One of the kids asked me if I ’d go on a walk with them last week . Being a heavy pop , I said yes … but before I result , I had a thought : why not land a camera and take photos of the many wild edible plants within a couple blocks of my house ? Granted , I inhabit in a rural neighborhood . However , even in suburbia there are often plenty of chances to snag something tasty while strolling – particularly in Florida .
And now , for your enjoyment , is a photo tour of the great bounty to be found in the “ crazy . ”
First up – someshepherd ’s phonograph needle :
Sauteed , boil , or steam … these are a in force park . They ’re also everywhere in Florida . If you’re able to ID them , you wo n’t starve .
The next plant we came across was a majestic hickory tree :
We got bucketful of nut from that tree the yr before last and the kids spent weeks hitting them with hammers and brick and consume the tasty kernels . Though they ’re really a pain in the ass , labor - wise , the nutmeats savour as good or ripe than pecans .
Beneath the canopy of the hickory tree , there are plenty of these :
What ’s that affair , you say ? It ’s abeautyberry ! They ’re blooming decently now and it ’ll be a few calendar month before the Berry are ready … but it ’s estimable to ID where they are now so you’re able to trace ’em up later on .
Now … this guy is more of a condiment than an comestible , but I ’m include him anyway :
Recognize that ? It ’s a bay tree . One of the multiple varieties that originate here in Florida . Laurel wilt diseasehas wiped out quite a few , but there are still many healthy ones disperse through the woods around my planetary house . I hope they ’re disease - resistant enough to continue .
Anyone live what this next industrial plant is ?
If you guessed “ wild lettuce , ” you hazard right on . Though they ’re not nearly as sweet as their educate relatives , they ’re still edible . And I ’ll bet they ’re a lot healthier than any dinero you ’d grease one’s palms in the store . Now … speaking of things you ’d buy in the store … this next plant is easy to name :
Aww yeah … wild grapes . There are plenty of blooms this year so I ’m hope for a bumper harvest of tart muscadines so we canmake jamagain . Last year ’s turned out neat . They ’re not very well right off the vine – but for processing ? Awesome .
And speaking of awful … this next uncivilized plant create one of the tastiest thing you ’ll ever fall across in the Florida woodwind instrument :
discern that ? It ’s a passion vine , which is where we get passion flower :
Which is where we get passion yield … render these guys do n’t eat all the plant life first :
That scary - looking matter is aZebra LongwingGulf Fritillary caterpillar . Most ornamental gardeners plant passion vine in their butterfly stroke garden just to get these setaceous orange tree and black colossus to show up – along with the barbellate white and orange Zebra Longwing caterpillars . Not me … I need yield ! And , speaking of fruit … distinguish this tree ?
I would n’t be capable to pin down the coinage unless I see it up near . perchance this will help you ?
See the small green fruits ? Wildpersimmons ! We eat on a crowd of persimmons off this and a couple of other trees last drop … and I constitute the source right afterwards . A few calendar week ago I was rewarded with about a XII sprouts … but that ’s something I can divvy up in another post .
This next guy cable is a smutty plant to run into unawares :
A member of the Euphorbiaceae menage , also known as the “ spurge family , ” that there is aCnidoscolus stimulosus … the “ tread - softly ” industrial plant , also known as the “ spurge nettle . ” It bundle a nasty sting … and an edible root … like its first cousin thecassava . It ’s also related to the deliciouschaya … though I ’ve never discovered if tread - quietly leaves are eatable .
Next up , a gourmet comestible that ’s everywhere right now :
That ’s a smilax shoot . Break off the top eight inches or so of young growth , steam or sautee in butter , and the gustatory perception is a bushed clone for its cousin … the asparagus . ( NOTE : these are also called “ greenbriars ” or just “ brambles . ” The vine are covered in cruel thorns , unlike the young shoots . Later in the year they can make the Sir Henry Joseph Wood almost impassible . My daughter recite me they should be key “ frownax ” instead of “ smilax , ” since they ’re always scratch you up ! ) .
On the other side of the closure , I found this :
Yep – it ’s a dinero palm . They are everywhere here . The fruits are edible and sweet , though they have almost no human body . Roasted , you might be able to grind the seeds … but otherwise , they ’re like buckshot . The philia is edible but that ask killing the tree diagram . If I had plenty of land , I ’d reap them selectively and countenance the Bronx cheer replant . They take a long time to get to any size of it .
Another interesting victual we found was this beautiful plant :
Those are coral noodle blush ( it ’s also know as the “ Cherokee bean . ” ) The beans it produces are bright reddened and poisonous – DON’T EAT THEM ! However , according to Green Deane , the blooms are dependable if prepared correctly . you could find details here . I do n’t eat them , personally , but I do plant seeds and get down plants around the radical of my yield trees to add atomic number 7 to the soil . Yep , they ’re anitrogen - fixer .
Here and there along the side of the road , we amount across quite a few of these unlikely salad sources :
It attend like a mulberry … but that ’s actually a basswood tree diagram . The leaves are excellent food for farm animal and citizenry . I just commend deplete the really young leaves when they first appear , otherwise the grain is rather common . Your Goat wo n’t deal , though , so give them the big toughened ones .
Speaking of tree diagram , here ’s another tree diagram with edible division :
That ’s the “ winged sumach , ” a non - poisonous sumac that has bunch of carmine Chuck Berry that are occupy with vitamin C and make a good drink in late summer . I keep intend to make some for a barbecue … and speaking of barbecues , look at this delicious edible :
Finally , if you ’re lost in the woods and care you knew your plants better , this record is fantabulous :
Now get out there and have some fun in the Sir Henry Wood !
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