| As always, if you're new to foraging and want to give it a try, please read the first diary in the FFF series for some important information.
 Elderberries are probably North America's least appreciated berries. Elder bushes have large, forest-green compound leaves that can reach 3 feet in length and consist of a leading leaflet and somewhere in the vicinity of 5-10 paired opposite leaflets, each toothed and lance-shaped. The leaf midribs are grooved like celery, especially as they approach the trunk. Older elder bushes can reach 12 feet in height and develop a smooth, grey bark on their thickest branches, and smaller branches are filled with a white pith that feels somewhat spongy. (Above: Elder Bush in Flower by wide eyed lib)
Elder is native to all parts of North America except the Northernmost Canadian provinces. Similar, closely related species are native to Europe and some of those have made a home here as well. Elder likes a wet environment and can often be found in dense stands alongside rivers and in moist woods and thickets. It's easiest to locate elder bushes when they're in bloom in early to mid-Summer. The loose, umbrella-like clusters (called panicles) of tiny white flowers can reach 6 inches in diameter. Each flower consists of 5 petals that curl backward and 5 yellow-tipped stamens that point forward. The flowers smell like a fainter version of honeysuckle, to which they're related. Conveniently, if you find an elder bush in bloom you can gather the blossoms  (often referred to as elder blow) and use them in salads, pancakes, muffins and fritters. They have a subtle flavor that's easily overwhelmed, so keep seasonings simple. They also make a deliciously delicate herbal tea.
It's important not to harvest too many clusters from a single bush, especially if you want to come back later for berries. Provided they're fertilized, the flowers give way to flat-topped clusters of tiny black to bluish-black berries, each less than 1/8th of an inch across and filled with tiny edible seeds. There are also red-fruited varieties that grow in rounded clusters, and these should be avoided as some people have reported feeling unwell after eating them. Green, unripe berries should also be avoided for the same reason, and even uncooked, ripe berries make a small percentage of people feel nauseated. (Above: Elder Flowers by wide eyed lib)
But not eating them raw isn't much of a sacrifice since the flavor of elderberries improves dramatically with cooking. Straight off the bush, elderberries are bracingly tart. I much prefer to take them home and put them in muffins, pancakes and even cookies. Any recipe that uses fresh cranberries should have the right amount of sugar, though elderberries will give the recipe a sour crunch all their own. The berries can also easily be dried or used to make wine or the European favorite, elderberry jelly.
 Elder flowers and berries have been used medicinally for thousands of years by Europeans and Native Americans. The berries have diuretic and detoxifying properties, and elder flower-infused water softens, cleanses and tones skin. It's also been used to soothe skin irritations, including sunburn. Infusions and tinctures of the flowers have astringent, expectorant and diaphoretic properties and have been used to treat colds, flu, excessive mucus and asthma. Applied externally, a flower tincture brings down swelling and soothes rashes. (Left: Elder Leaf by wide eyed lib)
Although some herbal guides (especially older ones) will also give medicinal uses for the leaves, roots and bark, these contain very dangerous toxins. Children have been poisoned from using hollowed out twigs as pea shooters, as have adults who've used hollowed out twigs to tap maple trees. On the other hand, dried and crumpled elderberry leaves make a safe and natural insecticide.
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 Lady's thumb (also known as redshank and redleg) is one of those plants that you've probably walked by or weeded out of your garden a million times. It's an upright, annual, branching herb that can reach 2 feet in height, and its simple, bright green, lance-shaped alternate leaves have almost no distinctive qualities, although some of them do have a slightly darker chevron near the center. The stems have wider nodes at the leaf axils, and each leaf stem is attached to a node with an unusual web-like sheath. Lady's thumb plants sprout in mid-Spring, and by the beginning of Summer they have developed leafed flower stalks topped by thankfully distinctive terminal racemes about an inch in length and packed with tiny pink flowers. These flowers last an exceptionally long time, often blooming through the end of Fall. Lady's thumb is found in  sunny and partially sunny lawns, meadows and disturbed areas all over North America except the Northernmost Canadian provinces, and it is classified as invasive over almost its entire range. Its presence isn't all negative, however; lady's thumb improves the quality of the soil wherever it grows. (Above: Lady's Thumb by wide eyed lib)
Commenting at GOS about an earlier diary in this series, Prairie Gal said, "You're not going to 'beat it' so you may as well eat it." She wasn't talking about lady's thumb, but her comment could apply to it just as easily as any other plant. Lady's thumb is important to foragers not so much for the way it tastes (though it tastes fine) as for its abundance. By harvesting it, you're more than likely doing the local ecology a big favor. You rarely find a single plant; instead you'll discover an entire miniature, pink-tipped, monoculture forest. Both the leaves and the flowers are edible and very mild, making them perfect for adding bulk to salads, soups and other dishes containing more pungent greens such as garlic mustard, lettuce, dandelion, or wintercress.  Although the stems and roots aren't edible, it's best to harvest this plant by pulling it out roots and all and then discarding everything but the flowers and leaves. (Left: Lady's Thumb Raceme by wide eyed lib)
Lady's thumb has no poisonous look-alikes, although several related plants in the Polygonum genus, known collectively as smartweeds or water pepper, all have similar, edible leaves and flowers. Not all of them are palatable, however, as some are quite bitter and others spicy hot. The spicier ones can be minced and used in cooking much like chilies. (Just make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after handling the spicier smartweeds because they leave behind a potent residue that could sting eyes and other sensitive areas that your fingers might later touch.)
