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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