Medicinal Plants of the Southeast

Field Notes

Edible Uses and Identification of Beaked Corn Salad (Valerianella radiata) edible wild plants Apr 25, 2024

By Matthew Hunter

   In the early spring, around the months of March and April, you’ll find in the moist open fields of the South a tasty wild green with a smooth texture like butterhead lettuce. It’s called corn salad.

   In this article we’re...

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Medicinal Uses of Magnolia medicinal plants Feb 18, 2024

By Matthew Hunter

   The magnolia tree is a plant nearly every Southerner is familiar with, at least by name, yet few are aware that it’s a genus with numerous medicinal benefits. The medicinal uses of magnolia trees are well documented and widespread throughout the world,...

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Spring Beauty- An Edible Wild Root of Spring edible wild plants Feb 01, 2024

By Matthew Hunter

Despite its relatively small root, spring beauty was once a major food source eaten by Native American groups all across the United States. From the Bering Sea spring beauty of Alaska, to the lanceleaf spring beauty of the Western mountain states, all the way to the common...

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The Staple Grain of the Aztecs edible wild plants sonoran desert plants Dec 08, 2023

   Amaranth is one of the best tasting and most common edible plants in Southern Arizona. Historically its seeds were an important staple crop of the Aztecs, and in times past the plant was considered one of the top two favorite greens of the Pima(the other being purslane)....

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Mesquite Beans From Field to Table edible wild plants sonoran desert plants Nov 15, 2023

Click here to learn more about our online program foraging program Wild Food University!

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Edible Wild Weeds of Winter edible wild plants Jan 16, 2023

   In the late fall and wintertime across the southern half of the U.S.(or anywhere where it doesn’t freeze), the primary edible plants available to the forager are common yard weeds. 

   When it comes to eating weeds, most people find the idea either very...

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Netleaf Hackberry- America's #1 Wild Staple Food sonoran desert plants wild food wilderness survival Oct 31, 2022

 Overview

   Netleaf hackberry(Celtis reticulata) is a water-loving tree that grows next to rivers and springs in middle elevations across the Southwest. Its small red berries don’t look like much at first glance, but they’re actually a calorie-packed staple food...

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Desert Hackberry- Edible Fruit and Wildlife Magnet sonoran desert plants wild food Oct 12, 2022

 Overview

     Desert hackberry(also called spiny hackberry) is a common shrub that grows in Southern Arizona and South Texas, in parts of both the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. Its tasty orange berries are produced in the fall, and are high in phosphorus, calcium,...

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The Edible Screwbean Mesquite Tree (Bean Pods + Historical Uses) sonoran desert plants wild food Sep 07, 2022

 Introduction

   Screwbean mesquite(Prosopis pubescens) is a small tree native to Southern Arizona, where it grows along rivers in the Sonoran Desert. In this article we're going to look at the identification and edible uses of screwbean mesquite, its range throughout our desert,...

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Wolfberry- The Most Common Berry in the Desert sonoran desert plants wild food Sep 02, 2022

Introduction

   Have you ever heard of goji berries? They are a "superfood" from China that started gaining popularity in the U.S. around the turn of the century due to their wide range of nutritional benefits. Goji berries are high in antioxidants, and have all kinds of...

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Desert Chia- A Native Wild Food sonoran desert plants wild food Jul 22, 2022

Introduction

     Desert chia(Salvia columbariae) is our native desert version of store-bought chia (Salvia hispanica), which is a cultivated seed originally from Central America, and is popularly considered a “superfood” for its wide range of nutritional...

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