Edible Plants

Claire Dean

Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale
Named after the sharp teeth of a lion, the
dandelion is the most aggressively hated
weed in North America. A salad vegetable
in Europe, the young greens are delicious
raw, and a great source of vitamins and
minerals. Dating back 1000 years, the
dandelion has earned its reputation as a
medicinal cure-all, used to treat everything
from liver ailments to warts to anemia.

Mallow - Malva neglecta
Two thousand years ago, Romans
were advised to take a daily sip of
mallow juice to prevent illness.
Common mallow is found in gardens
and disturbed areas across North
America. The entire plant is edible.
The fruits taste somewhat like
cheese, earning the plant the
nickname “cheese weed.” The roots
are thick and sticky, good for
applying topically to skin irritations,
and internally for digestive and
respiratory ailments.

Twisted Stalk - Streptopus amplexifolius
Found in shaded stream beds and moist
areas across North America, the young
shoots and bright red egg-shaped berries
taste like cucumbers and are an excellent
trail snack. Also known as scoot berries, for
their laxative effects, twisted stalk can be
used to soothe skin irritations and minor
burns.

Burdock - Arctium minus
Burdock abounds across North
America, thanks to its
hitchhiking velcro-like seed burrs
which catch on clothing and
animal fur. Rich in vitamins and
iron, the whole plant from roots
to stems to leaves is edible.
The plant has been used as a
powerful blood purifier for
thousands of years, while its oils
are a popular scalp treatment.

Serviceberry - Amelanchier alnifolia
Found in riparian habitats and on
moist, wooded hillsides. According to
American folk lore, serviceberries will
bloom when the ground is ready to
bury the winter’s dead. The ripe
berries are sweet and excellent eaten
raw or made into jams. The green
inner bark is used in anti-
inflammatory eye and ear drops, and
the berries relieve constipation.

Chickweed - Stellaria media
Found in North American ravines,
meadows, and disturbed areas.
Chickweed gets its name from the
chickens who love to feast on it. It
grows all year, even after frosts
and during winter thaws when no
other edible plant is available.
One of the most delicious wild
salad greens in existence, the
entire plant is juicy, tender, and
mildly sweet with a flavor similar to
iceberg lettuce. Chickweed is a
common ingredient in many
commercial salves and ointments,
and is a safe and reliable remedy
for skin itchiness and dryness.

Goldenrod - Solidago
Smaller mountain varieties grow
in open meadows; larger
varieties in riparian habitats and
irrigated fields. The Latin name,
Solidago, means to make whole
or heal. Greens are edible and
eaten like spinach, the seeds a
thickening agent, the flowers
used as salad garnishes and in
tea. Goldenrod tea is an
effective flu and cold remedy,
and strengthens the body’s
defenses against allergens.
Dried leaves and flowers help
stem bleeding.

Stinging Nettle - Urtica
Growing in moist, rich soils, nettle
has long been used in the production
of paper, sugar, starch, protein and
ethyl alcohol, and as a substitute for
cotton. In Hans Christian Andersen’s
fairy tale The Wild Swans, the
princess weaves coats of nettle for
her swan brothers to make them
human again. Warning! The stems
and leaves are covered with
thousands of tiny hairs that eject
venom like mini hypodermic
needles. Cook the plant thoroughly
before ingesting to neutralize the
toxicity. Once past the sting, nettle
is delicious and nutritious, high in
iron, calcium, potassium, and
vitamins A, C, and D.

Kinnikinnick - Arctostaphylos
Found in open forest clearings, the
name Arctostaphylus comes from the
Greek and means “bear berries.” The
berries are an invaluable winter food,
remaining edible throughout the
coldest part of the year, although they
are extremely tart and mealy.
Kinnikinnick is an American Indian word
that translates as “smoking mixture.”
The dried leaves were used like
tobacco in ceremonial and recreational
smoking rites. Medicinally, certain
species alleviate inflammations of the
urinary and digestive tracts.

Creeping Dogbane - Apocynum
androsaemifolium
The name "dogbane" comes from
the root's reupted value as a
remedy for the bites of mad dogs.
Though often poisonous as food,
dogbane is still used internally by
Native Americans to treat
everything from headaches to
insanity to cancer. Warning!
Dogbane should be used with
great caution and only under the
care of qualified practicioners. It
can dramatically slow the pulse.

Angelica - Angelica
Growing in consistently moist
meadows and along stream
banks, legend says angelica got
its name when an angel offered it
as a cure for the plague, evil
spells, and enchantments. The
leaves are an ingredient in gin,
but often too strong for raw
consumption. The roots may be
toxic. Angelica is a good remedy
for colds, coughs, and diseases
of the urinary organs. It has a
long history as an antispasmodic
medicine and is used to relieve
cramping and other disorders of
the female reproductive tract.
Beware! Very difficult to
distinguish from water hemlock,
which can be fatal within 15
minutes of ingestion.

