View Full Version : Edible Plants Along The AT
I have seen several sources talking about edible plants along the AT, but none that are that complete. Do any of you have a good source for edibles along the AT. I would not mind doing a little grazing along the way to supplement the junk I will be eating.
illabelle
09-24-2013, 14:52
Blackberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Onions
Ramps
Mushrooms - ONLY IF you are skilled at identification!
Acorns?
Hickories
Walnuts
And there are probably dozens more, but honestly, other than a quick handful of berries now and then, I think it's much better to avoid trampling the vegetation and just leave the wild food for the wild life. Chances are you'll pass under the walnut tree before they're ready, and through the blackberries after they're all gone. If the berries are ready for picking, you might be competing for your snack with large hungry black furry omnivores. I hear they don't like to share.
A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guides) by Lee Allen Peterson (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Lee+Allen+Peterson&search-alias=books&text=Lee+Allen+Peterson&sort=relevancerank)
Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America by Merritt Lyndon (http://www.amazon.com/Merritt-Lyndon-Fernald/e/B001HD3HH2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1)
A Field Guide to Eastern Edible Wild Plants by Lee A. Peterson (http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Lee+A.+Peterson&cm_sp=det-_-bdp-_-author)
da fungo
09-24-2013, 15:01
If you travel NOBO at the peak of the through-hiking season, there's a real good chance that you'lll hit the peak of the blueberry season from NJ north. And mustard garlic is an ubiquitous invasive plant whose leaves (especially young ones) are edible when cooked.
Sorry, but I don't know of any guidebook that meets your needs. Euell Gibbons is still in print, and probably could be a primary source of information.
da fungo
09-24-2013, 15:04
Another thought:
illabelle has a very good point: If every through hiker tried to graze along the trail, the AT would become a desert. Probably far better to leave the plant life alone.
Pedaling Fool
09-24-2013, 15:23
I have yet to find the Bible on weed eating; although, I've found some books/media sources that I've found totally useless, not dangerous, just useless, because of the poor pics/descriptions...
My advice is to just start now looking at all the books/media sources and just start in your yard, unless of course you have a well manicured lawn.
I was floored by the number of edible weeds that I could find in my yard and a lot of those things are also found along some portions of the trail, such as Spiderwort and Wood Sorrel, but many more...
If you do have a well manicured lawn I would recommend you stop spraying it and let some weeds take hold, but also you could just go to a field and use that as a classroom.
Here's one source I like, but the video quality isn't the best, but he does cover a great variety of plants and you can alway take the name and look for them online for a clearer pic. Also, don't forget your local library.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x97jebTQisU
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Don't worry everybody, I’m not going to eat the animals out of house and home, I’m just looking for a little knowledge in case I need it along the trail. It’s also illegal to pick the plants in most of the parks along the way. Having a little knowledge of the wild edibles along the way is just a smart idea for anybody.
Starchild
09-24-2013, 17:02
It makes a good supplement, and one time I used it to stretch food I made a sassafras leaf salad with condiment packs. The even better news is you will learn on the trail and expand your options. But beyond that, emergency food and supplementing your carried food I would not venture further, EXCEPT, a thru hiker should run across a common AT species called a trail angel, which usually has some sort of food, sometime drink, sometime adult beverages, those can usually be taken without harm and usually greatly enhance your dining and hiking experience.
Another thought:
illabelle has a very good point: If every through hiker tried to graze along the trail, the AT would become a desert. Probably far better to leave the plant life alone.
Depends on the plant. Garlic mustard is just one example of noxious invasives that choke out the other plants. Most parks have wholesale eradication projects. Even if you don't eat it, pull it out by the roots. Responsible foraging would not hurt most plants; mother natures ultimate renewable resource!
wannahike
09-25-2013, 12:55
Look at http://www.eattheweeds.com
GregInAthens
09-29-2013, 00:34
Look at http://www.eattheweeds.com
That's a great website and monthly newsletter. Too bad he is based out of Florida. I wish he would teach a class in North GA or NC. From what I have found, there are way more edible weeds in overgrown urban lots than in the mountains. Young Basswood leaves is one option I was going to look into. Solomons Seal and Trillium are edible, but the food value isn't nearly worth the destroying the plant. I think that would often be the case along the AT.