The leaves and flowers of lady's thumb and smartweeds can be harvested anytime from when they first appear in mid-Spring until they are killed by frost. Although lady's thumb does not have any medicinal uses that I'm aware of, the spicy smartweeds are sometimes tinctured and used to improve circulation on bruises and internally injured joints. (Above: Lady's Thumb Leaf by wide eyed lib)
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 Pineapple weed, also known as disc mayweed, is an annual, non-native herb that can reach 18 inches in height and has finely divided, fern-like opposite leaves. It first appears around this time of year and almost immediately develops flowers that resemble tiny, upside down acorns with mounds of yellow-green composite flower heads rising out of green cap-like sepals. If you have a powerful magnifying glass or a jeweler's loupe, the flowers are worth a few minutes' study. What appears as a solid yellow-green mound to the naked eye is suddenly revealed as a vast hill of individual flowers. (Left: Pineapple Weed by wide eyed lib)
It took me forever to identify this plant because it looked really familiar but whenever I compared it to the descriptions in various field guides, I'd get to the part that confidently asserts that pineapple weed smells "just like pineapple" when crushed and become convinced I had the wrong plant. Either I have a defective nose or pineapple weed doesn't smell much like pineapple at all. To me it smells more like its better-known relative, chamomile, which it also closely resembles. (Chamomile, however, has white, petal-like ray flowers surrounding its composite disk flowers.)
Regardless, it's a lovely herb. It makes a very nice, relaxing tea if you steep a heaping tablespoon of leaves, stems and flowers in some hot water for 5 minutes. I also like a little sprinkled over salads and  I'm considering making pineapple muffins with pineapple weed as a background note.
Pineapple weed typically grows on disturbed sites and places with poor soil. It also finds a home in sidewalk cracks and any place that gets full sun throughout the U.S. and Canada with the exceptions of Nunavut Province and portions of the deep South. (Right: Pineapple Weed Flowers by wide eyed lib)
Medicinally, pineapple weed tea is a nervine with calming effects and a traditional remedy for menstrual cramps. It also has carminative effects, improves digestion, alleviates gas and has been used to treat colds. One reference book notes that it has antiseptic qualities as well.
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I was very excited to find our final new plant for this week, the sweet cherry tree. This is one European import whose intrusion few people are complaining about. Of the many and varied members of the Prunus genus (all of which have edible fruit), sweet cherries most closely resemble commercial cherries, although the wild fruits are smaller, more intensely flavored and less sweet, while still being far sweeter than sour cherries. (Above: Sweet Cherry Flowers; Left: Sweet Cherry Bark, both by wide eyed lib)
Sweet cherry trees reach up to 70 feet tall and have silver bark generously punctuated with horizontal grey-brown lintels. The bark of older trees often peels, and twigs and small branches have the reddish cast for which cherry wood is renowned. Sweet cherry leaves are bright green, oval, alternate, pointed at the tips and lightly toothed at the edges. The leaf veins are more translucent than the leaves and curl back on themselves, making shapes that remind me of segmented worms. Although other Prunus species grow in almost every corner of North America, sweet cherry trees currently range from Quebec to South Carolina and as far west as the  Mississippi River, skipping the interior before reappearing on the West Coast and in parts of the Northwest plains. If their range doesn't reach you, don't despair. The actions of birds and larger mammals are continually expanding the range of sweet cherries in every direction, so one might make an appearance near you in the near future. (Right: Sweet Cherry Leaves and Ripening Fruit by wide eyed lib)
In early Spring even before leaves appear, the ends of cherry twigs burst into blossom with 5 petaled white flowers (occasionally tinged with pink) whose protruding stamens have yellow tips. In some areas, the tree keeps producing blossoms even after some flowers have been fertilized and set fruit. The fruit hangs from long stalks which extend from the same leaf axil in pairs or threesomes. The earliest fruits ripen in the last week of Spring, and some trees yield newly-ripened fruit all the way through the end of Summer. Because of cross-pollination with white and yellow cherries, color is not the best indication of ripeness. Instead, apply gentle pressure to a cherry with your fingernail. Completely unripe cherries will not give at all, those that are not yet fully ripened will dent without breaking the skin, and those that are perfectly ripe will give easily to slight pressure and may even burst.
