Search: rumex

Rumex Ruminations

by Green Deane

in Edible Raw, Grain/Nuts/Seeds, Greens/Pot Herb, Medicinal, Plant Uses, plants, Roots/Tubers/Corms, Vegetable

Rumex crispus, Curly Dock with unripe seeds

Harvard Professor Merritt Fernald

Mainer Merritt Fernald, who was the Harvard wunderkind of botany from around 1900 to 1950, said all of the 17 native Rumex species in North America were edible. He completely failed to mention most of them are so bitter it would take days of boiling to make them palatable, if ever.

Gastronomically there is a great divide in the Rumex family. Most are bitter, a few are tart. Those used for their bitter leaves alone include: Rumex arifolius, Rumex conglomeratus, Rumex crispus, Rumex hymenosepalus, Rumex mexicanus, Rumex occidentalis, Rumex salicifolius, Rumex venosus, Rumex violascens and Rumex patientia (the latter is cultivated in Europe and used like spinach.) Used for their leaves and seeds are: Rumex rispus, Rumex obtusifolius (also called Butter Dock because it was used to wrap butter) Rumex patientia, Rumex pulcher, and Rumex sanguineus. Eaten for their tart flavor are: Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Rumex aquaticus var. fenestratus, Rumex articus, Rumex paucifolius, Rumex rugosus, Rumex sagittatus, Rumex vesicarius, and Rumex scutatus. The latter is too acidic to eat but is used for flavoring. It has one cultivar called the Silver Shield. Rumex maritimus seeds can be made into mush, no ethnobotanical mention of the leaves. A couple of species split the difference, Rumex alpinus, whose stalks are used like rhubarb, and the previously mentioned Rumex hymenosepalus, also called Canaigre.

Rumex hymenosepalus, Canaigre

Canaigre is a large plant. Its stems and petioles were eaten by Native Americans like rhubarb (after much boiling.) They were made into pies and compotes. The boiled leaves are rated as an excellent green once rid of their bitterness. The roots are not edible but are 35% tannin, a good source of that material. The root was also used for mustardy to brown dye. Several attempts have been made to make Canaigre a commercial crop but never succeeded.

Rumex acetosella, Sheep Sorrel Leaf

The bitter Rumexes, or docks, have many medicinal application, from increasing red blood cell count to external use on wounds. Rumex juice is supposed to be good for stinging nettles bites but has not worked on me. The application I am most familiar with is using the long leaves of the Swamp Dock, Rumex verticillatus, as astringent bandages. Here in wet Florida the Swamp Dock — the only native — is the species spied most often except in winter or early spring. That’s when two versions of Sheep Sorrels sprout up , the previous Rumex acetosella, also known as Garden Sorrel, (upper leaves embrace the four-sided stem) and the larger Rumex hastatulus, called Wild Sorrel (the latter lacks rhizomes, produces marge masses of red flowers, and only reproduces by seed.) They are both tart and wonderful trail side nibbles. They can also be used in salads and or made into tart… tartlets. There are at least six cultivars of the Rumex acetosa: Belleville, Blonde de Lyon, Larghe Foglie Bionde, Low Oxalic Acid, Nobel and Profusion.

Many of the docks leaves have curly edges, the Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) being a notable example as well as the Canaigre. Such plants often grow in dry areas and are called self-irrigating. The leaf’s curls capture rain, mist and dew channeling the water towards the central leaf vein then down towards the root.

The seeds of several docks can be harvested, cooked and eaten but they are not high on the foraging list, nor are the roots which are never eaten. However Euell Gibbons, the original Eat-A-Pine-Tree guy, had a use for the roots. In Stalking the Wild Asparagus after discussing forcing greens in the winter from dandelion roots he writes:

Euell Gibbons

“… take the front out of the box you are using, and lay the roots in tiers with the crowns facing the open side, sprinkling soil between the layers of roots. This will form a stack with a backward sloping top and a rounded face which will bear the colorful leaves. Cover the roots well with soil, and leave outside until after a hard freeze. A few weeks after being brought into the warmth, these roots will begin to produce pale, translucent, curled leaves of all colors. Snip and wash these vegetables rainbows carefully to prevent bruising. Tastefully arranged on top of a salad they make a dish that looks almost too pretty to eat.”

Worldwide there are 190 to 200 Rumex, all in the Buckwheat family. Several are food for butterflies. There are rumblings among botanists to move the tart Rumex into their own and different genus. Don’t hold your breath. Rumex comes from rumo, which is Dead Latin to suck, referring to the practice among Romans of sucking on the leaves to ease thirst. Modern Greeks call Rumex Lapatho. And now a new twist and an old recipe.

Twisted Dock

Fermenting Dock, by Pascal

I think I’m making some interesting new culinary discoveries with our humble Curly Dock. I bought this “Aveluk” from our local Middle Eastern store and it is a traditional Armenian dish. They basically sell dehydrated dock leaves which they
use to make soup. BUT…a simple dehydration does not really work, my own “avaluk” was still green after dehydration and did not taste the same. I think I know what the difference is. By making large strands and leave them hanging for a while, there is a fermentation going on before full dehydration giving it a special flavor. So with my next strands, I’ll just leave them hanging in the kitchen until dry. I did a quick test and I got the smell of cabbage after 3 days. Interesting… it’s all about details…

Aveluk Salad

From Food Planet

Ingredients: 
1 "tail" of aveluk,
1 garlic clove,
1 bunch of each: parsley, coriander, basil,
2 teaspoon white vinegar,
1 tablespoon of minced walnuts,
1 onion,
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil,
salt, pepper.

Soak aveluk for 1 day in cold water, then boil it in salted water for 10 minutes, take out of water, let water flow down.

Fry onion with vegetable oil, then add aveluk, fry for 5 more minutes. Cool this mixture, lay out on the plate, add vinegar, green, garlic, salt, pepper, thoroughly mix, garnish with walnuts.

Curly Dock Nori

Also by Pascal, curly dock nori

100 gr (3.5 oz) Curly Dock Chopped
1 Garlic Clove
½ cup Water
2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
¼ Teaspoon Salt
Blend everything and spread using a spatula on a silicone sheet.
Dehydrate at 160 degrees until fully dry.

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Sorrel: Not A Sheepish Rumex

by Green Deane

in Antioxidants, Edible Raw, Greens/Pot Herb, plants, Recipes, Salad

A field of Sorrel and Wild Radish

Sorrel putting on seeds

Of all the Rumex that grow in the South, Rumex hastatulus is probably the most pleasing. The tart-tasting intensely green leaves are hard to misidentify — edible wise — and the bloom that turns from white to red is pleasing to the eye. Its nickname is the Heartwing Sorrel, describing the mature reddish, winged seed pods.

Because of the leaf shape though, the R. hastatulus is sometimes confused with the also edible Rumex acetosella. R. hastatulus has a tap root and reaches two feet high or more. R. acetosella doesn’t have a tap root and is more mat growing rarely getting above 18-inches high. The R. hastatulus has broadly winged seeds, the R. acetosella does not.

Rumexes are also known as Dock. Actually tall Rumex are called dock and short Rumex are called sorrels. There are some 200 species in the genus. The word Rumex (ROO-mecks) was borrowed is from the Dean Latin name for a similar sorrel in Europe. It comes from Rumo which was taken from the Greek word Rufo, meaning to suck. Romans used Rumix leaves like lollipops. Hastatulus (has-TAT-you-lus) is shaped like an arrow or spear and refers to the shape of the leaves. Acetosella is said ah-kee-TOE-sell-uh, or, ah-see-TOE-sell-ah

A basal rosette of very tasty, tart leaves

Rumexes have long been used in salads and as a potherb. I think they are a great stuffing for that fish you just caught. However, they’re best known in a sorrel soup made by the French. Here’s a sorrel soup recipe to serve six from Fernald and Kinsey’s Edible Plants of Eastern North America, 1958 edition, (though several sorrel soups recipes are available on the internet:)

“Wash (a handful of sorrel) and put in a saucepan with a little water (not covered.) Cook slowly for about a half an hour. Put four cups of milk with a small white onion (whole) in a double boiler. Add two teaspoons of butter, and two tablespoons of flower (blended to avoid lumps) to the hot milk. Let stand and add sorrel. Strain, discard the sorrel, season the soup and enjoy.”

Note the hastate shaped leaf

Every book on wild foods warns us not to consume too much oxalic acid, but that’s to keep the accursed lawyers happy. ( Shakespeare was right.) It is true that folks with kidney stones, gout and the like should not over-consume oxalic acid. Yet, when was the last time you read or heard of such a warning for tea, parsley, rhubarb, carambolas, spinach, chard, beets, cocoa, chocolate, nuts, berries, black pepper and beans? They all have oxalic acid as well, but no dire warnings are given with them. The French are not succumbing from sorrel soup slurping. As my Greek ancestors used to say some 3,000 years ago, μέτρον άριστον, [ME-tron A-ri-ston] all things in moderation.

The word “sorrel” is from the High German word sur, meaning sour. Oxalic is from Greek — oksinos, όξινος — and also means sour, and the rumex is mildly tangy because of …oxalic acid… now there’s a surprise. They are refreshing to nibble on, are nice additions to salads. Their tart flavor is both positive and negative. A little is good, but a lot when eaten uncooked, to excess, can leach some calcium out of your bones. (Yes, you would have to consume it like a force-fed lab rat for months, but it can happen.) Rumex, by the way, is in the buckwheat family. Lastly, research on Rumex induratus shows it has antioxidant properties. Let’s hope it runs in the family.

Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile

Rumex pulcher, native of Europe found through much of the east of the United States west to Texas. Look for hairy stems. Leaves and seeds are edible.

IDENTIFICATION: Moderate plant with white to greenish flowers on a long stalk. Young leaves shaped like a fat sword with hilt, older leaves long and lance-shaped, edges wavy. Great variety, your local rumex may look very different. Get proper identification. R. Hastatulus is a winter annual in Florida. However, I have seen it occasionally in late spring and early fall.

TIME OF YEAR: In February in Florida, springtime elsewhere, can overwinter evergreen in warmer states, can last into summer. It ranges from Central Florida north to New England, west to New Mexico and Montana.

ENVIRONMENT: Old pastures, roadsides, sandy areas, can tolerate a dry conditions.

METHOD OF PREPARATION: Leaves in salad, or made into soup. See recipe. If you cook any Rumex best to use a glass or ceramic pot. Like all plants with oxalic acid should be used in moderation. Some people may be allergic to it.

HERB BLURB

A nettle sting is painful because the sting contains acid. Rubbing the sting with a sorrel leaf or any of the docks/rumex can relieve the pain because they contain an alkali that will neutralize the acid and reduces the sting. The same leaves work well on bees and ants stings but soap or bicarbonate of soda are better, if you have either. Sorrel will not work against wasp stings because they contain an alkali. To neutralize those you need an acid such as vinegar, citric acid, pickle juice even tomato juice.

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Newsltter #524, 20 Sept 2022

by Green Deane

Steven sorting some of the chanterelles picked during a foraging class last Saturday. Photo by Green Deane

A third of someone’s marijuana crop.

A half-a-year ago while wandering around Ocala we saw a patch of woods that seemed that it might be good for chanterelles. On returning this past weekend, we were right. We could have harvested hundreds of pounds of them. As it was we all went home with as many as we wanted. (A shower interrupted the forage.) We also discovered by accident someone’s marijuana patch, which was left undisturbed. Such discoveries are common among homeless camps and or spoil islands (islands made by dredging and visited by kids.)

Edible Periwinkles, photo by Green Deane

The next day during a class near Daytona Beach we saw a lot of Goji berries in blossom — they should be ripe by Christmas. Also noticalbe was a huge number of periwinkles Littorina irrorata the Gulf Periwinkle aka the marsh periwinkle. Fortunatly the Southern Herbalist Darryl Patton has written an article on Periwinkles and answered my question, yes, they are edible. The name of this page is Eat The Weeds and Other Things Too, periwinkles are other things. With food shortages a possibility an easy-to-collect seafood is good to know. What I need to know now is does one treat them like land snails, that is, do you feed them a diet of something else a few days before cooking and consuming them. Periwinkles can be boil or roasted, and are found from New England to Central Florida and along the gulf coast. Use like clams.Periwinkles are sensitive to toxic agents so if you find them alive and well the area is probably not toxic.

Classes are held rain or shine (but not during hurricanes.)

Foraging classes this time of year have to play dodge ball with hurricanes and tropical storms. We should be fine this weekend.

Saturday September 24th,Blanchard Park, 10501 Jay Blanchard Trail, Orlando, FL 32817. 9 a.m. Meet by the tennis courts.

Sunday September 25th,George LeStrange Preserve, 4911 Ralls Road, Ft. Pierce. 9 a.m.

Saturday October 7 th, Red Bug Slough 5200 S. Beneva Road, Sarasota. 9 a.m.

Sunday October 8th, Boulware Springs Park, 3420 SE 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32641. 9 a.m.

For more information, to pre-pay or to sign up for a class go here.

The leaves of Heartwing sorrel resemble a knife hilt. Photo by Green Deane

In some parts of the country fall is upon the landscape and final harvesting is underway before plants shut down for the winter. When I was a boy in Maine this meant scrumping apples and concord grapes. Locally our winter foraging season is just starting and while it is still warm one edible to start looking for is the Heartwing Sorrel. This tart Rumex is closely related to Sheep’s Sorrel — sometimes is called that — and is used the same way, usually as an addition to salads. This time of year there will be a plant here and a plant there. Look along grassy trails, pastures or fields particularly in northern areas. In a few months locally it can cover an entire field with a ruddy pink blanket of ripening seeds. To read more about the Heartwing Sorrel go here.

Ground Nut blossoms look pretty but smell bad.

Blossoming now and making it easy to spot are Ground Nuts, or Apios americana. This is a vine found in wet spots nearly everywhere east of the Rockies. It has clusters of maroon pea blossoms, which means “wings and keels.” The four petals of pea blossoms arrange themselves differently than most blossoms. Two flare out and two form together creating what looks like a boat’s keel and two wings. Grounds Nuts are a foraging staple and were also the second plant product exported from the New World to the Old World. The first was Sassafras wood. While we find Ground Nuts in damp spots they will happily grow in a regular garden producing edible tubers for many years. More to the point, once you know what the underground tubers look like you can easily identify them anywhere you find them. To learn more about Ground Nuts go here.

Carl had a dirty mind.

Plant Pronunciations: What’s really important is knowing the plant and whether you can eat it or not. What you call it is secondary. Common names are okay as long as you know many plants can have the same common name. “Indian Potato” comes to mind. There are two problems with common names. You and someone else could be talking about the “Indian Potato” but actually be talking about two different species. Also every plant — in theory — has one botanical name but can have virtually dozens of common names. Many times it is just easier to remember the one botanical name. Dead Latin was chosen for the naming plants because it’s dead, non-changing, non-evolving and not the mother tongue of any nataive population. Perhaps it was also chosen by academics as a way to keep Latin from disappearing completely. Another possibility was they wanted to use naughty descriptions and if in Latin most wouldn’t know how lewd some botanical names are. Know even when Latin was spoken it had regional accents and far flung Latin became French, Spanish and Romanian. At home it became Italian. There is no etched-in-granite correct way to pronounce botanical names. Hmmmm…. take Vagus. It can be said like the city, Los Vegas, or vah-GOOSE. It means literally “wandering.” And of course there are different pronunciations of botanical names in American English vs British English such as with the pine genus (PINE-us, vs. PEEN-iss.)

Pedanius Dioscorides

Many “Latin” plant names are mangled Greek. Take the genus Dioscorea, the true yams. Dead Latin has it dye-oh-SCORE-ree-ah. That makes my ears hurt. It’s named after a Greek physician, Dioscorides, 40-90 AD. So I prefer thee-oh-score-REE-dez which closer to the Greek way of saying it. The only time the botanical name is truly important is to make sure the two of you are discussing the same plant. This happened recently when I received an email from Singapore about how to use the Skunk Vine. There are several Skunk Vines (like Indian Potatoes, Hog Plums et cetera.) As we were exchanging information about Paederia foetida without the botanical name that would have been difficult. Scientific names of any species can be a personal hurdle. And some times you don’t have a choice. The majority of mushrooms do not have a common names. You just have to bite the Boletus.

You get the USB, not the key.

Changing foraging videos: As my WordPress pages are being updated the video set will go away. They are the same videos I have on You Tube. Some people like to have a separate copy. The DVD format, however, is becoming outdated. Those 135 videos plus 36 more are now available on a USB drive. While the videos were played from the DVDs the videos on the USB have to be copied to your computer to play. They are MP4 files. The 171-video USB is $99. If you make a $99 “donation” using the link at the bottom of this page or here, that order form provides me with your address, the amount — $99 — tells me it is not a donation and is for the USB.

Green Deane Forum

This is weekly newsletter #524. If you want to subscribe to this free newsletter you can find the sign-up form in the menu at the top of the page.

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Newsletter #507 May 9th 2022

by Green Deane

Sedum with mild-flavord leaves. Photo by Green Deane

Confessions of forager: In a general sense I have known for many years that “Stonecrops” were edible. I avoided them as they were usually associated by writers with cactus (In that they grow well where it is warm and dry znd rocky. Where I live it is hot, wet and no rocks.) So I ignored “stonecrops” for decades except for two: one a distant edible relative I stumble across in Florida, Ice Plant, Carpobrotus edulis, and sedum purpureum which I played with as a kid in Maine but didn’t eat. We called it frog belly.

Suzanne Shires making pesto. Photo by Donna Horn Putney

So when I saw this past weekend herbalist Suzanne Shires and our event host Donna Putney eat two different species of Stonecrop they caught my attention. We were at an event at Putney Farm in South Carolina where I taught four classes and had the opportunity to hear Suzanne talk about plants. (If you can possibly do so attend any presentation of hers, and Donna’s.) The result: I have clippings from Donna of stonecrop. I will probably have to wait until they bossom to identify them down to the species, but I know they are edible! We had some in a pesto. There are several species of stonecrop with a history of edibility. Among them Sedum, sarmentosum (high in vitamin C) S. roseum, S. rhodanthum, S. reflexum, S. telephium var. purpureum, and S. acre and several more. Roots of Sedum roseum are eaten after being cooked. The roots of S. roseum are also a common supplement sold under the name Rhodiola rosea. The roots of S. telephium var. purpureum have also been eaten. Sedum. telephium var telephium is a cultivated salad plant in Europe, the leaves are used. S. acre has pungent leaves and is used as a condiment. Native Americans used S. divergens, and S. laxum for food, the latter rolled with salt grass. The red tops of Sedum integriforlim ssp. integrifolium were used to make a tea, or the leaves eaten fresh or with fat, the root was also eaten. S. rosea (The rhodiola) was eaten fresh, cooked or fermented. Roots eaten with fat or fermented. (I will ferment Ice plant the next time I run across it.) There are between 400 and 475 different species of Sedum. Interestingly kalanchoe is in the wider stonecrop group though I have never heard of any of them being edible.Avoid Sedum alfredii which is known to accumulate cadmium. Contemporary references say Sedum means “House Leek” in Dead Latin. Merritt Fernald,the Big Botanical Man at Harvard from 1900 to 1950, author of Gray’s Manual of Botany 1950 (the year he died) says “Name [is] from sedire, to sit, alluding to the manner in which many species affix themselves to rocks or walls.”

