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Best fall foraging greens (and 2 are probably in your yard)
Fall foraging isn’t just about berries and roots. These fall foraging greens such as dandelion, plantain, stinging nettle, and violet are easy to find, packed with nutrients, and often growing right in your yard.
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Foraging rose hips to pack a powerful punch of vitamin C
Rose hips are one of the best wild sources of vitamin C and a bright addition to fall foraging. Learn how to identify, harvest, and preserve them for teas and herbal blends packed with seasonal flavor and nutrients.
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Bring the bold flavor of sumac into your fall foraging
Sumac offers a strong lemon substitute just when fresh citrus feels out of season. Learn how to identify and harvest it, plus try a recipe for a sumac loaf.
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Motherwort for Foragers: 5 Simple Tips to Spot and Use This Powerful Herb
This summer I discovered I have a close connection with motherwort. I foraged a ton last year and transplanted one small plant. This year it popped up all over my yard. Big, beautiful motherwort plants, everywhere I look. I know we have an aversion to the word “wort,” but when talking about plants we’re using…
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Mullein (Verbascum)
I’ve spotted a ton of mullein this summer. Once you know it, it’s hard to miss it. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a biennial plant that grows a low rosette of woolly leaves in its first year and a tall flowering stalk in its second. Verbascum thapsus is widely known as common mullein, though it’s also…
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Wild Licorice
Wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota) is a native legume that grows in prairies, along streambanks, and in open woodlands across the Northern Plains. I saw just tons of it while exploring the badlands of North Dakota over the weekend. The plant takes its name from the faint licorice-like flavor of its roots, which have been used…
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Ground Cherries
Ground cherries (Physalis spp.) are one of late summer’s hidden gems, and are often overlooked despite their sweet, tropical flavor. Small and golden, each fruit is wrapped in a papery husk that gives it a look very similar to its cousin, the tomatillo. Inside, the flavor is a unique blend of pineapple, mango, and tomato…
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A Summer with Sting (Stinging Nettle, that is)
This one can surprise you with a sting if you unknowingly brush up against it, but when you know what to watch for stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a fabulous plant to forage. Getting to Know Nettle Nettle grows tall and unassuming in moist, sunny areas such as along rivers, ditches, and woodland edges. Its…
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It’s Goldenrod Season
I was out in Minnesota yesterday, and came across several patches of goldenrod just at the start of their bloom. What an exciting time! Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is one of those plants that signals late summer is on the way, with its bright yellow blossoms lighting up roadsides, prairies, and open fields. It’s often mistaken…
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Purslane: Positively Wonderful
I’ve been a part of a few conversations about purslane recently, including one with my neighbor who wanted to spray my “weeds” for me. It was actually my husband who had the conversation with her, but I was very happy to hear that he fiercely defended my purslane, and nothing was sprayed. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)…
