Posts tagged plant
Is Juniper Toxic?
Is Juniper Toxic?

I can still clearly recall my first couple experiences with juniper as a green and eager forager. I had been familiar with the plant since early childhood, frequently plucking the tips of the leaves and crushing them between my fingers to inhale the uplifting aroma. When I started a regular foraging practice at the age of 19, I read about using juniper berries and leaves as a seasoning and for medicinal purposes. Several months later I contracted a UTI and remembered reading that juniper functions as a urinary cleanser. I made tea from the leaves of a local tree, and with the help of cranberry juice, my UTI cleared up in a few days. It felt empowering to me at the time and greatly increased my appreciation for juniper.

I enjoyed the flavor and made a semi-regular practice of picking juniper berries and leaves for culinary and medicinal purposes. Herbal medicine books urged a light hand, noting that it can be toxic with frequent or heavy use. Many books mentioned a contraindication with kidney disease. Therefore I never used it frequently. It wasn’t until recently that I learned that these warnings are likely conflating a known toxic species of juniper (Juniperus sabina) with edible varieties. Furthermore, I was accustomed to indiscriminately picking any species of juniper, not realizing that certain species should be avoided. While I haven’t completely untangled the mystery regarding juniper toxicity, I have learned quite a bit and share it below to help end misinformation on the subject.

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Poisonous PlantMaria W.poisonous, plant, edible, medicinalComment
Five Nutritious (and tasty!) Spring and Summer Greens
Five Nutritious (and tasty!) Spring and Summer Greens

I remember when I first started foraging twenty years ago, I initially focused on plentiful and weedy wild greens. I think this is the case for many new foragers—we look at what’s around us and what’s familiar as a starting point. For many people, this includes plants like dandelion, plantain, chicory, dock, and garlic mustard. These are some of the wild edibles that formed the foundation of my foraging practice, but to be honest, I was not impressed. As a city kid who grew up eating a diet largely devoid of fresh vegetables, the bitter flavor and tough or stringy texture did not sit well with me. Fortunately, I was not deterred; I learned that the palatability could be greatly improved by being choosey about the timing of the harvest, the parts picked, the habitat, and the preparation methods.

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Edible PlantMaria W.plant, spring, summerComment
The Edible Hemlock
The Edible Hemlock

Say the word “hemlock” and people’s faces immediately pale as they think of deadly poisonous species like poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) and water hemlock (Cicuta maculata). But what about eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)? You might assume it’s poisonous because of the name, but it’s actually an edible evergreen tree that’s not even related to poisonous hemlocks! So read on to learn more about this beautiful tree, and then get ready to horrify friends and family when you tell them you eat hemlock!

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Edible PlantMaria W.edible, plantComment