Forage Pesto. We picked all the seeds off the cleavers (which I am going to roast.)

Forage Pesto? Yep. Suzanne Shires, above left made a foraged pesto for Sunday’s class. Among the plants used were cleavers– minus seeds — chickweed, Stinging nettle, dandelions, Jeruselam artichoke leaves, rumex leaves, strawberry leaf, spider wort and sedum (The goal by collecting different species was to create a familiar taste and texture.) Olive oil, sunflower seeds and black walnuts and nutrutioinal yeast (which added a cheese flavor) rounded out the ingredientw, salt to taste. Besides being an herbalist Suzanne also has the cooking knowledge of what to forage to make into various meals. Her new book is Beyond the Garden Gate, Wild food Recipes. Her previous book is Wild Herb Gardening. Available here.

Cinnamon Sprig

The do-it-yourself plant world can hold many surprises. Years ago while trying to collect vinegar bacteria from scratch I failed completely for about five years. Then while doing something else I accidentally succeeded finding a sure fire way to collect the bacteria. A couple of months ago I potted a couple of dozen cinnamon seeds. No sprouts. I put some leafless twigs — collected at the same time — in water in and left them outside with daily sun ignoring them (not wanting to throw them.away.) Now I have a leafing sprig. The photo left is the result, it’s been potted and at the end of the year I’ll move it to a new location.

Foraging classes: Two favorite locations this weekend, Dreher Park on Saturday and Mead Gardens in Orlando on Sunday. Subtropical to subtemperate plant communties.

Classes are held rain or shine (but not during hurricanes.)

Saturday May 14th Dreher Park, 1200 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach, 33405. 9 a. m. to noon. Meet just north of the science center.

Sunday may 15th, Mead Gardens, 1500 S. Denning Dr., Winter Park, FL 32789. 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the bathrooms.

Saturday May 21st Eagle Park Lake, 1800 Keene Road, Largo, FL 33771. 9 a.m. to noon Meet at the pavilion near the dog park.

Sunday May 22nd, Colby-Alderman Park: 1099 Massachusetts Street, Cassadaga Fla. 32706, 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the bathrooms

Saturday May 28th Bayshore Live Oak Park, Bayshore Drive. Port Charlotte. 9 a.m. to0 noon. Meet at the parking lot at Bayshore and Ganyard.

Sunday May 29th Mead Gardens, 1500 S. Denning Dr., Winter Park, FL 32789. 9 a.m. to noon Meet at the bathrooms.

For more information, to pre-pay or sign up go here

You get the USB, not the key.

My nine-DVD set of 135 videos has been phased out and replaced by 171-videos on a 128-GB USB, see left. The USB videos are the same videos I have on You Tube. Some people like to have their own copy especially if social order falters. The USB videos have to be copied to your computer to play. If you want to order the USB go to the DVD/USB order button on the top right of this page or click here. That will take you to an order form. Or you can make a $99 donation, which tells me it is for the USB (include a snail-mail address.) I’d like to thank all of you who ordered the DVD set over the years which required me to burn over 5,000 DVDs individually. I had to stop making them as few programs now will read the ISO files to copy them. Burning a set also took about three hours.

Green Deane Forum

Want to identify a plant? Perhaps you’re looking for a foraging reference? You might have a UFO, an Unidentified Flowering Object, you want identified. On the Green Deane Forum we — including Green Deane and others from around the world — chat about foraging all year. And it’s not just about warm-weather plants or just North American flora. Many nations share common weeds so there’s a lot to talk about. There’s also more than weeds. The reference section has information for foraging around the world. There are also articles on food preservation, and forgotten skills from making bows to fermenting food. Recent topics include: Fermenting potatoeswith yogurt, make a water filter, nixtamalization at home, Stale Bread and Cod Liver Oil, Life’s a Grind, Killing Bugs with Tobacco Plugs, Eating weeds: Is it safe? Have they mutated? Not the Eastern Red Bug but the Pink Tabebuia, African Tulip Tree, Asparagus densiflorus, Green Deane’s Book… You can join the forum by clicking on the button on the upper right hand side of this page.

Did you know there are two elderberry cultivars, john and Adam: They were bred from Sambucus canadensis and have larger berries and ripen sooner than the wild kind. Now you know. I think this picture is of a “John”

An Elderberry cultivar, “John”. Photo by Green Deane

This is my weekly newsletter #507. If you want to subscribe to this free newsletter you can find the sign-up form in the menu at the top of the page. My website, EatTheWeeds.com, which is data secure, has over 1500 plants on it in some 428 articles. I wrote every one myself, no cut and paste.

On a personal note, my rent is doubling. I need a place to move to. Currently renting a two-bedroom small house. Looking for either a rental or place to buy. Email Green Deane@gmail.com

To donate to the Green Deane Newsletter click here.

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Newsletter #477, October 12, 2021

by Green Deane

Persicaria maculosa, an edible plant with dozens of names most relating to the smudge on the leaf.

Rain, yellow jackets, Lady Thumbs, Honey Mushrooms, and Chickweed punctuated my foraging classes in South Carolina this past weekend. Before we get into the details many thanks to Lenard and Donna Putney for the use of Putney Farm for the classes and for the sponsor of Upstate Weedeaters Anonymous (of South Carolina) also on Facebook.

Chair in tree from flooding. Photo by Green Deane

The rain was from a front passing that came through Friday and left about 10 inches. I did get stuck at the end of the farm’s driveway but skills from decades of getting unstuck from snow and frost-heave mud kicked in and all I got was wet. Saturday it was not heavy slogging but things were a tad damp. A nearby creek flooded badly and the area we look for Ipomoea pandurata and Box Elder was too soggy to visit. How high was the water? Note the chair in the tree. A nearby fellow who built too close to the small creek also had his truck muck mired and his generator float away along with an inflatable child bounce-house.

Sow thistle, in this case, Sonchus asper, is a cool weather pot herb. Photo by Green Deane

As for yellow jackets… on Saturday’s class I was fortunate enough to step directly on their ground entrance while talking about a sow thistle, Sonchus Asper. That — unknowingly — kept them at bay. We also covered Wild Geraniums as the same stop as well as Amaranth and Rumex hastatulus, a nice tart sorrel. Not one sting. Good thing as the class was a dozen or so people. By Sunday morning, however, the little stingers had dug out and I got too close though I did not know that until they strafed my leg. Fortunately I am not allergic to their stings. I did talk a little faster though….

As for the chickweed…. While scruffing some Carolina Bristle Mallow I saw a couple of one-inch high plants that looked familiar. Their raw corn taste confirmed them as chickweed (clearly starting its seasonal run in South Carolina. I don’t see them in Florida until perhaps late January or early February.) Knowing they were up we found more in select places. The Bristle Mallow, incidentally, is a semi-edible.

If it looks like a garlic and smells like a garlic it is edible.

Two other surprises of the weekend were a young garlic and honey mushrooms. As to which wild garlic my guess is Allium vineale, (ALL-ee-um VINE-ee-ul) also called Crow Garlic. It’s not native but rather came from Eurasia during the colonial period. The species is grass-like when young and later sends up a long seed spike with small cloves on top. If a plant looks like a garlic and smells like a garlic it is edible no matter where you are on earth. That’s also true with onions: If it looks like an onion and smells like an onion it is edible but you have to have both, looks and aroma. Here in Florida we have a toxic lily that looks like a garlic/onion but has no aroma.

Honey Mushrooms are cespitose, growing in a clump. Photo by Green Deane

I am extremely familiar with Ringless Honey Mushrooms but this was the first time I saw Honey Mushrooms (with a ring) Armillaria mellea. Fortunately also with the class Saturday was Tom McGrath from Georgia who is familiar with the species. They are among the few mushrooms that are cespitose which means growing in a clump (think like a bouquet, large caps on top like blossoms with decreasing skinny stems down to a point that holds together.) Interestingly that area of South Carolina has both species — Honey and Ringless Honeys and are they first to respond to the cooling weather of fall. The ones in the picture came home with me.

Classes are held rain or shine or cold. (Hurricanes are an exception.) Photo by Kelly Fagan.

Foraging Classes: Less traveling this weekend for foraging classes, at least for me. Sarasota on Saturday and Winter Park on Sunday.

Saturday October 16th, Red Bug Slough Preserve, 5200 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL,. 9 a.m. to noon.

Sunday October 17th, Mead Garden: 1500 S. Denning Dr., Winter Park, FL 32789. Meet at the bathrooms. 9 a.m. to noon.

Saturday October 23rd, Dreher Park, 1200 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach, 33405. 9 a.m. to noon, meet just north of the science center.

Sunday October 24th, Bayshore Live Oak Park, Bayshore Drive. Port Charlotte. 9 a.m. to noon, meet at the parking lot of Bayshore and Ganyard.

For more information, to pre-pay or sign up go here.

Lady Thumbs are distantly related to Japanese Knotweed.

Pretty easy to see during our classes but hard to sort out were the prolific Lady Thumbs, Persicaria maculosa. Botanists are of little help here. The plant (and relatives) have bounced between to genera — Polygonum and Persicaria — and have had multiple names, botanical and common. Fortunately there are no known toxic plants in the greater group if you don’t get the ID down to the species. They are usually mild when young and can be peppery when older. The plants are usually used in salads, more when mild, as a spice when peppery though they can be a pot herb as well. In a raw serving there is some B2, vitamin C and vitamin A. When cooked only B2 was detected. Persicaria maculosa (as of this writing) is a native of Eurasia and is on the weed hit list of many states. There are a couple of native species that can resemble it: The Nodding Smartweed (Persicaria lapathifolia) and Pennyslvania Smartweed (P. pensylvania.)

Green Deane videos are now available on a USB.

My nine-DVD set of 135 videos has been phased out and replaced by a 150-video USB. The USB videos are the same videos I have on You Tube. Some people like to have their own copy. The USB videos have to be copied to your computer to play. If you want to order the USB go to the DVD/USB order button on the top right of this page or click here. That will take you to an order form. I’d like to thank all of you who ordered the DVD set over the years which required me to burn over 5,000 DVDs individually.

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This is my weekly free newsletter #477. If you want to subscribe to this free newsletter you can find the sign-up form in the menu at the top of the page.

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Newsletter #423 September 15th 2020

by Green Deane

These prime Ringless Honey Mushrooms are cespitose, all growing out of one spot. Photo by Green Deane.

No one told the Ringless Honey Mushrooms it isn’t November. This controversial mushroom usually shows up in Central Florida during the first two weeks of the eleventh month. And, depending upon the weather, can have a minor flush in April or so. But we saw some Saturday in Blanchard Park east of Orlando and there have been sporadic reports of them on the Florida Mushroom Identification Forum. If you live farther north — Georgia, the Carolinas — now is the season to see them. Why are they controversial? Because some experts consider them “choice” eating and others view them as non-edible. I like them. I cook the young caps about twice as long as other mushrooms. To me they have a hint of maple syrup flavor. Some people can’t eat them unless they have been cooked twice. Without said they cause some digestive upset. And I know one person who can’t eat them even when cooked twice (such as parboiling then frying.) Usually the stems are not eaten but are used to make broth. Last year I dehydrated some 80 pounds of them. You can read about them here and watch my video here.

“Cloves” are the dried buds of a Syzygium.

A month ago we mentioned here that the Syzygiums were fruiting. That mostly included S. cumini also known as the Java Plum and Jambul. I’m making wine out of that. There are a few Jambuls in Orlando and certainly dozens in West Palm Beach. I know they also grow well in Sarasota and Port Charlotte where I think they are naturalized. Both Syzygium jambos and Syzygium samaragense are called the Rose Apple and Java Apple (and many other names as well.) There also is a Syzygium in your kitchen is S. aromaticum. You know the dried flower buds as “cloves.” As the species have been in foraging news lately I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and write a second article on the genus, or at least the latest one. You can read that article here and you can read about the Jambul here.

Classes are held rain or shine.

Last week the weather gods smiled favorably upon us. We did experience a few showers during our class in east Orlando but because of timing we found shelters to stay dry. Our fears that Sunday’s class in West Palm Beach would a rain out because of Hurricane Sally were unfounded. Not only did we not have any showers but it was lowery (overcast and cool) but had a nice breeze. It made for a very comfortable class. This week my foraging classes are in Gainesville and just south of Daytona Beach at Spruce Creek. There we might see blossoming Goji berries. It depends upon the weather.

Saturday September 19th, Boulware Springs Park, 3420 SE 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32641. 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the picnic tables next to the pump house. (There may not be any bathrooms at this location so plan accordingly.)

Sunday September 20th, Spruce Creek Park, 6250 Ridgewood Ave. Port Orange, 32127. 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the Pavilion.

Saturday, September 26th, George LeStrange Preserve, 4911 Ralls Road, Fort Pierce, FL, 34981, 9 a.m. to noon. This location does not have an official bathroom. Plan accordingly.

Sunday, September 27th, John Chestnut County Park: 2200 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor, FL 34685. 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the trail head of the Peggy Park Nature Walk.

To learn more about the classes, to pre-pay, or sign up go here.

The leaves of Heartwing sorrel resemble a knife hilt. Photo by Green Deane

Bacopa blossoms all year but it likes the spring. Photo by Green Deane

There are six Bacopa in Florida but we are interested mainly in one, Water Hyssop, Bacopa monnieri. It’s a very bitter herb that looks like dwarf purslane except it’s all green. Water Hyssop has four- or five-petaled blossoms. They can be off-white, light blue or even light pink. You find the plant growing in damp or inundated areas. It is the only Bacopa with one crease on the back of its leaf. What’s interesting about Water Hyssop is that two different studies show it can increase memory function. The plant causes a gene to upregulate or “express itself.” This means the DNA in the gene can stretch, literally like a spring losing tension. This in turn causes the gene to make a protein. That protein causes the hippocampus to make new memory cells. It takes three months for the difference to be noticed. You can read about the Bacopas here and here.

Ground Nut blossoms look pretty but smell bad.

Blossoming now and making it easy to spot are Ground Nuts, or Apios americana. This is a vine found in wet spots nearly everywhere east of the Rockies. It has clusters of maroon pea blossoms, which means “wings and keels.” The four petals of pea blossoms arrange themselves differently than most blossoms. Two flare out and two form together creating what looks like a boat’s keel and two wings. Grounds Nuts are a foraging staple and were also the second plant product exported from the New World to the Old World. The first was Sassafras wood. While we find Ground Nuts in damp spots they will happily grow in a regular garden producing edible tubers for many years. More to the point, once you know what the underground tubers look like you can easily identify them anywhere you find them. To learn more about Ground Nuts go here.

Green Deane videos are now available on a USB.

Changing foraging videos: My nine-DVD set of 135 videos has been selling for seven years and are still available. They are the same videos I have on You Tube. Some people like to have a separate copy. A second option is a16-gig USB that has those 135 videos plus 15 more. While the videos can be run from the DVDs the videos on the USB have to be copied to your computer to play. They are MP4 files. The150-video USB is $99 and the 135-video DVD set is now $99. The DVDs will be sold until they run out then will be exclusively replaced by the USB. This is a change I’ve been trying to make for several years. So if you have been wanting the 135-video DVD set order it now as the price is reduced and the supply limited. Or you can order the USB. My headache is getting my WordPress Order page changed to reflect these changes. We’ve been working on it for several weeks. However, if you want to order now either the USB or the DVD set make a $99 “donation” using the link at the bottom of this page or here. That order form provides me with your address, the amount — $99 — tells me it is not a donation and in the note say if you want the DVD set or the USB.

Green Deane Forum

This is weekly newsletter #423, If you want to subscribe to this free newsletter you can find the sign-up form in the menu at the top of the page.

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Newsletter 25 February 2020

by Green Deane

The leaves of Heartwing Dock resemble wide knives. Photo by Green Deane

Species in the Rumex genus can be difficult. No doubt you are seeing one now in many fields. Usually here this time of year it’s R. hastatulus, Heartwing Dock aka Hastateleaf Dock. R. acetosella, Sheep Sorrel, resembles it in shape and taste but is rather rare in Florida, in only two counties and not seen for a long time. Nonetheless most folks wrongly call R. hastatulus Sheep Sorrel instead of Heartwing Dock. It’s hard to fight the crowd. All parts above ground are edible but usually just leaves and seeds.

The redish-pink seeds are also edible. Photo by Green Deane

One can’t mention Rumexes without a knowing nod to Professor Merritt Fenald. He was the Big Botanist on Campus at Harvard for half a century starting around 1900. He co-wrote with Alfrd Kinsey a book on foraging around 1920 but it was not printed until 1943 when rationing was imposed during World War II. A new edition was printed 1958 (and reprinted in 1996.) At the time Fernald said there were some 15 Rumex in North America and all edible (but not all palatable.) The actual number of species and their names varies today with eleven listed in the state. Another confusing aspect is that some of them are tart when young but grow bitter when old. I think R. crispus (Curly Dock) and R. verticillatus (Swamp Dock) have that characteristic. (That is why I have found them both tart and bitter.)

Harvard Professor Merritt Fernald.

As a curious aside I have a reasonably large book library on plants. The botanical “bible” for Florida is the Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (third edition, 2011) by Richard Wunderlin and Bruce F. Hansen. In that book the Rumexes are geographically described on page 566. I also have Gray’s Manual of Botany written by Fernald and copyrighted in 1950, the year Fernald died. Rumexes in that book are on page… 566. Nice coincidence. Incidentally Fernald’s book — Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America — was printed eight years after his death by The President and Fellows of Harvard College. They also did the reprint in 1996, a century after Fernald was a student at Harvard.

You can read about the Rumexes here.

Foraging classes are held rain or shine, heat or cold. Photo by Nermina Krenata

I don’t have any foraging classes this weekend because of the Florida Herbal Conference near Lake Wales. So we start again in March. Note a class that was scheduled for Red Bug Slough has been changed to Ft. Desoto.

Saturday, March 7th, Blanchard Park, 10501 Jay Blanchard Trail, Orlando, FL 32817. 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the pavilion near the YMCA building and tennis courts.

