For a wild foods forager, now is the beginning of the spring cornucopia. I call this season “verging on verdant.”
The newly formed leaf buds are one of the most nutritious parts of any plant, owing to the plant’s single focus in growing these buds into leaves. An astonishing amount of vitamins and minerals in their natural form are contained within these chlorophyll nuggets. Cheaper than supplements and fresher than grocery store vegetables, these wild plants’ leaf buds — when ingested — are a perfect way to get your daily supply of vitamins and minerals.
As far as edibility, the developing leaves of plants are often overlooked. The leaves of the young Indian plum, or oso berry, have a distinct cucumber taste while the thick buds of the Himalayan blackberry taste surprisingly like coconut. The leaf buds of the alder, maple, salmonberry and huckleberry are all edible and are best just nibbled from the branch. When nibbling the buds of any plant, however, you must be positive in your identification or check with an expert first. Of our native plants here on Vashon, the elderberry leaf is one that could be harmful if ingested.
This time of year is also best for eating the new spring growth of miner’s lettuce, cleavers, shot weed and chickweed. Eating these plants raw is the best way to assure the maximum benefit from the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. The young leaves from more well-known wild greens, such as dandelion, dock and nettles, are in their prime now as the leaves are still maturing and at their highest nutritional potency, each with very high amounts of vitamin A, B-Complex, C and the minerals potassium, iron and calcium.
The leaves of all plants gradually lose their strength as the plant begins to put its energy toward developing the flower buds.
Some of our first native flowers are making their vernal appearance. Salmonberry’s pink flower petals, Oregon grape’s bright yellow flower clusters and dainty violet flowers are all highlighted in this season and can be eaten in the field or taken into the kitchen for brightening up salads or decorating cakes. Flowers have a long history of use in medicinal preparations, especially as essences preserved in water and alcohol.
It is profoundly empowering to be able to confidently identify native plants and to forage your way through the forest. By continually nibbling all parts of wild plants in their different seasons, you are ingesting the highest quality of vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, enzymes and bioflavonoids in their natural form.
— Erin Kenny is an ethnobotanist and the director of Cedarsong Nature School.
