Category Archives: foraging

Ground cherries are underappreciated wild fruits

Posted on March 19, 2019 by tedmanzer

The internet is a great place to gain knowledge. It’s also a bastion for false or misleading information. Sometimes I read something and laugh. Then I wonder how many other people read that same thing and were scared by it. … Continue reading →

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Oyster mushrooms are a common fungus on deciduous trees

Posted on January 21, 2019 by tedmanzer

A friend of mine brought in a mushroom sample recently for me to identify. I smiled when I saw it. When I was a teenager, it was one of my favorites to collect. My dad and I usually found it … Continue reading →

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Sweetfern is a spicy northern cousin

Posted on January 10, 2019 by tedmanzer

I was trimming a wax myrtle the other day when I caught a whiff of its sweet fragrance. It reminded me of my many treks through the Maine wild landscape. Walking through waist-high patches of sweetfern gave my clothes an … Continue reading →

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Agrimony is more than just a sticky nuisance

Posted on December 20, 2018 by tedmanzer

Anyone who has ever taken a walk in a brushy pasture in fall has probably encountered agrimony (Agrimonia sp.). Often, people run into it before they see it. Before you realize, you’re covered with little spiny balls that stick to … Continue reading →

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Cranberries can be an all season treat

Posted on November 21, 2018 by tedmanzer

Most people only eat cranberries at Thanksgiving or maybe Christmas. When they do find their way to our plates they’re usually smothered with sugar. If people only knew the benefits of this tart fruit they might try eating them more … Continue reading →

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Pumpkins signal fall

Posted on October 16, 2018 by tedmanzer

It’s October, and while summer temperatures keep holding on fall weather is inevitable. Pumpkins are also on display. They are major decorative symbols of both Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkins find their way on nearly every porch in the fall. Some … Continue reading →

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Evening primrose is a stunning native wildflower

Posted on September 11, 2018 by tedmanzer

Everyone has seen those tall weeds with long narrow leaves and covered with cup-shaped yellow flowers. Sometimes they can grow to be five feet tall. For foragers and herbalists, it has a bounty of uses. The plant in question is … Continue reading →

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Mullein is a useful drought tolerant weed

Posted on July 23, 2018 by tedmanzer

Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is that tall fuzzy leaved plant that many people confuse with lamb’s ear. Once plants begin to flower, the two bear fewer similarities. Mullein has taller flower stalks with yellow flowers and those of lamb’s ear … Continue reading →

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Cattail pollen is a fleeting delicacy

Posted on May 28, 2018 by tedmanzer

A few years back I wrote a column about the survival uses of cattails (Typha latifolia). There are many. This time I want to focus only on cattail pollen. It has been shedding now for over a week and if … Continue reading →

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Clary Sage is an important crop in northeast North Carolina

Posted on May 13, 2018 by tedmanzer

Most folks have seen it from their vehicles.  Few likely know what it is or why it’s grown. Some might say that the flowers look like those of salvia. They’d be right. The plant in question is clary sage (Salvia … Continue reading →

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