Melondy Phillips
Staff Writer
Spring is just around the corner. For the early Appalachian life, that meant the availability of healthy fresh greens everywhere. After a long winter of living off dried and canned foods, the bright new green growth was a pleasant sight.
Many spring blood tonics were created and consumed to get the blood flowing again after a long cold winter. Plants like dandelion, dock and wild lettuce are only a few of the rich sources of fresh free nutrients.
American pokeweed plants are considered poisonous; however, the tender young pokeweed shoots, when less than six inches tall and properly cooked, have been used as a spring food source and blood tonic. According to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s edible wild plants handbook, “Enthusiasts often dig poke roots and place them in a basket of dirt in the cellar or basement where, with the addition of water, new shoots soon appear, and a fine supply of greens can be enjoyed all winter long.” The crushed berries have been used to dye clothing, and to decorate horses or fermented and used as an ink.
A popular wild edible during the Great Depression, dock has a tart lemony flavor and can grow in abundance in many types of environments. Dock contains oxalic acid and shouldn’t be eaten in large quantities. Those who shouldn’t eat spinach due to kidney stones or other issues should also not eat dock. Although dock can be eaten raw, it is best cooked which helps reduce the oxalic acid.
Chickweed has a mild flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked; considered a vegetable crop for humans and poultry. Chickweed is an anti-inflammatory and has been used to help reduce swelling in the hands and feet. Beware – chickweed does have poisonous lookalikes.
Wild onions can be used in the same way as commercially grown onions but may have a stronger presence, so a little goes a long way.
Ramps (wild leek, wild garlic, wood leek) are raved over in certain parts of the Appalachian. These pungent wild growing perennials are related to spring onions but with a garlic savor. It can take five to seven years for seeds to mature for harvesting so it is important to not over harvest, leave plenty for upcoming years.
Many varieties of wild mustards grow in different locations. All wild mustard plants are edible. The peppery flavor, which is good added raw to salads or cooked into soups, can get stronger as the plant ages.
Being a member of the mustard family, pepperweed is edible for humans. The seed is antiasthmatic, antitussive, cardiotonic and diuretic. The young leaves have a peppery flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves can be dried and used as a substitute for pepper.
Hairy bittercress, another member of the mustard family, has a mild peppery taste and is loaded with vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, beta-carotene, and antioxidants. The roots of bittercress can be blended with vinegar and used as a horseradish sauce alternative.
Watercress is considered “noxious and invasive” throughout most of the United States and can also be found in countries around the world. Rich in several vitamins and minerals, all parts of watercress are edible. Watercress has a spicy peppery flavor and can be added to salads and eaten raw or cooked. This small plant is an excellent spring edible.
Marsh marigold is a perennial herb in the buttercup family and can be toxic while raw. According to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, the young leaves are edible after boiling with at least two water changes, due to the presence of protoanemonin. Some say the young flower buds make a good substitute for capers.
The young shoots of cattails, less than 12 inches tall, can be peeled and eaten raw or boiled. The flowers are edible raw, and the roots can be peeled and boiled like potatoes.
Plantain, the herb not the fruit, is best harvested while young and tender; leaves become tough and stringy as they age. Plantain absorbs toxins, is high in vitamins and minerals, can improve digestion, enhance wound healing, and lower inflammation. Plantain can be eaten raw or cooked and can also be used on the skin for wounds and insect bites.
Quickweed (also known as Shaggy Soldier and Gallant Soldier) is an invasive perennial. It is easily identifiable once its tiny white and yellow flower opens. Common Quickweed (Shaggy Soldier) has many tiny little hairs all over the leaves and stem. All aerial parts are edible. When cooked, it is said to have a mild artichoke flavor while drying it intensifies the flavor. Dried Quickweed should be sifted before added to soups and stews to remove the tough stems.
One wild edible you might like taking revenge upon is stinging nettles. Care should be taken when harvesting these prickly little beasts. Once simmered in a little water until tender and covered in butter sauce, nettles are used as a staple food in some countries and was considered a spring blood tonic not long ago. Stinging nettles have been used medicinally for anemia, joint pain, gout and arthritis, as well as many other conditions.
