Books on plant identification?

midnite-penguin

midnite-penguin

Joined
Nov 6, 2007
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Is there a be-all-end-all book on edible plant identification? Preferably one with photographs instead of bad illustrations?

I'm in the mid-atlantic and mostly interested with plants native to my general area, as well.

Thanks.
 
Hey midnite-penguin,

To the best of my knowledge, there is no end-all-and-be-all wild food ID book, but a couple of really good books that came out recently:

The Forager's Harvest, Thayer, Forager's Harvest, 2006, ISBN-13: 978-0-9766266-0-2 / ISBN-10: 0-9766266-0-8 (this one has been out for a little while)

Nature's Garden, Thayer, Forager's Harvest, 2010, ISBN# 978-0-9766266-1-9

Edible Wild Plants, Kallas, Gibbs Smith, 2010, ISBN# 13:978-1-4236-0150-0
 
I'd recommend getting several books and cross-referencing. It may be that I'm over-cautious, but I prefer multiple references on anything I'm going to eat. Different pictures in different books can often show very different things about the same species.

The web is good too, but you have to be even more careful about where you're getting the info before you trust it.
 
Joel Stave said:
I'd recommend getting several books and cross-referencing. It may be that I'm over-cautious, but I prefer multiple references on anything I'm going to eat. QUOTE]

Agreed. Use multiple sources. Triple-check at least, post some pictures here or consult a mentor in person and confirm. :)
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jimh0220 said:
forget the book! Just live on the edge and try different plants.... Good luck :)
Click to expand...



I did that once with these funny looking mushroom. Man were they delicious.

The only problem was that the hobgoblins came out and chased me down with lightsabers through the forest, because apparently I'd eaten their sacred grove. It was all good once the giant treeman showed up and stomped on them, then rode me around on his shoulder. We even had tea with the moon.
 
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