day : 05/10/2015 18 results

The Encyclopedia of Edible Wild Plants of North America by François Couplan

The encyclopedia is really a catalog of about 4,000 North American plants that, somewhere along the way, have been said to be edible by one or more of François' many references. Plants are organized by Phylum, Family, Genus, then Species. The catalog is enriched in a relatively few spots by the addition of François' personal experiences. This is sort of the grand son, or really grand nephew, of the 1919 government document "Sturtevant's Notes on Edible Plants". The differences being ...

October 5, 2015

Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America by Nancy Turner and Adam Szczawinski

There are really no alternatives currently in print to this book. Turner and Szczawinski are ethnobotanists who have written extensively on edible wild plants. And while they are not toxicologists, they have done an excellent job of putting together technical, academic, and medical information about North American poisonous plants, mushrooms, sea vegetables, and more. Their unique contributions in writing this book include an understanding of the edible aspects of some poisonous plants ...

October 5, 2015

Alaska Wild Berry Guide and Cookbook by Alaska Geographic Editors

This book is divided into two sections - plant identification and recipes. There is a lot packed into this book. It could have just as appropriately been included in our cookbook section - the recipe part is prominent and impressive. The plants cover an area much larger than the title suggests. This book is just as appropriate for all of the Pacific Northwest as well as much of Canada and the very Northeastern United States (from the upper half of Minnesota to Connecticut). The plant ...

October 5, 2015

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies by Linda Kershaw

An important book for those in the Northern and Central Rocky mountain areas as well as other areas in the West. This is a photo-based guide focusing on the identification of wild edible plants. Kershaw's book, like other Lone Pine publications, covers lots of material. Brief descriptions of foods and medicines, often referring to uses by Native American Peoples, are given for each plant. Like the other books in this section, there is no detailed processing information. This book covers ...

October 5, 2015

Best-Tasting Wild Plants of Colorado and the Rockies by Cattail Bob Seebeck

An essential book for those in the Southern and Central Rocky mountain areas and useful for the West, in general. This is a photo-based guide focusing on the identification of wild edible plants. Seebeck does more than any other guide by offering four thought-out photographs per plant. Yes, you heard me, four, not one, like most books. These photographs show different parts of the same plant. You are much more likely to be able to identify a plant if you can clearly see closeups of flowers, ...

October 5, 2015

Wild Berries of the West by Betty Derig and Margaret Fuller

This is a high quality photographic guide focusing on the 'identification' of wild plants that produce berries. Derig and Fuller are 'mostly' their own photographers who provide us with 103 berry photographs, 67 flower photographs, and a few vegetative photographs. There are 20 line drawings to supplement the photographs. Like most wildflower guides, they focus in on the fruits and flowers, rather than on close-ups of other parts of the plants, but they do a fairly good job of showing at ...

October 5, 2015

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West by Gregory L. Tilford

This is a high quality photographic guide focusing on the 'identification' of edible and medicinal wild plants of the west. Tilford, his own photographer, uses 86 photographs to help you recognize the plants he included. Unlike many 'flower' identification guides Tilford shows us leaves, stems, flowers and sometimes even fruits. And in a helpful way points out unique characteristics that might help us identify the plants. Included here that you do not usually see in 'wildflower' guides ...

October 5, 2015

A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants Eastern and Central North America Peterson Field Guide Series by Lee Allen Peterson

A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants Eastern and Central North America Peterson Field Guide Series No. 23 by Lee Allen Peterson

This is a high quality field guide focusing on the identification of wild edible plants of the eastern half of the country. Peterson uses a mixture of 78 photographs, but mostly, high quality black and white line drawings to help you recognize the plants they included. Unlike many 'flower' identification guides Peterson shows us leaves, stems, flowers and sometimes even fruits. And in a helpful way points out unique characteristics that might help us identify the plants. Included here ...

October 5, 2015

Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants by Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman

An important book for any wild food library. This is a valuable resource that focuses on both the identification as well as the uses of edible wild plants. Elias and Dykeman cover 220 plants, of which 20 are poisonous. Each plant they cover is represented by a range map and one to four full color photographs to help you recognize the plants they included. The book organizes plants into seasons. The introduction covers topics that include harvest and preparation, jam jelly and pie ...

