Spring Foraging
American Linden
Latin Name
Tilia americana
Habitat
mesic upland and bottomland woodlands, sandy woodlands, stabilized sand dunes near Lake Michigan, riverbanks, and slopes of wooded ravines
Edible Parts
inner bark, sap, flowers
Edible Preparation
leaves: pick, wash, cook or eat raw; sap: drink; flowers: pick, wash, eat
Medicinal Benefits
root and bark: decoction to treat internal hemorrhaging; root: decoction used as vermifuge to rid the body of worms; inner bark: tea applied externally to burns to soothe and soften the skin, taken internally in the treat lung complaints, dysentery, heart burn and weak stomach; flowers, leaves and buds: tea for nervous headaches, restlessness and painful digestion; flowers: tea used in treatment of hypertension, hardening of the arteries, digestive complaints associated with anxiety, feverish colds, respiratory catarrh, migraine, etc.
Black Morel
Latin Name
Morchella elata
Habitat
rich, well-drained soil under trees; often beneath hedges or on disturbed soil at the edge of a garden
Edible Parts
whole fungi
Edible Preparation
soak in cold salt water, rinse, blanche, sauté or grill or stuff, eat
Medicinal Benefits
used for food
Blushing Morel
Latin Name
Morchella rufobrunnea
Habitat
landscaping mulch, planters, roadside verges, and similar sites
Edible Parts
whole fungi
Edible Preparation
soak in cold salt water, rinse, blanche, sauté or grill or stuff, eat
Medicinal Benefits
used for food
Bracken Fern
Latin Name
Pteridium aquilinum
Habitat
open woodlands, sandy woodlands, rocky wooded slopes, sandstone cliffs, sandy savannas, sandy thickets, stabilized foredunes near Lake Michigan, sedge meadows, moist sand prairies, and sandy banks of roadsides
Edible Parts
leaves, shoots, roots
Edible Preparation
leaves (unfurled): pick, wash, cook, eat; roots: wash, dry, bake, peel, grind, use as starch; shoots: harvest, wash, blanche, cook, eat
Medicinal Benefits
root: tincture mixed with wine to treat rheumatism; tea used to treat stomach cramps, chest pains, internal bleeding, diarrhoea, colds, expel worms; poultice externally applied to sores, burns, caked breasts; shoots: consumed to treatcancer; leaves: steam bath as a treatment for arthritis; plant: decoction for tuberculosis; fronds and leaves: poultice to treat sores of any type, bind broken bones in place
Burdock
Latin Name
Arctium minus, A. lappa
Habitat
grassland, freshwater riparian zones, saltwater riparian zones, river banks, stream banks, creek banks, full sun, partial sun, moist, loam
Edible Parts
root, leaves, shoots, stems
Edible Preparation
root: wash, peel, eat; leaves: tri-par boil, eat; shoots: peel, eat; stems: peel, eat
Medicinal Benefits
root: decoction for blood cleanser, antiseptic, acne, boils, eczema, arthritis drink; leaves: poultice for boils, acne, apply to affected area; seeds: decoction for diuretic, blood cleanser
Cattail
Latin Name
Typha angustifolia, Typha latifolia
Habitat
salt water riparian zones, river banks, stream banks, creek banks, swamp, marsh, full sun, wet, silt, sandy soil
Edible Parts
leaves, bud, rhizome, flower, pollen, lateral rhizome
Edible Preparation
leaves: peel, wash, eat; bud: wash, peel, eat; rhizome: peel, wash, eat; flower: wash, eat; pollen: sift, add to food, eat; lateral rhizome: peel, wash, eat
Medicinal Benefits
leaves: poultice for antiseptic, blood thickener, faster wound recovery apply to wound; sap: raw for antiseptic, faster wound recovery apply to wound; rhizome: raw for slow bleeding, reduce menstrual bleeding eat; rhizome: powder for blood thickener apply to wound
Chickweed
Latin Name
Stellaria media
Habitat
sparse trees and park land, grassland, full shade, partial shade, moist, clay, loam
Edible Parts
whole plant
Edible Preparation
whole plant: wash, eat
Medicinal Benefits
whole plant: poultice for anti inflammatory apply to bites, stings, rash, eczema, shingles
Cleavers
Latin Name
Galium aparine
Habitat
woodlands, thickets, seeps, limestone glades, weedy meadows in floodplain areas, fence rows, barnyards, ditches, flower beds, and edges of dumps
Edible Parts
leaves, stems, fruits
Edible Preparation