Sunday, March 8th, George LeStrange Preserve, 4911 Ralls Road, Fort Pierce, FL, 34981. 9 a.m. to noon. (There are no official bathrooms at this location.)

Saturday, March 14th, Florida State College, south campus, 11901 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, 32246. We meet at Building “A” next to the administration parking lot. 9 a.m. to noon.

Sunday, March 15th, Ft. Desoto Park, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S. St. Petersburg Fl 33715. There is an entrance fee to the park as well. Meet at the bay fishing pier parking lot. It’s a large parking lot, meet near the bathrooms. We will walk a good bit. 9 a.m. to noon.

Saturday, March 21th, Ft. Meade Outdoor Recreation Area, 1639 Frostproof Highway, Fort Meade, FL 33841. (Frostproof Highway is also Route 98.) 9 a.m to noon. Meet at the second set of bathrooms (in the middle of the park) which is due south from the highway. (Don’t confuse this location with Mead Gardens which is in Winter Park near Orlando.)

Sunday, March 22nd, Wickham Park, 2500 Parkway Drive, Melbourne, FL 32935-2335. Meet at the “dog park” inside the park. 9 a.m. to noon.

Saturday, March 28th, Haulover Canal, Merritt Island National Refuge, north of the Kennedy Space Center. . Read the instructions below. We meet the the northwest end of the canal area.

Sunday, March 29th, Spruce Creek Park, 6250 Ridgewood Ave. Port Orange FL, meet at the pavilion. 9 a.m. to noon.

For more information, to sign up for a class, or to pre-pay go here.

It’s easy to see where citrus used to grow. Look for the melons.

A familiar sight this time of year are left over Citron Melons descendants of cultivated citrons from centuries ago. We can see them now because tall grass — which replaced frozen-out citrus –is dry in many place and died back. But you can also find them in active citrus groves like Lamb’s Quarters. While they are “edible” usually it is only the rind that is processed in various ways. Interestingly Citron Melons came to Florida before or with the citrus industry. Depending on which expert you want to quote Floridians have been raising citrus for some 508 years or so and citrons grow faster than citrus. Steady sources of modern food made them obsolete particularly as a source of pectin. Citron Melons escaped cultivation and have been taking care of themselves ever since. When I wrote my original article about them information was hard to find and foggy… still is. You can read about them here.

Loquats ripen from tart to sweet and can be dried like plums to prunes. Photo by Green Deane

An imported and now naturalized tree that is fruiting early is the Loquat. We ate some last week near Deland FL. The Loquat is a very common backyard fruit tree which has “liberated” itself into the statewide landscape. Most of the Loquats locally fruit in the spring but there is a variation that fruits in the fall, not common. Often it is trained into a bowl shape to increase fruit production area. Interestingly the easy-to-identify leaves have terpenes and have herbal applications. While it is commonly called the “Japanese Plum” it is not a plum nor is it from Japan. The fruit is edible from tart yellow to sweet yellow. The unripe green fruit is toxic particularly to children. It also as a small amount of arsenic in it naturally. You can read about the Loquat here.

Clover can be used for tea. Photo by Green Deane

Clover is one of those wild edibles that is both overstated and understated. The overstatement is from writers who offer it as a great human food full of this and that to keep us healthy. The understated part is that it can harbor a fungus that inhibits clotting and somewhere around a half-a-cup of raw leaves can make you throw up. Individual experience, of course, can vary and there are several different species of clover with different characteristics. Pictured here is a nice little White Clover. A few leaves can be eaten raw. They are high in protein for a leaf. The blossom fresh or quickly dried can be used for tea. There is also Crimson, Red, Sweet and even Tick Clover.

Green Deane Forum

Want to identify a plant? Perhaps you’re looking for a foraging reference? You might have a UFO, an Unidentified Flowering Object, you want identified. On the Green Deane Forum we — including Green Deane and others from around the world — chat about foraging all year. And it’s not just about warm-weather plants or just North American flora. Many nations share common weeds so there’s a lot to talk. There’s also more than weeds. The reference section has information for foraging around the world. There are also articles on food preservation, forgotten skills from making bows to fermenting food. Several hard-to-find books are there page for page. Recent posts this week include Nettle Spanakopita, Pawpaws Starting Early? What are those White Blossoms, Brazilian Pepper Revisited, COVID 19, Palmer Amaranth, In The Loop, Tomatoes: A Fruit First, a Vegetable Second, and Butterweed: Annual Warning. You can join the Forum by going to the upper right hand top of this page.

Foraging DVDs make a good gift to watch during winter.

Though your foraging may drop off during the winter it’s a great time to study wild edibles with my nine DVD set. Each DVDs has 15 videos for 135 in all. They make a great gift. Order today. Some of these videos are of better quality than my free ones on the Internet. They are the same videos but many people like to have their own copy. I burn and compile the sets myself so if you have any issues I handle them personally. There are no middle foragers. And I’m working on adding a tenth DVD. To learn more about the DVDs or to order them click here.

Donations to upgrade EatTheWeeds.com have gone well. Thank you to all who have contributed to either via the Go Fund Me link, the PayPal donation link or by writing to Green Deane POB 941793 Maitland FL, 32794. There are many needs left such as expanding the foraging teacher page and the page on monotypic edibles. There’s always something and such things get more complex and expensive every year.

This is weekly newsletter 394, If you want to subscribe to this free newsletter you can find the sign-up form in the menu at the top of the page.

To donate to the Green Deane Newsletter click here.

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Newsletter 10 April 2018

by Green Deane

Pineapple Guava blossoms are edible and peppery. Photo by Green Deane

Perhaps no ornamental was championed as much as the Pineapple Guava. However the perfect shrub for many places never really caught on. There could be several reasons. It probably didn’t help that a close relative, the Strawberry Guava, is a severe invasive species in some locations. The shrub also does not get showy. You have to hunt for the extroverted blossoms. While the entire blossom is edible most people only eat the petals. Five or six months from now they will be dark green fruit that stay green as they ripen. They just get softer. The shrub is easy to identify when in blossom. To read more about both guavas, go here.

Surinam Cherries, which are not really cherries, can have a wide fruiting period. So far this season I have found shrubs with tiny green fruit to a large tree-shaped specimen already dropping ripe fruit. I think the latter has jumped the season significantly. There are two varieties, black fruited and deep red fruited. Surinam Cherries taste awful until totally ripe. Even then many folks do not like the flavor. Your pallet will either say this is food or this is not. No in betweens. Seriously. You either will eat them again or never again. But if you are going to eat them make sure they are very ripe. In the black/dark purple variety they are indeed black when totally ripe. With the red-fruiting variety you want a deep fire-truck red (with blue tones) not an orange Ferrari red. To read more about Surinam Cherries go here.

Pawpaws are easy to spot now.

Once you’re done reading this newsletter turn off the computer and go find some Pawpaws. Now is the time locally to identify one of the more common species we have. The photo to the left is from a pasture in Volusia County near Gemini Springs. There are hundreds of Pawpaw blossoming there now and all along the bike trail through the area (as well as true thistles and Maypops.) In a few months there will be a lot of fruit here if the woodland creatures don’t get to them first. It is, after all, their grocery store. We have Pawpaws with cream-colored blossoms and some dwarf versions with purple blossoms. While you can find them in nearly any dry location pastures are a good place to look because pastures are easy to find and livestock tend to not eat them. This is one species you can also find while driving. Just look for five-foot shrubs with cream-colored blossoms as you go by. You will see Pawpaws. To read more about Pawpaws go here.

Humming birds like the Eastern Coral Bean

Also blossoming this time of year is the Eastern Coral Bean, sometimes called the Cherokee Bean. What is odd about this plant is the edible flowers produce toxic beans. So we do not eat the red and black beans. A few of the red blossoms are edible raw — with precautions — but they are usually boiled then mixed with other foods notably scrambled eggs. When you cook the blossoms they turn light green. The distinctive shape of the leaves makes the shrub easy to identify. Young leaves are edible cooked but are marginal fare. Like the Pawpaws above they prefer dry, sunny places. A few raw red blossoms seem okay but if eaten in larger amounts they can be mind altering and approaching dangerous. Boiled they are fine. (Juice from the shrub’s stems, by the way, has been used to treat scorpion stings.) You can read more about the Eastern Coral Bean here.

Partridgeberry. Photo by Green Deane

In the Carolinas in August I see a lot of Partridgeberries, also called Twin Berries because the separate blossoms fuse into one berry. They are edible but mild. That said partridgeberries are attractive with striking red berries and deep green leaves. They are not extroverted but if you see them the little fruit are attractive. I have seen them Gainesville and Wekiva State Park just north of Orlando. According to the USDA chart the species is not in the county but U.S.D.A. maps are often quite out of date. Seasonally Florida and the mountains of North Carolina are — as far as the Partridgeberries are concerned — about five months apart. As with the Carolinas these were spotted in damp but not inundated soil. You can read more about them here.

Foresteria segregata

Odds and ends of the weekend: What’s the old saying? Close but no cigar. This weekend I saw two plants, one I had never seen and one I had not seen in many years. The latter was Foresteria segregata, in Largo, Florida. Also called Florida Privet and Swamp Privet, you can find it anywhere from brackish waterways to an intentional ornamental in landscaping. The straight limbs were used for arrows and the blue berries possibly used for ink. I suspect the species has never worked its way into ethnobotanical literature because the berries taste bad. I’m not sure, however, if the story ends there. Yes, the berries are not considered edible. That said I have not found any references to toxicity but that might be because they are too foul to eat. However, it is in the Olive family and olives don’t taste good unless “cured.” What I wonder is 1) if the fruit are edible if 2) they are treated (meaning cured) like olives? It’s pure speculation on my part. They could be toxic for all I know. But it’s an idea.

Rumex paraguayensis

The other plant looked like a “dock” to me, also called Rumex. There’s about a dozen and a half Rumex in North America, many of them native while several imported. Merritt Fernald, who was the main botany Ph.D. at Harvard for half a century, said they were all edible but most of them bitter. We have several locally: R. hastatulus and R. acetosella are tart, the latter not native. R. verticillatus, the Swamp Dock, is also commonly seen and bitter. Two other introduced species locally — and in the rest of North America — are Rumex obtusifolius and Rumex Crispus, the latter also know as edible Curly Dock. The “dock” we saw in Cassadaga, Fl, didn’t seem to be any of those. Because there were a lot of small leaves on the flower spike it could be R. paraguayensis, which is reported in the state but in limited locations. If it is R. paraguayensis is it edible? That took a bit of digging. I found an article called “Wild Food Plants and Fungi Used By The Polish Community in Misiones, Argentia” published in the Journal of Human Ecology, December 2015. The fifth entry on Table One says R. paraguayensis leaves were eaten raw in salads and cooked in soups. It was also not listed as a famine food. You can read the full article here.

And another reminder that loquats are in full fruit now and wild garlic is in season. In fact at our Largo class were were taken to a wild garlic location. Thanks Carolyn! Oh yes, in last week’s top photo the edibles were Dandelions, Oxalis, Commelina, and False Hawk’s Beard. There’s also a young nightshade that if allowed to grow probably would have been Solanum americanum. I say been because the lawn has since been mowed.

Green Deane Forum

Want to identify a plant? Looking for a foraging reference? Do you have a UFO, an Unidentified Flowering Object you want identified? On the Green Deane Forum we chat about foraging all year. And it’s not just about warm-weather plants or just North American flora. Many nations around the world share common weeds so there’s a lot to talk about. There’s also more than weeds. The reference section has information for foraging around the world. There are also articles on food preservation, and forgotten skills from making bows to fermenting food. One special section is “From the Frightening Mail Bag” where we learn from people’s mistakes. You can join the forum by clicking on the button on the upper right hand side of this page.

Green Deane DVD Set

Spring orders have started their annual increase. All of Green Dane’s videos available for free on You Tube. They do have ads on them so every time you watch a Green Deane video I get a quarter of one cent. Four views, one cent. Not exactly a large money-maker but it helps pays for this newsletter. If you want to see the videos without ads and some in slightly better quality you can order the DVD set. It is nine DVDs with 15 videos on each. Many people want their own copy of the videos or they have a slow service and its easier to order then to watch them on-line. They make a good gift for that forager you know. Individual DVDs can also be ordered. You can order them by clicking on the button on the top right of this page or you can go here.

Classes are held rain or shine or cold.

Foraging Classes: Foraging classes this week range from mid-state in Orlando to the southwest side and Sarasota. While some winter plants remain the spring edible are making their seasonal run so there’s plenty to see and taste.

Saturday, April 14th, Blanchard Park, 10501 Jay Blanchard Trail, Orlando, FL 32817. 9 a.m. Meet at the pavilion east of the tennis courts near the YMCA.

Sunday, April 15th, Red Bug Slough Preserve, 5200 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL, 34233, 9 a.m.

Saturday, April 22nd, Spruce Creek, 6250 Ridgewood Ave. Port Orange, 32127, 9 a.m., meet at the pavilion.

Saturday, May 5th, Florida State College, south campus, 11901 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, 32246. 9 a.m. We will meet at building “D” next to the administration parking lot.

To read more about the classes or to pre-pay go here.

Donations to upgrade EatTheWeeds.com and fund a book are going well and has made the half way mark. Thank you to all who have contributed to either via the Go Fund Me link, the PayPal donation link or by writing to Green Deane POB 941793 Maitland FL, 32794. Recent upgrades have been paid now the Forum needs work and several function problems need to be fixed specifically the search and categories. A new server also being considered. The other issue is finding an indexing program or function for a real book. Writing programs used to do it automatically if you designated a term for indexing. Now that most books are ebooks most writing programs do not provide and indexing function.

Foraging is more than identifying edible wild plants. It also involves knowing how to cook them, when they are prime to harvest, and subject of this review, where to find them. In real estate the mantra is “location, location, location.” We could use that with plants but a refinement would be “environment, environment, environment.”

Sea Purslane tolerates salty ground.

We know not to look for swamp plants in a desert, unless there is an isolated spring there such as an oasis. Likewise, few cactus grow in swamps though there are exceptions. We also usually find salt tolerant plants near the shore or inland near salt licks (and sometimes along northern roads salted every winter.) But some of those salt-tolerant plants will grow in your garden and do not need to be in a salty environment. Sea Purslane is found on the shore or near brackish water where its job is to build soil by forcing the wind to slow down and drop sand. But, it will also grow in your garden, no salt or wind needed. Other plants are more picky and won’t grow well if not in their preferred location.

Blueberries, Roan Mt. North Carolina.

For example, one species I am long-familiar with is Blueberries. They like soil on the acidic side, a pH below 7 on a 14-point scale. I grew up in poor-soil Maine where one could find 120-acre fields of nothing but Blueberries. Yet where I live now, in Florida, Blueberries are found in small colonies in isolated pockets. Why? One answer is Florida is a limestone plate (alkaline not acidic) so it is a waste of time to look for Blueberries unless there are acid-producing pines, oaks or perhaps cypress nearby. I planted Blueberries specifically bred for Florida but one has to amend the soil — the amount of acid — nearly as much as one has to work daily to keep a pool from turning green. They eventually died, one of my few failures.

Dandelions like acidic soil.

Another example is Dandelions. I have observed for several decades that Dandelions don’t like Florida, or at least the areas of Florida I visit. They like acidic soil. It might be it is not Florida’s heat they don’t like but rather the alkaline (“sweet”) soil. The few places I have seen Dandelions growing have been areas of acidic soil again near pines and often oaks. Dreher Park in West Palm Beach is a good example. What Dandelions there are there can be found growing in lawn grass amongst oaks. While I have also found Dandelions around the year they tend to favor the winter months such as November through February. With environment in mind let’s survey some plants and what soils and conditions they like.

Henbit, one of the few “sweet” springtime greens. Photo by Green Deane

Some plants can do well in nearly any soil. Henbit, Dead Nettle and Shepard’s Purse are good examples. However, a close relative of Shepard’s Purse, Poor Man’s Pepper Grass, likes soil on the alkaline side. This means you probably won’t find Pepper Grass near Pines and Oaks. Plants that like acidic soil (below a pH of 7.0) that you can find near Oaks and Pines include Eastern Bracken Fern, Curly Dock, Mullein, Nettles, Violets, Pineapple Weed, Plantagos, Wild Radish, Sheep Sorrel, Sow Thistle, and wild Strawberries. Plants that like it on the “sweet” or alkaline side besides Pepper Grass? Wild Carrots, Lamb’s Quarters, Amaranth, Pokeweed, White Mustard, and Purslane. Don’t look for those in an oak scrub or with a lot pines around.

Wild Garlic likes thick soil.

Besides the pH of soil the kind of soil can make a difference. Chicory likes “heavy” soil meaning lots of clay, or rocks. Also liking heavy soil is Broadleaf Dock, Daisies, Milkweed, Plantains, true Thistles, and Wild Garlic. Plants that can endure hard packed soil include Field Mustard, Morning Glories — some of which are edible — and Pineapple Weed (it used to grow in our gravel driveway.) Going the other directions, plants that like sandy soil include Goldenrods, Sandspurs and Spurge Nettle. Plants too look for in agricultural soil include chickweed, Dandelions, Lambs Quarters, Plantains, Amaranth and Purslane. And while Florida Betony can grow edible roots in rich loam or sand it tends to grow larger and easier to harvest roots in sand.

Crab Grass likes low calcium soil.

By their very presence some plants can tell you about what’s in or not in the soil. Burdock likes soil very high in iron and sulfate but low in calcium and manganese. Chickweed and Dandelions like low-calcium low-phosphorus soils. Crabgrass likes very low levels of calcium, phosphorus but high levels of chlorine, magnesium and potassium. Oxalis and Hop Cover, however, prefer low levels of calcium but high levels of magnesium. Purslane and Mustard like high phosphorus levels.

Clover prefers low nitrogen soil.

If you see a healthy patch of White Clover you know the soil is lacking in nitrogen. Or said another way, you won’t find happy White Clover in nitrogen-rich soil. I suspect that holds true for other members of the pea family as well. Because of preferences you will usually not find amaranth and clover growing together. Red Clover, however, prefers to grow in areas of soil high in potassium. Wild Garlic also likes high potassium as well along with chlorine, magnesium, and sodium.

This is weekly issue 299.

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His name was Will Endres and he was a North Carolina herbalist…Poison ivy, foraging classes, horse mint, ground cherries, foraging USBs, the Green Deane Forum, Southern Wax Myrtle, https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-475-september-21-2021/474
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Coralwood, Kudzu, Foraging Classes, Favolus Mushrooms, learning edibles, foraging USB, the Green Deane forum, aroma and cyanide

473

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-473-september-7th-2021/

It would be convenient if Pindo Palms fruited regularly.