The idea that one shouldn't snack on edible plants is absurd. Smilax tips are great! Boiled nettles are very nutritious. Both very easy to find right on the trail and grow back within days. As far as the best book...it hasn't been written.
BTW: I am the wild life.
Wise Old Owl
09-29-2013, 10:17
There are numerous wild edible books on Amazon and websites on the net, and its easy to develop keywords to find a learn the information...
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wild%20edibles%20eastern%20america
IMO that its easy to take Mcdonald tall cups put some gravel in it, potting soil and apple seeds and have your starters going in February and plant in April along defoliated areas of the trail... How about them apples!
There are numerous wild edible books on Amazon and websites on the net, and its easy to develop keywords to find a learn the information...
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wild%20edibles%20eastern%20america
IMO that its easy to take Mcdonald tall cups put some gravel in it, potting soil and apple seeds and have your starters going in February and plant in April along defoliated areas of the trail... How about them apples!
The apples at punch bowl shelter will be good through around Thanksgiving. They are are extra good. I may just
get some of those seeds going this winter. Great idea!
Wise Old Owl
09-29-2013, 10:46
Ah if you start them too early they die... They only need a month in the cup to get started.
Ah if you start them too early they die... They only need a month in the cup to get started.
I'll wrap em up n stick em in the fridge til Valentines.
From mid summer to late Fall their is all kinds of NUTS on the AT such as Walnuts, Acorns, Hickory Nuts, among others and also don't forget about Mushrooms, their is all kinds of edible Mushrooms on the AT, like with all the wild edibles a bite of the wrong Mushroom will kill you, so make sure you know what you are picking if not leave it alone.
Pedaling Fool
12-24-2013, 11:46
From mid summer to late Fall their is all kinds of NUTS on the AT such as Walnuts, Acorns, Hickory Nuts, among others and also don't forget about Mushrooms, their is all kinds of edible Mushrooms on the AT, like with all the wild edibles a bite of the wrong Mushroom will kill you, so make sure you know what you are picking if not leave it alone.Speaking of mushrooms...
I just read this article and I really see no need to pick mushrooms; I just have no desire to take the chance. I really don't believe any nutritional value is worth the risk. As the article mentions, using the analogy of pufferfish, it seems to be all about the risk. http://aeon.co/magazine/nature-and-cosmos/mushroom-foraging-is-unbelievably-dangerous/
Food has never been an issue for me on the A.T.
This sounds like it could get you hurt in alot of ways regardless of how cool it is.
I would suggest that only the most learned and skilled in this respect go try to forage the woods just for fun.
Foresight
12-24-2013, 14:54
You're in and outta towns all the time...
"Nice garden ya got there, I'll hoe it for ya if you'll hook me up with some of the bounty".....
Boom! Free goodness.
Hairbear
12-25-2013, 10:54
I have seen several sources talking about edible plants along the AT, but none that are that complete. Do any of you have a good source for edibles along the AT. I would not mind doing a little grazing along the way to supplement the junk I will be eating.
A foragers handbook by Thomas Thayer is a very good detailed field guide. It contains color close up photos of each plant. Cost of 22.95 any book store.
Hairbear
12-25-2013, 10:56
A foragers handbook by Thomas Thayer is a very good detailed field guide. It contains color close up photos of each plant. Cost of 22.95 any book store. sorry it's Samuel Thayer
4eyedbuzzard
12-25-2013, 11:09
And here all along I thought the idea of the AT was to take the time to stop and smell the roses - not eat 'em :-? :confused:
4eyedbuzzard
12-25-2013, 11:11
And that LNT didn't mean leave no trace - of vegetation
Tipi Walter
12-25-2013, 12:00
The idea that one shouldn't snack on edible plants is absurd. Smilax tips are great! Boiled nettles are very nutritious. Both very easy to find right on the trail and grow back within days. As far as the best book...it hasn't been written.