leaves and stems: wash, cook or eat raw; fruits: pick, wash, roast, grind, brew, drink
Medicinal Benefits
whole plant, excluding root: poultice for wounds, ulcers, other skin problems; decoction for insomnia, strong diuretic, glandular fever, ME, tonsillitis, hepatitis, cystitis; tea used internally and externally to treat cancer
Common Blue Violet
Latin Name
Viola sororia, Viola odorata
Habitat
moist to mesic black soil prairies, open woodlands, woodland edges, savannas, and wooded slopes along rivers or lakes; lawns, city parks, moist waste areas, and along hedges or buildings in developed ares
Edible Parts
flowers, leaves
Edible Preparation
leaves: wash, eat; wash, dry, steep, drink ; flowers: wash, eat raw, or cook and make jellies and candies
Medicinal Benefits
leaves: balm to remedy eczema, dry skin, bug bites, and vericose veins, cough syrup: mixed with honey to soothe coughs and colds, anti-oxident, anti-inflammatory, blood cleanser
Curly Dock
Latin Name
Rumex crispus
Habitat
seeps, glades, weedy meadows (including areas prone to occasional flooding), pastures and fallow fields, vacant lots, roadside banks, gravelly areas along railroads, edges of yards, gardens, and miscellaneous waste areas; disturbed areas are preferred
Edible Parts
leaves, stems, seeds
Edible Preparation
leaves and seeds: wash, cook or eat raw; seeds: grind, mix with other flours to make bread; stems: wash, peel outer layer, cook or eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
roots: poultice and salve, or dried and used as a dusting powder externally, on sores, ulcers, wounds and other skin problems; tonic to treat constipation, diarrhea, piles, bleeding of the lungs, blood complaints and chronic skin diseases
Dandelion
Latin Name
Taraxacum officinale
Habitat
temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of waterways, and other areas with moist soils
Edible Parts
flowers, leaves, roots
Edible Preparation
roots: wash, dry, brew, drink; wash, boil or steam, eat; leaves: wash, cook or eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
leaves or roots: tea to treat gall bladder and urinary disorders, gallstones, jaundice, cirrhosis, dyspepsia with constipation, oedema associated with high blood pressure and heart weakness, chronic joint and skin complaints, gout, eczema and acne; sap: applied topically to remove corns, warts and verrucae
Dead Nettle
Latin Name
Lamium album
Habitat
open grassland to woodland, generally on moist, fertile soils
Edible Parts
leaves, flowers
Edible Preparation
leaves: pick, wash, cook or eat raw; flowers: pick, clean, dry, steep, drink
Medicinal Benefits
flowers: infusion for treatment of kidney and bladder complaints, diarrhea, menstrual problems, bleeding after childbirth, vaginal discharges, prostatitis; compress: applied externally to piles, varicose veins, vaginal discharges; flowers and leaves: distilled water for eye lotion to relieve ophthalmic conditions
Dock
Latin Name
Rumex acetosella
Habitat
grasslands, full sun, moist, acidic, sandy soil
Edible Parts
leaves, root
Edible Preparation
leaves: wash, eat; root: wash, eat
Medicinal Benefits
leaves: raw for infections, mouth ulcers, scurvy, loss of appetite, fevers, eat
Garlic Mustard
Latin Name
Alliaria petiolata
Habitat
moist to slightly dry deciduous woodlands, woodland borders, areas along woodland paths, semi-shaded areas in gardens and along fence rows, and partially shaded waste areas
Edible Parts
whole plant
Edible Preparation
sprouts: cut, sauté, add to salad or soup, eat; leaves: pick, wash, add to salad, eat, or use as seasoning; root: wash, grate or puree, add to sauces, eat or roast; seeds: remove, use as seasoning
Medicinal Benefits
leaves: consumed to promote sweating and to treat bronchitis, asthma and eczema; roots: oil applied to chest to soothe bronchitis symptoms; seeds: snuff to induce sneezing
Goosefoot
Latin Name
Chenopodium album
Habitat
grasslands, full sun, moist, loam
Edible Parts
leaves, seeds
Edible Preparation
leaves: wash, eat; seeds: separate seeds from husks, boil, eat
Medicinal Benefits
root: tea for laxative, anemia drink; leaves: poultice for arthritis, abrasions apply to affected area
Ground Elder
Latin Name