Pindo palms seeds, Canna, Foraging classes, Ghost Pipes, Labor Day, Tallow Plums

472

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-472-august-31-2021/

Are there any Shiitake mushrooms locally?

Train Wrecker, Chicken of the Woods, Foraging Classes, Dogwood, Hackberries, Kudzu, foraging DVDs and the Green Deane Forum

471

A white Water Hyacinth was seen recently in the Little Econ River east of Orlando.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-471-august-24th-2021/

Water hyacinth, Foraging Classes, Wild grapes, Tumble Weed, Goldenrod, Swamp Mallow, Foraging USBs, the Green Deane forum, Donations

470

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-470-august-17th-2021/

One way northern and southern climates differ is the greater array of non-native species that are constantly being imported and or found in southern climates.

Torell’s Eucalyptus, Chaya, Guavas, Java Plum, Ground Cherries, Coco-plums, Natal Plum, Dragon Fruit, Podocarpus, Persimmons, Foraging USBs, Green Deane Forum, Donations, the Two-Leaf Nightshade

469

Plants remind one that weather is less dependable than we might think.

Jambul, Chanterelles, Cactus Fruit, Sugarberry, Doveweed, Foraging Classes, Isabelline, Foraging USBs, the Green Deane Forum, and Donations

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-469-august-10-2021/

468

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-468-august-3-2021/

Yes, there are land crabs in Florida and the rest of the gulf coast.

Land crabs, Foraging classes, Grapes, Podocarpus, Horsemint, Saw Palmetto, Goldenrod, Russian thistle, USBs, Green Deane Forum, donations.

467

Candyroot, Foraging Classes, Wild Grapes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Donations, Saw Palmetto, Barnyard Grass, Brookweed

Is it the season or is it the rain?

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-467-july-27th-2021/

466

This summer’s foraging classes at Putney Farm in Honea Path South Carolina are now history

Foraging in South Carolina, American Beech, Sourwood, Birches, Moringa, foraging Classes, Sumac, Country Wine, Saw Palmetto, foraging USB, Green Deane Forum, and Donations

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-466-july-20th-2021/

465

Newsletter #465, July 13th, 2021

Kousa Dogwood, Sassafras, Wild Carrots, Birches Apples

Apples, Mushrooms, Podocarpus, Foraging Classes, Knotweed, Cactus, Peppervine, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, donations,

464

In real estate it is location, location, location.

Blue Indigos, Milk Caps, Jelly Fungus, Strawberry Guava, Foraging Classes, Pandamus Grass, Smilax, Foraging DVDs, Green Deane Forum and Donations

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-464-july-6th-2021/

463

Podocarpus are not fickle but they are slightly unpredictable.

Podocarpus, Java Plum, Stillwater Canoe, Mushrooms, Foraging classes, Atamasco Lily, foraging USBs, the Green Deane Forum, and donations

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-463-june-29th-2021/

462

If you think you are not allergic to poison Ivy …

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-462-june-22-2021/

Poison Ivy, Socks and Pythons, Black Cherries, Pokeweed, Yuck, Foraging Classes, Cashews, USBs, the Green Deane Forum, Donations.

461

Sycamores, bacteria, Foraging Classes, Beautyberries, USBs, the Green Deane Forum, Donations, Sweet Acacia

Sugar maples are famous for their syrup but how many species of trees can you actually tap?

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-461-june-15th-2021/

460

What can be said about the Jambul Tree?

Jambul, Foraging Classes, Maypops, Pindo Palms, Chaya, Foraging USBs, Green Deane Forum, Donations,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-460-june-8th-2021/

459

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-459-june-1st-2021/

For more than 60 years I have associated Lilacs with June.

Lilacs, American Lotus, Foraging Classes, Chinese Tallow Tree, Eastern Hemlock, foraging USBs, the Green Deane Forum, Donations, toxic Atamaso Lilies.

This week’s debatable question is “can you eat elderberries raw?”

Elderberries, Two-leaf Nightshade, Foraging Classes, Morning Glories, foraging USBs, the Green Deane forum, donations, Jack in the Pulpit

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-458-may-25th-2021/

457

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-457-may-18th-2021/

Acres of wild blackberries….

Blackberries, foraging is illegal, Sea Blite, Foraging classes, Sea Purslane, foraging videos on USBs, the Green Deane Forum,

456

The Bunya Bunya and Norfolk Pine are closely related.

Bunya Bunya, Norfolk Pine, Allergic reactions, foraging classes, Chickasaw Plums, Blue Mushrooms, cattails, foraging videos on USBs, and the Green Deane Forum,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-456-may-4th-2021/

455

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-455-april-27th-2021/

Is it edible?

Evening Primrose, False dandelions, Yucca, Foraging classes, foraging videos on USBs, the Ghreen Deane Forum,

454

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-454-april-20-2021/

Pineapple Guava, Hercule’s Club, Usnea, Miner’s Lettuce, Foraging Classes, Paper Mulberry, Where do you forage, Foraging Videos, the Green Deane Forum, Brookweed,

Perhaps no ornamental has been championed as much as the Pineapple Guava

453

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-453-april-13-2021/

It’s about time to make a prediction.

Ringless Honey Mushrooms, Eastern Coral Bean, Foraging Classes, Watercress, Marlberries, Foraging Videos, Green Deane Forum, Donations,

452

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-452-april-6th-2021/

On the east coast of my native state of Maine about seven miles south of Portland is the Town of Scarbrough.

Paper Mulberries, Foraging Classes, Deer Mushrooms, Hercules Club, USB Videos, Green Deane Forum, Donations.

451

Which tree has more life, the Mulberry or the Moringa?

Mulberry, Atamasco lily, Foraging Classes, Blueberries, Huckleberries, Watercress, Foraging USBs, the Green Deane Forum, Smilax,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-451-march-30th-2021/

450

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-450-march-23-2021/

wisteria, Cherokee Rose, Deer Mushrooms, Foraging Classes, Hydrilla, Garlic, video USBs, Green Deane Forum, Donations

The weather may be chilly still it’s a hot time of year for foraging.

449

It’s not June that’s busting out all over but rather Vacciniums, mostly blueberries.

Vacciniums, groundnuts, evening primroses, foraging classes, video USBs, Pawpaws, Florida Pennyroyal,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-449-march-16-2021/

448

The Greeks were perhaps the first people to call things what they were such as “yoke mate” for spouse or “shiny leather” for the Reishi mushroom.

Bottlebrush tree, Candyroot, Loquats, Mulberries, Foraging classes. USB, the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-448-march-09-2021/

447

Fireweed, Latex Strangler Vine, Foraging Classes, Clover, Bacopa, Violets, USBs, Cashews

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-447-02-march-2021/

Fireweed/burnweed has a flavor chefs love.

446

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-446-feb-23-2021/

Loquats, Loquat wine, Wild Garlic, Foraging Classes, Chickweed, Lamb’s Quarters, Toxic Butterweed, Bulrush, USBs, and the Green Deane Forum,

While driving around have you seen a tree with large, dark green leaves and yellow fruit?

445

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-445-feb-16-2021/

Can you eat red mangroves?

Mangroves, foraging classes, plantagos, Passion Flowers, Black Medic, USBs&DVDs, Alligator pendent, and the Green Deane Forum

444

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-444-february-9th-2021/

Young and tender describes them best: Elm leaves we nibbled during our foraging class in Gainesville Saturday.

Elms, Eastern Red Bud, Foraging Classes, Ragweed, Cattails, Coquina, Mole Crabs, USBs & DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, nickerbeans, alligator tooth.

443

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-443-february-2-2021/

If you look across local lakes now you will see ruby red splotches on the horizon.

Maples, Drymaria, Foraging Classes, Seaweed, USBs & DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, Jabuticaba,

442

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-442-january-26-2021/

Violets, False Hawk’s Beard, Foraging Classes, Stink Horns, Weed Seeds, USB & DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

A common blossom that’s easy to identify is the wild violet.

441

Our mighty stinging nettles are up.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-441-january-19-2021/

Stinging nettles, Sow Thistle, Foraging Classes, Chickweed, Wild Geraniums, Silverthorn, USBs & DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum

440

The Western Tansy Mustard is one of our shortest-lived wintertime forageables.

Western Tansy Mustard, Eastern Gamagrass, Begonias, Foraging Classes, Spiderworts, USBs&DVDs, the Green Deane Forum,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-440-january-12th-2021/

439

Our tasty winter green chickweed is in its glory.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-439-january-05-2021/

Chickweed, Sheep Sorrel, Oxalis, Latex Strangler Vine, Pellitory, Black Medic, Geranium, Horsemint, Henbit, Shepherd’s Purse, Plantain, Wild Mustard Radish, Canna, Cattails, Foraging Classes, Botany Builder #12, USB & DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum

438

What difference can 172.4 miles make?

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-438-december-29th-2020/

Goji berry, Sea Rocket, Black Medic, Harlequin Glorybower, Foraging Classes, Nagi Tree, Glasswort, USBs & DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

437

At what point does a “wild” plant become an edible plant?

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-437-december-22-2020/

Florida Thatch Palm, Sleepy Hibiscus, Cereus, Bauhinia, Foraging Classes, Cockroach Berry, Silverthorn, USBs and DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

436

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-436-december-15th-2020/

Usually we see Christmas Berries about April.

Christmas Berries. Foraging Classes, Sow Thistle, Mustards & Radishes, Black Calabash, USBs & DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum

435

Our first sighting of one of our winter comestibles happened Saturday

Chickweed, Ringless Honey Mushrooms, Foraging Classes, Henbit, Wild Geraniums, Peltate, Is this Plant Edible? foraging USB & DVDs, the Green Deane Forum,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-435-december-08-2020/

434

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-434-december-01-2020/

Winter Podocarpus, Acerola, Foraging Classes, Chufa, Redflower Ragweed, Weeds of Southern Turf Grasses, foraging USBs &DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.

Actually there’s nothing wrong with the photo per se, it’s the time of year that’s different.

433

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-433-november-24-2020/

Every April of so we go looking for Wild Garlic…

Wild Garlic, Big Caltrop, Foraging Classes, Ghost Pipes, Balm of Gilead, USBs & DVDs, Green Deane Forum

432

We are shifting mushrooms seasons from terrestrial to trees or ground to wood.

Lion’s Mane, Gooseberries, Foraging classes, Sea Purslane, Foraging in urban areas, USB and DVDs, the Green Deane forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-432-november-17th-2020/

431

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-431-november-10-2020/

While looking for the yellow-blossomed Dandelions…

Dandelions, Mustard and radishes, Plantains, Foraging Classes, Brazilian Pepper,Skunk Vine, USBs & DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

430

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-430-november-3-2020/

During our foraging class in West Palm Beach Sunday we saw inch-high sprouts of the winter edible Pellitory.

Pellitory, Poor Man’s Peppergrass, Foraging classes, Seaweed, Jelly Fish, Southern Wax Myrtle, Stinkhorns, Jack Ol Lanterns, USBs & DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.

429

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-429-october-27-2020/

During our foraging class Sunday in Gainesville we dug up a couple of Winged Yams.

Winged Yams. Tropical Almond, Foraging Classes, Roses, Bay Leaves, Citron Melon, the Honeycomb Mushroom, USBs and DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.

428

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-428-october-20-2020/

Country Wine, Foraging Classes, Chinese Tallow Tree, Caesarweed, Cambium, USBs and DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, and Ceibas

Three reasons prompted me to resurrect my wine-making past.

427

Mother Nature has her own schedule.

Ringless Honey Mushrooms, Golden Rain Tree, Foraging Classes, Dragon Fruit, Partridgeberry, DVDs & USB, the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-427-october-13-2020/

426

Fall is a good time to write about Yellow Pond Lilys.

Yellow Pond Lilys, Persimmons, Monstera deliciosa, Turkey Tails, Foraging Classes, Sida, sumacs, two sages and a pusley, USBs and DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-426-october-6-2020/

425

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-425-september-29th-2020/

The question isn’t whether Reishi mushrooms grow in North America.

Reishi mushrooms, Wax Myrtle Berries, Foraging Classes, American Beautyberries, Sea and Wood Oats, Ground Cherries, Anoles, Chestnut Bolete, DVDs and USB, the Green Deane Forum.

424

Horsemint is in season and easy to find.

Horsemint, Crowfoot Grass, Foraging Classes, Apples, the aroma of wild food, plant pronunciations, foraging DVDs and USB, the Green Deane Forum,

423

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-423-september-15th-2020/

No one told the Ringless Honey Mushrooms it isn’t November.

Ringless Honey Mushrooms, the Syzygiums, Foraging Classes, Heartwing Sorrel, Bacopa, Groundnuts, USB and DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum

422

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-422-september-8th-2020/

Pindo and Queen Palms, Canna, Indian Pipes, Foraging Classes, Scrumping, USBs and DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.

421

In the backwoods of Maine where I grew up Dogwoods were small.

Perennial Peanut, Kousa Dogwood, Sugarberry/Hackberry, Foraging Classes, Ground Cherries, foraging DVDsUSBs, the Green Deane Forum.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-421-september-01-2020/

420

Gracie gets the prize.

Black Trumpets, Persimmons, foraging classes, Kudzu, Wild Apples, the toxic False Parasol, foraging USBs and DVDs, and the Green Deane forum.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-420-august-25th-2020/

419

Last Sunday’s foraging class — Haulover Canal — was a hot one with a lot of walking.

Tallow Plums, Foraging Classes, Goldenrod, Saw Palmettos, White Spiderling, Sumac, foraging DVDS & USBs,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-419-august-18th-2020/

418

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-418-august-11-2020/

There is probably some Syzygium in your kitchen.

Bunya Bunyas, Syzygiums, Chanterelles, Cactus Tuna, Sugarberry, Doveweed, Isabelline, foraging DVDs and USB, the Green Deane Forum…

417

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-417-august-04-2020/

Wild mints can be prima donnas.

Horsemint, Russian Thistle, Foraging Classes, Goldenrod, Swamp Mallow, foraging videos, Green Deane Forum, Pindo Palms

416

With apologies this newsletter is starting with the foraging class schedule.

Wild Grapes, foraging class schedule, Pepper Vine, Podocarpus, Country Wine Update, Sumacs, Saw Palmettos, Foraging Videos, Green Deane Forum, Black Gum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-416-july-29th-2020/

415

July is passing and that means many different things to foragers depending upon your location on the rotation.

Forked-tendril grapes, pindo palms, cactus, foraging classes, the false roselle, barnyard grass, strawberry guava, foraging DVDs & USB, the green Deane Forum,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-415-july-21-2020/

414

It’s called Pandanus and Screw Pine and a lot of other names as well.

Pandanus Grass, Smilax walteri, Foraging Classes, Knotweed, Pineapple Weed, Tamarind, Toe Biters, foraging videos on USB, and the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-414-july-14th-2020/

413

Is it time to rethink Magnolias?

Magnolias, Foraging Classes, Podocarpus, Florida Wine, Bread and Beer, Foraging Videos on USB, Green Deane Forum, Strawberry Guavas

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-413-july-7-2020/

412

First an apology to those who showed up for a class last Sunday at Haul Over Canal to find, like me, the road closed.

Chamberbitters, foraging classes, Grapes, Magnolias, videos on USB, Green Deane Forum, and Bacopa

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-412-june-30th-2020/

411

What can be said about the Jambul Tree?

Jambul Tree, Foraging Classes, Morning Glories, Boletes, Poke Sallet, Tindora, Foraging Videos on USBs, and the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-411-june-23-2020/

410

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-410-june-16th-2020/

Sugar maples are famous for their syrup but how many species of trees can you actually tap?

Tapping trees, grapes, foraging classes, American Beautyberries, Creeping Fig, Richardia, videos on USBs and the Green Deane Forum

409

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-409-june-9-2020/

There’s an old song “what a difference a day makes.”

Mushroom class, foraging classes, Natal Plum, Surinam Cherries, Foraging videos on USBs, the Green Deane Forum.

408

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-408-june-2-2020/

Yellow ponds, that’s how I think of it, or in some places, yellow rivers.

American Lotus, Jack in the Pulpit, Black Cherries, a toxic lily, Chinese Tallow Tree, Foraging Classes, Maypops, Videos on USBs, and the Green Deane Forum.

407

In the realm of plant populations there is endangered, threatened then rare.

Candyroot, American Lotus, Foraging Classes, Eggs, USBs and the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-407-may-26-2020/

406

This was a “Prunus” foraging week.

Chickasaw Plums, Indigo Milk Cap, Black Medic, Foraging Classes, Cattails, Foraging Videos, Podocarpus, Wine Making, Blue Porter Weed, Green Deane Forum, Wild Pineapple.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-406-may-19-2020/

405

We are in between mushroom seasons, so to speak.

Boletes, Society Garlic, Gopher Apples, Foraging Classes, Foraging DVDs/USBs, Botany Builder #28, Maypops, Toxic Cherry Laurel, Cochineal Dye, and the Green Deane Forum.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-12-may-2020/

404

This week’s debatable question is “can you eat elderberries raw?”

Elderberries, Grapes, Common Plant Names, Redflower Ragweed, Fakahatchee Grass, Ground Nuts, Foraging Classes, Foraging videos, Wild Coffee and Coralberry, the Green Deane Forum.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-05-may-2020/

403

Now is a good time to go looking for blackberries.

Blackberries, Pineapple Guava, the Bacopas, Foraging Classes, Foraging Videos now on USB drives, Eastern Coral Bean, Coquina, Green Deane Forum, and Cotton

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-28-april-2020/

401-402

At one time there were just Opuntias.

Cactus, Gopher Apples, Deerberries, Foraging Classes, Mushrooms, Foraging DVDs, Persimmons, Avocados, Paper Mulberry, Pawpaw, Smartweed, Green Deane Forum and YUCK!,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-april-14-21-2020/

400

Watercress grew in a ditch behind an apartment complex I lived in near Sanford, Florida…

Watercress, Wild Garlic, Marlberries, Chokeberries, American Nightshade, Chamberbitter, Green Deane Forum, Donations, DVDs

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-7-april-2020/

399

Blossoming this time of year is the Eastern Coral Bean, sometimes called the Cherokee Bean.

Eastern Coral Bean, Sea Blite, Foraging Classes, Pineapple Guava, Foraging DVDs, Variegated Mahoe, Australian Pine, Bananas, Green Deane Forum, Donations, Making Wine

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-31-march-2020/

398

If you have an established ivy gourd…

Ivy Gourd, Swinecress, Foraging Classes, Cashews, Henbit, Purslane, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Donations, Basswood,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-24-march-2020/

397

A common blossom that’s easy to identify is the wild violet.

Violets, Seablite, Loquats, foraging classes, Redflower Ragweed, Latex Strangler Vine, Green Deane Forum, Donations, DVDs, Ivy Gourd

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-17-march-2020/

396

Fireweed/Burnweed has a flavor chefs love.

