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.
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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
Southern Canada
Mixed hardwood and conifer forest with strong berry and nut yields.
Key items
- Wild leek (ramps)
- High-bush cranberry
- Hazelnut
- Wild plum
- Cattail
- Sumac (staghorn, red drupes only) for lemonade
Regional caution: Water hemlock again — the deadliest plant on the continent grows in nearly every wetland.