Aegopodium podagraria
Habitat
deciduous woodlands (sandy & non-sandy), shaded ravines, woodland borders, cemeteries, roadsides, and waste areas
Edible Parts
leaves, root
Edible Preparation
leaves: pick, clean, eat;
Medicinal Benefits
leaves and roots: hot wraps applied externally after boiling down parts to treat gout and arthritis
Ground Ivy
Latin Name
Glechoma hederacea
Habitat
openings of floodplain forests, semi-shaded areas along rivers, powerline clearances in woodland areas, cemeteries, lawns and gardens, and miscellaneous waste areas
Edible Parts
leaves
Edible Preparation
leaves: pick, wash, cook or eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
leaves: expressed juice externally applied speeds healing of bruises, black eyes
Henbit
Latin Name
Lamium amplexicaule
Habitat
fields, pastures, gardens, nursery plots, edges of yards, lawns, waste areas, and areas along buildings; strong preference for disturbed areas
Edible Parts
leaves, flowers, stems
Edible Preparation
leaves, stems, flowers: wash, cook or eat raw; leaves: pick, wash, dry, steep, drink
Medicinal Benefits
plant: used as antirheumatic, diaphoretic, excitant, febrifuge, laxative, stimulant
Hosta
Latin Name
Hosta ventricosa
Habitat
rocky or stony river banks near ponds and lakes, forests, grassy slopes and hillsides at elevations of 500 - 2400 metres
Edible Parts
stems, leaves
Edible Preparation
stems: wash, cook, eat; white part of stems: wash, boil, eat
Medicinal Benefits
root: acts as an odontalgic
Japanese Knotweed
Latin Name
Fallopia japonica
Habitat
water sources, in low-lying areas, waste areas, and around old home sites
Edible Parts
stems, shoots
Edible Preparation
stem: rinse, slice, steam or simmer in soup, eat; mature shoots: cut, peel outer bark, cook, eat; young shoots: cut, wash, cook or eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
roots: extract, pill or tincture of resveratrol to help weight loss, prevents heart diseases, osteoporosis, sudden blood clots, ulcers, inhibits tumor growth, antioxidant, anti-mutagen, anti-aging, antipyretic, analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, tranquilizing agent, treats burns, inflammations and skin rashes, inhibits cholesterol, antiviral, lowers lipids and triglycerides, treats gout, laxative
King Bolete
Latin Name
Boletus edulis
Habitat
soil beneath trees, notably beech and birch, and less commonly oaks as well as pines, spruces and occasionally other conifers
Edible Parts
above end of stem
Edible Preparation
cut base, clean, sauté or grill or stir fry, eat or eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
used for food
Lady Fern
Latin Name
Athyrium filix-femina
Habitat
moist to mesic woodlands, rocky ravines, shaded seeps, and edges of swamps
Edible Parts
roots, leaves, stems
Edible Preparation
shoots: wash, cook, eat; roots: peel, slow-bake, eat; leaves (unfurled): pick, wash, cook, eat
Medicinal Benefits
roots: tea to treat general body pains, stop breast pains caused by childbirth, induce milk flow in caked breasts, powder: applied topically to heal sores, extract: used as an anthelmintic; stems: tea to reduce labor pains
Milkweed
Latin Name
Asclepias syriaca
Habitat
moist to dry black soil prairies, sand prairies, sand dunes along lake shores, thickets, woodland borders, fields and pastures, abandoned fields, vacant lots, fence rows, and areas along railroads and roadsides
Edible Parts
shoots, leaves, buds, immature fruits
Edible Preparation
shoots, leaves, buds, immature fruits: pick, wash, eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
roots and leaves: tea to treat suppress coughs and used to treat typhus fever and asthma; sap: applied directly to warts; roots: chewed raw to cure dysentery
Miner’s Lettuce
Latin Name
Claytonia perfoliata
Habitat
deciduous forest, mixed forest, freshwater riparian zones, salt water riparian zones, river banks, stream banks, creek banks, partial shade, moist, loam, sandy soil
Edible Parts
stems, leaves
Edible Preparation
stems: wash, eat; leaves: wash, eat
Medicinal Benefits
leaves: raw for scurvy eat
Narrowleaf Plantain
Latin Name
Plantago lanceolata
Habitat