Fireweed/Burnweed, Clover, Foraging Classes, Waning Weeds, Fungi, Creeping Cucumber, Bacopa, Pennyroyal, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Donations

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-10-march-2020/

395

A few newsletters ago it was mentioned the Mulberries were in blossom.

Mulberries, foraging classes, Pawpaws, Time Change, Dandelions and False Dandelions, Winter Plants and Wintergreen, Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Donating, and foraging photo #19

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-3-march-2020/

394

Species in the Rumex genus can be difficult.

Rumex, Foraging Classes, Citron Melons, Loquat, Clover, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDS, Donations,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-25-february-2020/

393

What are those white blossoms?

Plums, Hawthorns, Pawpaw, Foraging Classes, Blewit, Wild Garlic, Plantagos, Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Donations, Botany Builder #38.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-18-february-2020/

392

It’s time for my annual warning about Butterweed

Butterweed, Bulrush, Foraging Classes, Wild Pineapple, Red Powder Puff, DVDs, Creeping Indigo warning, Green Deane forum, donations,

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-11-february-2020/

391

Most trees in the Pea Family are toxic but not all of them.

Eastern redbud, Cattails, Pines, Foraging Classes, Coquina and Mole Crabs, Acorns, Plantagos, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-04-february-2020/

390

While driving through the middle of the peninsula this week I noticed Lambsquarters in their most common seasonal place: Citrus groves.

Lambsquarters, Foraging Classes, Passifloras, Doveweed, Axils, Jelly Fish, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, Donations

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-28-january-2020/

389

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-21-january-2020/

Cladonia is a large genus of edible but not tasty lichen.

Lichen, foraging classes, Botany Builder 28, Wild Lettuce, Removing Invasive Species, Botanical Names, Black Medic, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, Donations

388

It’s rather obvious that wintertime foraging varies where you live.

Winter Foraging, Chickweed and edible friends, Foraging classes, Sublimed sulfur, A cheap foraging book, Details and Solanum Americanum, Oyster Mushrooms, DVDs, Donations and the Green Deane Forum.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-14-january-2020/

387

Eastern Gamagrass, aka Fakahatchee Grass, is an edible you don’t see and then you do.

Eastern Gamagrass, Ivy Gourd, Foraging Classes, Teas, Botany Builder #10, Carpetweed, Donations, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-7-january-2020/

386

There’s no reason to buy mustard greens now.

Wild mustard and radish, Butter and Ruby Boletes, Foraging Classes, Edible Blossoms, Surinam Cherries, toxic Creeping Indigo.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-31-december-2019/

385

It’s a good time to mention the toxic Butterweed and Rattlebox.

Butterweed, Foraging Classes, Roses, Hawthorns, Euell Gibbons and Nutrition, Rattlebox

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-24-december-2019/

384

Plants give you something to look forward to especially if you know where and when to look.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-17-december-2019/

Wild Garlic, Chickweed, Goosegrass, Sow Thistle, Stinging Nettles, Dandelions, Sycamore, Foraging Classes, Tar Vine, Desert Horse Purslane, Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Go Fund Me, Urban Crawl

383

Mother Nature can be fickle and it’s almost always tied to weather.

Grapes, Swinecress, Silverthorn, Foraging Classes, False Hawk’s Beard, Jelly Ears, Botany Builder #31, Cactus, the Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Go Fund Me

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-10-december-2019/

382

Pyracanthas are furious in the fall.

Pyrachanthas Chinese and Siberian Elms, Silverthorn, Foraging Classes, Drymaria, Botany Builder #30, Magnolia Blossoms, Ginkgo, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me, Pollination in a word, and Remembering Nefertiti

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-3-december-2019/

381

This time of year two wintertime foragables come up, one quite esteemed the other barely edible.

Henbit, Wild Geraniums, Foraging Classes, Chickweed, Horse Nettle & Tropical Soda Apple, Bananas

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-26-november-2019/

380

wild Mustards and radishes, Toxic Water Hemlock, Smartweed, Foraging Classes, Golden Rain Tree, Skunk Vine, Scat Contamination, Lady Bugs, and Lion’s Mane

Many foraging books are what I call “Ohio-centric.”

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-19-november-2019/

379

Dandelions, Seaweed, Foraging classes, Jellyfish, Wax Myrtle Berries, the Stinkhorn and Jack O’Lanterns, Mustards and Radishes, the Green Deane Forum, Donations, and foraging DVDs

Dandelion blossoms, ten pounds of sugar, and two cakes of bread yeast became my first batch of wine.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-05-november-2019/

378

Edible Mushrooms, Foraging Classes, Tie Change, Blue and Red Sages and Oakleaf Flea Bane, Chinese Elm, Christmasberries, Wild Mustards, donations, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.

Unusual rains last week coaxed more life out of several edible mushroom species that were seasonally put to bed a month ago.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-29-october-2019/

377

Cucumber Tree, Paul Dreher, Sida, Turkey Tails, Foraging Classes, Palmate Leaves, Richardia, Perennial Peanut, Caesarweed, Botanical Names, Donations, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.

Foraging is treasure hunting for adults

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-22-october-2019/

376

As is often the case one can walk past edible species many times and not notice them.

Cinnamon, Dragon Fruit, Foraging Classes, Sumac, Persimmons, Yellow Pond Lily, Donations, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-15-october-2019/

375

The fruiting of species can be a mystery.

Cocoplums, Simpson Stopper, Coconut borer, Southern Wax Myrtle, Foraging Classes, Ringless Honey Mushrooms, White American Beautyberries, Wood Oats, Donations, foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-08-october-2019/

skipped a week, wordpress down

374

Panicum is a very common group of edible native and non-native grasses in Florida and North America.

Panic Grass, Aromas, Plant Pronunciations, Foraging Classes, Purslane, Pindo Palm Wine, Donations, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-24-september-2019/(opens in a new tab)

373

It’s the time of year to talk about Saw Palmetto berries.

Saw Palmettos, Tallow Plum, Foraging Classes, Wild Apples, Elevation, Donations, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum

Newsletter 17 September 2019

372

Seagrapes are coming into season.

Seagrapes, Doveweed, Foraging near roads. Foraging Classes this week, Black & Sweet Gums, Isabelline and Mushrooms of the Gulf South.

Newsletter 10 September 2019

371

Newsletter 03 September 2019

Labor Day used to mean more than hurricanes threatening the east coast from Florida to Maine.

Labor Day, Creeping Fig, Foraging Classes in spite of Hurricane Dorian, Liatris, Poke Weed, Yellow Pond Lilly, Poke Weed, Mosquitos & Beer, Lawns Aren’t Green, donations,

370

It’s the time of year when Horsemint is easy to find.

Horsemint, Cocoplums, Natal Plumbs; Mushroom, Chitin, Arsenic and Insects; Stevia and Ragweed, Foraging Classes, Railroad Tracks, Goldenrod, Go Fund Me

Newsletter 27 August 2019

369

I never receive mail about Lion’s Ear.

Newsletter 20 August 2019

Lion’s Ear, Brazilian Nightshade, Foraging Classes, Sida, Gopher Apples and Tallow Plums, White Chicken of the Woods, Go Fund Me, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.

368

The Water Hyacinth is blooming and no doubt many people are irritated by that.

Newsletter 13 August 2019

Water Hyacinth, Milk Cap Mushrooms, Foraging Classes, Kudzu, Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Go Fund Me, and I need a webmaster.

367

Bunya Bunya get no respect

Bunya Bunya, Red Spiderling, Goldenrod, Sugarberry, Foraging Classes, Horsemint, Sweet Gum/Black Gum, The False Parasol: A mushroom to avoid, Green Deane Forum, Russian Thistle and railroad tracks, Foraging DVDs, Go Fund me, and I need a webmaster.

Newsletter 6 August 2019

366

What’s in season to forage? Many species now perhaps because of unusual weather pattens this year.

What plants can you forage for now, what mushrooms can you forage now, foraging classes, Blue Porter Weed, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me

365

It’s common yet uncommon, that is, not rare but you don’t notice it too often.

Hawthorns, American Lotus, Upcoming foraging class schedule, Chanterelles, Burgoo and Loblollies, Donations, the Green Deane Forum, foraging DVDs

Newsletter 23 July 2019

364

One more abbreviated newsletter with schedule because I have been teaching out-of-state.

Newsletter 16 July 2019

Newsletter 23 July 2019

363

Newsletter 9 July 2019

This and next week’s newsletters (July 9 & 16, 2019) are abbreviated because…

362

One would think that with a name like “Barnyard Grass” one would find the species in barnyards.

Barnyard Grass, Strawberry Guava, Seaside Gentian, Spanish Needles, Toxic polypore, Foraging Classes, Teaching in South Carolina, Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum, foraging DVDs

Newsletter 2 July 2019

361

Yes it is edible but….

The other White Chicken-of-the-Woods, Two-Leaf Solanum, Norfolk Pines and the Bunya Bunya, Foraging Classes Florida, Foraging Classes South Carolina. Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum, and foraging DVDs

Newsletter 25 June 2019

360

Ground cherries locally tend to have two seasons, spring and fall.

Ground Cherries, South Carolina Foraging Classes, new food crops, Florida Foraging Classes, the Winged Yam, Passion Flower, the toxic Cherry Laurel, Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum, foraging DVDs

Newsletter 18 June 2019

359

Yellow ponds, that’s how I think of it, or in some places, yellow rivers.

American Lotus, South Carolina Foraging Classes, Local Foraging Classes, the toxic Atamasco Lily, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Juniper Berries, Go Fund Me, Green Deane Forum, DVDs, the Chinese Tallow tree

Newsletter 11 June 2019

358

From a foraging point of view it was a very berry weekend starting with Coastal Ground Cherries, Physalis angustifolia in Port Charlotte.

Ground Cherries, Cassine, Marco Island, Classes in South Carolina, Foraging Classes Florida, How Safe Is Foraging, Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum, DVDs

Newsletter 4 June 2019

357

The first time I ever saw red poppies growing was in Athens on my first visit to Greece

Corn Poppies, Impatiens, Smartweed, Mushroom Update, Foraging Classes, Botany Builder #28 Echinate, Blue Porterweed, Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me, DVDs, and Wild Pineapple

Newsletter 28 May 2019

356

If you were starving and came upon a patch of cattails you would have great cause for celebration.

Cattails, Kudzu, Acorns, Lantana, Foraging Classes, Gopher Apples, Go Fund Me, and foraging DVDs

Newsletter 21 May 2019

355

The American Nightshade is a much-maligned plant

American Nightshade, Ground Cherry, Blueberries et cetera, Carolina Bristle Mallow, Foraging Classes, Juniper Berries, Donations, the Green Deane Forum, foraging DVDs

Newsletter 14 May 2019

354

There’s an odd kind of mulberry here in Florida.

Basswood (The Linden/Lime Tree) Chestnut Bolete, Foraging Classes, Kudzu, Wild Pineapple, Winged Yam, Foraging DVDs, Ivy Gourd, Donations, Gamagrass/Fakahatchee Grass, the Green Deane Forum

Newsletter 7 May 2019

353

There’s still time to look for Sea Blite, a seasonal salt-tolerant species that’s here this month, gone next month

Sea Blite, Sugarberry, Foraging Classes, the Mahoe, Partridgeberry, Marlberries Revisited, DVDs, Donations and the Green Deane Forum.

Newsletter 30 April 2019

352

By April Stinging Nettles are usually gone for the season.

Newsletter 23 April 2019

Stinging nettles, Green Mushrooms, Suriname Cherries, Wild Garlic, Foraging Classes, Miner’s Lettuce, Confederate Jasmine, Florida Pennyroyal, Redvein Abutilon, DVDs, Go Fund Me, and the Green Deane Forum

351

If you are in the habit of eating wild mushrooms

Newsletter 16 April 2019

Five Edible Wild Mushrooms, Pineapple Guava, Eastern Coral Bean, Forestiera segregata the Florida Privet, Weekly Foraging Classes, Wild Edibles and locations they like, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, and Go Fund Me

350

Watercress/Wintercress grew in a ditch behind an apartment complex I lived in…

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-09-april-2019/

Watercress, Wild Garlic, Upcoming Foraging Classes, Marlberries, Chokeberry, Making You Own Vinegar, Usnea, DVDS, Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me, A Leafing Hickory

349

Tallow Plums are something of a botanical mystery.

Newsletter 2 April 2019

Tallow Plums, Wild Garlic, Blueberries and relatives, Toothache Tree as a source of pepper, Foraging Classes, Eastern Coral Bean, American Nightshade, Soon it will be mushroom season, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Go Fund Me.

348

A few newsletters ago it was mentioned Mulberries were in blossom…

Newsletter 26 March 2019

Mulberries, Creeping Cucumber, Coco-plums, Foraging Classes and a new location, toxic Butterweed, Suriname Cherries, Green Deane Forum DVDS, Fermenting Spiderwort, Go Fund Me…

347

Pawpaws can be among the most difficult and easy wild fruits to find.

Newsletter 19 March 2019

Pawpaws, Eating Grass, Foraging Classes, sickening Tropical Sage, Wisteria, Gladiolus, Raceme vs Spike, the Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Go Fund Me.

346

With an impossible scientific name and strong aroma Fireweed is often over looked by the foraging community.

Fireweed, Mayflowers, Lilacs, Pussy Willows, Foraging Classes, Mistetoe, Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Go Fund Me, Drying Loquats

Newsletter 12 March 2019

345

Most foragers know Smilax tips are edible.

Newsletter 5 March 2019

Smilax berries, Marlberries, Daylight Saving Time, True Thistles, Coquina & Mole Crabs, Botanical Names, Foraging Classes, the Green Deane Forum, DVDs, and Go Fund Me

344

Heads up, literally: Loquats are ripening.

Newsletter 26 February 2019

Loquats, Blackberries, Mulberries. Maypops, Creeping Cucumbers, Dollarweed, Strange Time of Year, Foraging Classes, Eau de Rodent, Turkey Berry, Toxic Tomatoes, the Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Go Fund Me,

343

Lamb’s Quarters… Fat Hen… and where to find it.

Newsletter 19 February 2019

Lamb’s Quarters, Citron Melons, Last Average Frost Date, Maple Seeds, Eastern Red Bud, Pink Tabebuia, Loquats, Pawpaws, Surinam Cherries, Cocoplum, Wild Mustard, Wild Radish, Blackberries. Agaricus campestris, Foraging Classes, Go Fund Me, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Plantago rugelii

342

The Western Tansy Mustard is one of our shortest-lived winter-time forageables.

Newsletter 12 February 2019

Western Tansy Mustard, Bittercress, Micro-Mustards, Black Medic, Foraging Classes, Florida Herbal Conference, Doveweed, the Larch, Tulips, Go Fund Me, Green Deane Forum, DVDs,

341

Going north to forage is always pleasant this time of year.

Newsletter 5 February 2019

Wild Garlic, Black Cherry vs Laurel Cherry, Elderberries, Foraging Classes, Lawns Aren’t Green, Florida Herbal Conference, Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs

340

Yeah… that’s a mouthful…

Male Pine Cones, Poorman’s Pepper Grass and Maca, Perennial Peanut, Foraging Classes, Seaweeds, Dandelions, Nicker Beans, Florida Herbal Conference, Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, and Trametes lactinea.

Newsletter 29 January 2019

339

An often overlooked wild edible is Bulrush.

Newsletter 22 January 2019

Bulrushes, Candyroot, Florida Pennyroyal, Sow Thistle, Wild Pineapple, Florida Herbal Conference, Calliandra, Foraging Classes, Blewits, Magnesium Deficiencies, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me, Spanish Cherries

338

Newsletter 15 January 2019

A common blossom that’s easy to identify is the wild violet. It’s cultivated brethren is the pansy.

Violets, foraging mistakes, upcoming foraging classes, the Florida Herbal Conference, Bauhinias, False Hawks Beard, Green Eyes, Florida Privet, foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me, Swinecress, Stink Horns, and Lawns Aren’t Green.

337

Newsletter 08 January 2019

There are Plantains that look like tough bananas and there are Plantains that are low and leafy plants.

Plantains/Plantagos, Fleabane, Goji Berry, Sycamore tree, Sublimed Sulfur, Richardia, Foraging Classes, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me.

336

Newsletter, 01 January 2019

Newsletter, 01 January 2019

Making their winter debut are our stinging nettles and they might have the second-worst nettle sting on earth.

Stinging nettles, Sow Thistles, Chickweed, Foraging Classes, Podocarpus Mystery, Hen Bit, the “Bills”, Wax Myrtle Berries, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me

335

Newsletter 18-25 December 2018

Newsletter 18-25 December 2018

Newsletter 18-25 December 2018

A winter edible you should be scouting for is Galium aparine, or Goosegrass…

Goosegrass, Jelly Ears, False Hawk’s Beard, Roses, Nickerbeans, Christmasberry, Dandelion, Lemon Bacopa and it’s evil bitter sister Water Hyssop, Foraging Classes, Pinellas County, Foraging Videos, Go Fund Me, Green Deane Forum, Thistle Seeds, 8th Annual Urban Crawl

334

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-11-december-2018/

Pyracanthas are furious in the fall. Their brilliant red berries stand out in every landscape

Pyracanthas, Gingko, Chickweed, Hibiscus, Bauhinia, Foraging Classes, Death By Apple Seeds, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Go Fund Me, can you ID the edibles?

333

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-04-december-2018/

Both the Chinese and Siberian elms have several edible parts.

Chinese and Siberian elms, if an animal can eat it, West Indian Chickweed, upcoming Foraging Classes, Passiflora lutea, the Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me, Foraging videos, and oaks

332

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-27-november-2018/

Foragers benefit from bad ideas.

Silverthorn, Little Mustards, Creeping Cucumber, Foraging Classes, Go Fund Me, Wax Myrtle, Green Deane Forum, Indian Pipes, Foraging Videos,

331

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-20-november-2018/

The seasons are changing and so is the foraging with a shift into not only fall but winter plants.

Christmasberry, Sugarberry, Foraging Classes, Carpetweed, Beefsteak Polypore, Go Fund Me. Green Deane Forum, Foraging videos

330

Common plant names can be so misleading.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-13-november-2018/

Silk Floss Tree, Pandanus Grass, Sand Spurs, Stinging Nettle, Foraging Classes, Chicken of the Woods, Go Fund Me, Foraging DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum

329

We don’t have the opportunity to often use the word “windfall”…

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-november-06-2018/

Chinese elm, pines and inner bark, jellyfish, wild oaks and sea purslane, foraging classes, personal notes, donations, DVD and the Green Deane Forum

328

The tree is easy to find but is it edible?

