Edible plants A photographic survey of the wild edible botanicals of North America

The photographs in this botanical survey are almost otherworldly. Fike offers over 100 edible plants, white on a solidly black background, with their edible parts gently colorized. Each plant's image is accompanied by concise notes with information on field description, common landscape, edible portions, medicinal uses, food preparation, and traditional use by Native Americans. The mountain dandelion flower is edible, and leaves may be used in salads and the roots roasted. As a medicinal herb, it is used to treat wounds and swelling, as well as for wart removal. Sea beans, also known as pickleweed, grow only in saltwater environments like coastal marshes, bays, and saltwater lakes. The stalks are the edible parts, best harvested young. They are high in calcium, iron, and vitamin A. Salty and crunchy when eaten raw, they are sometimes pickled. This is an unusual and exceptionally engaging survey of edible plants. Hungry food foragers will carry it in the woods, and the images are wonderfully suitable for coffee-table enjoyment. Edible Plants merits prominent display in any public library collection.

Manzanita, Arctostaphylos spp. An evergreen shrub or small tree growing to twenty feet, found in dry sunny places like chaparral shrub lands, coastal scrublands and open forests in the western and southwestern United States. The shrub is identifiable by its red, smooth twisted branches and fruits that look like little apples turning from green to red as the season progresses. The greyish green leaves are leathery, oval and lighter in color on the underside. Its flowers are bell shaped, white to pink and hang in clusters of up to twenty. There are over one hundred species of manzanitas with most producing edible fruits and flowers. The ripe berries are sour but can be eaten raw, added to dishes and desserts or dried and ground for later use. The berries can be crushed and soaked in water to create a cider-like drink. The young flowers are sweet and can be used raw as an addition to salads or as a garnish. Traditionally, manzanita has been used to treat a number of medical conditions; colds, urinary tract infections, stomach aches, bronchitis, and poison ivy. Sego Lily, Mariposa Lily, Calochortus nuttallii A slender perennial herb growing to eighteen inches in height; found in woodlands, grasslands, sagebrush scrub, and on dry foothills along the Rocky Mountain corridor and into Utah and Nevada. Other similar species of mariposa lilies can be found throughout the western United States and are identical in edibility. Sego lily bulbs grow relatively deeply and are onion-like in appearance. Its leaves are few and grass like, mostly basal and clasping the thin stalk. The flowers are white to pale yellow with three petals and three sepals with hints of light purple or magenta with a yellow base, cup like in shape, but open, up to three inches across with one to four flowers per plant. Mariposa lilies were an important food source for many Native American tribes in the west. The flower petals can be eaten raw as a sweet trail nibble. The nutritious bulbs can be eaten raw, but are more commonly roasted, steamed or dried and ground for flour that can be added to breads or as a thickening agent in soups. Medicinally, it has been used to treat acne and aid in childbirth. These lilies are rare enough that harvesting should be done very conservatively to maintain healthy populations of this beautiful flower. Excerpted from Edible Plants: A Photographic Survey of the Wild Edible Botanicals of North America by Jimmy Fike All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.