lawns, cracks in pavement, vacant lots, fallow fields, grassy paths, and roadsides
Edible Parts
leaves, seeds
Edible Preparation
leaves: pick, rinse, cook or eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
seeds: ground up and added to oil to use externally on inflamed sites, whole: act as a laxative, decoction: treat sore throats; leaves: tea to soothe coughs and colds, poultice: apply to itchy bites, scrapes, and cuts
Ostrich Fern
Latin Name
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Habitat
moist rich woodlands, low areas along woodland borders, swamps, and soggy thickets
Edible Parts
leaves, roots
Edible Preparation
leaves (unfurled): pick, wash, cook, eat; root: wash, peel, roast, eat
Medicinal Benefits
leaves: decoction taken to treat back pain, help speed up the expulsion of the afterbirth
Oyster Mushroom
Latin Name
Pleurotus ostreatus
Habitat
deciduous forest
Edible Parts
above end of stem
Edible Preparation
cut stem, rinse, cook, eat
Medicinal Benefits
eat: anti diabetic, antibacterial, anticholestrolic, antiarthritic, antioxidant, anticancer, eye health, antiviral activities
Plantain
Latin Name
Plantago major
Habitat
lawns, mowed roadsides, compacted soil along paths, vacant lots, and waste areas
Edible Parts
leaves, seeds
Edible Preparation
leaves: pick, rinse, cook or eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
seeds: ground up and added to oil to use externally on inflamed sites, whole: act as a laxative, decoction: treat sore throats; leaves: tea to soothe coughs and colds, poultice: apply to itchy bites, scrapes, and cuts
Pussy Willow
Latin Name
Salix discolor
Habitat
sun; moist to wet; swamps, marshes, shores, thickets, seeps, swales, wet meadows, wet ditches
Edible Parts
leaves, inner bark
Edible Preparation
inner bark: strip, clean, dry, grind to add to flour mix; leaves: pick, wash, cook or eat raw
Medicinal Benefits
inner bark: tea or infusion to treat pain, inflammation and fever; ash of burnt willow externally applied to treat corns, calluses and pimples
Ramps
Latin Name
Allium tricoccum
Habitat
woods with rich soils with moist ground in depressions, and along streamside bluffs, and on colluvial slopes
Edible Parts
leaves, bulbs
Edible Preparation
leaves or bulb: harvest, clean, eat raw or cooked (pick only one leaf per plant recommended due to slow growth cycle)
Medicinal Benefits
leaves: tonic used to treat colds and croup; leaves and bulbs: juice used as treatment of earaches; root: decoction used as emetic
Red Clover
Latin Name
Trifolium pratense
Habitat
fields, pastures, weedy meadows, vacant lots, grassy areas along roads, waste areas, and degraded prairie remnants
Edible Parts
leaves, flowers, roots, seeds
Edible Preparation
leaves and flowering heads: pick, wash, cook or eat raw; roots: wash, cook, eat; seeds: harvest, rinse, sprout, eat; flowers and seed pods: harvest, rinse, dry, grind into powder to use as flour
Medicinal Benefits
flowers: poultices used as local applications on cancerous growths; tea or decoction used to treat skin complaints like eczema, psoriasis, cancers of the breast, ovaries and lymphatic system, chronic degenerative diseases, gout, whooping cough, dry coughs
Sorrel
Latin Name
Rumex acetosa
Habitat
man-made or disturbed habitats, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes
Edible Parts
flowers, leaves, roots, seeds
Edible Preparation
flowers and leaves: wash, cook or eat raw; roots: wash, peel, cook, eat; seeds: harvest, cook or eat raw; grind, mix with other flours to make bread
Medicinal Benefits
roots: paste to apply to dislocated bones; infusion to treat jaundice, gravel and kidney stones; leaves: cooling drink used to treat fevers and scurvy
Stinging Nettle
Latin Name
Urtica dioica
Habitat
moist sites along streams, open forests, and ditches, on mountain slopes, in woodland clearings, and in disturbed areas such as roadsides and old fields
Edible Parts
leaves, stems, roots
Edible Preparation
leaves: rinse, boil, cook or eat as is; shoots: wash, brew, drink
Medicinal Benefits
root: tea can aid coagulation, formation of hemoglobin, urinary ailments, enlarged prostate
Tawny Daylily
Latin Name
Hemerocallis fulva
Habitat