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-30-october-2018/

Golden Rain Tree, Daylight Saving Time, Back Yard Foraging and Pets, Foraging Classes, Smartweed, Go Fund Me, DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum

327

Learning about edible wild plants seem intimidating at first.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-23-october-2018/

Ringless Honey Mushroom, Foraging Class Schedule, Morning Glories, Go Fund Me, DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum,

326

Our Sumacs are happy.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-16-october-2018/

Sumacs, Persimmons, What is Edible? Foraging Classes, Perennial Peanut, Sea Grapes, Go Fund Me, Green Deane Forum, foraging DVDs,

325

This might be a good time to write about Yellow Pond Lilys.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-09-october-2018/

Yellow Pond Lily, Papaya and Castor Beans, Sida, Turkey Tails, False Turkey Tails, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Go Fund Me, Green Deane Forum.

324

Is it edible? Yes, no, maybe…

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-2-october-2018/

Chinese Tallow Tree, Caesarweed, Horsemint, Oyster Mushrooms, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum.

323

Seasons can be subtle

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-25-september-2018/

Seasons, Jambul Tree, Mushrooming, Saw Palmaettos, Foraging Classes. Toxic Caterpillars, Foraging Videos, and the Green Deane Forum.

322

It was on the side of the bike trail, half squished.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-18-september-2018/

Persimmons, Ringless Honey Mushrooms, Bananas, Foraging Classes, Peppervine, Foraging Videos, Green Deane Forum,

321

In the backwoods of Maine where I grew up Dogwoods were small.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-11-september-2018/

Kousa Dogwood, Canna, Ground Cherries, Cocoplums, Foraging Classes, Foraging DVDs, Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum, OMG!, Carpetweed, Indian Pipes

320

In the olden BC days… before computers…

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-04-september-2018/

Fall foraging, foraging classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Go Fund me, Creeping Fig

319

Still unpacking from my road trip (which is my excuse for this shorter-than-usual weekly newsletter.)

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-28-august-2018/

Mushroom class, foraging class in South Carolina, Foraging Classes, Kudzu, Radium Weed, DVDs, Go Fund Me, the Green Deane Forum

318

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-21-august-2018/

This is an abbreviated newsletter

Foraging class schedule for August and September 2018

317

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-14-august-2018/

Bunya Bunya get no respect in countries where people have plenty of food.

Bunya Bunya, Norfolk Pine, Black Gum, Sugarberry, Erect Spiderling, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Foraging Classes, Go Fund Me,

316

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-08-august-2018/

There’s an old phrase: “Sometimes you have to bow to the absurd”

Chanterelles, Black Trumpet, Sumac, Foraging Classes, Horsemint, Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Go Fund Me,

315

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-31-july-2018/

Putting on black fruit now is the much-debated Peppervine, Ampelopsis arborea.

Peppervine, Pindo Palms, Foraging Classes, Americaln Lotus, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Where the wild food is.

314

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-24-july-2018/

Our foraging class in Port Charlotte this past week was above and beyond if you like fruit.

Cocoplums, Jambul Tree, Mangos, Ground Cherries, Foraging Classes, Fermenting Mushrooms, Blue Porterweed, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum,

313

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-17-july-2018/

Millions of dollars and many decades have been spent trying to eradicate the edible pictured above.

Latex Strangler Vine, Beefstake Polypore, Sugarberry, Foraging Classes, Eastern Gammagrass, Purslane, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Lawns Aren’t Green,

312

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-10-july-2018/

Lobsters… no, not the kind from the sea but the woods: Lobster mushrooms.

Magnolias, Lobster Mushrooms, Foraging Classes, Carpetweed, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Bacterial Considerations,

311

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-3-july-2018/

There’s a wonderfully aromatic plant that prefers to hide most of the year.

Horsemint, Tallow Plum, Orlando Mushroom Group, Pecan Truffles, Foraging Classes, and DVDs

310

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-26-june-2018/

Podocarpus does not, as they used to say, have an attitude.

Podocarpus, Simpson Stopper, Orlando Mushroom Group, Foraging Classes, Jack In The Pulpit, Green Deane Forum, and foraging DVDs.

309

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-19-june-2018/

Paper Mulberries are related to bread fruit.

Paper Mulberries, St. John’s Mint, Black Gum, Podocarpus, Poison Sumac, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Blue Porterweed

308

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-12-june-2018/

Sorting out Morning Glories, Maypops and plants with cyanide, a Bolete with no name, Foraging Classes, Eating Little Red Bugs, the Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs,

307

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-05-june-2018/

Yellow ponds, that’s how I think of it…

American Lotus, Black Cherry, Foraging Classes, Toxic Atamasco, Milk Caps. The Old Man of the Woods, Green Deane Forum, Chinese Tallow tree, foraging DVDs,

306

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-29-may-2018/

Yucca is not Yuca. Or said another way: YOU-ka is not YUK-ka.

Yucca, Matchhead, Oaxaca Lemon Verbena, Doveweed, Ficus Racemosa, American Nightshade, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Eastern Hemlock

305

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-22-may-2018/

The Orlando Mushroom Group (OMG!) met Sunday for their first fungal foray of the year.

Orlando Mushroom Group, Pawpaws, Foraging Classes, Pregnancy and Plants, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Go Fund Me, and Chanterelles.

304

Spiderworts got me in trouble once

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-15-may-2018/

Spiderworts, Pond Apples, Sea Oxeye, Foraging Classes, OMG mushroom hunt, Go Fund Me, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Botany Builder 26,

303

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-08-may-2018/

Not all of botany is settled.

Grapes, Ivy Gourd, Eastern Gamagrass, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Go Fund Me, the Orlando Mushroom Group,

302

Sea Purslane and Purslane are not the same species

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-01-may-2018/

Sea Purslane, Sargassum, Morning Glories, Foraging Classes, Foraging DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Orlando Mushroom Group, Go Fund Me, Jack in the Pulpits,

301

The American Nightshade is poised to fruit heavily.

https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-24-april-2018/

American Nightshade, Blackberries, Orlando Mushroom Group, Common Fungi of South Florida, Foraging Classes, Ivy Gourd, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Go Fund Me,

