A guide to 32 of the best and most common edible wild plants in North America, with detailed information on how to identify them, where they are found, how and when they are harvested, which parts are used, how they are prepared, as well as their culinary use, ecology, conservation, and cultural history.
Eastern North America is one of the richest foraging landscapes in the world, with a wild abundance of fruits, berries, nuts, roots, tubers, shoots, flowers, seeds, and leafy greens. This guide is the key to unlocking the nutritional and culinary secrets of the natural bounty around us. As the most comprehensive regional guide ever written, it contains detailed descriptions, range maps, and sharp color photos of 675 edible species as well as some of our most troublesome toxic plants. Sam Thayer's Field Guide pioneers a novel identification system using everyday language accessible to beginning and advanced foragers alike, designed to stand alone or work with phone-based identification apps to confirm positive ID before a plant is eaten. Readers will also learn about the plant's habitat, conservation, edible parts, seasons of harvest, and methods of preparation. Destined to become the new standard in foraging field guides.