Category Archives: Edible Native Plants

The Return of the Stinker

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Randy Tindall

Hard to believe but stuff’s coming up!  Not just the ubiquitous daffodils that pop up just in time to tease us about a yet-distant spring, but other stuff.  Like Wild Leeks.  Yeah, smelly old Allium tricoccum. What is this plant … Continue reading →

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Where have all the berries gone?

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Randy Tindall

This is what the fruiting head of Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) often looks like after the berries have matured.  What berries, you say?  Ask the birds that ate them all, especially the robins that love to gorge on them and leave … Continue reading →

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No Free Lunch: Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Randy Tindall

Have you got milkweeds around?  If not, why not?  Have you ever noticed how many insects they attract?  Finally, have you ever noticed some of these insects dangling lifelessly from the milkweed’s flowers?  Ever wonder why?  (I hadn’t, until recently….) … Continue reading →

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February Flora!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Randy Tindall

February 23, and we have non-native crocuses blooming and native wild leeks peeking up in our backyard.  Talk about your winter wonderland… Note: the leeks link has a couple recipes.  It’s Nadia’s article in the newsletter of the Hawthorn Chapter … Continue reading →

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Flapjacks and Sumacs

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Randy Tindall

We had pancakes for breakfast this morning, watching out our dining room window as a small hawk—kestrel, I think—tried to catch its own breakfast in our backyard.  And on our pancakes was what?  Pure maple syrup from Vermont?  Nope.  That … Continue reading →

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New Native Plant Pages

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Randy Tindall

I have posted the first two of a collection of pages dedicated to the native plants Nadia has identified in our yard.  You can find them in the Our Native Plants pull-down menu.  I hope to add about one per … Continue reading →

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Beans and Butterflies

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Randy Tindall

My Dad stopped and stared at some plants in our yard, then turned to stare at me.  “Did you just forget to pull these things?” he asked.  “Because if you did, I can do it for you now.” “No”, I … Continue reading →

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Backyard Haute (or at least, Hot) Cuisine

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Randy Tindall

Aficionados of native edibles can get into ruts.  It’s easy to cook down all wild greens like they were spinach, or to make omelets and fritatas with them, or throw them in with a bunch of potatoes to roast or … Continue reading →

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Courtship and Cookies: A Dubious Guide

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Randy Tindall

There are cookies, and then then there are cookies.  These were cookies.  Handsome, dark, subtly sweet, not overpowering, but able to make you want another, and then maybe another after that.  Bad for diets.  Good for indulgence. So, of course, … Continue reading →

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