BTW: I am the wild life.
I love my nettles!! They make a great green tea and also a cooked green which is excellent. Old Tibetan holy man Milarepa lived on them so they must be good.
The best "book" on wild edibles is the trove of knowledge a person accumulates after a lifetime of foraging. A book helps in the beginning of course but then can be discarded. I always think of a TV Survivor episode when an island local was allowed to join the tribe for a day or two and he pointed out edible stuff everywhere which the TV show participants had no clue about. They were sitting in a grocery store.
So it is in the Southeast. We are surrounded by plant foods. And one of my favorites is cooked lamb's quarters which is considered a rank weed by gardeners and grows in disturbed soils everywhere. And I like to munch on the different varieties of chickweed as I hike. It even grows under the snow.
ALLEGHENY
12-25-2013, 12:37
I love my nettles!! They make a great green tea and also a cooked green which is excellent. Old Tibetan holy man Milarepa lived on them so they must be good.
The best "book" on wild edibles is the trove of knowledge a person accumulates after a lifetime of foraging. A book helps in the beginning of course but then can be discarded. I always think of a TV Survivor episode when an island local was allowed to join the tribe for a day or two and he pointed out edible stuff everywhere which the TV show participants had no clue about. They were sitting in a grocery store.
So it is in the Southeast. We are surrounded by plant foods. And one of my favorites is cooked lamb's quarters which is considered a rank weed by gardeners and grows in disturbed soils everywhere. And I like to munch on the different varieties of chickweed as I hike. It even grows under the snow.
Hey T.W.! I met you at Partnership and we had a talk about wild edibles. I ate loads of greens up the trail.
Tipi Walter
12-25-2013, 12:45
Hey T.W.! I met you at Partnership and we had a talk about wild edibles. I ate loads of greens up the trail.
I remember you! We got caught in that April snowstorm. And it's good to see you here again on Whiteblaze. What kind of stuff did you eat?
ALLEGHENY
12-25-2013, 13:36
Thanks T.W.. Ate ramps in TN, dandilion, chickweed, mustard green. Used pine needle for vit C.
Sugarfoot
12-25-2013, 18:01
I'll add yellow wood sorrel, which looks like a shamrock. Nice lemony flavor and no poisonous lookalikes. Oxalis stricta, found all along the trail but most abundant in Northern New England. At Speck Pond, Maine, we prevailed upon a catch-and-release fisherman not to and gained several brook trout. We stuffed them with sorrel, breaded them in crushed granola, and fried them up in olive oil. A great treat after Mahoosic Notch, back in 2000. The Barefoot Sisters were there!
I'll add yellow wood sorrel, which looks like a shamrock. Nice lemony flavor and no poisonous lookalikes. Oxalis stricta, found all along the trail but most abundant in Northern New England. At Speck Pond, Maine, we prevailed upon a catch-and-release fisherman not to and gained several brook trout. We stuffed them with sorrel, breaded them in crushed granola, and fried them up in olive oil. A great treat after Mahoosic Notch, back in 2000. The Barefoot Sisters were there!
That's an awesome meal.
Tipi Walter
12-25-2013, 22:37
I'll add yellow wood sorrel, which looks like a shamrock. Nice lemony flavor and no poisonous lookalikes. Oxalis stricta, found all along the trail but most abundant in Northern New England. At Speck Pond, Maine, we prevailed upon a catch-and-release fisherman not to and gained several brook trout. We stuffed them with sorrel, breaded them in crushed granola, and fried them up in olive oil. A great treat after Mahoosic Notch, back in 2000. The Barefoot Sisters were there!
