Late Spring Foraging

With spring rapidly coming to a close around the central interior, there’s more and more opportunities for foraging around every corner. The colder, or shall I say, somewhat more seasonably accurate temperatures have made things really burst in mid-June now.

Don’t knock ‘em ‘til you try ‘em, there’s plenty of weeds to go around that are so much more than just an annoying old weed that you need to get rid of. Dandelion leaves, flowers and roots can all be consumed in various ways, while plantain and horsetail are great additions to poultices and salves for your skin. Stinging nettle is another wild green that, when harvested when young and tender, can be steamed and served with dinner.

 

The trees are providing in full force, with plenty of foraging opportunities amongst them. You may still be able to harvest spruce tips to infuse in vinegars and make spruce tip salt with, or perhaps you’ll find a stand of birch trees to harvest the leaves for their soothing topical use. If you’re looking to harvest and dry some wild teas for later in the year, wild roses are coming into full bloom so you could harvest the petals. Wild raspberries, while the berries will not be ripe for some time yet, can have their leaves picked and dried for use in teas, as well. All of these things are only scratching the surface of what foraging opportunities are available in late spring.

Before you head out, be sure to have a knowledgeable mentor with you or a good plant identification book. Pick areas free from pollution or pesticides to harvest from and only take what you need – keep the one-third rule in mind and never take more than one-third of the leaves/berries/etc. from a single plant or from a patch. Utilize care and caution before consuming any plant for the first time, particularly if you a pregnant or taking medication.