some edible plants right now.

[zorro]

it has been a mild winter here, and edible plants are growing again... last night i ate some elm fruits.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0118.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0119.jpg

also we've have some edible winter flowers... from almond trees
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/IMG_2922.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/IMG_2844.jpg

even in some places almond fruits still ot the trees form september when they ripe, trough all winter till somebody gets them even in spring or summer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/IMG_2906.jpg

some edible weeds has been growing trough the winter...
sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0195.jpg

salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor) we call it knife herb, cause it's smashed leaves stop bleeding wounds... very handy for bushcrafters :biggrin:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0239.jpg

wild lettuce (Lactuca sarriola) eat them now before they grow more and get bitter
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0520.jpg

cattail shoots (typha spp.) also known as russian asparagus
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0563.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0561.jpg

stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0608.jpg

Stickywilly or goose grass (Galium aparine)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0606.jpg

grape hyacint (Muscari neglectum) they have been spinging for 2 weeks or so... they have an edible bulb root.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0660.jpg

common mallow (Malva silvestris) they have been around almost all winter leaves and fruits are edible just raw.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0611.jpg

Wild mignonette (Reseda lutea) leaves and flowers are edible trough al life of the plant since mid witer trough Spring and summer
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0497.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0498.jpg


Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album) leaves are edible like spinach.. they are sprouting now and last till end of summer, little seeds are edible too.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0453.jpg

[Dogman]

Thanks for the photos and information zorro, you realy know your stuff.:)

[Xylaria]

THank you for such a lovely post.

The nettles around where i am are about 10 cm tall at moment, but the wild lettice are at the two leaf sprouting stage. The prunus spinosa and hybred cherrys are blossoming and taste like amaretti biscuits.

I am suprised the hyacinth is eaten, do you know how the root is prepared to stop the saponins causing poisoning? I presume they are eaten in moderation.

[zorro]

THank you for such a lovely post.

The nettles around where i am are about 10 cm tall at moment, but the wild lettice are at the two leaf sprouting stage. The prunus spinosa and hybred cherrys are blossoming and taste like amaretti biscuits.

I am suprised the hyacinth is eaten, do you know how the root is prepared to stop the saponins causing poisoning? I presume they are eaten in moderation.
Here we eat two kinds of edible hyacinth... this one Muscari neglectum is springing now everywhere in the mountains, lately there's another, hyacinth named Muscari comosum wich is edible too. i eat them raw, but you can also boil them.
here are some pics of the bulb root.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0253.jpg

Bulb is about the width of a hand under the ground, you can peel the dark outer skin and eat the bulb and white stem.
in the base of the root it has some bulb seeds you can leave them in the ground so they can spring next winter/spring.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0255.jpg

closeup of the bulb.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0254.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_0256.jpg

[zorro]

a fiew more edibles taken this morning...
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3393.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3387.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3392.jpg

Bladder campion (Silene vulgaris) as other herbs you have to get them before flowers grow up... i eat them raw, bur here tipically you have to biol them sightly and make an omelette yummmmm!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3388.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3391.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3390.jpg

closeup of the leaf edge of the bladder campion
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3389.jpg

Black briony (Tamus comunis) fruits, and roots are poisonous, but young shoots are edible and tender, you can eat them raw.
here's a pic of the leafs bright shinny greeen, heart shaped.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3399.jpg

here are the upper part of the young shoots, look like long and thin asparagus, you can eat from top down till it still tender (more or less what it's shown on the palm hand, including young little leafs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMG_3401.jpg

[Xylaria]

Do you know i would of never of thought of eating black bryony shoots and hyacynth bulbs raw. Certainly not in one meal. It is one of those things with toxicology, the saponins in the both the bryony and the hyacynth are supposedly not well absorbed by the human gut. You can kill fish with both of them though. It is like yew wood the taxines are bearly soluble in water hence yew cups are safe unless you are drinking meths.

I am not sure will go out and try any yet, and if I do it will be in very small amounts at first. I have read ethnobotany reports of both plants been eaten cooked in medaterrainan countries.

[zorro]

Do you know i would of never of thought of eating black bryony shoots and hyacynth bulbs raw. Certainly not in one meal. It is one of those things with toxicology, the saponins in the both the bryony and the hyacynth are supposedly not well absorbed by the human gut. You can kill fish with both of them though. It is like yew wood the taxines are bearly soluble in water hence yew cups are safe unless you are drinking meths.

I am not sure will go out and try any yet, and if I do it will be in very small amounts at first. I have read ethnobotany reports of both plants been eaten cooked in medaterrainan countries.
Well every individual reacts diferently to the same plant toxic... better not eat big amounts at one time.
I have not eaten lots of hyacints, (i'm a lazy digger) but i've eaten a lot of black briony shoots... they are easy to collect... never had any problem...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0780.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/survival/IMAG0779.jpg

[JonnyP]

Nice one Zorro...Good to see someone who knows and uses plants. You have some plants their I have never seen before and some that are very common here in Cornwall.
We are starting to see more and more plants popping up after their winter break here, and so far this year I have eaten alexanders, wood sorrel, common sorrel, gorze flowers, nettles and cleavers.
I have always thought black bryony to be poisonous and was surprised to see that you eat the young shoots, so I went and checked and found that you can use the young shoots, no problem. Most of the poison of the plant is contained in the root. My book says the root tubers, if eaten in too large amounts can be fatal, and death from it can be very painful..:o
Please keep posting what plants you eat throughout the season, as I enjoy learning from others about their experences of wild food..
I am determined to eat more wild food this year and will speak of my experences too...

[zorro]

Hi JonnyP, i only know some edibles and useful plants, (well i think all plants are useful in one or other way) i think it's more of being comfort outdoors knowing some "friendly familiar plants" than eating or surviving on them... same with the stars and constellations, i don't know much of them neither, but when i look up and see old friends up there every night (Cassiopea, orion, polar, syrius,etc...) i somehow feel i'm at home no matter where i am... :)
Luckly there are a lot of plants and stars... always learning something new, no time to get bored.