Foraging
Edible Plants
Identify calorie- and nutrient-worthy wild plants, avoid the local look-alikes that will hurt you, and harvest without stripping a patch.
Filter by region
General practice
- Positive identification with three or more features before eating anything.
- Universal Edibility Test only when nothing safer is available.
- Never harvest from roadsides, agricultural runoff, or land recently sprayed.
- Rotate patches and take no more than a third of what is present.
Regional focus
Midwest US
Oak-hickory woods and prairie edges are strong in nuts, tubers, and greens.
Key items
- Wild grape
- Groundnut tubers
- Nettles
- Lamb's quarters
- Black walnut
- Hickory nuts
- Morel mushrooms (spring)
Regional caution: False morels (Gyromitra) can be fatal — cap must be a true honeycomb and hollow inside.