Table of Contents
Acknowledgments viii
Preface x
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
How to Use This Book 2
Foraging Basics 7
Why Forage? 7
Warnings and Safety 8
Most Dangerous Wild Plants in Texas 12
Plant Identification: Basic Botany and How to Identify Plants 26
Ethics: Foraging Sustainably 32
Harvesting and Processing Supplies 37
Physical Environment and Ecological Regions 39
Foraging Calendar for Texas 51
Species Accounts 53
Trees 54
Rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum) 54
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) 56
Anacua (Ehretia anacua) 59
Sugar hackberry (Celtis laevigata) 61
Juniper (Juniperus spp.) 63
Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana) 66
Texas madrone (Arbutus xalapensis) 68
Redbud (Cercis canadensis) 70
Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) 73
Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) 75
Retama (Parkinsonia aculeata) 78
Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) 80
Escarpment live oak (Quercus fusiformis) 83
Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) 86
Walnut (Juglans spp.) 89
Mulberry (Morus spp.) 92
Piñon pine (Pinus spp.) 94
*Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) 97
*Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) 99
Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana) 101
Cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) 105
Shrubs/Vines 108
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) 108
Lechuguilla (Agave lechuguilla) 111
Texas sotol (Dasylirion texanum) 115
Torrey yucca (Yucca torreyi) 117
Evergreen sumac (Rhus virens) 119
Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) 123
Dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor) 126
Saltwort (Batis maritima) 129
Agarita (Mahonia trifoliolata) 131
Triangle cactus (Acanthocereus tetragonus) 133
Tree cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata) 136
Horsecrippler cactus (Echinocactus texensis) 139
Scarlet hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus coccineus) 142
Texas prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii) 145
*Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) 148
Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) 150
Meloncito (Melothria pendula) 153
Farkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) 156
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) 158
Golden currant (Ribes aureum) 160
Barbados cherry (Malpighia glabra) 162
Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) 164
Purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) 167
Brasil (Condalia hookeri) 169
*Firethorn (Pyracantha spp.) 172
Dewberry (Rubus trivialis) 174
Coma (Sideroxylon celastrinum) 176
Cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens) 179
Greenbriar (Smilax bona-nox) 181
Chile pequín (Capsicum annuum) 183
Christmas berry (Lycium carolinianum) 186
American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) 188
Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea) 190
Mustang grape (Vitis mustangensis) 193
Herbs/Wildflowers/Forbs 196
Sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum) 196
Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) 198
Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album) 201
Wild onion (Allium canadense) 203
*Wild carrot (Daucus carota) 206
Atlantic camas (Camassia scilloides) 210
Texas thistle (Cirsium texanum) 213
Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) 216
*Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) 219
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) 221
*Prickly sow-thistle (Sonchus asper) 223
*Common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) 225
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) 228
*Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) 231
*Bastard cabbage (Rapistrum rugosum) 233
*Common chickweed (Stellaria media) 235
Whitemouth dayflower (Commelina erecta) 237
Spiderwort (Tradescantia spp.) 240
Texas bull nettle (Cnidoscolus texanus) 242
*Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) 245
Lemon beebalm (Monarda citriodora) 247
Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata) 249
*Cheeseweed (Malva spp.) 251
Pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa) 254
Drummond's wood-sorrel (Oxalis drummondii) 256
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) 259
Plantain (Plantago spp.) 261
*Curly dock (Rumex crispus) 264
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) 266
Cleavers (Galium aparine) 269
Groundcherry (Physalis spp.) 271
Eastern black nightshade (Solanum ptychanthum) 274
Pellitory (Parietaria pensylvanica) 277
Heart-leaf nettle (Urtica chamaedryoides) 279
Aquatics 282
*Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) 282
American locus (Nelumbo lutea) 284
Cattail (Typha spp.) 288
Appendix A Abbreviated List of Other Wild Edible Plants in Texas 291
Appendix B Helpful Resources and Additional Reading 293
Appendix C Illustrated Glossary and Botanical Terminology 296
Common Botanical Terminology 299
Endnotes 305
Index 307