Sheep sorrel is also plentiful and tastes the same as wood sorrel but I would not consider sorrel to be no-limit edible as it contains oxalic acid which can be rough on the kidneys. Years ago I foraged a jack-in-the-pulpit root which is full of oxalic acid and cannot be eaten unless "dried". Well, I thought I dried it sufficiently and then bit into it and the acid felt like a hornet sting on my tongue. The tang of the sorrel is this acid.
Watercress is very good and nutritious as well and available all seasons. Wild asparagus can be found in season particularly near old railroad beds Here in Va the ultimate foragers spring meal is Brook Trout, asparagus, and sauteed or fried morels. Oh baby! Come on Spring!
Shakespeare 1990
05-10-2014, 21:45
You can eat ramps until your sick of them in the Southeast. Next time I'm on the trail, I plan to know a lot more about fungi.
Shakes
I collected this bag of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) in about 5 minutes on my way home from work yesterday. Poke is delicious but must be prepared correctly to remove the toxins.
Drybones
05-11-2014, 16:32
The apple orchard about 15-20 miles north of Pearsburg was pretty nice, especially when you're short of water, many different varieties, was fun sampling them all to see which was best, dont know what it was but a very small green apple was best, loaded with water and very sweet.
cheetahgeek
05-17-2014, 21:30
Learning about edibles along the way is cool. Thru hikers don't usually have time to forage for edibles. Wouldn't suggest eating anything you see while relieving yourself as others may have pee'd on what you think looks good to eat. Maybe when you are at camp and getting water you'll see something interesting. Good luck, stay safe and have fun.
Fair warning - be first on trail to get the berries. Otherwise, anything within reach of the trail will be gone by the time you get there.
Foresight
05-17-2014, 21:36
I collected this bag of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) in about 5 minutes on my way home from work yesterday. Poke is delicious but must be prepared correctly to remove the toxins.
Word. I like to cook it down then put it in a frying pan with some bacon grease and onions. When the onions are done crack in some eggs. Paleo heaven.
Foresight
05-17-2014, 21:43
But, on the trail in April this is where my radar would be dialed to....
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/18/erara2yb.jpg
WILLIAM HAYES
05-17-2014, 22:42
ramps and blueberries and some apple trees from an old abandoned orchard i think it was somewhere in georgia
My daughter was sucking on honeysuckle and pulling wild onions in Cumberland Valley this weekend
Odd Man Out
05-19-2014, 12:50
But, on the trail in April this is where my radar would be dialed to....
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/18/erara2yb.jpg
I have only once in my life found morels, and then only a few. The people who know where to find them aren't talking.
Odd Man Out
05-19-2014, 12:57
Fair warning - be first on trail to get the berries. Otherwise, anything within reach of the trail will be gone by the time you get there.
These were on the AT near Bake Oven Knob, PA. I guess we we beat every to them.
27066
But, on the trail in April this is where my radar would be dialed to....
That is where my radar is dialed as well, but I have to put on my "mushroom eyes." I am always looking for greens, so walk right by the mushrooms! I did find some nice Laetiporus sulfureus (Chicken of the Woods) while in Damascus this weekend for Trail Days. Also this time of year, greenbriar (Smilax) is perfect for picking. People need to be careful not to confuse Lily of the Valley for Ramps. Ramp season is over, but the Lilies are emerging all over the AT and they look a lot alike when young..
Mock strawberries are good for foraging. They are almost tasteless but they are all over clearings in Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. They look just like tiny strawberries and are an invasive species if you're worried about disturbing the ecology. They're not as nutritious as regular strawberries but do contain surgers, protein, and vitamin c. I snack on them regularly while day hiking on other trails.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G730A using Tapatalk
Pedaling Fool
03-29-2016, 06:17
NATIONAL WEED APPRECIATION DAY – MARCH 28
The weeds in my garden do more for my local habitat than any of my cultivated plants.