Newsletters in chronological order
29 November2016: https://www.eattheweeds.com/newsletter-6-december-2016/ Issue 235: What do you see #25, Beautyberries, Simpson Stoppers, Wild Pineapples, Where To Find Wild Edibles. Foraging Classes, A possible edible shrub? Bananas, Foraging DVDs and the Green Deane Forum
22 November 2016: Issue 234 Dandelions, Goji Berries, Wapato, Foraging Classes, Foraging DVDs, the Green Deane Forum
15 November 2016: Issue 233: Chinese Elm, Wild Lettuce, Horsemint, Smartweed, Beautyberry, Brazilian Pepper, Winged Sumac, Foraging Classes, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum,
08 November 2016: Issue 232. Cucumber Weed, Honey Mushrooms, Creeping Cucumber, Tallow Plum, Christmasberry, Foraging Classes, Green Deane DVD, and the Green Deane Forum.
01 November 2016: Issue 231: Edible Wild Radish, Deadly Water Hemlock, Peppery Smartweed, Crushed Acorns, Foraging Classes, DVDs and the Green Deane Forum
25 October 2016: Issue 230: Tropical Almond, How Kids Learn, Foraging Classes, Dove Plums, the Green Deane Forum and foraging DVDs.
18 October 2016: Issue 229: Do you need to know the botanical names? Morning Glories, Persimmons, Yam A, Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum, DVDs, Acorn Bread.
11 October 2016: Issue 228: Harvesting windfall, is the ground polluted? the Green Deane Forum and foraging DVDs
04 October 2016: Issue 227: Carpetweed, foraging and bacteria, foraging classes, the Green Deane Forum, and foraging DVDs.
27 September 2016: Issue 226: Acorns, Creeping Fig, Jewels of Opar, Foraging Classes, Ft. Desoto, Chaya, Green Deane Forum, foraging DVDs.
20 September 2016: Issue 225: Hackberry – Sugarberry, Kudzu, Skunk Vine, Foraging Classes, Persimmons, Green Deane DVDs and the Green Deane Forum.
13 September 2016: Issue 224: Water Hyacinth, Panic Grass, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Pindo Wine, the Green Deane Forum
06 September 2016: Issue 223: Learning how to forage, what’s in season now, foraging classes, Green Deane DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.
30 August 2016 was a fifth Tuesday. No newsletter was published.
23 August 2016: Issue 222: Beautyberries, grapes, Pindo Palm, Simpson Stopper, Horsemint, Saw Palmetto, Persimmons, Maine Blueberries, milkweed pods, foraging classes., DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, medicinal and edible mushrooms.
16 August 2016: Issue 221: Horsemint, Pindo Wine, Begonias, Goldenrod, Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, Beautyberries,
09 August 2016: Issue 220: Black Cherry, Black Gum, Black Pepper Vine Fruit, the North American Ebony, persimmon, foraging classes, DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum.
02 August 2016: Issue 219: Pindo Palms, White Boerhavia, Water Hyssop and memory, Hackberries, Foraging Classes, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, and Wild Grpaes
26 July 2016: Issue 218: The Jambul Tree, Norfolk Pine, Hairy Cow Pea, Magnifying Glass, Foraging classes, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum, and Simpson Stoppers.
All data on site between April 16 and June 8th were lost because of Hostgator’s incompetence. That included many newsletters.
12 April 2016: Issue 203: Finding Pawpaws, blossoming Eastern Coral Bean, fruiting Mulberries, the Mahoe, Partridgeberries in Florida! Upcoming foraging classes and ForageFest, the Green Deane Forum and DVDs.
5 April 2016: No newsletter because of hacking attempt.
29 March 2016: Issue 202: Ivy Gourd or Tindora, Bidens alba, Fermenting, Loquats, Foraging Classes and DVDs.
22 March 2016: Issue 201: Linden Tree, Fermenting Spiderwort, Avocado Seeds, Foraging Classes, DVDs
15 March 2016: Issue 200: Identifying Garden Weeds, Loquats, Butterweed, New Class Location, Upcoming Foraging Classes, the Green Deane Forum, Foraging DVDs, 200th Newsletter!
8 March 2016: Issue 199: Garden weeds, finding edible weeds, Western Tansy Mustard, Foraging Classes, Sow thistles, Green Deane Forum and DVDs.
1 March 2016: Issue 198: Florida Herbal Conference 2016, Poor Man’s Pepper Grass and Maca, Foraging Classes, Seaweed, Free Mustard Seeds, Green Deane DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum.
23 February 2016: Issue 197: The Eastern Redbud and Chickasaw Plum, Wild Radishes and Mustards, Earthskills and Florida Herbal Conference 2016, Upcoming Foraging Classes, Free Mustard Seeds, Green Deane DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum.
16 February 2016: Issue 196: Sow Thistles, Thorns, Spines and Prickles, the Green Deane Forum, Foraging Classes. Florida Herbal Conference, Free Mustard Seeds, Green Deane’s DVDs.
9 February 2016: Issue 195: Silverthorns, Plantagos, Foraging Classes, Florida Herbal Conference, Foraging DVDs, free Red Mustard seeds.
2 February 2016: Issue 194: Tulips, Mustards, Dandelions, Doveweed, Florida Herbal Conference, Foraging Classes, Green Deane Videos, Free Mustard seeds, and the Green Deane Forum: Did you ever eat a larch?”
26 January 2016: Issue 193: Eastern Gamagrass, Florida Herbal Conference, Sea Blite, Queen and Pindo Palms, Opuntia and Nopales, Foraging Classes, Green Deane DVDs.
19 January 2016: Issue 192: Silverthorn, Sheep’s Sorrel, Free Red Mustard Seeds, Stinging Nettles, Henbit, Chickweed, Foraging Classes, DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum
12 January 2016: Issue 191: Roots revisited: Ivy Gourd. Wild Teas. Foraging Classes, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.
5 January 2016: Issue 190:Stinging nettles, Purslane, Oxalis, Mystery Root, Foraging classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum.
29 December 2015: Issue 189:Goosegrass, Christmasberry, Natal Plum, Yaupon Holly, Bananas, Nicker Bean, Ground Cherry, Sea Purslane, Sea Blite, Coral Berry, Gracilaria, CLasses, DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum
22 December 2015: Issue 188: Ringless Honey mushrooms, Deer Mushrooms, Tamarind, Mahoe, Tropical Almond, Fifth Urban Crawl, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum,
15 December 2015: Issue 187: Silverthorn, Peppergrass, Chickweed, Foraging Classes Green Deane Videos, the Green Deane Forum, fifth annual Urban Crawl.
8 December 2015: Issue 186: Wild lettuce, Osage Orange, Ginkgos, Cashew Trees, Pineapple Guava, Turk’s Cap, Foraging Classes, DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum.
1 December 2015: Issue 185: Tropical Soda Apple aka Horse Nettle, Henbit, Stork’s Bill and Cranesbill,
24 November 2015: Issue 184; Chickweed, pomegranate peelings, pines, homemade mustard, foraging classes, the Green Deane Forum, and DVDs
17 November 2015: Issue 183; Seaweed and Lichen, where to forage, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum.
10 November 2015: Issue 182:Wild Drinks, a book review; Wax Myrtle Berries, Wild Radish, Foraging Classes, the Green Deane Forum, and DVDs
3 November 2015: Issue 181:Black gum, Seagrapes, Doveweed, Foraging near Roads, Classes, Green Deane Forum, and Videos.
27 October 2015: Issue 180:Foot fruit: Podocarpus and Cashews, Sandspurs, Pony Foot, Foraging Classes, the Green Deane Forum and Videos
20 October 2015: Issue 179:What is a Ceiba and how do you say it? Partridgeberry, Ringless Honey Mushrooms, Red Bays and Magnolias, Laurel Wilt, Pellitory aka Cucumberweed, Foraging Classes, and the Green Deane Forum
7 October 2015 no newsletter published because site had to be backed up because of hackers.
6 October 2015: Issue 178:Tallow plum, White Beautyberries, Sumac, Sea and Wood Oats, Cactus and Nopales, Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum,
29 September was a fifth Tuesday, no news letter published then.
22 September 2015: Issue 177: Frost, and ripening vegetables and fruit, Foraging Classes, the Green Deane Forum
15 September 2015: Issue 176:Purslane and a look-alike, Pepper Vine, Upcoming Foraging Classes, Heartwing Sorrel, Green Deane Forum,
8 September 2015: Issue 175: 18 edibles along the Seminole-Wekiva Trial, Foraging Class Schedule, and the Green Deane Forum.
1 September 2015: Issue 174: Kudzu, wild apples, mountain foraging, upcoming classes, the Green Deane Forum
18 and 25 August, no newsletters as Green Deane was on vacation hiking in the Carolinas.
11 August 2015: Issue 173:Horsemint, Foraging along railroad tracks, Goldenrod, Swamp Rose Mallow, Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum.
4 August 2015: Issue 172:Ripening grapes, saw palmetto fruit, Yellow Anise, Green Maypops, Large Boletes, Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum.
28 July 2015: Issue 171:Citron Melons, three edible mushrooms; Blue Lactarius, the Old Man of the Woods, and Chanterelles. Lone Star Ticks and Armadillos in the news, Foraging Classes and the Green Deane Forum
21 July 2015: Issue 170:Tasty Tamarind, Tropical Almonds, the lesser-known Silk Bay, Foraging Classes, The Green Deane Forum, Are the Seasons Changing?
14 July 2015: Issue 169: Are all Portulacas edible? Which yam is it? Elderberries. Foraging Classes. Taking a Bee Hive Home, and The Green Deane Forum.
7 July 2015: Issue 168: Paper Mulberries, Pindo Palm, Yaupon Holly, The Timucua, Pawpaws, plant books, upcoming foraging classes, the Green Deane Forum.
30 June 2015: Fifth Tuesday, no newsletter.
23 June 2015: Issue 167: Sea Blite, Glasswort, Creeping Fig, Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum.
16 June 2105: Issue 166:Laco-fermenting, toxic Atamasco Lily, Smilax, Sword Ferns, Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum,
9 June 2015: Issue 165: Latex Strangler Vine, American Lotus, Dock Seeds, foraging mistakes, early season Podocarpus, Reishi mushrooms, foraging classes, Green Deane Forum
2 June 2015: Issue 164: Ivy gourd, Honey Mushrooms, Wild Food Plants of Hawaii, Classes, Green Deane Forum.
26 May 2015, no newsletter because of hackers.
19 May 2015: Issue 163:Gopher Apples are blossoming as are Groundnuts. Candyroot is getting showy, Blueberries are ripening. The Simpson Stopper has three kinds of leaves. Wild Coffee and Coralberry Confusion, Upcoming Classes, and the Green Deane Forum,
12 May 2015: Issue 162: Watercress, Wild Garlic, Upcoming Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum, Botany Builder 28, Does anyone want to guess?
5 May 2015: Issue 161:Wild Pineapple, Ground Cherries, Horsemint, Three kinds of wild grapes, upcoming foraging classes, Botany Builder 27, edible Pluteus petasatus, the Green Deane Forum
28 April 2015: Issue 160:Blackberries, Pickling Betony roots, Elderberry, Smilax, Juniper Berries, Upcoming Classes, Green Deane Forum, What Do You See #24.
21 April 2015: Issue 159: Distance and Elevation, Paper Mulberry, Red Mulberry, Basswood, False Hawk’s Beard, Upcoming Foraging Classes, Green Deane Forum, Botany Builder #26,
14 April, 2015: Issue 158: Pineapple Guava, the Tallow Plum, where to look for edible plants, upcoming foraging classes. the Green Deane Forum, and What Do You See #23
7 April 2015: Issue 157: ForageFest 2015, Lantanas, Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses, A Beginner’s Guide of Edible Florida, foraging in Port Charlotte, non-edible Nicker Beans, foraging classes, the Green Deane Forum, and What Do You See #22
31 March 2015: Issue 156: Is it time to reassess Nuphar roots? Identifying the Simpson Stopper. Foraging Instructors. What ’s in Season, Foraging Class Schedule, Green Deane Forum, What do you see #21.
24 March 2015: Issue 155: Mulberries, Wild Cucumbers, Edible Palms, Sea Rocket, Which Blueberry? Green Deane Forum. Upcoming Foraging Classes, What Do You See #20.
17 March 2015: There was no newsletter.
10 March 2015: Issue 154:Paw paws, Pennyroyal, Dandelions, Green Deane Forum, Foraging Classes, Daylight Saving time, What Do You See #19
3 March 2015, Issue 153: Florida Herbal Conference 2015, Turpentine Pines, Banning Mulberries, Foraging Classes, the Green Deane Forums, Bird Peppers, and What Do You See #18
24 February 2015: Issue 152: Eastern Redbud, Plums, Limequat, Foraging Classes, Seasonal changes and Mulberries, Florida Herbal Conference, Green Deane Forum, and What Do You See #17.
17 February 2015: Issue 151: Pepper Grass, Wild Geraniums, Paper Mulberry, Foraging Classes, Guest article: Bees, Butterflies, and Moths, Florida Herbal Conference 2015, the Green Deane Forum, and Winter Buds10 February 2015: Mystery diced root, Florida Earthskills 2015 is history, Florida Herbal Conference 2015 is next, foraging classes, Green Deane Forum, the 150th newsletter.
27 January 2015: The Wax Myrtle, Mustards & Radishes, Hairy Cowpea, Green Deane Forum, Earthskills 2015, Florida Herbal Conferece 2015, How Ungreen of Us.
20 January 2015: Goji berries, Plantagos, Black Medic, Green Deane Forum, Earthskills 2015, Florida Herbal Conference 2015, and Chain of Contamination
13 January 2015: Poorman’s Pepper Grass, Creeping Cucumber, Bulrush, Green Deane Forum, Earthskills 2015, Florida Herbal Conference 2015, classes, Wild Pineapple, Creeping Indigo warning, Calliandra haematocephala, What Do You See #16.
6 January 2015: False Hawk’s Beard, Roses, Earthskills gathering, 2015 Florida Herbal Conference, Foraging Classes, Pellitory, Goosegrass, Less Money More Weeds
30 December 2014: New Year Leaves, Bauhinias, Pansies, Classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, Earthskills Conference, Florida Herbal Conference, Janus, the Roman God who looks both ways, 4th Annual Urban Crawl.
23 December 2014: Are cattails really that good? Is the Moss Rose edible? FORAGER! Classes, DVDS and the Green Deane Forum.
16 December 2014: Sycamores, Wild Mustards, When a Description Doesn’t Fit, Upcoming Classes, Green Deane DVDs, The Green Deane Forum, Florida Herbal Conference
9 December 2014: Wild edibles in downtown Savannah, Georgia, Pyracanthas, Ginkgop, Swinecress, Henbit, herbalism vs foraging, upcoming foraging classes, Green Deane DVDs, and the Florida Herbal Conference.
2 December 2014: The Cabbage Palm, Sow Thistle, Weeds vs. Cultivated Crops, DVDs, Green Deane Forum, and the Florida Herbal Conference.
25 November 2014: Pellitory, Usnea, Thanksgiving, foraging classes, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum and the herbal conference.
18 November 2014: Persimmons, Indian Pipes, Cactus fruit, Lantana, foraging classes, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum and the herbal conference.
11 November 2014, no newsletter as Green Deane had dental surgery.
4 November 2014: Making Vinegar, Marlberries, Wintercress, Florida Herbal Conference, Upcoming Classes, DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.
28 October 2014: Ground Cherries, Cocoplums, Simpson Stopper, Elderberries, Lemon Bacopa, Bananas, Lactarius Indigo, Upcoming Classes, DVDs, The fourth Florida Herbal Conference, and Florida Gulf Coast University.
21 October 2014: Roses, Book Review: The Wild Wisdom of the Weeds, upcoming foraging season, classes, DVDs, and the Green Deane forum.
Oct 7and 14 no newsletter because Green Deane attended an out-of-state memorial service.
30 September 2014: Date Palms, Mushroom Season, Red Tide, Foraging Classes, DVDs, Green Deane Forum.
23 September 2014: Is Portulaca pilosa edible? Gopher Apples, What’s in Season, Class Schedule, DVDs, the Green Deane Forum.
16 September 2014: The Tallow Plum, a neat way to clean tunas, looking for yams, the beautyberry is happy, upcoming classes, DVDs, and the Green Deane Forum
9 September 2014: The passion fruit, where is it safe to forage, the Jambul Fruit, Puss Moth Caterpillar, Classes, DVD, and the Green Deane Forum.
2 September 2014: Sumac, Bananas, Cana, Old Man of The Woods, Podocarpus, Answer to What Do You See #16, Green Deane Forum, DVDs.
26 August 2014: Pine nuts, wild cucumbers, hiking in North Carolina, foraging classes, What Do You See #16, Green Deane Forum and DVDs.
19 August 2014: No newsletter, Green Deane hiking in the Carolinas.
12 August 2014: No newsletter, Green Deane hiking in the Carolinas.
5 August 2014: No newsletter, Green Deane hiking in the Carolinas.
29 July 2014: Bunya Bunya, Ganoderma mushrooms, upcoming classes, where to find the strangler latex vine, the Green Deane Forum and DVDs.
22 July 2014, American lotus, Fifth Annual Mushroom Intensive, Portulacas, Foraging Classes, The Green Deane Forum, and Podocarpus
15 July 2014, Black Cherries, Strawberry Guava, Horsemint, Basswood, Mushroom Workshop, White Indigoberry
July 1st and 8th, no newsletter as Green Deane was on vacation.
24 June 2014: Drehear Park, Jambul, Purslane, Classes, DVDs, changing servers.
17 June 2014: Chickasaw Plums, the deadly Water Hemlock, a Monsoon of Mushrooms, the answer the What Do You See #15, upcoming classes, the Green Deane Forum and DVDs.
10 June 2014: Jack In The Pulpits, Seasonal Changed, Podocarpus, Junipers, What Do You See 15, Answer to What Do You See 14, Foraging Classes, the Green Deane Forum, and DVDs.
3 June 2014: No newsletter because of attempted hacking.
27 May 2014: Memorial Day and the Corn Poppy. Where do you forage? What Do You See #14.
2o May 2014: Discovering Chaya; a new loop; Florida’s Wild Edibles, a book review; classes and DVDs.
13 May 2014: Caloric staples: Cattails, Kudzu, Acorns; Seasonal Changes; “Giant Hog Weed” on the Green Deane Forum; Upcoming Foraging Classes; DVDs; What Do You See 13 Answers, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.
6 May 2014: Blackberries, the Water Hyacinth, Of Butterflies and Bees, What Do You See #12 and 13, Green Deane Forum and DVDS.
29 April 2014: Fifth Tuesday of the month. No newsletter published that date.
22 April 2014: Wild Garlic and Onions, Fleabane, Surinam Cherries and Mulberries, What Do You See 12, the answer to What Do You See 11, the Green Deane Forum, Classes and DVDs.
15 April 2014: Florida pennyroyal, Pawpaws, A new edible Redvein Abutilon, Birds and Loquats, What Do You See #11, answer to What Do You See #10, upcoming classes, DVDs
8 April 2014: Mulberries, Magnolia Vinegar, Surinam Cherries, What Do You See 10, answer to What Do You See 09, Upcoming Foraging classes, Book Review: Foraging With Kids, DVDs.
1 April 2014: The Tropical Chestnut, the Eastern Redbud, Miner’s Lettuce, Upcoming Foraging Classes, What do You See #09, answers to What Do You See 08, Book Review: Guide To Wild Foods And Useful Plants, DVDs, Barbie…
25 March 2014: Finding “wild” edibles, Wild Cucumber, Basswood, Black Medic and Hop Clover, Upcoming Classes, Brevard Botanical Garden Plant sale, What Do You See 08, answer for What Do You See 07, and DVDs.
18 March 2014: Golf courses revisited, rain brings the mushrooms, spring greens are putting on, got an article for the newsletter? Classes, DVDs, What Do You See #07, answers to #06, Birmingham Plant Sale, Book Review: Foraging & Feasting.
11 March 2014: Finding wild edibles, Dandelions, False Dandelions, Time Change, What Do You See #06, Spring is Here, Upcoming Classes, DVDs, Guest Articles Request.
4 March, 2014: Winging it with maple seeds, Turk’s Caps, Florida Herbal Conference 2014 is history, how to avoid the toxic Cherry Laurel, What Do You See? #05 and the answers to #04, looking for a travel trailer and holding classes in west Florida and beyond.
25 February, 2014: Sheep Sorrel, mystery mushroom, upcoming classes, Botany Builder 39, What Do You See? #04, Answer to What Do You See 03, DVDs and close encounters of the slithering kind.
18 February 2014: Nettle season, the evergreen Water Hyssop, White Clover, Boletes, our guest article: Plant Nutrition, upcoming classes, the Florida Herbal Conference nears, What Do You See #3 and the answer to What Do You See #2,
11 February 2014: Blewit Mushroom, Wild Garlic, Botany Builder #38, Plantago Power, Guest Article: Is it really Global Warming? What Do You See #2 and last week’s answer and more all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.
4 February 2014: What is White Snow? The Silverthorns are fruiting. Which Ganoderma is it? Botany Builder #37. What Do You See #1, and new feature. EarthSkills gathering Florida is this week, Florida Herbal Conference is this month, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.
28 January, 2014: Cooking up mustard roots, Botany Builder #36, why doesn’t epazote freeze? Class Schedule, EarthSkills 2014, Florida Herbal Conference, DVDs, looking for Mr. Good Transportation, and guest writers.
21 January 2014: Tansy Mustard, Swine Cress, Botany Builder #35, Part II of guest writer Dewayne Allday’s To Shroom or not to Shroom, EarthSkills 2014 gathering, Florida Herbal Conference 2014, and upcoming foraging classes.
14 January 2014: Start looking for Silverthorn fruit, Henbit, Amaranth and Bitter Cress in local garden, Botany Builder #34, guest writer Dewayne Allday, To Shroom or not to Shroom, EarthSkills 2014 gathering, Florida Herbal Conference 2014, and upcoming foraging classes,
7 January 2014: Plantagos are ready for harvesting, Chickweed by Heather Pierce with recipes, Botany Builder 33, How safe is foraging? Class schedule, the Florida Herbal Conference, and Green Deane’s DVDs.
31 December 2013: No newsletter published that date.
24 December 2013: Vibrant chickweed, abundant pellitory, eat your Christmas tree? The Third Annual Urban Crawl with violet recipe, the common sow thistle, Botany Builder #32, Bottled scallions and the Green Deane Forum, what is foraging? upcoming classes and DVDs,
17 December 2013: The Green Deane Forum, the Tropical Almond, Botany Builder 31, Over Foraging, ETWs Archive, Mushrooms to be found, three thefts, Green Deane DVDs.
10 December 2013: Wild Radishes and Mustards, Juniper Berries, Amelia Island, Egan Creek Greenway, The Blue Heron Inn, and Botany Builder #30: Peltate. From the Archive: Is this Plant Edible?
3 December 2013: Sow thistles are sprouting, the wild lettuce is up. How many raw elderberries should you eat? The Silverthorn is in blossom, swinecress will soon be here, and Botany Builder #29.
26 November 2013: Strangler Latex Vine still fruiting, seasonal Little Mustards, Stinging Nettles, Forest Kindergarten, a dear visitor, Florida Herbal Conference, Foraging DVDs, and Botany Builder #28: Lianas.
19 November 2013: Chickweed is back! Along with stinkhorns, train wreckers, making dandelion wine, walnuts in the news, Florida Herbal Conference, DVDs, and foraging instructor updates.
12 November 2013: Sargassum, other sea veteables, eating jellyfish, cooking with sea purslane, the wood oats alternative, classes, DVDs, Florida Herbal Conference and an insect invasion.
5 November 2013: The seasonal change is upon us and winter foraging should be picking up. There’s acorns to be collected, a yam blossom to see, and a luffa surprise. The Florida Herbal Conference is coming up, and shoveling snow all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.
29 October 2013: No newsletter published that date.
22 October 2013: The Tropical Almond, Smartweed, Dudaim Melon, Polyporus Tenuiculus, Florida Herbal Conference, and Green Deane’s DVDs.
15 October 2013: A new edible, Perennial Pea; early-season cucumber weed; going out of season sea-grapes, persimmons, coco-plums, simpson stopper; begonias-hemlock, honey mushrooms, a calculating cat, Florida Herbal Conference, and DVDs.
8 October 2013: Black Gum, eating Anoles, the Green Deane Forum, Chestnut Bolete, 2014 Florida herbal conference, Green Deane’s DVDs, and 2000-year old seed sprouts.
1 October 2013: Sumac’s in season, persimmons, saw palmettos, creeping cucumbers, three iffy edibles, trust, the genus Lactarius, language and grazing.
24 Septemner 2013: Ever eat a Norfolk Pine? Snacking on Hairy Cowpeas blossoms. Dare you eat a Saw Palmetto berry? Persimmons are coming into season. Sign up early for the Florida Herbal Conference. Recent rains will stimulate mushroom sightings. Change in the newsletter policy. DVDs as selling.
17 September 2013: Cereus fruit, ground nuts, 5,000 questions, upcoming classes, herbal conference, my mystery mushroom, DVDS.
10 September 2013: Remembering wild apples, the aroma of wild plants, coming to terms with botanical names, a purslane recipe, the Florida Herbal Conference and DVDs,
3 September 2013: Blooming horsemint, Kudzu, classes, Ganoderma curtisii, make a berry picking bucket, upcoming conferences and DVDs.
27 August, 2013: Blossoming Coral Vine, Eastern Gamagrass, Grapes, Foraging Classes, Rattlesnakes, Poison Sumac, and Puffballs
20 August 2013: Podocarpus and fruit wines, thank you cards, class schedule, DVDs, and for what it’s worth.
13 August 2013: Fireweed is gourmet? Pindo Palms, Bitter Gourd, native grapes, Mt. Washington, Blueberries, persimmons, upcoming foraging classes and a common toxic mushroom the Green Parasol.
6 August 2013: Osage Orange, Saw Palmettos, foraging teachers, upcoming foraging classes, seasonal mushrooms, and how we love our pets.
30 July 2013: Getting Cereus about blooming cactus, the Monadas for medicine and spice, DVDs, our native Anise trees and remembering Dick Deuerling.
23 July 2013, Where to look for weeds, Pineapple weed, Toe Biters, 2 million views, DVDs, and a tribute to mom, Mae Lydia Putney Jordan.
9 July and 16 July 2013 no newsletter due to a death in the family.
2 July 2013: The tasty Bunya Pine Cone, natal plums, willows, botany builder, classes and your pick for a new vegetable.
25 June 2013: The orange Paper Mulberry, the orange Hackberry, Green Deane’s DVDs, Environmentalism, upcoming classes, and the Tree of Heaven all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green
18 June 2013: Chickasaw plums, ivy gourd, the false roselle, toxic daturas, hand lenses, classes, and who’s manipulating whom?
11 June 2013: Getting food out of the Chinese Tallow Tree, harvesting young wild yams, pickled Betony root, the deer are raining what? And upcoming classes.
4 June 2013: The maypops and pawpaws are putting on fruit, yucca are blossoming, black cherries are ripe and the black nightshade berries are ripening. That and a new class location, Seminole-Wekiva.
28 May 2013: Sea purslane, sea oats and wood oats, a profusion of coco-plums, easterngammagrass and how to eat cicadas
21 May 2013: The Prunus are a fruiting, the winged yam, where to find sea blite, should you eat Black Medic, Smilax are in blossom, and new video about Wild garlic/Onions.
14 May 2013: No newsletter that week
7 May 2013: Blackberries, Lemon Bacopa, Surinam Cherries, Basswood, Linden Tree, recent articles and the city of Winter Park spraying cattails because they are not aestheticallypleasing in the park.
30 April 2013: How to tell sow thistles apart, creeping fig, lawns, and why can’t I eat this?
23 April 2013: The sweet aroma of the candyroot, the surprising relative of the Hairy Cowpea, Barnyard Grass, the Rose Apple and releasing bio-controls.
16 April 2013: St. Nicholas Monastery and Tropical Almonds, Pellitory Itch, Vacant Lots, Bamboo Cove, Botany Builder #26, and the calming effects of nature.
9 April 2013: Pawpaws are blossoming, are there any poisonous look alikes, the bugs are coming, cold weather, and $1.6 million for a frog phobia.
2 April 2013: The wild onions/garlic are fruiting, how to tell the edible Black Cherry from the toxic Laurel Cherry, toxicity in Elderberries, and more Grass is God rebellion.
26 March 2013: Finding fireweed, digging up betony roots, drying loquats, Botany Builder #25, Coppicing, Road Kill, and spreading seeds.
19 March 2013: The Queen Palm, changing weeds from edible to noxious, velvet leaf, crabgrass, Botany Builder #24, Samaras, New Articles, House Calls, Suriname Cherries, Nopales, and The Drunken Botanist all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.
12 March 2013: Mulberries, Creeping Cucumber, Coco-plums, Smartgrass, Botany Builder 23, pinna, winter plant facts, time change, GD videos coming.
5 March 2013: Goosegrass, pawpaws, Christmasberry, Botany Builder 22 stipules, cultivating wild plants, Apps, Scrub jays.
26 February 2013: Sheep’s Sorrel, White Snow, new articles, shocking news about bees, the Australian Pine, hydrilla, and worms
19 February 2013: Loquats, poison hemlock, turkey berries, toxic tomatoes, conferences, Lake Woodruff, osage orange and turtle travails.
12 February 2013: The ever elusive chickweed, solar oven and nut sheller, the tale of two nettles, wild lettuce, more hard-headed government, new mushroom book, the Maslin technique, ragweed, upcoming classes and loss of habitat
5 February 2013: A close up of usnea, a likeable lichen. The silverthorn is in full fruit, find aromatic wild garlic, identify watercress. There’s also the Thistle Epistle, Frostbites, Mulberries, the herbal conference and up coming classes, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.
29 January 2013: Smilax, non-edible nicker beans, seasonal eating, naughty knotweed, front yard gardening and decapitated grass, pool fish pond, and upcoming class schedule in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green
22 January 2013: What you can do with a wild wing yam, Florida Pennyroyal, a special Hawthorn you should know about, my latest videos and articles, is eating nutrition good for you? Don’t eat the rattlebox. Sugar Cane and winning environmental bar bets.
15 January 2013: Haulover Canal, Seablite, classifing plants, clovers, thistles, sow thistles, wild lettuce, Florida Herbal Conference, rising wheat prices.
8 January 2013: Maples are beginning to seed, find local Goosefoots, where the wild food is, the taste test, Florida Herbal Conference, microscopes, and Eugene Handsacker’s shell game

1 January 2013: Chickweed, sublimed sulfur, herbal conference, Green Deane’s DVDs, Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses, Turks Cap, Oxalis, Violets, Plantagos, and the prime mistake foragers make.

25 December 2012: Christmas in Florida, identifying chestnuts, what about ground cherries, winter vines, the toxic Mexican Poppy, the annual urban crawl and natal plums, Canada’s maple syrup much-to-do,

18 December, 2012: How to tell a mustard from a radish. Which cactus pad should you pick? The February Florida Herbal Conference, a traditional urban crawl

11 December 2012: Finding sumacs, magnolia blossoms as spice, the Florida Herbal Conference, follow ups on pollination and Featherstonehaugh, fertilizer, Maygyver and Nefertiti.

