Table of Contents
Note: Scientific names listed here are circa 1990, the first printing of this book. For updated scientific names, please refer to page 222.
Foreword to the 2016 edition by Iso Rabins xi
Author's Update to the 2016 edition xv
Preface Malcolm Margolin xxiii
Acknowledgments xxv
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Foraging 1
Foraging Safety and Plant Identification 5
The Ethics and Practicalities of Bay Area Foraging 8
Finding the Plants 11
Chapter 2 Poisonous Plants 13
California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) 14
Baneberry (Actaea species) 15
Water Hemlock (Cicuta species) 16
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) 17
Silktassel Bush (Garrya elliptica or G. fremontii) 19
Lupine (Lupinus species) 20
Wild Cucumber (Marah oreganus) 21
Poison Oak (Rhus diversiloba) 21
Black Nightshade (Solanum nodiflorum), Blue Witch (S. umbelliferum) 23
California Nutmeg (Torreya californica) 24
Chapter 3 Edible Blossoms 25
Wild Radish (Raphanus sativas). Common or Field Mustard (Brassica campestris), Charlock (B. kaber, also B. arvensis), Mediterranean or Summer Mustard (B. geniculate), Black Mustard (B. nigra) 26
Oxalis, Sour Grass, or Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) 31
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) 33
Wild Onion (Allium triquetrum) 35
Chapter 4 Berries 37
Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) 38
Manzanita (Arctostaphylos species) 41
Coast or Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), California or Woodland Strawberry (F. californica) 44
Sea Fig (Carpobrotus chilense, formerly Mesembryanthemum chilense), Ice Plant (C. edule, formerly M. edule) 46
Primarily Plums, plus Apples, Figs, and Pears (Prunus, plus Malus, Ficus, and Pyrus species) 47
Bugle or Western Golden Currant (Ribes gracillimum), Chaparral or California Black Currant (R. malvaceun), Flowering or Pink-flowering Currant (R. sanguineum, also R. glutinosum), California or Hillside Gooseberry (R. californicum), Canyon Gooseberry (R. menziesii). Spreading or Straggly Gooseberry (R. divaricatum) 49
Wild or Wood Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa), California Rose (R. californica), Sweetbriar or Eglantine (R. rubiginosa), Sonoma Rose (R. spithamea) 53
Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) 56
Himalaya Berry (Rubus discolor, formerly R. procerus), California or Trailing Blackberry (R. ursinus) 57
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus caerula) 60
Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) 64
California or Wild Grape (Vitis californica) 68
Berries that do or Might Taste Good But are Hard to Find 69
Service Berry or Juneberry (Amelanchier pallida) 69
Oregon Grape or Long-leaf Mahonia (Berberis nervosa), Shiny-leaf Mahonia (B. pinnata) 71
Salal (Gaultheria shallon) 72
Western Chokecherry (Prunus demissa, also P. virginianavar. demissa) 74
Holly-leaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia) 75
Pacific, Klamath, or Sierra Plum (Prunus subcordata) 76
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) 77
Red Huckleberry or Red Bilberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) 78
Nonpoisonous Berries that are Better Left to other Animals 79
Coffee Berry (Rhamnus californica) 79
Osoberry (Osmaronia cerasiformis), Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata) 80
Toyon or Christmas Berry (Heteromeles arbutifolia, formerly Photinia arbutifolia) 80
Chapter 5 Nuts 83
California Hazel, Hazelnut, or Wild Filbert (Corylus cornuta var. californica) 84
Golden Chinquapin (Castanopsis chrysophylla) 85
California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii), Coast Live Oak (Q. agrifolia), Tanoak or Tan Bark Oak (Lithocarpus densiflorus), Valley Oak or California White Oak (Q. lobata) 87
Walnut (Juglans hindsii) 93
Chapter 6 Greens and Other Vegetables 95
Miner's Lettuce (Montia perfoliata) 96
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) 100
Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) 102
Cattail (Typhaceae latifolia, T. angustifolia. and others) 104
Chickweed (Steliaria media) 107
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) 109
Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) 110
Sweet Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) 112
Garden Orache (Atriplex hortensis), Fat Hen (A. patula var. hastate) 114
Green Amaranth or Rough Pigweed (Amaranthus retrqflexus) 115
Lamb's Quarters or White Goosefoot (Chenopodium album) 116
Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola), Wild Lettuce (L. virosa) 117
Mallow or Cheeseweed (Malva species) 118
Dwarf Nettle (Urtica urems), Hoary Nettle (U. holosericea) 120
New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) 122
Pickleweed (Salicomia virginica) 124
Purslane or Purselane (Portulaca oleracea) 128
Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima, C. edentula) 129
Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosetla) 131
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale, formerly Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) 132
Greens I Have Given Up Trying to Like 135
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) 135
Filaree or Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), Cranesbill or Wild Geranium (Geranium molle) 136
Broad-leaved Plantain (Plantago major). Narrow-leaved Plantain (Porphyra lanceolata) 137
Sow Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) 140
Chapter 7 Mushrooms and Mushrooming 144
The Prince (Agaricus augustus) 145
Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) 145
Blewitt (Lepista nuda) 146
Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) 146
For More Information 147
Chapter 8 Seaweeds and Their Seasons 149
Why Eat Seaweeds? 150
Seaweed Foraging in the Bay Area 151
Conservation 152
Safety 152
Terminology 153
Tides 153
Preparation 154
For More Information 154
Alaria (Alaria marginata) 155
Sister Sarah (Cystoseira osmundacea) 157
Green Nori (Enteromorpha intestinalis) 158
Bladderwrack or Rockweed (Fucus vesiculosis) 159
Turkish Bath Towel (Gigartina exasperata, now Chondracanthus exasperatus), Grapestone (Petrocelis middendorffii, formerly Gigartina papillata) 161
Ogo (Gracilaria verrucosa) 164
Iridaea (Iridaea cordata) 166
Laminarla or Kombu (Laminaria sinclairii) 167
Bull Whip Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) 168
Nori (Porphyra lanceolata), Laver or Nori (Porphyra perforate) 169
Sea Lettuce (Viva lactuca) 171
Other Edible Seaweeds That Grow in the Bay Area 173
Nibbles (Ahnfeltia gigartinoides) 173
Sea Fir or Fir Needles (Analipus japonicus) 173
Sea Petals or Flower Seaweeed (Petaloma fascia) 173
Sea Sac (Halosaccion glandiforme) 174
Stone Hair (Enteromorpha clathrata) 174
Chapter 9 Teas, Seasonings, and Medicinal Plants 175
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) 176
California or Coastal Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) 177
Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana, also A. vulgaris var. heterophylla, and A. ludoviciana) 179
Mexican Tea or Epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides) 182
Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum) 183
Blue Gum Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) 186
Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) 188
Pineapple Weed (Matricaria matricarioides), Chamomile, Mayweed, or Dog Fennel (Anthemis cotula) 190
Wild Mints 192
Native: Field or Marsh Mint (Mentha arvensis), Coyote Mint or Western Pennyroyal (Monardella villosa), Yerba Buena (Satureja chamissonis) 192
Introduced: Bergamot Mint (Mentha citrata), Peppermint (M. piperita), Pennyroyal (M. pulegium), Apple Mint (M. rotundifolia), Spearmint (M. spicata) 192
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) 196
White Clover (Trifolium repens), Red Clover (T. pratense) 198
California Bay, California Laurel, or Bay Laurel (Umbellularia califomica) 199
Chapter 10 Trail Nibbles 203
Ocean Spray or Cream Bush (Holodiscus discolor) 204
Peppergrass (Lepidium nitidum) 205
Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) 207
Australian Saitbush (Atriptex semibaccata) 208
For More Information about Foraging and about Plants in the Bay Area 211
Charts of Harvest Times 214
Index 222
Plants with New Scientific Names 224
Map 226
About the Author and Illustrator 228