 Because all members of the Prunus genus are important sources of food for birds and mammals of all sizes, resist the temptation to harvest every last ripe cherry from any one tree. Once harvested and rinsed, wild sweet cherries can be pitted and used in any recipe calling for commercial sweet cherries. Their intensity also makes them a good substitute for or addition to sour cherries in pies, jellies and preserves. Call me a cretin if you wish, but wild sweet cherries are far and away my favorite fruit and I have never managed to keep them around long enough to use in a recipe. If I somehow manage not to eat them as I pick them, their siren song calls to me from my backpack, and I end up devouring them on the trail or in the car on the way home. Perhaps someday I'll stumble on an abandoned cherry orchard and be able to pick enough to satisfy my lust and still have some uneaten cherries, but until then I'll continue to enjoy these delicious fruits raw. (Left: Ripening Sweet Cherry by wide eyed lib)
The leaves and, to a lesser extent, other parts of the different Prunus species contain varying amounts of amygdalin, an extremely potent compound that can convert into cyanide in the bodies of humans and other animals. Wilted leaves are especially dangerous, and a pound of wilted leaves is enough to kill a cow. Tea made from the leaves has also been known to kill humans, and it's possible, albeit unlikely, that swallowing a large number of cherry pits could also prove problematic. NEVER eat or make tea from the leaves of any Prunus species. Cherry's inner bark has been used medicinally for hundreds of years, although the most common species for medicinal use is the black cherry, P. serotina. Although I've read that an infusion of black cherry's inner bark is completely safe, I'd advise against using the inner bark of any other Prunus species medicinally unless you're under the care and supervision of a very experienced herbalist.
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Finally, here are a few updates on plants already covered in this series.
  Jewelweed plants (first covered in this diary) have reached a height of 2 to 3 feet and are beginning to flower and produce the exploding seed pods that earned them the common name of touch-me-not. Apart from the soothing medicinal uses of its leaves and stems, the tiny seeds inside jewelweed's seedpods (but not the seedpods themselves or the coiled springs) are edible with a walnut-like flavor. (Above, Jewelweed Field and Flower, both by wide eyed lib)
  Daylilies (first covered here) have sent up their flower stalks and developed buds that will soon burst into gorgeous orange flowers. The buds can be gathered and eaten like greenbeans, either raw or cooked, and have a similar flavor. I like them sauteed in a bit of butter for 5-10 minutes but they're good in soups and stirfries as well. The opened flowers can also be eaten raw or cooked and have a bit of a spicy kick. I actually came across an opened flower yesterday but got so excited that I'd eaten it before it occurred to me to take a picture. Don't worry, there will be lots more where that one came from. (Above Left: Daylily Field by Peter Coughlin; Above Right: Daylily Buds by wide eyed lib)
  
Poison ivy (first covered here) is of course a plant to avoid at all costs. Having opened tiny greenish-white flowers beneath its leaves about 2 weeks ago, this vine is now putting most of its energy into growing berries that will eventually turn white. All parts of this plant will cause the characteristic blistered rash if touched, and even someone who has never reacted in the past may develop the rash at any time. Luckily, jewelweed leaves crushed and rubbed on the spot immediately after exposure will prevent the rash from developing. (Clockwise from Above Left: Poison Ivy Berries, Poison Ivy Leaves and Poison Ivy Flowers, all by wide eyed lib)
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If you're interested in foraging and missed the earlier diaries in the series, you can click here for the previous 12 installments. As always, please feel free to post photos in the comments and I'll do my best to help identify what you've found. (And if you find any errors, let me know.)
Here are some helpful foraging resources:
"Wildman" Steve Brill's site covers many edibles and includes nice drawings.
"Green" Deane Jordan's site is quite comprehensive and has color photos and stories about many plants.
Green Deane's foraging how-to clips on youtube each cover a single plant in reassuring detail.
Linda Runyon's site features only a few plants but has great deals on her dvd, wild cards and books (check out the package deals in particular).
Steve Brill's book, Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places is my primary foraging guide. (Read reviews here, but if you're feeling generous, please buy from Steve's website.)
Linda Runyon's book The Essential Wild Food Survival Guide contains especially detailed information about nutritional content and how to store and preserve wild foods.
Samuel Thayer's book The Forager's Harvest is perhaps the finest resource out there for the 32 plants covered. The color photos and detailed harvest and preparation information are top-notch.
Steve Brill also offers guided foraging tours in NYC-area parks. Details and contact info are on his website.
Finally, the USDA plants database is a great place to look up info on all sorts of plants.
See you next week!
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