4 December 2012: Finding Winged Yams, our little winter mustards, pollenating creatures, Florida Herbal Conference, the Green Deane Forum, Mushrooms a la David Spahr and Dr. Kimbrough, Alligators with marijuana and Featherstonehaugh, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

27 November 2012: The mustards of wintertime, how to sort out hollies, learning about mushrooms, growing weeds from seeds, dandelions, and the fate of Edward Archboldall all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.
20 November 2012: It’s holly season, and wild mustard time along with seasonal little mustards. Also in the newsletter: The Pond Apple, Florida’s Herbal Conference, Thanksgiving lore, wild pumpkins, Botany Builder 21 and faded underwear, all From The Village Green.

13 November 2012: Going nuts with hickories and acorns;, Spanish Needle tea, good for some of what ails you, why bumble bees can’t fly, and the Florida Herbal Conference,

6 November 2012: Hackberries (Sugarberries) Fireweed, “bad” landscape trees, weighty issues, bikes, time and the 2013 Florida Herbal Conference, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

30 October 2012: Which came first, grains or tubers? Groundnuts, wild rice, armadillos, clouds, a follow up on snails and Oh Deer, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

23 October 2012: Oak trees are masting (dropping acorns) new articles, mushrooms, snails, turtles, False Hawk’s Beard, and more in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

16 October 2012: The winter greens of chickweed, bittercress and poor man’s pepper grass; Solanum americanum, when not to eat; solar oven update, Halloween rant, the impact of weeds, updated articles, the Untouchables, and ginkgo gastronomics.

9 October 2012: A new crop of sandspurs, confusing Poke berries and Elderberries, nettles for clothes, blue honey, new article about Pandanus, preserving fall foliage, cooking with pine needles and a cockroach eating contest.

2 October 2012: Pandanus and Ivy Gourd, digging sticks, growing zones and recording setting pumpkin.

25 September 2012: Chaya, confusing nettles, winter weeds, new articles, yams, the dangers of foraging, tales of a city lot.

18 September 2012: Fuzzy marbles, sweet and sour maypops, food and medicine, recently added articles, sumac hiar, vultures and belladona.

11 September 2012: Finding tart food, a look at sumac and the false roselle, a new herbalism book and resource, the Green Deane Forum, Sea-Grapes, and scorpions

4 September 2012: Get Gopher Apples while you can, Getting High, the effect of elevation on plant seasons, a yam for colder weather, a bike with no pedals, and is you cat making you ill?

14 August 2012: Maypops are coming into season; what do you know about cyanide; how to get rid of chiggers; Man of the Earth big root deep down; sorting out wild grapes, and earthworms.

7 August 2012: Eastern Gamagrass, Asian Clams, new articles posted, Creeping Cucumbers, Upcoming classes, Chinese Tallow Tree, Green Dean Forum, What’s the Buzz.

31 July 2012: Sea Purslane on the grill, when is a clover not a clover? What to do about spices. Archiving newsletters. Class schedule. Growing Patio Potatoes and yams. Fined for growing food and holding birthday party
all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

24 July 2012 : The Podocarpus is coming into season, grapes are early this year, where to hold a foraging class. my class schedule, making friction fire, is that really a strawberry and sonar sex… all in this week’s newsletter, From The Village Green by Green Deane

17 July 2012 : Coco-plums are in season, as is Silverhead. Why is Black Point in Maine called that and where does Bidens grow in Brazil? American Holly, scorpions, armadillos and how to make your own sourdough bread, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

10 July 2012: A flower that tastes like a mushroom, fear of foraging, nutrition, what is a pirogue, and my class schedule, all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

3 July 2012: Sorting out ground cherries, hairs on plants and why we need to know them, Class Schedule, an upcoming road trip, a great garden party, and Lichen In Space, all in this week’s Green Deane’s Newsletter, From The Village Green.

26 June 2012: Sorting out blueberries, or, how to figure out what the plant is. Is This Plant Edible and changing views on edibility. And upcoming classes all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

19 June 2012: What to eat strawberry guavas, which wild edibles should pregnant women avoid, are you collecting seaweed for supper? Lawn grass and code enforcement. Upcoming classes all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

29 May 2012: Surinam Cherries are ripening but they aren’t cherries. Firethorn berries are green but wait a few weeks. Botany builder #20. What’s barnyard grass? Visit the Green Deane Forum. Bicycles in the news. How to tattoo a banana, all in this week’s Green Deane newsletter From The Village Green.

21 May 2012: Pineapples that don’t exist, Guerrilla Gardening, upcoming classes and exactly what is the meristem stage? All in this week’s newsletter “From The Village Green” by Green Deane.

7 May 2012: Can Rescuegrass rescue you? Why forage and what are “naked” seeds? This an more in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green by Green Deane.

23 April 2012: Wild Garlic is heading, spurge nettles are rooting, sea blite is ready for picking, and eastern coral beans are showing you where they are. Did Green Deane actually get poison sumac and what did the spam filter catch? That and more in this weeks newsletter From The Village Green.

9 April 2012: Peppery smartweed, the “yuck” factor, kudzu, the winged yam, pennyroyal, budget cut benefits, and more in this week’s From The Village Green, Green Deane’s Newsletter.

2 April 2012: Where the weeds are. Going to a gym. Compound leaves. Rumex, Topi mambo, Water Lettuce, Duckweed, Edible Flowers Part 19, Classes, Green Deane Forum and “For What It’s worth” all in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

26 March 2012: What’s in and out of season? The Florida Herbal Conference. How do you find edible plants? Pictures or drawings? Upcoming Classes, and more in From the Village Green, Green Deane’s newsletter.

19 March 2012: Where to find papaws. Can you eat grass? Four new articles: Sida, False Roselle, Edible Flowers Part 18, Gout Weed. Can you eat tropical sage? Botany Builder #14, that and more in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green.

5 March 2012: The Eastern Redbuds are confused. A 30,000 year old flower? What might you do if you catch the flu. Sorting out the Perseas. Five new articles. Arrest made in burning down the world’s oldest Cypress. Class schedule. Green Deane Forum update, all in From the Village Green, Green Deane’s Newsletter

20 February 2012: Wild Radish is turning fields yellow, harvesting nopales, milkweed vine and the evolution of the garden, two new articles, a forum update, this week’s classes, and ducks, all in “From the Village Green” this week’s Green Deane Newsletter.

6 February 2012: The Green Deane Forum, a place to meet other foragers and share questions and successes, Brazilian Pepper, a staple that grows in teh shade, Botany Builder 14, Herbal Conferencem, Cliamate change. All in this Green Deane’s newsletter this week, From The Village Green.

23 January 2012: What to do with Brazilian Pepper. Tapping Trees a new way. What’s the difference between a tree and a shrub? Herbal Conference, and I didn’t know that all in this weeks newsletter From The Village Green.

16 January 2012: Persimmons and frost, saving weed seeds, Botany Builder #12, an herbal invitation, African bees and more in this weeks newsletter from Green Deane.

9 January 2012: The stinging dwarf is back, who is Sunny Savage? Passiflora, epiphany and manatees; new articles, what’s the difference between roots and rhizomes? Wild cucumbers, upcoming classes and the newsletter.

2 January 2012: Pigging out on swinecress. A prescription for walnuts? Snow. New articles on reeds, dahlias, nutrias and edible flowers part nine; Botany builder #10, classes, and how many wild edibles should you know, in Green Deane’s newsletter this week From The Village Green

26 December 2011: A yam what am a yam; peppergrass; Janus the god of gates; Did you know? New articles; Urban Crawl and upcoming classes; Botany Builder; a Christmas memory and more in Green Deane’s newsletter this week, From The Village Green.

19 December 2011: Chickweed is up locally. Here’s another good reason to forage. What does -ifera mean? Turtle Mound. Canna Island update. Wild Radishes, and more in Green Deane’s newsletter this week, From The Village Green

12 December 2011: Pellitory’s in season. How many apple seeds can you really eat? Botany Builder #7, monocots and dicots. Classes this week. Why are two wheels not part of the green movement? All in Green Deane’s newsletter this week From The Village Green.

6 December 2011: The controversy over Palmer Amaranth, Tools of the Trail, Poison Plant Handbook, Botany Builder, Did You Know, and upcoming classes, in this week’s newsletter From The Village Green

28 November 2011: Crowfoot Grass, A grass dictionary, Botany Builder: blade and margin; Thanksgiving.

21 November 2011: The Chinese Elms are fruiting, what about what the animals eat, a chickweed relative, what is a pappus, a look at a yellow passion flower and a bit of reminiscing in Green Deane’s latest newsletter, From The Village Green.

14 November 2011: Telling the difference between a wild radish and a wild mustard. How many wild edibles are there? What do you need to know to get started? Why cook bamboo shoots? Botany Builder and this week’s classes, all in Green Deane’s latest newsletter.

8 November 2011: Look alikes, tell the difference between edible elderberry and toxic water hemlock, discoveries found during this week’s class, what’s peltate?

31 October 2011: The Halloween and foraging connection…. Seedlings… I.T.E.M.-izing. Battery Acid and pokeweed. Rev7, the Botany Builder and more in Green Deane’s newsletter this week, From The Village Green.

24 October 2011: Fresh this week: The new website is up. Are you harvesting sumac berries now or young sow thistles? A “new” edible was found during our foraging class. What about genetically modified foods? What every runner or bicyclist should hear about. And did Green Deane really get poison ivy and how you can avoid it. All in Green Deane’s latest newsletter.

1 September 2010 Cost of food, paper mulberry, liatris, pokeweed, wasabi

1 August 2010 Watervine, Smilax, Does’t Grow Here, Pomegranates

1 July 2010 Jelly Palm, Cactus, Clockwise, Birch Allergies

1 June 2010 Why forage, How safe is foraging, Sea Blite, Ilex vomitoria

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Newsletter 03 April 2018

by Green Deane

There are at least four edible species in this picture. Can you identify them? Photo by Green Deane

While the temperatures have been slightly on the cool side at night it’s been warm enough for plants in the day to know it’s spring and they are happy! In Gainesville this past week our foraging class saw two species of Blueberries blossoming and two species of pawpaws in flower. Also getting ready to blossom is the Toothache Tree. While the most prolific Morning Glory in area was up it’s still waiting for warmer days before flowering. We also saw three mushrooms jumping the season. They usually don’t start in earnest until after heavy rains in April or May.

Sparkleberries are in blossom. Photo by Green Deane

April is a transition month. Many of winter edibles are ending their season and some of the spring and summer plants are starting. There is overlap and that can vary depending which end of the state you are on. The blueberries, also mentioned in last week’s newsletter, were impressive. I think they were Vaccinium arboreum, also called Sparkleberry and Farkleberry (and mistakenly Tree Huckleberry because they are not huckleberries.) We saw individual trees and a small hurst of them. V. arboreum is the only blueberry locally that gets to tree size. It has a flaking outer bark that reveals a reddish brown smooth inner bark. We also saw two Deerberry bushes, Vaccinium staminuem. That species is easy to identify because the blossoms have long stamens and the underside of the leaf is white. You can read about blueberries here. Incidentally, blueberries can have any number of seeds in them. Huckleberries, however, always have exactly 10 seeds. There can be bits of grit in a huckelberry but only 10 seeds. The leaves also have bright gold glands. You can read about Huckleberries here.

Wild Garlic puts the cloves on top. Photo by Green Deane

Also doing well now is Wild Garlic. You could also call it Wild Onion but its aroma is definitely garlic. I have found the Wild Garlic in numerous places in and about Gainesville. One of the most prolific sites is across the street from the official parking spot on Newnan’s Lake. And they are just down the street from fruiting Paper Mulberries. Our Wild Garlic is odd in that it puts an onion-like bulb on the bottom of the plant (usually three or four inches in the ground) and it puts cloves of garlic on the very top of the plant… and the part in between is edible as well. This garlic is seasonal and can be found for six weeks or so. You can read about it here. I used to conduct part of my class at the small park Newnan’s Lake but it is a haven for ticks. Speaking of which I got one last week and one this week. As tick season is not really here perhaps this year they will be worse than usual. Interestingly there is a study the suggest the allergy medication, Claritin, might be useful in fighting Lyme Disease.

Watercress. Photo by Green Deane

As our cooler months is when we usually see wild members of the Brassica family most of them are nearing the end of their cycle as we warm up. Past season for the most part is Western Tansy Mustard. Wild Mustard and Wild Radish are nearing the end of their bloom and seed cycle. Poor Man’s Peppergrass is here all year but likes the cooler months. The one nice find this past week was Watercress. It’s an import from Europe but found throughout most of North America. Florida once was the winter Watercress growing capital of the United States. Consequently you can find it in nearly any drainage ditch that used to service agricultural land. You can also find in along the banks of local rivers. One thing you have to be very careful about when picking Watercress is not pick any deadly Water Hemlock leaves. They look different but both plants tend to grow in the same area at the same time. I have often seen them intermixed. So when I pick Watercress I examine every steam and leaf at least twice. To read more about Watercress go here.

Shells of the berries can make a pepper substitute. Photo by Green Deane

A couple of hundred miles can make a botanical difference. In Melbourne, some 20 miles south of the space center, we saw a Toothache tree, Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, setting fruit. In Gainesville the same species was getting ready to blossom or had a few here and there. Also called Hercule’s Club, the thorns, bark and leaves have been used at least for centuries to numb aching teeth. It will also make you drool, a small inconvenience to silence an aching tooth. You can read about it here. Many Americans have actually eaten part of a relative of the Toothache Tree, Szechuan Pepper, Zanthoxylum simulans (and Z. bungeanum.) That spice is made from the seeds hulls of the species. We can use the seed hulls of our tree as well. The tree is covered with thorns so approach with care (And another thorny tree we saw this week was Aralia spinosa, which is not related but is sometimes also called Hercules Club.)

Long Left Pine left, Slash Pine right.

A few odds and ends from this week’s classes: We noticed Gopher Apples and Tallow Plums blossoming (interestingly green Tallow Plums were also used to numb toothaches.) Pawpaws were blossoming in both locations but with two different species in Gainesville. Also Sorrel in the Rumex genus is nearing the end of its seasons. That tart plant starts it seasonal run around November and usually fades in April. The leaves and seeds are edible and are related to Buckwheat. And by chance we also happened to see two species of pine that are often confused. As two were growing together it was worth a picture to help you sort them out. The Long Leaf Pine is on our left, and the Slash Pine is on our right.

Classes are held rain or shine or cold. Photo by Kelly Fagan

Foraging Classes: Perhaps because of the northern location but Gainesville has this past week probably the last sighting for Chickweed and Goosegrass for the season. While the Chickweed was still edible Goosegrass gets tough as it ages. But one can still roast the seeds.

Saturday April 7th, Colby-Alderman Park: 1099 Massachusetts Street, Cassadaga. Fla. 9 a.m., meet near the restrooms.

Sunday April 8th, Eagle Park Lake, 1800 Keene Road, Largo, FL 33771. 9 a.m. Meet at the pavilion near the dog park

Saturday, April 14th, Blanchard Park, 10501 Jay Blanchard Trail, Orlando, FL 32817. 9 a.m. Meet at the pavilion east of the tennis courts near the YMCA.

Sunday, April 15th, Red Bug Slough Preserve, 5200 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL, 34233, 9 a.m.

Saturday, April 22nd, Spruce Creek, 6250 Ridgewood Ave. Port Orange, 32127, 9 a.m., meet at the pavilion.

Saturday, May 5th, Florida State College, south campus, 11901 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, 32246. 9 a.m. We will meet at building “D” next to the administration parking lot.

To read more about the classes or to pre-pay go here.

Green Deane DVD Set

All of Green Deane’s videos available for free on You Tube. They do have ads on them so every time you watch a Green Deane video I get a quarter of one cent. Four views, one cent. Not exactly a large money-maker but it helps pays for this newsletter. If you want to see the videos without ads and some in slightly better quality you can order the DVD set. It is nine DVDs with 15 videos on each for a total of 135 videos. Many people want their own copy of the videos or they have a slow service and its easier to order then to watch them on-line. The DVDs make a good gift for that forager you know especially on long, cold winter months. Individual DVDs can also be ordered or you can pick and choose. You can order them by clicking on the button on the top right hand side of this page (if your window is open wide enough.) Or you can go here

Green Deane Forum

Want to identify a plant? Looking for a foraging reference? Do you have a UFO, an Unidentified Flowering Object you want identified? On the Green Deane Forum we chat about foraging all year. And it’s not just about warm-weather plants or just North American flora. Many nations around the world share common weeds so there’s a lot to talk about. There’s also more than weeds. The reference section has information for foraging around the world. There are also articles on food preservation, and forgotten skills from making bows to fermenting food. One special section is “From the Frightening Mail Bag” where we learn from people who eat first then ask questions later. Recent topics include: Lyme Disease and Manganese, Vacciniums 2018, When to Harvest Betony Tubers, What Tree/Plant is this?, My Claytonia, Thistle Flower Buds, Pond Question, Compass Question, and Common Sweetleaf. You can join the forum by clicking on “forum” in the menu.

Donations to upgrade EatTheWeeds.com and fund a book are going well and has made the half way mark. Thank you to all who have contributed to either via the Go Fund Me link, the PayPal donation link or by writing to Green Deane POB 941793 Maitland FL, 32794. Recent upgrades have been paid now the Forum needs work and several function problems need to be fixed specifically the search and categories ( a partial solution is that when you do a search other finds are directly below the main one shown. Scroll down.) A new server also has to be found by April 9th. The other issue is finding an indexing program or function for a real book. Writing programs used to do it automatically if you designated a term for indexing. Now that most books are ebooks most writing programs do not provide and indexing function. The hunt continues.

This is weekly issue 298. (By the way, for any locals: At the intersection of Dirksen Drive and 17-92 in South Volusia County, the north end of the field in the southeast corner of that intersection is heavy in Pawpaw blossoms now. In total there’s about 100 Pawpaws there in bloom… and later bearing fruit.)

If you would like to donate to Eat The Weeds please click here.

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Search: rumex

100 gr (3.5 oz) Curly Dock Chopped 1 Garlic Clove ½ cup Water 2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce ¼ Teaspoon Salt Blend everything and spread using a spatula on a silicone sheet. Dehydrate at 160 degrees until fully dry.

Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile

HERB BLURB

Latest Archived Articles

Categories

Search 1,000+ Wild Edibles

100 gr (3.5 oz) Curly Dock Chopped
1 Garlic Clove
½ cup Water
2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
¼ Teaspoon Salt
Blend everything and spread using a spatula on a silicone sheet.
Dehydrate at 160 degrees until fully dry.