Fireweed – the beautiful purple flowers make a showy addition to salads. Young plants can be used as a spinach substitute by being boiled for 10 minutes. The young shoots can also be eaten fresh or steamed or sautéed like asparagus. Fireweed tea has been used to treat stomach issues and asthma but may have a laxative effect on some people so use in small quantities.
Wild carrot, Queen Anne’s lace, is listed as a noxious weed in at least 35 states. The first-year root of Queen Anne’s lace can be eaten like other carrots but become woody as the plant ages. An article by the National Institute of Health published, “Thirteen wild Daucus carota subspecies were analyzed, revealing over 310 compounds, including terpenoids, phenylpropenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, with 40 constituting more than 3% of the composition. This review also highlights the antioxidant, anti- cancer, antipyretic, analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, hypolipidemic, and hepato- and gastroprotective properties of wild carrot subspecies. Existing in vitro and in vivo studies support their traditional uses in treating infections, inflammation, and cancer.” Furthermore, it states, “ this review underscores the pharmacological merits of the wild carrot supported by its historical use in folk medicine…” A nice commonly found plant with many uses.
The tightly coiled young ferns that begin their springtime stretch from a long winter’s nap have a delicate flavor and crunchy texture somewhat similar to asparagus, broccoli, spinach or green beans. These fiddleheads should be cooked before eating. Fiddlehead ferns are high in antioxidants and potassium and are especially good for people who do not eat fish due to their essential fatty acids content.
Mushrooms are commonly found in shaded damp forest areas. There are a multitude of different edible and delicious mushrooms available; however, there are also toxic varieties, so the need for plant study is imperative. Never eat something you are not 100% sure is safe. Some mushrooms to avoid are those with red tops or white gills. You may miss out on some good mushrooms but better safe than sorry if you are not sure what kind it is. Fieldandstream.com listed these mushrooms for being “some of the best-tasting mushrooms” and “are also quite safe, with no or few poisonous look-alikes.” Number one on their list is chanterelles, followed by oyster mushroom, chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, king bolete, lion’s mane and puffball. Always cut puffballs in half to verify they are not a young death cap mushroom, which are named so for a reason.
Henbit and purple dead nettle are weedy plants in the mint family. While they may look similar at first glance, they each have their own personalities. The rounded and scalloped leaves of henbit hug tightly to the main stem while dead nettle’ spade-shaped apical leaves attach by a small petiole. Henbit is edible cooked or raw and has traditionally been used for issues such as digestive support, boosting energy, and easing menstrual cramps. The tea is anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory, which may be great for relieving chronic pain, soreness and stiffness. Purple dead nettle is also believed to have anti- inflam- matory, antifungal and antimicrobial properties.
Lamb’s quarters, aka pigweed or white goosefoot, is a common non-woody annual that grows readily in disturbed areas, like gardens. This invasive plant can rapidly grow to five feet in height. The leaves, flowers and stems of lamb’s quarters can be eaten raw or cooked but the stems are best when young and tender. The seeds are also edible as a grain or ground into flour but contain saponins, which is found in quinoa and legumes, and may cause stomach irritation. The seeds are highly nutritious, containing protein, vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
Heal-all, or self-heal, is similar in appearance to purple dead nettle but can be differentiated upon closer inspection. Because of self-heal’s bitterness, it is more often used as a medicinal herb for everything from stopping bleeding and healing wounds, to treating heart disease and sore throats instead of as a food source. Webmd.com states, “Self-heal contains chemicals that act as antioxidants. Other chemicals called tannins might help reduce skin swelling (inflammation).”
Japanese knotweed is a very invasive plant with the ability to wreak havoc on building foundations. A piece as small as a fingernail could root and start a whole new patch of this most difficult to remove plant. Because of the destructive pow- er of this medicinal plant, some states have made it illegal to possess or introduce this species without a permit. The tender young shoots of Japanese Knotweed are edible with some saying they resemble rhubarb. The roots are mainly used as medicinal in China, Japan, and Korea. Japanese knotweed may even have the ability to fight Lyme’s disease. My own doctor from years ago, who was an expert in Lyme’s disease, introduced me to this interesting plant.