| Species Name |
Use |
Parts Used |
Special Notes |
| Coltsfoot (Tusilago solidago) |
Cough Drops, Cough Syrup, Tea, Seasoning |
Young Leaves |
Use the fresh leaves |
| Northern Violet (Viola spp.) |
Salad, Cooked Green, Soup Thickener, Tea, Candy |
Young leaves, Flowers |
Flowers used for candy |
| Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) |
Salad, Cooked Green, Cooked Vegetable, Fritters, Coffee |
Young leaves, Flowerbuds, Flowers, Root |
|
| Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) |
Fruit |
Berries |
Berries can be eaten ripe or cooked like pudding, bland tasting |
| Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) |
Fruit, Jam, Tea |
Berries, Leaves |
Leaves can be dried to make tea |
| Clintonia (Clintonia borealis) |
Salad, Cooked Greens |
Leaves |
Cucumber taste only in young leaves, become bitter when mature |
| Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens) |
Salad |
Flower |
Flowers sour-sweet |
| Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) |
Potato substitute |
Corm |
Collect only when abundant (March through May) |
| Wild Sarsaparilla (Araila nudicaulis) |
Tea, Root beer |
Roots |
|
| Indian Cucumber Root (Medeola virginiana) |
Salad, pickled |
Tuber |
Collect only when abundant (May-June), Tuber is cucumber flavored |
| Wild Caraway (Carum carvi) |
Salad, cooked green, seasoning, cooked vegetable |
Young leaves, seeds, roots |
|
| Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) |
Fresh, cooked or dried fruit, Jelly |
Fruit |
many species, all edible |
| Heal All (Prunella vulgaris) |
Salad, soup, boiled greens, beverage, Medicinal |
Leaves |
Healing properties, can be cultivated, used topically or ingested |
| Lady's Thumb (Polygonum persicaria) |
Salad, Cooked Greens |
Young Leaves |
Leaves have attractive triangular markings |
| Chickweed (Stellaria spp.) |
Salad, Cooked Greens |
Leaves and stems |
Hairy leafed species should always be cooked
|
| Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
Tea |
Leaves |
|
| Trilliums (Trillium spp.) |
Salad, Cooked Greens |
Young leaves |
Collect only when abundant, otherwise leave alone |
| Pond Lilies (Nuphar spp.) |
Flour, Potato, Corn, popcorn |
Seeds, rootstock |
|
| Canadian Burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis) |
Cooked Greens |
Leaves |
Threatened species, should not use |
| False Solomon's Seal (Smilacina racemosa) |
Salad, Asparagus |
Young Shoots |
Avoid using the berries and rootstock, mildly cathartic |
| Rose twisted-stalk (Streptopus roseus) |
Salad |
Young Shoots, fruit |
Threatened species, should not use |
| Toothworts (Dentaria diphylla) |
Horseradishlike condiment, salad |
Rootstocks |
Peppery taste |
| Ox-eye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) |
Salad |
Young Leaves |
|
| Storksbill/Alfilaria (Erodium cicutarium) |
Salad, cooked greens |
Young Leaves |
|
| Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) |
Cooked Greens, Medicinal |
Leaves |
Healing properties, raw plant is tasteless but has asparagus taste when
cooked |
| Creeping Snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula) |
Tea, fresh or cooked fruit |
Leaves and fruit |
Smells like wintergreen |
| Wood Sorrels (Oxalis spp.) |
Salad, beverage |
Leaves |
Excessive consumption may inhibit calcium absorption of the
body |
| Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) |
Asparagus, cooked greens, tea |
Young shoots, leaves |
Mature plants are bitter but leaves can be used for tea |
| Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) |
Tea |
Dried leaves |
|
| St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) |
Medicinal, Tea |
Dried leaves |
May cause photosensitivity in some people |
| Nettles (Urtica spp.) |
Cooked Green, soup, tea |
Young shoots and leaves |
Do not handle with bare hands! |
| Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) |
Cooked Greens, Medicinal |
Young shoots, leaves, stems |
Remedy for nettles, succulent |
| Maples (Acer spp.) |
Syrup, sugar, water, tea |
Sap, bark |
Many species |
| Red Oak (Quercus rubra) |
Nuts, flour, candy |
Acorns |
Bitter tannins are water soluble |
| American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) |
Nuts, flour, oil, coffee |
Nuts |
Gather nuts during October (or first frosty nights), nuts must
fall off first |
| Speckled Alder (Alnus rugosa) |
Medicinal |
Bark |
Treats a variety of ailments |
| Wild Cherries (Prunus spp.) |
Fruit, jellies, pies |
Fruit |
Wilted leaves and fresh seeds contain cyanide |
| Ash (Pyrus spp.) |
Fresh or cooked fruit, Jelly |
Fruit |
|
| Aspen/Poplar (Populus spp.) |
Beverage, Flour, Medicinal |
Bark, Sap, Flowers/catkins |
|
| Birches (Betula spp.) |
Syrup, sugar, water, tea, Flour |
Sap, inner bark, twigs |
All species edible |
| Wild Apples (Pyrus spp.) |
Fruit, Jellies, preserves, pies |
Fruit |
|
| Hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) |
Jam, Jellies, Tea |
Fruit |
Fruit not enjoyable raw, but excellent cooked |
| Juneberries/Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.) |
Fruit, Jellies |
Fruit |
Excellent, use like blueberries |
| Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) |
Fritters, Jellies, Beverage, Fruit |
Flower Clusters, ripe fruit |
Avoid using unripe berries, roots, stems and leaves, may cause
nausea |
| Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) |
Fruit, Jellies |
Fruit |
Excellent, Prepare like blueberries, a subsitute for blueberries as they
produce earlier |
| Wild Roses (Rosa spp.) |
Jam, candy, Tea |
Petals, rosehips |
|
| Brambles (Rubus spp.) |
Fruit, Jellies, beverage, tea, salad |
Young shoots, leaves, fruit |
|
| Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) |
Fruit, oils, medicinal |
Fruit and seeds |
May cause nausea |
| Leather leaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) |
Tea |
Leaves |
leaves are put in a jar of water
and left in a sunny position to brew in order to make sun-tea, boiling
produces a toxin |
| Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum) |
Tea |
Leaves |
Leaves must be steeped |
| Tamarack (Larix laricina) |
Cooked vegetable, flour |
Young shoots, inner bark |
|
| Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) |
Emergency food, flour |
inner bark, pitch |
Not attractive tasting, but nourishing in emergency situations |
| White Pine (Pinus strobus) |
Candy, cooked vegetable, flour, tea |
Young shoots, inner bark, young male cones, needles |
All species edible |
| Spruce (Picea spp.) |
Cooked vegetable, flour, chewing gum |
Young shoots, inner bark, pitch |
good in emergencies |
| Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) |
Tea, Flour |
Young needles, inner bark |
Young needles make a pleasant tea
|
Lamb's-quarters (Chenopodium album)
| Cooked green, cereal, flour
| Tender leaves, seeds
|
|
Cattails (Typha spp.)