forests, thickets, grasslands, streamsides; at elevations from 300 - 2,500 metres
Edible Parts
flowers, leaves, shoots, tubers
Edible Preparation
flowers, leaves (very young), shoots, tubers (young): ash, eat cooked or raw; flower buds: wash, cook, eat; flowers: pick, wash, dry, thickener for soup
Medicinal Benefits
diuretic, laxative (mild), anodyne, antiemetic, antispasmodic, depurative, febrifuge, sedative
Thimbleberry
Latin Name
Rubus parviflorus
Habitat
moist to dry, wooded to open areas from near sea level to subalpine elevations
Edible Parts
berries, leaves, shoots, root
Edible Preparation
berries: pick, rinse, eat raw or dried
Medicinal Benefits
leaves or roots: tea as a blood tonic in the treatment of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dysentery
Western Sword Fern
Latin Name
Polystichum munitum
Habitat
temperate and subtropical regions in both hemispheres
Edible Parts
rhizomes
Edible Preparation
rhizomes: roast, peel, bake like potato, eat
Medicinal Benefits
rhizome: decoction to treat dandruff; leaves: chewed to facilitate childbirth, infusion: as a poultice or wash for sores and boils; shoots: chewed and eaten as a treatment for cancer of the womb, sore throats, tonsillitis; sporangia: crushed and applied as a poultice to burns, sores and boils
White Clover
Latin Name
Trifolium repens
Habitat
pastures, fields, grassy meadows, lawns, parks, mowed areas along roadsides, paths through woodlands, and waste areas
Edible Parts
leaves, flowers, stems, seed pods
Edible Preparation
flowers and seed pods: wash, dry, grind to make flour; flowers and leaves: wash, cook or eat raw; wash, dry, steep, drink
Medicinal Benefits
flowers and leaves: infusion to treat fever, coughs, colds, upset stomachs, nausea, dizziness, rheumatic aches, arthritis
Wild Asparagus
Latin Name
Asparagus officinalis
Habitat
black soil prairies, grassy meadows, thickets, fence rows, powerline clearances in wooded areas, abandoned fields, vacant lots, gravelly areas along railroads, grassy roadsides, and waste areas
Edible Parts
shoots, seeds
Edible Preparation
shoots: cut stalky base, clean, cook or eat raw; seeds: harvest, rinse, dry, roast, grind, brew, drink
Medicinal Benefits
shoots and roots: fresh juice used as an antispasmodic, aperient, cardiac, demulcent, diaphoretic, diuretic, sedative and tonic; root: infusion to treat jaundice and congestive torpor of the liver, lower blood pressure, cancer, urinary problems
Wild Carrot
Latin Name
Daucus carota
Habitat
fields, meadows, waste areas, roadsides and disturbed habitats. They are very hardy and thrive in a dry environment
Edible Parts
flower, seeds, roots, leaves
Edible Preparation
flower: pick, clean, eat raw or fried; seeds: clean, add to soups or stews, eat; root: cut, clean, cook, eat (first year); leaves: pick, clean, add to soups or cooked foods, eat
Medicinal Benefits
eat: oil for urinary tract problems including kidney stones, bladder problems, water retention, and excess uric acid in the urine; and also for gout, a painful joint problem caused by too much uric acid, severe diarrhea (dysentery), indigestion, and intestinal gas
Woolly Burdock
Latin Name
Arctium tomentosum
Habitat
disturbed areas, along roadsides, in farmland, forests as well as in open areas, wet and dry grassland
Edible Parts
root, leaves, shoots, stems
Edible Preparation
root: wash, peel, eat; leaves: tri-par boil, eat; shoots: peel, eat; stems: peel, eat
Medicinal Benefits
root: decoction for blood cleanser, antiseptic, acne, boils, eczema, arthritis drink; leaves: poultice for boils, acne, apply to affected area; seeds: decoction for diuretic, blood cleanser
Yellow Morel
Latin Name
Morchella esculenta
Habitat
chalky soil under deciduous trees; occasionally with dwarf willow on calcareous dune slacks
Edible Parts
whole fungi
Edible Preparation
soak in cold salt water, rinse, blanche, sauté or grill or stuff, eat
Medicinal Benefits
used for food
By Kelvinsong - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27509689
By derivative work: McSush (talk)Leaf_morphology_no_title.png: User: Debivort - Leaf_morphology_no_title.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7681206