantain is a traditional Native American medicine and food source. […]

Sheeps Sorrel, A Common Weed With Flavor

Sheeps Sorrel leaves

Sheep’s Sorrel(Rumex acetosella) is a common lawn weed.  This is an edible plant that tastes great.  It grows throughout the summer in many soil types.  Sheep’s sorrel is native to Europe and Asian but has naturalized in the Northern United States.  It has a uniquely shaped leaf that makes it easy to identify. Edibility and […]

Safe Foraging: Pesticides, Poisons, And Allergies

Amelanchier lamarckii fruit and leaves

Foraging for wild edible plants, bugs and fungus can and should be an enjoyable experience for all.  But there are some guidelines to follow for safe foraging.  There are 3 primary cautions associated with foraging for anything and these are: 1) Accidentally eating a poisonous organism, or a poisonous part of an organism that may […]

Spicebush, A Warm Fall Woodland Spice

Spicebush berries and leaves

Spicebush(Lindera benzoin) is a shrub native to north eastern United States.  It is a common woodland shrub that can be identified easily by the fragrance of its crushed leaves.  The leaf shape is difficult to distinguish, especially for beginners.  This plant produces red berries in summer which is a prized item for wildlife.  The species […]

Wild Violets Are A Versatile Edible Plant

Leaf Shape and growth pattern is on ID feature

Wild Violets Johnny jump ups, hearts ease, pansies, wild violets, and a host of other names all point to plants in the Viola genus. There are 400-500 species worldwide and they can be found in almost all temperate climates.  In the North Eastern United States Viola sororia is a common wild violet.  This information also […]

Bittercress, a Nationwide Herb

Bittercress

Hairy bittercress(Cardamine hirsuta) and similar species such as Pennsylvania bittercress (Cardamine pensylvanica) are small annual or biennial herbs that are prolific native plants in almost every state in the US. It is a winter annual so it germinates in the fall, stays alive throughout the winter then flowers and puts out seed in the spring. […]

What Is Your Ancestral Diet?

Early Humans

Imagine the earth in 50,000 BC. Mankind is entering the final stages of its evolutionary journey from animal to human.  How is he living? And what is he eating?  What types of foods? And how are they processed?  We have all heard that we need to eat a natural diet, full of fresh fruits and […]

Rose of Sharon Tree, A Beautiful Edible

Rose of Sharon Flower

Rose of Sharon Tree Rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a landscape plant native to Asia but very commonly planted in the US. It is a cold hardy tree or shrub with large tropical looking flowers, unmistakable once you’ve seen them.  Its edibility is often unknown, but there are a number of reasons to consider […]

Japanese Knotweed, Invasive In The US, So Eat As Much As You’d Like

Japanese Knotweed

We have all seen this plant growing along stream beds and in wet areas.  Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum / Fallopia japonica) is native to… you guessed it, Japan.  It’s also native to other parts of Asia.  This plant has naturalized in many parts of the world, it grows in 39 of the 50 United States […]