Becoming a Plant Expert
A beautiful photograph by David Ringer of the Blue Waterleaf, which Jake found on the bank of a pond.
I have been reading J.D. Wyss’ novel, Swiss Family Robinson, to my children for the last 3 weeks. We are almost halfway through the novel, but are enjoying it immensely. Well, we enjoy the story, but both Jake and Kyla begin each narration with the words, “Animal Murderers!!”
This daily outburst always surprises me since they have been raised in a household that raises and butchers a good portion of its meat. They have had no problem cleaning fish, helping to butcher wild hogs, slaughtering chickens, or anything else. Cross Creek Cattle Company keeps our family in grass fed beef, and my children are around the cattle on a daily basis. Both my husband and Clayton go deer hunting and supply us with venison.
Therefore, it boggles my mind that they would be bothered by the fact that the stranded family kills animals and eats them. The only animal thus far in our reading that they have not completely eaten has been a buffalo. Its size prevented them from using the entire animal for meat.
As I am reading this classic, the same theme of self-sufficiency keeps leaping out at me. This family was thrust into a “sink or swim” lifestyle by a shipwreck. The crew deserted them. Since they were headed to a new land to start a new life, the father had prepared himself through reading books. He knew techniques employed by Native Americans. He was able to identify species of strange animals. But most importantly, he was able to identify plants all over the island.
From the caoutchouc tree to the candleberry plant, the family is able to survive with luxuries like rubber boots and candles. They of course also survive on edible plants in addition to the meat they hunt. The father’s knowledge of plants impressed and inspired me. I began thinking about my knowledge of plants in general in my neck of the woods. And honestly, I saw a deficit that needed to be filled through study and reading.
Of course, my children are learning alongside me. I found a great site for the Houston area. It is ran by a man who teaches courses at the Houston Arboretum on edible plants. Merriwether’s Guide to Edible Wild Plants is full of information on commonly found plants in our area. I have really enjoyed learning from Merriwether.
Chinese Tallow Tree in the fall. Photo taken by Kyla DeHaven.
For example, yaupon grows like crazy here. It is everywhere. I could easily identify yaupon. I knew that its beautiful red berries were poisonous. However, I learned that you can make tea from its dried leaves. Merriwether not only tells you this, but gives you three different methods to dry the leaves. Each method gives a different taste to the tea. Completely fascinating!
At Half Price Books, I purchased a copy of The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants by the Department of the Army. I need pictures of the plant in addition to a written description. Eating something poisonous is a concern and I personally want a picture with each plant. The downside of the book is that it is for the world. Therefore, there are plants listed that more than likely I will never see in my lifetime.
It also has a poisonous plant section in the back, which I find very helpful. This book also tells you what part of the plant you can eat and how to prepare it because not all edible plants can be consumed raw.
I am looking for an additional field guide with pictures for my area. I am open to suggestions so please don’t be shy. Let me know if you like a certain book.
We have been going on evening nature walks once a week as a family to find a plant that we can identify and learn more about. Identifying plants is harder than it sounds even with the internet and books. We are learning terms like compound leaf arrangements or rhizomes in the process. Once the plant/flower is identified, we add a picture or drawing into our Creation Notebooks. We include the scientific name and some information about the plant.
It is not a complex process. It is truly an enjoyable process. The photographs are examples of plants that we have added to our Creation Notebooks. After years of study, I will feel like a plant expert for my area. There are thousands of plants, flowers, and grasses if not more to learn about.
I hope that one day my family will not need the knowledge of edible wild plants to survive. However I am not ruling out the possibility that one day in future, my family might need this vital information. The Robinson family prepared for the future, and they have inspired me to learn all I can about the plants in my area. I hope that you too are inspired to become a plant expert.
If you already are an expert, please share the names of valuable resources to aide our learning process. I personally can use all the help I can get.
We have American Beauty Berry bushes on our land. Maybe you do as well. You might want to Google it & check the information you find there. The other one that we have several of are the Polk Salad plants. We have a friend who loves to come & pick them & cook them. He grew up having his mother prepare them for their family, BUT they are poisonous IF not done correctly, so be sure to check the specifics on this one too. Happy discovery to you & your sweet family.
I LOVE “Swiss Family Robinson.” I can’t tell you how many times I read and re-read it as a teenager! I was THERE on that island!
As soon as it cools off a bit here, we have a tree identifying book, and we want to explore our property (we’ve only lived here two years) and find out what trees we have. I used to know so many leaves by sight, but that was long, long ago in another time! We want to learn about our grasses, too, but I don’t have a guide to help identify them yet. We may have to cut samples and look online, being in modern times now!
My boys love that book! And the Christian faith portrayed in it is sorely lacking in any modern literature!
Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons is a classic. And the Peterson field guide to wild edibles for your region would be the other thing I would recommend. Also, I wouldn’t wait until you have to rely on your knowledge to eat wild foods. Start now to integrate them into your diet, a little at a time. Like add a few young dandelion leaves or red clover blossoms to you salad. Make rose hip jam (good recipe in Putting Food By) or chokecherry jelly.
Blessings on your endeavors in this area, Lara.
Carol
Carol,
Thanks for the book recommendations. I really like your idea of integrating wild foods into our diet now. Thanks again, Lara
A good start at integrating natives would be Jerusalem artichokes, a wild sunflower whose root was eaten by the native indians. They grow like weeds in my area of Texas(south) and are used as potatoes. I believe they are a good potato substitute for diabetics. You can make hash browns, fried or mashed potatoes with them They taste like potatoes with a sort of sunflower seedish taste.
They are quite delicious and very cheap to produce. A tiny piece of the
root will grow a sunflower plant six feet tall or better. Harvest begins in late September. Some grocery stores sell them in season so you could start from those roots, or you can get them on the internet. Like potatoes, you don’t wash them before storing them or they will rot. We experimented with these this year, and they are definitely part of our hyperinflation emergency food supply.
NO trouble to grow + propogate on their own + pest-free=perfect!!
That Euell Gibbons book sounds really good.
Adrienne,
Again, thank you for your comments. They are always informative and on point. I have not tried Jerusalem artichokes. Honestly, I need to learn to identify them. Identifying any wild edible or inedible plant is a weakness of mine, but I am working on it. Thanks for the tips.
Lara
Thank you for your kind words. I’m really glad people like my wild edibles websites!
Sidenote: the red berries of yaupon holly aren’t poisonous. The reason they cause vomiting is because they are LOADED with caffeine. Native Americans in the area used to make their ceremonial “Black Tea” from these berries by mashing several handfuls up along with a little extra water, then boiling this mixture for a bit. They would drink this berry tea, vomit, then spend the next few hours in a hyper-aware, altered state. The effect is like slamming 3-4 Red Bulls in each of which had several No-Doz pills added. Don’t try it unless you have a very strong heart!!
As for references, Thomas Epel’s “Botany in a Day” is perhaps the best guide for learning how to identify plants and he does focus strongly on wild edibles. Samuel Thayer’s books “The Forager’s Harvest” and “Nature’s Gardens” are two of the best guides out there for learning foraging.
-Merriwether
Oh yeah, I’ll be teaching another wild edibles class at the Houston Arboretum on Saturday, Nov. 13th. The class size is limited to 12 people and fills up fast. If there’s a big enough demand I’ll run another class on Sunday, Nov. 14th.
-Merriwether
Merriwether,
I really appreciate you taking the time to teach me about the red yaupon berries. And, I will look for the guides that you have recommended. I would love to take your class. I will see if I can manage to sign up and take it.
Lara