How to identify edible plants out in the wild?

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
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There are some people who are knowledgeable about plants that can be eaten and would not upset the stomach. Most of us city slickers, unfortunately, are not armed with such valuable information.

If I am lost for 24 hours and is trying to find my way back to civilisation and I need to munch something, how do I tell whether certain plants or berries can be consumed without any harmful effects to myself.

I was told that with some plants, the test would be to put it under one's armpit for about five minutes. If it does not cause any itchiness, it may be a sign that it may be edible.

What are the other kinds of tell-tale signs that a particular species of plant or fruit can be eaten?

Any expert opinions?
 
Get a copy of Greg Davenport's book on Survival. It has the test laid out in it.

What you were told will get you dead.

I think I remember seeing it spelled out here a few months ago.

I'm at work now, but I'll post it tonight if it isn't found before.

Mike
 
I'm certainly no expert and usually have a pretty difficult time identifying plants based on descriptions given in, e.g., Audobon Society books. There are too many variations in the plant world for me. I generally have to study one area of botany well before I am confident. I haave studied fungi for a while, then water plants for a while, etc. I took an alpine botany class at the local college, which was the most productive thing I did in this area. Ethnobotany would be a good one too.

I think you hit it on the head with the word "knowledgeable" - what we really need is good old fashioned understanding.

I don't know the actual breakdown, but I wonder if bugs might have more food value, oz for oz.

I wouldn't rely on the armpit test. It brings to mind a certain comparison between opinions and anuses. Besides, you can go a long time with no food at all.

Scott
 
As a wee lad I was instructed in the ways of berries by using the "red, white and blue" rule. Blue berries are edible, white are poisonous, red can be either. I doubt that it's 100% true, but I have yet to find exceptions to the rule. If you're lost it's at least something to go on.

A lot of wild edibles are the same as domesticated veggies & fruits, only different in size and a few other aspects. You would probably have no problem identifying strawberries, plums, blueberries (often called huckleberries), grapes, dandelions, raspberries, blackberries, and a few others.

Learn what the tribes used as staple foods, then learn to identify and use them yourself. Camas and cattails are excellent starters.

I have six books that I have cross-referenced with each other:
Wild Food Trailguide by Edward K. Ball
Edible Wild Plants by Bradford Angier
Northwest Foraging (can't remember the author)
Edible and Useful Plants of California (can't remember the author)
Early Uses of California Plants (can't remember the author)
Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen

For a "rookie" I would recommend the first two as starters.

Happy foraging! Feel free to email me directly with any questions.
 
It's hard to be an expert on wild food globally but it's not too tough to learn enough LOCAL wild food so that you could get lost/stranded where you spend 99% of your time and know local foods from poisons. Find water and you'll usually find some kind of forage here in N. America, even in winter (tho' frozen cattail roots kinda suck). I suspect the same theory would hold true in most temperate areas. When one travels, there are worse things to carry in your luggage than a guide book listing the plants/fungi/animals at your destination.
 
As mentioned before if you are lost for 24 hrs. ,you don't NEED to munch on anything! If you go anywhere where you can get lost for that long, you should prepare beforehand with snacks and- more important, WATER.
I don't go outdoors often enough for this kind of information to stick, therefore I make a habit of carrying a small appropriate book like SAS guide or something similar- this or others give information on how to identify plants.
I also think eating bugs & small furry critters would be better than plants if you REALLY need to eat.
Martin
 
Brothers & Sisters of Real Alfresco Dining,
coyotlviejo et alia,

Northwest Foraging by Doug Benoliel
Edible & Useful Plants of California by Charlotte B. Clarke
Early Uses of California Plants by Edward K. Balls

Regards,
Lance Gothic
Shibumi
 
Don't stick it near you armpits dude that could cause a rash that will piss you off for day's. I was always told the following;
If you don't know the plant have a good look at it even before you touch, some can be that toxic,look for slime,hairs,insects,etc.If its young and tender ( and there are no dead hiker's laying next to it) pick a small portion.
Crush it up (white sap is mostly bad) and smell it. If it smell like **** or bitter forget it.
Now you could get your pits out but I stoped that one because of the above, but rub the plant on a tender spot on the body. I go for the elbow pit, but pick somewhere that wont cause you too much discomfort or rub on clothing.
If things are still OK, rub it on your lip and wait.
Then stick a small bit in the side of your mouth and wait.
Then stick it on your tounge and wait.Then under your tounge and wait. Then chew it a little and wait.
After this swallow a bit and wait. ( this wait should be for about 6 hours and don't eat or drink while you wait)
If after all this and I would say it will be a good days worth of testing the plant may be safe but still have no food value (like celery).So I would say Martin is right, If its only short term don't bother. Get a field guide for local area and practice. Otherwise stick to meat.
 
Thanks for the advice, Nick.

That's exactly what the instructor commando said. I forgot several vital details.

Your reply has jolted my memory.
 
Originally posted by golok
If I am lost for 24 hours and is trying to find my way back to civilisation and I need to munch something, how do I tell whether certain plants or berries can be consumed without any harmful effects to myself.
Click to expand...
If you don't know they can, you'll simply have to assume they can't.

Guessing (and that's what all "tests" involve) can put you in worse trouble than not eating at all.

(Note that not all things you know are edible are actually suitable to eat under those circumstances. Like berries, which if you eat them and nothing else can give you a runny stomach.)
 
I heard it said one time by an herbologist that the stronger the flavor of a plant, the more potent it is - whether poison or medicine. Take some common medicinal examples: garlic, chile peppers, onion, ginger, and yarrow. Their flavors are very strong, and they are all known as powerful medicinals. The herbologist said that one time he even tasted (without swallowing) some poison hemlock, and it was extremely bitter.