Lichen - Usnea and Bryoria
fremontii
A cross between algae and fungi,
lichen grows like hair on the bark
or limbs of dead and living trees.
Bryoria fremontii, or black tree
lichen, is edible, nutritious, and
unrivaled as a survival food, as it
grows even during winter. Usnea
lichen can save your life. It is
used to treat tuberculosis and
works as well as or better than
penicillin, inhibiting bacterial and
fungal infections. It stimulates
the immune system and fights
tumors. Used as a compress it will
stop bleeding and prevent
infection.

Larch - Larix occidentalis
(Western Larch, Tamarack)
Found in mountain valleys
and lower slopes, the larch
is prominent in Siberian
mythology, where it takes
the place of the ash as the
World-tree. Burning larch is
said to ward off evil spirits
and induce visions. The
spring sap can be boiled
into a sweet syrup. Larch
has many medicinal uses:
The resin is an effective
dressing for sores and cuts,
the sap soothes sore
throats, and the needles
and stems are an antiseptic
and blood purifier. An
extract from the needles
and bark helps emaciated
people gain weight.

Oxeye Daisy - Chrysanthemum
leucanthemum
Found on roadsides and in dry waste
areas, and often overlooked as a
weed, the ancient Greeks dedicated
the oxeye daisy to Artemis, the
virgin huntress, and Christians to
Mary Magdalene. It is considered a
powerful herb for women. The
young leaves are edible, with a taste
and texture like romaine lettuce,
and the flowers contain compounds
useful in making safe, natural
insecticides. Steep the leaves in a
tea for an effective antihistamine.

Osha - Ligusticum
A mountain plant that
needs at least partial
shade to grow, Osha is a
Native American word
meaning “bear” and is a
valuable and sacred
healing plant to many
tribes. Bears are often
spotted eating the plant,
presumably for its
healing properties. Osha
has been used to treat
everything from serious
respiratory disorders to
viral infections to
coughs. The entire plant
is edible and smells like
strong, spicy celery.

Elk (Evert’s) Thistle - Cirsium
scariosum
From the sunflower family, elk
thistle, like all thistles, is
considered so virulent a weed
it’s been called the curse of
the earth. Yet the thistle has
extensive edible and
medicinal uses. Found in wet
soil, meadows, valleys, and
gardens, the tender spring
stems have a sweet taste and
can be eaten raw after the
spiny covering is peeled away.
Thistle helps stop bleeding,
treats respiratory congestion,
dermatitis, and parasitic
infections.

Fireweed (Great Willow-Herb) -
Epilobium angustifolium
An earth-regenerator, fireweed got its
name because it is often the first to
grow in burned, clearcut, and
cultivated areas. It sprang up amidst
the rubble of London when the city
was bombed during World War II and
was the first plant to recover after
Mount Saint Helens exploded. When
young, the whole plant can be eaten
like asparagus; the leaves and
shoots contain high amounts of
vitamin C and beat-carotene. Used
in teas, fireweed works as an
antispasmodic remedy for asthma,
and is an effective antimicrobial.

Sheep Sorrel - Rumex acetosella
A plant originally imported from Europe and now
considered an invasive weed throughout North
America, the young leaves are tender, have a
lemony flavor, and are high in vitamins C, A,
and beta-carotene. Excessive quantities, and
older leaves, may cause stomach upset. The
roots are used to treat diarrhea and slow
bleeding. The leaves are a liver stimulant and
helpful in treating skin disorders, including skin
cancer. Most notably, sheep sorrel is thought to
break down, and sometimes eradicate, tumors.
It is the main cancer killing herb in Essiac tea, a
cancer treatment since the 1920’s.

Evening Primrose - Oenothera
Found in dry open soils and meadows, the flowers of
many species open only at night. The entire plant is
edible: The leaves and flowers are delicious in salads,
the seedpods can be steamed, and the roots cooked
like potatoes. Medicinally, the bark and leaves are
useful in the treatment of whooping cough and
asthma. Clinical studies have found high levels of a
fatty acid not found in many plants or produced in the
body, which may help prevent heart disease, eczema,
cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and
high blood pressure.

Plants of Girlwood
These are some of the plants that Polly and her grandmother found and used in Girlwood. They are all real plants you might find in the wild,
and the edible and medicinal qualities I describe are accurate. However, before eating any wild plant or using it for any health reason,
consult a reputable field guide.

Devil’s Club - Oplopanax
horridum
Devil's Club gets its name
from its sharp yellow spines.
If left alone it will quickly form
a barbed-wire like fence,
sometimes growing to twenty
feet in height. The very
young shoots are edible, if
the spines are not too sharp.
An essential medical plant,
devil's club is most often
used for the treatment of
infections, including
tuberculosis.

Poplar - Populus
Poplars are found in
woodlands and riparian
areas, requiring ample and
consistent water to survive.
The catkins and leaf buds
are edible but bitter, and
high in Vitamin C. The
leaves and inner bark
contain salicin, the active
ingredient in aspirin, and
can be used to relieve pain
and fever, while the sticky
resin covering the leaf buds
is known as balm of Gilead,
used for centuries to aid in
the healing of wounds.
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