Wild Edibles Part 3

     Some Plants have edible stems, although many are too woody to eat. If they are soft, peel off the outer, stringy parts, slice and then boil. The inner pith of some stem is nutritious and sweet, elder, for example.  In this case the stem must be split open and the pulp extracted.

         Stems produce fewer nutrients for the survivor than the roots, shoots and leaves so put them at the bottom of food choices and exploit their other uses. Fibrous stems, like those of stringing nettles, make good twine.

Good King Henry is spiky, 2 foot tall with dull green triangular leaves, sometimes reddening, and spikes of tiny greenish flowers, common on waste ground. leaves and young shoots are edible raw or boiled as spinach, peel the roots to remove the stringy parts.

Fat Hen or Lamb's Quarters is spiky, 3 foot high with often reddish stems, dull green, mealy, oval to spear shaped leaves and spikes of tiny greenish flowers, abundant on waste ground. cook the tasty leaves like spinach.

Chickweed is a straggling to 1 foot high, with a line of hairs on the main stem, pointed, oval leaves and tiny white, five petal flower, common in waste places. Boil the delicious tender leaves.

Watercress is often found in abundance by fresh running water. It is creeping semi-aquatic, with shiny leaves in opposite pairs and small white four petal flowers. (DO NOT CONFUSE WITH THE WATER HEMLOCK). Leaves and stems are edible raw, but boil if the water looks contaminated.

Rosebay Willow Herb or Fireweed is found in open woods, waste and rocky places. It is about 5ft tall or more with spear shaped leaves in opposite pairs and a spike of brilliant pinkish flowers. Young leaves, flowers and stems are edible raw but taste better boiled. Mature stems have a sweetish inner pulp.

Sweet Cicely grows to around 5ft with slightly hairy and often purplish stems, feathery fern like leaves flecked with white and heads of tiny white flowers. You can find these in open woods and rocky places. (DO NOT CONFUSE WITH HEMLOCK) Roots, stems and leaves should be boiled.

Dead Nettles are smaller than stinging settles, with heart shaped leaves and no stringing hairs with white or pinkish/purplish flowers. Boil the leaves before eating.

Stinging Nettles are abundant for most of the year. Look for the toothed, narrow oval leaves covered in stinging hairs and the spikes of green flowers. Pick young growth or young plants 6-8 inches high. Boil for a minimum of 5 minutes to destroy the formic acid in the hairs. Leaves can be dried and stored for consumption later. You can crush the stems and use the fibers from them as make shift rope.

Plantains can be found in a variety of areas. Ribwort or English Plantain has spear shaped leaves and  much shorter flower spikes than the Greater Plantain. This is a bitter tasting plant and the leaves should be cooked like spinach, and the juice can be used for wounds, and the decoction of the whole plant for chest pain complaints. So over all this is a pretty useful plant to find in the wilderness!!

Bucks horn Plantain can be found in waste and grassy places often near the ocean, and is a small star shaped plant with narrow jagged leaves and shorter flower spikes. This is also a bitter tasting plant and the leaves should be cooked like spinach, the juices can also be used for wounds, and just like other Plantains the decoction of the whole plant for chest pain complaints.

Greater or Rat's Tail Plantain is also found in  in waste lands and grassy places. This plant had broad, oval leaves and distinctive upright spikes of tiny yellowish green and brown flowers. This is also a bitter tasting plant and the leaves should be cooked like spinach, the juices can also be used for wounds, and just like other Plantains the decoction of the whole plant for chest pain complaints.



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