Edible Plants Along The AT

[Odd Man Out]

But, on the trail in April this is where my radar would be dialed to....

I have only once in my life found morels, and then only a few. The people who know where to find them aren't talking.

[Odd Man Out]

Fair warning - be first on trail to get the berries. Otherwise, anything within reach of the trail will be gone by the time you get there.

These were on the AT near Bake Oven Knob, PA. I guess we we beat every to them.

berries.jpg

[Demeter]

But, on the trail in April this is where my radar would be dialed to....

That is where my radar is dialed as well, but I have to put on my "mushroom eyes." I am always looking for greens, so walk right by the mushrooms! I did find some nice Laetiporus sulfureus (Chicken of the Woods) while in Damascus this weekend for Trail Days. Also this time of year, greenbriar (Smilax) is perfect for picking. People need to be careful not to confuse Lily of the Valley for Ramps. Ramp season is over, but the Lilies are emerging all over the AT and they look a lot alike when young..

[JimboWV]

Mock strawberries are good for foraging. They are almost tasteless but they are all over clearings in Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. They look just like tiny strawberries and are an invasive species if you're worried about disturbing the ecology. They're not as nutritious as regular strawberries but do contain surgers, protein, and vitamin c. I snack on them regularly while day hiking on other trails.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G730A using Tapatalk

[Pedaling Fool]

NATIONAL WEED APPRECIATION DAY – MARCH 28

The weeds in my garden do more for my local habitat than any of my cultivated plants.

I never knew there was such a day, but I'm glad there is. http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/n...-day-march-28/

http://www.ibtimes.com/weed-apprecia...ijuana-2343462

[WILLIAM HAYES]

usually to busy hiking to look for plants but have found apples blueberrys , blackberries and ramps

[Pedaling Fool]

One way to become more familiar with plants is to rip up all your grass and allow "weeds" to grow. One of my favorite 'weeds' is the Wood Sorrel http://rawedibleplants.blogspot.com/...cetosella.html, mine have a very attractive purple flower that the bees love and you can eat the foliage, which has a nice lemony flavor.

I've learned a lot by just allowing plants to grow in my yard, by researching them and observing how they fit into the local ecology.

Our grass lawns are nothing but deserts to wildlife, especially pollinators, and greatly add to habitat fragmentation. Some good ideas on creating a eco-friendly yard

http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com...riendly-lawns/
https://eecosphere.com/articles/your...make-it-bloom/
http://www.lesslawn.com/articles/article1012.html
http://www.endangeredspecieshandbook...ects_lawns.php
http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/Create.aspx



If you're in the market for a house, my number one recommendation: Don't buy into a Homeowners' Association (HOA) community.





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[zelph]

One way to become more familiar with plants is to rip up all your grass and allow "weeds" to grow. One of my favorite 'weeds' is the Wood Sorrel http://rawedibleplants.blogspot.com/...cetosella.html, mine have a very attractive purple flower that the bees love and you can eat the foliage, which has a nice lemony flavor.

It's a shade loving plant. How do you get it to grow in your weed infested yard?

I bet your neighbors love you dearly :-)

Show us a photo of your yard next to your neighbors yard both in the same photo.

[Pedaling Fool]

It's a shade loving plant. How do you get it to grow in your weed infested yard?

I bet your neighbors love you dearly :-)

Show us a photo of your yard next to your neighbors yard both in the same photo.

My camera broke a little over a year ago, so all my pics are old until I get a new camera, but I have a few.

I planted this live oak back in the mid-80's when it was only 2ft tall, it's now a great shade tree. BTW, the neighbors house in the background will probably be going up for sale soon, I plan on buying it if possible and rip down the fence between the two properties and extend my little habitat zone.











Here is a pic of my neighbors yard and it's what my yard use to look like







Some random pics. Note, even in the "sunny" spots, shade-loving plants, such as Wood Sorrel can grow

[RockDoc]

Wild strawberries in MD-PA in June, blueberries in August-Sept in New England, apples from the old orchards in Shenandoah in Sept, persimmons from trees along the C&O Canal in the Fall, watercrest salads from creeks.

[Pedaling Fool]

In all those pics above, I guess I should have added one showing my Wood Sorrel