| Salad, asparagus, cooked vegetable, flour, pickle, potato substitute
| Young shoots and stalks, immature flour spikes, pollen, sprouts, rootstock
| "Super market of the swamp"
|
Partidgeberry (Mitchella repens)
| Nibble, salad
| Fruit |
|
Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
| Salad, cold drink, cooked green
| Leaves and stems
| Pleasant sour taste
|
Wild Raisins (Viburnum spp.)
| Nibble, cooked fruit, jelly
| Fruit
| Berries often held into winter
|
Oyster plant (Tragopogon porrifolius)
| Salad, cooked green, cooked vegetable, coffee
| Young leaves, roots
|
|
Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
| Salad, cooked green, seasoning
| Young leaves, seedpods
| Seedpods must be dried
|
Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea)
| Cooked vegetable, candy
| Young stems
|
|
Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra)
| Tea, flour
| Inner bark
| Makes a wholesome tea
|
Black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)
| Fresh or cooked fruit
| Fruit
| Taste improves after freezing or cooking
|
Goat's beard (Tragopogon pratensis)
| Salad, cooked green or vegetable, coffee
| Young leaves, roots
|
|
Common Evening-primrose (Oenothera biennis)
| Salad, cooked green or vegetable
| Young leaves and roots
| Leaves have a peppery taste
|
Pilewort (Erechtites hieracifolia)
| Salad, cooked green
| Young leaves
| An acquired taste
|
Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)
| Asparagus, jam
| Young shoots
| Treat like rhubarb
|
Chicory (Chicorium intybus)
| Tea
| Young leaves, roots
|
|
| Wild chammomile (Matricaria chamomilla) | Tea
| Flowers
| Makes a delicate, pale golden tea
|
Plantains (Plantago spp.)
| Salad, cooked green
| Young leaves
| Collect while very young
|
Pineapple weed (Matricaria matricarioides)
| Tea
| Flowers
| Pineapple scented tea
|
Common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
| Seasoning
| Young leaves, flowers
| Safe in small amounts, it has a toxic oil. Best with fish. Use sparingly. Strong.
|
Wild lettuce (Lactuca spp.)
| Salad, cooked green and vegetable
| Young leaves,developing flowerheads
| Slightly bitter, best added with other greens
|
Thistles (Cirsium spp.)
| Salad, cooked green and vegetable
| Young leaves, young stems, roots
| Spines must be removed, stems must be peeled
|
Burdocks (Arctium spp.)
| Cooked green and vegetable, salad, candy
| Young leaves, roots
| Pith and rind must be removed
|
Bulrush (Scirpus spp.)
| Salad, cooked vegetable, potato substitute, flour
| Shoots, pollen, seeds, rootstocks
| Rich in starch and sugar
|
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
| Salad, asparagus
| Fiddlehead
| Gather when six inches high. Rub off wooly covering. Cooking recommended.
|
Ostrich fern (Pteretis pensylvanica)
| Salad, asparagus
| Fiddlehead
| Gather when under six inches and still tightly curled
|
Reindeer moss
| Flour, soup, blancmange
| Entire plant
| Must soak for several hours in water
|
Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema atrorubens)
| Flour, Potato chip substitute
| Dried corm
| Must be thoroughly dried. Do not eat raw.
|
Spring cress (Cardamine bulbosa)
| Salad, condiment
| Young basal leaves, rootsock
| Rootstock can be used to make horseradish
|
Wild onion (Allium spp.)
| Cooked vegetable, pickle, salad, seasoning, cooked green
| Leaves, undergroung bulb, bulbets
|
|
Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
| Tea
| Leaves
|
|
Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)
| Tea
| Leaves
|
|
Silverweed (Potentilla anserina)
| Cooked vegetable
| Roots
| Similar to sweet potato in taste
|
Solomon's-seals (Polygonatum spp.)
| Asparagus, salad, potato substitute
| Young shoots, rootstock
| Gather only when abundant
|
