I am new to the forum, but have been reading over ETS for a while. I am interested in gathering region specific instructions for what plants / natural materials are edible in a wilderness setting. I am familiar with what is local to me, but will be spending some time hiking on the A.T. I know that there are so many natural "wilderness" delicacies out there that vary greatly from region to region. I wanted to read up and be prepared for my back packing trip. Do you guys have a "go to" source for this type of information? Where do you suggest I start? Thank you in advance for your help.

Here is a good place to start, i am a newbie here too so i dont know as much as some people.

I carry laminated pocket field guides for Edible Plants, Mushrooms, Medicinal Plants, and Animal Tracks. There are quite a few others as well but I haven't gotten those yet. Several of which are concerned with bird watching and other topics.

You can find those in the "Gardening" section @ Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, and many other book stores.

Per IzzyJG, you should definitely check out Blast's Edible Plants Blog.

USDA plant databases include distribution maps.

Most states have Native Plant Society chapters online.

Major universities in each area often have edible and useful plant guides online.

Herbal schools in many areas can steer you in the right direction.

Public park systems and museums in each area often sponsor or put on plant walks to introduce folks to the edible and useful plants in their area.

Bookstores in each area usually have the appropriate plant field guides for sale. Amazon online is always a good place to check.

Howdy jlyrgr! I guess somehow I ended up as the resident thing-eater and others have already given you a link to my wild edibles website. Learning edible wild plants can be somewhat daunting and frustrating, especially if you are trying to teach yourself.

Normally I recommend beginners start with the Peterson Guide to Wild Edibles along with Thomas Elpel's book, Botany in a Day. However a new book has come out that is very, very good.

The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identi...s by Sam Thayer. It puts all others to shame. Sam is the guy I want to be someday and his book is the book I wanted to write. It includes:
* 218 color photos, demonstrating each edible part in the proper stage of harvest, plus showing important identifying features
* Step-by-step tutorial to positive plant identification
* Photos and text comparing potentially confusing plants
* Thorough discussion on how to gather and use the plants
* Detailed information on harvest, preparation, and storage techniques
* A foraging calendar showing harvest times for wild foods
* A glossary of botanical terms illustrated with line drawings
* Bibliography and recommended reading list
* Index
* 368 6" x 9" pages
Amazon won't have this book until April but you can get it from his website now at the link above.

It doesn't have as many plants as the Peterson Guide, but you can actually use Sam's book to identify plants!
-Blast

Blast,

Love your site... real good info...

In regard to "The Forager's Harvest," it is available at Amazon, as well as Sam's site. We have been selling it for awhile. I agree on it being a great book. It is Sam's second book, "Natures Garden" that is only available from him until April. I was fortunate enough to be gifted a signed copy of this new pre-publication book, and it will be a great addition to his first book. Same great illustrations and info... just lots more plants. I recommend them both to everyone's library on edible plants.

In my experience, the boreal forests provide a slim window of opportunity for obtaining natural plant foods in sufficient quantity to maintain energy. Some of them need to be heavily processed (acorns) and other look and taste good but provide little nutrition (mushrooms, fiddleheads). You have two or three weeks to pick blueberries, blackcaps, raspberries, gooseberries and blackberries etc. You can extend the bounty a little by making teas from various forbs. The good stuff (walnuts, hazlenuts) you will have to fight the squirrels for. Depending on the time of year, you need to be prepared to harvest protein in it's many forms. I don't know where you live, but in addition to Blast's website mentioned above (which is excellent), and a packable field guide which every outdoors person should own, there is Tom Browns book, "A Field Guide to Wilderness Survival". ISBN: 0-425-10572-5. I also found Les Strouds book "Survive" ISBN: 978-0-06-137351-0 very informative. I buy most of my books used for cheap on www.half.com.

I think you make an excellent point. Most of my experience has been in the Southwest, primarily Arizona, and in California. You can either hike or forage, but hiking, in terms of covering significant miles, while foraging, just doesn't work.

I love wild strawberries, pinyon nuts, and prickly pear jam, among other wild products, but if i want to cover ground, I bring food from the supermarket. Being in a survival situation would be a whole different ball game.

Hey Blast, how regionally specific is the Forager's Harvest? I mean, living in the Rocky Mountains and reading about everything that is edible on the east coast does me no good at all.

We love wild strawberries. Here they are smaller than a pea, but have a huge burst of flavor, and are a favorite springtime treat when hiking.