Remember that what makes a plant edible is not the presence of edible properties, but rather the absence of poisonous properties.

Regarding the hunting/snaring of animals vs. the gathering of plants, it is true that small animals can provide more sustenance. However, if I'm sure that I'll be found within 48 hours I would rather spend time gathering (and eating) plants than trying to make snares to maybe catch something before I'm found. Plants will often give you a quicker return for your effort, even if it is less total return over the long run. They generally require less equipment and preparation.

And if you know the medicinals it can literally be the difference between life and death, even if you are going to be out there for only a few hours.
 
One of the most delicious SMELLING plants after you cut into the roots is water hemlock. Seriously. And it's far more deadly then poison hemlock.
Edible plant knowledge involves lots of work, courses, books, observation - and luck.
 
I agree with Jimbo. Contrary to what is written in some guides, there is no universal edibility test. These tests are strictly for LAST RESORT.

One of the best guides out there is the Perterson's Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants. It has a keying method that is easily followed by most people. Lacking a good key, an experienced teacher will help and in many instances, is required. Often plants are keyed out based on their flowers, but the plant may be most edible when it is just a shoot. Being able to ID the plant when it is at it's height of edibility is the most challenging aspect of gathering wild edibles. The answer is: practice and get involved with others. And always double check your sources. And even after you ID something, your system may have a low tolerance. A good example is the day lily. Often touted as edible, many field guides make no mention of the strong laxative effect it can have on some people. Know your plants and how they affect you now before you get into a survival situation. And if you are dealing with properly ID'd plants for the first time, eat only a small amount. There are many reasons why a supposed "edible" plant could cause you distress.
 
And even if you are not 'sensitive' to a certain plant, almost any time you introduce new foods to your system you run the risk of at least temporary diarrhea. Start by eating small quantities of wild edibles while on camping trips. After a while you'll be able to have the full chef salad and a side helping of cattail bread, but don't rush it.

BTW, my point regarding the taste of poison hemlock was that it brings out the idea that potent herbs often have potent flavor. Some edibles taste terrible, and some poisonous herbs may smell or taste sweet. I hope I didn't seem to imply that if it smells or tastes good that it must be edible.

ID, ID, ID.

Peterson's is a good tip. I have the Peterson's guide to western wildflowers, but I didn't know that they had a guide for edibles. Looks like I have another trip the book store coming up...
 
First of all I'd agree with an above poster that having gone without for 24 hours is no reason to start chewing on anything you are not sure of.

Beyond that, I would suggest that rather than trying to figure out or guess what you can eat you begin to learn how to identify worthwille plants.

In other words...one mistake people make as they gain information about really nearly any topic is that they try to learn how to spot "fakes" or in this case identify poisonous plants. Take a page from the Secret Service counterfeit squad...you don't learn whats good by studying the bad...you learn the good by emersion in what is real.

So...my point would be for you to get a book, take a course, or find an expert that will teach you to identify certain helpful plants perfectly. Study the helpful plants that you will be on the lookout for so that you have complete confidence that you can recognize them when they are present...ignore everything else because only in very few survival situations is food your main problem anyway.
 
Have a dog, test on it. :D
If no dog is available, test with your buddy. :D
If he is not cooperative, refrain from eating !

A strange thing that survival people rarely document themselves on fasting. You can do OK without food for 15 days (you'll need water though). You will not be able to provide high energy efforts, but walking 10 km a day is easily done. There is no medical risk the first 15 days and no physical or mental damage.
Fasting induces a sort of highness after three days, because of different glucose (destocked from fat, liver and muscles) rates. Hungriness also disapear after 3 days.
Eating again must be done slowly (if you want to keep the food).
There are a few more things to know, like a purge is essential in the beginning. Also you'll need more clothing because less energy will be used to maintain your temperature.

It is much less dangerous than eating a potentially poisonous plant.
But sure it is also good to be documented on edible plants.

Cheers,
 
Get a good guide like the Petersons, and study it! I take mine out quite often, and just try to identify things. I use other guides as well, as some plants appear in wildflower or tree guides, too, or are treated differently in other guides. Get a good poisonous plants book, too, so you definatly know what to avoid. Peterson has a good one for North America. Take your guides out and use them! They don't work very well sitting on a shelf all their life.

Make sure any guide you study covers your region, for example the Petersons guide won't work in Malaysia. I like the idea of focusing on some of the more commonly available plants in your region, as they should be easier to find.

Also, knowing something is edible isn't always good enough, as many plants need to be prepared properly to be eaten. For example, many plants are edible only after being boiled in several changes of water, or roots that need to be carefully peeled and even roasted first. Or some have edible parts as well as toxic parts, like rhubarb.

Be carefull!
 
Originally posted by Singularity
Eating again must be done slowly (if you want to keep the food).
Click to expand...
The reason for this is that is that the first protein the body uses for energy (as in when you don't have carbohydrates to make energy from the body fat) is the enzymes in the gut. (The muscles come next.)

This has meant that, contrary to common sense, the survival rate for starving prisoners in a camp (and comparable situations) after rescue has sometimes been better for those in worse condition simply because they were in so bad condition they couldn't eat the food that suddenly became available.
 
The reason for this is that is that the first protein the body uses for energy (as in when you don't have carbohydrates to make energy from the body fat) is the enzymes in the gut. (The muscles come next.)
Click to expand...

Yep, and that is also why a purge is important, because else, most of the matter letf in the intestines will be used, and generaly it is left there because of toxins.

Having done the experience 15 days, I sure agree that eating again must be careful, and that it is very difficult to keep the food you ingest! No worry about the muscle, they come back as soon as you start eating again. 15 days does not eat them much actually.

Actually drinking a lot of water is essential, because, while getting carbohydrates from the body fat, you also get the toxins that are stocked within, and these must be eliminated.
 
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