October 5, 2015

The Flavors of Home by Margit Roos-Collins

An important book for any wild food library. Essential if you are from the western coast. In fact, no matter where you are in North America, you could benefit from this book. There is even a really good 25 page section on pacific coast sea vegetables. The reason this book is so good is that Margit is knowledgeable and honest. She explains about each plant, tells you what she used it for, and how she prepared it. She gives you valuable tips, tells you what worked for her and what did not. ...

October 5, 2015

Edible And Useful Plants 0f California by Charlotte Bringle Clarke

Edible and Useful Plants of California by Charlotte Bringle Clarke

An important book for a wild food library. Essential if you are from the Southwestern United States. After Gibbons seminal works from 1962 - 1966 many people were inspired to learn and then write about wild foods. Of the many books coming out in the 70's, Clarke's stood out. Covering 200 plants, having 46 color photos, and many fairly accurate line drawings, the book tells us of Native American uses, and plant lore in a clear and concise way. For most plants, she gives a recipe or two based ...

October 5, 2015

Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains by H.D. Harrington

Essential if you are from the Rocky Mountains. In fact, no matter where you are in North America, you could benefit from this book. About 1/3 of the plants are unique to the US Rocky Mountains, about 1/3 apply to anywhere west of the Rockies and about 1/3 are found anywhere in North America. The reason this book is so good is that Harrington is knowledgeable and honest. He explains a lot about each plant, tells you what he used it for, and how he prepared it. He gives you valuable tips, ...

October 5, 2015

Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants In Wild and Not So Wild Places by Steve Brill

An important book for a wild food library. "Wildman" Steve Brill was made famous when he was arrested in Central Park for pulling weeds to teach people about edible wild plants. He eventually went on to be a Park Naturalist for a while and published this book on wild foods. Like others in this section, this book is good because Steve is knowledgeable, honest, and speaks from experience. He explains a lot about each plant, tells you what he used it for, and how he prepared it. He gives you ...

October 5, 2015

The Neighborhood Forager: Finding and Preparing Delicious Wild Foods Anywhere by Robert K. Henderson

The Neighborhood Forager by Robert Henderson

There are books that cover the east, books that cover the west, and Young's book here which covers everything in between. The range of this book spans the area bordered by the Rocky Mountains in the west to the deciduous forests of the east, the Texas panhandle in the south to the north in Canada. The actual range of this book goes far beyond the Great Plains. 80% of the plants in this book are found in eastern North America, 25% are found to the west of the Rockies, and perhaps 15% are ...

October 5, 2015

Wild Seasons - Gathering and Cooking Wild Plants of the Great Plains by Kay Young

Wild Seasons by Kay Young

October 5, 2015

Books by Euell Gibbons

Gibbons books are an important component of any great wild food library. In some ways Gibbons books have been usurped by the first three books in our "All-in-One" category. But in other ways and in some areas Gibbons research, experimentation, and play will always be worth reading. He reports knowledge based on experience. When I can't find information elsewhere, I check to see what Gibbons did. The ingenuity of his 'vegetarian mayapple chiffon pie incorporating whipped mallow will amaze and ...

October 5, 2015

Nature's Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer

Nature’s Garden by Samuel Thayer

An important book for a wild food library. I wish I had Sam's books when I was first getting started with wild foods—my life would have been easier. He has continued to produce some great work and good coverage of a wide variety of plants. At 512 pages Nature's Garden is a great value. One of the reasons I love Sam's books is that we think alike, have recognized many of the same problems in the wild food literature, and have similar solutions to problems we encounter. That is a good ...

October 5, 2015

The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer

The Forager’s Harvest by Samuel Thayer

An important book for a wild food library. Imagine a wild food book whose author actually has lots of experience with the plants he talks about! And on top of this he is creative and practical — solving problems one might encounter gathering and making these plants into food. Welcome to Sam's world. Like Euell Gibbons, Sam devotes a revealing and memorable chapter to each plant, contributing lots of new and useful information. Going beyond Euell, he illustrates his book with lots of ...

October 5, 2015