I never knew there was such a day, but I'm glad there is. http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-weed-appreciation-day-march-28/
http://www.ibtimes.com/weed-appreciation-day-2016-10-interesting-facts-about-plants-arent-marijuana-2343462
WILLIAM HAYES
03-30-2016, 21:22
usually to busy hiking to look for plants but have found apples blueberrys , blackberries and ramps
Pedaling Fool
05-14-2016, 07:50
One way to become more familiar with plants is to rip up all your grass and allow "weeds" to grow. One of my favorite 'weeds' is the Wood Sorrel http://rawedibleplants.blogspot.com/2014/07/wood-sorrel-oxalis-acetosella.html, mine have a very attractive purple flower that the bees love and you can eat the foliage, which has a nice lemony flavor.
I've learned a lot by just allowing plants to grow in my yard, by researching them and observing how they fit into the local ecology.
Our grass lawns are nothing but deserts to wildlife, especially pollinators, and greatly add to habitat fragmentation. Some good ideas on creating a eco-friendly yard
http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/pollinator-friendly-lawns/
https://eecosphere.com/articles/your-lawn-is-a-pollinator-desert-make-it-bloom/
http://www.lesslawn.com/articles/article1012.html
http://www.endangeredspecieshandbook.org/projects_lawns.php
http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/Create.aspx
If you're in the market for a house, my number one recommendation: Don't buy into a Homeowners' Association (HOA) community.
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One way to become more familiar with plants is to rip up all your grass and allow "weeds" to grow. One of my favorite 'weeds' is the Wood Sorrel http://rawedibleplants.blogspot.com/...cetosella.html (http://rawedibleplants.blogspot.com/2014/07/wood-sorrel-oxalis-acetosella.html), mine have a very attractive purple flower that the bees love and you can eat the foliage, which has a nice lemony flavor.
It's a shade loving plant. How do you get it to grow in your weed infested yard?
I bet your neighbors love you dearly :-)
Show us a photo of your yard next to your neighbors yard both in the same photo. ;)
Pedaling Fool
05-14-2016, 16:25
It's a shade loving plant. How do you get it to grow in your weed infested yard?
I bet your neighbors love you dearly :-)
Show us a photo of your yard next to your neighbors yard both in the same photo. ;)My camera broke a little over a year ago, so all my pics are old until I get a new camera, but I have a few.
I planted this live oak back in the mid-80's when it was only 2ft tall, it's now a great shade tree. BTW, the neighbors house in the background will probably be going up for sale soon, I plan on buying it if possible and rip down the fence between the two properties and extend my little habitat zone:banana.
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/003-1.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/003-1.jpg.html)
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/002.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/002.jpg.html)
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/001.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/001.jpg.html)
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/Spiderwort/028_zps34b53cfa.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/Spiderwort/028_zps34b53cfa.jpg.html)
Here is a pic of my neighbors yard and it's what my yard use to look like
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/Miscellaneous%20Yard%20Pics/034.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/Miscellaneous%20Yard%20Pics/034.jpg.html)
Some random pics. Note, even in the "sunny" spots, shade-loving plants, such as Wood Sorrel can grow
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/Sunflower%20Plants/003_zpsd6c03e18.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/Sunflower%20Plants/003_zpsd6c03e18.jpg.html)
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/Miscellaneous%20Yard%20Pics/001-1.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/Miscellaneous%20Yard%20Pics/001-1.jpg.html)
Wild strawberries in MD-PA in June, blueberries in August-Sept in New England, apples from the old orchards in Shenandoah in Sept, persimmons from trees along the C&O Canal in the Fall, watercrest salads from creeks.
Pedaling Fool
05-16-2016, 08:34
In all those pics above, I guess I should have added one showing my Wood Sorrel
http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m484/76gunner/Miscellaneous%20Yard%20Pics/014-3.jpg (http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/76gunner/media/Miscellaneous%20Yard%20Pics/014-3.jpg.html)