Edible Plant Book

Myakka

Myakka

Joined
Feb 9, 2004
Messages
1,447
I'm looking for a book on wild edible plants, there seems to be many choices out there. What would you recomend. :confused:

I live in Florida.

Thanks - Ron
 
How proficient at tree/plant ID are you? Are you really just interested in the south Florida area? The reason I ask is there is another hardiness zone that starts above Orlando that is shared with other parts of the SE and you start to get into tree and plant species more common to the rest of North America just a little farther north of where you are. I have quite a few books I will dig out in the next day, so let me know what you are looking for exactly, or an idea of proficiency. A good ID book and edible book combo maybe in order. Reply to you soon.
 
The comercial reprint of the US Army Survival Manual FM 21-76 has an color 80 page section on edible plants.
 
I guess I want to change my original answer. I thought about it for a while, and my personal opinion considering the subject, it is best to just learn trees and plants. Those that you can positively time and time again are those you should research for edible/medicinal purposes. I guess I feel it is not worth the time or taking a chance to learn what is edible, go to the field, and not know for sure. Positive identification can be difficult and there are so many intricacies… not just know what is edible, but what part, what time of year, and how to prepare correctly. Failure to do so properly maybe jeopardize your health. Learning the majority of trees and plants in an area in turn helps you learn the eco-type, which will then help you find the specific plant/tree you want to find when you need it. Plus, I would like to know what game eats.

That being said, here are the ones everyone should know for a survival situation since they are prevalent most places:

Pineaceae Family – all 2 to 5 needle pines in North America are edible
Ø You can chew needles and make tea (more vitamin C than OJ)
Ø You can eat cambium layer raw as a survival food
Ø Green buds can be eaten raw in spring time
Ø Pine nuts in fall are edible

Quercus spp. (Oaks)
Ø You can eat acorns, but first you have to shell, remove paper skin and boil (put in boiling water, don’t put in water then boil). Keep boiling until they taste good. White oak group is MUCH better than red oaks. There are no appreciable white oaks in south Florida.

Graminaceace Family – grass
Ø Spring to summer – leaves and stem – chew and spit out fiber. Rhizomes are edible
Ø Late summer to fall – seed heads are edible, watch out for funguses.

Typha spp. – cattails
Ø Eat shoots in spring. Lower the better.
Ø In summer, leaves and stems are like grass
Ø Rhizomes in fall to early spring

The only ID books I know that cover your part of Florida are The Trees of Florida and The Shrubs & Woody Vines of Florida. Both by Gil Nelson, Pineapple Press. Has great descriptions of the Families and good species account. It does not have a great introduction on how to learn or any keys. I have seen both books at Barnes and Noble.

Let me know what you are interested in a little more detail and I can probably point you to some better books. And remember, herbs are what real food eats! :D
 
Of course there are Euell Gibbons' classics from the '70's, "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" and "Stalking the Healthful Herbs", but they don't have color photos, or at least didn't back then.
 
What is the title of that book by Christopher Nyerges? And does it have actual photos or just unidentifiable drawings like so many do?
 
You want Peterson Edible Wild Plants book.

I have Christopher Nyerges book, too..., but his book is a lot of Western US plants (includes a fair amount of "Every plant" stuff), but Peterson's book has nearly every plant possible in US.
 
Kirk D said:
You want Peterson Edible Wild Plants book.

I have Christopher Nyerges book, too..., but his book is a lot of Western US plants (includes a fair amount of "Every plant" stuff), but Peterson's book has nearly every plant possible in US.
Click to expand...


I second the Peterson book, I have said it before on here, a buddy of mien that was career navy and flew 8 years SAR, and has had every bit of survival training he could get while in the service uses the peterson book.

The high quality color photos rule!
 
I just recieved the Peterson Edible Wild Plants book! Its great! Thanks for the suggestions. :D
 
This topic brings up the issue of knowledge and information vs. experience.

Graminaceace Family – grass
Ø Spring to summer – leaves and stem – chew and spit out fiber. Rhizomes are edible
Ø Late summer to fall – seed heads are edible, watch out for funguses

TRUE

However, Phalaris Arundinacae commonly known as phalaris grass or bundle grass contains high levels of DMT. This is especially true of the young tender shoots of grass that would seem to be the most tasty. This grass grows along streams and in moist places in Europe, North America and Australia. It resembles and appears to be normal grass in every way until it grows over knee high and takes on its characteristic bent side leaf appearence. It is the source of mutiple deaths of sheep and the "phalaris staggers" in cattle. The infamous "loco weed" has alkaloids closely related to those found in phalaris. No deaths have been reported by Phalaris Arundinacae in humans, but if you ate a quanity of it you would be tripping for quite a while.
The gathering and eating of wild plants and fungi is nothing to be taken lightly. Harmful and edible plants and fungi may grow in the same environment and look very much alike. The EXACT identification on a plant or fungi species is required to be safe. The best way to do this is be shown by an experienced forager and to avoid those plants and fungi that have close "look alike" neighbors.
I recommend a wild food gathering seminar or course where experts teach and examine plants you forage from the environment. Books and color plates are fine but it is a mistake to add a case of poisoning to being lost or a survival situation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top