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Coral Vine
Coral Vine is not a slow creeper. Antigonon leptopus: Creeping Cuisine The Antigonon leptopus ( an-TIG-oh-non LEP-toh-puss) inspires local names everywhere it grows: Tallahassee Vine, Honolulu Creeper,...
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Smartweed: Nature’s Pepper and Pharmacy
Look for Smartweed in low, damp areas such as clean ditches. Photo by Green Deane Polygonum punctatum: Smartweed The blossoms are hot and bitter. Photo by Green Deane I can remember my first taste of...
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Seminole Pumpkin
Seminole Pumpkins lite. They can also be dark green Cucurbita muschata: Seminole Pumpkin Unlike watermelons which are from Africa, pumpkins and their kin are North American natives. When Panfilo de...
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Radish, Mustard’s Wild Rough Cousin
Field of Wild Radish near Tarpon Springs, Florida Raphanus Raphanistrum: Radical Radish Flowers are cross-shaped The Wild Radish has an identity problem. It looks similar to it’s equally peppery...
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Nasturtiums: Nature’s Nose Nabber
Nasturtiums are originally from Peru. Photo by Green Deane Nasturtiums: Peppery Peruvian Natives Naturalized garden plant Do the peppery Nasturtiums make your nose twitch? Then you know how they got...
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Tansy Mustard, Western
Western Tansy Mustard. Photo by Green Deane Descurainia pinnata: Abandoned Seed What shall we call this little member of the Brassica family? Western Tansy Mustard or Tansy Mustard? We could always opt...
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Wisteria Criteria
Wisteria sinsensis (Chinese Wisteria.) Photo by Kelly Fagan. Wisteria, Wistaria There is a duality to Wisteria, starting with those who think it’s an invasive weed and those who like to eat its...
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Corn Poppy
The Memorial Poppy, Papaver rhoeas (Yes, I, too, am a veteran thus on this Memorial Day let us think of friends and relatives and everyone’s loved ones who did not come home alive. More than a century...
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Chicory History
Chicory’s pale blue blosoms are also edible. Cichorium intybus: Burned to a Crisp Chicory was not a common plant where I grew up or where I’ve lived for 41 years. But I remember the first time I saw...
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Gorse, of Course
Gorse flowers and thorns, available all year long depending on climate. Ulex europaeus: Edible Gorse or Furze Pas Gorse has edible flowers. It also has thorns… Really bad thorns. In August 2005 an...
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Violets’ Virtues
Five petals, with lowest petal heavily veined. Photo by Green Deane Viola affinis: Florida’s Sweet Violet My introduction to violets was seeing my mother eat “Piss-a-beds” in the spring (Viola...
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Basswood Tree, Linden, Lime Tree
Basswood leaves and bracts soon to be blossoming. Photo by Green Deane Tilia americana: Forest Fast Food My first recollection of basswood was not on the supper table but rather helping my step-father...
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Chickweed Chic
Chickweed Thrives in Cooler Weather. Photo by Green Deane Chickweed Connoisseurs You never know where you’ll find Chickweed but locally you know when: Winter. When I owned a lawn it showed up...
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Coral Bean: Humming Bird Fast Food
The Eastern Coral Bean is easy to spot this time of year. Photo by Green Deane Erythrina herbacea: Part Edible, Part Not Eastern Coral Bean in blossom The (eastern) Coral Bean is one of those damned...
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American Lotus: Worth Getting Wet For
The lotus is the largest native blossom in North America. Photo by Green Deane More American than apple pie Nature fights back. Much of Florida is giving way to housing. For several years I passed a...
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Tamarind
A pair of fruiting Tamarind Trees. Photo by Green Deane I drove past a dozen Tamarind trees for a decade or so until I looked up one day. The lumpy brown pods on pretty trees had finally caught my...
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Bougainvillea
Only the blossoms of one Bougainvillea, Brasiliensis is usable. We use the sepals not the flower itself. Bougainvilleas are often referred to as a toxic plant. The reason given is that scratches from...
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Marijuana Machinations
You can’t rummage around the woods as a forager without running into someone’s marijuana patch. Locally the most likely place to find said is on spoil islands, the ones created by dredging. Kids row...
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Sedum: Stonecrop
Sedum with mild flavored leaves. Photo by Green Deane Confessions of forager: In a general sense I have known for many years that “Stonecrops” were edible. I avoided them as they were usually...
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