There are so many awesome edible plants growing in cities! Unfortunately, I can’t write about all of them, so I decided to narrow the list down to ten. Only ten! It was so hard to choose. I opted for diversity. This list includes a variety of plant forms— some herbs, some trees, some shrubs. It also has various plant parts— greens, flowers, fruits, seeds, and even sap! Finally, these plants are eaten in myriad ways— raw, cooked, made into tea, or infused. But they should all be easily found in most cities, and they are all delicious!

Edible PlantMaria W.March 1, 2019plant, edible, urban foragingComment

At Home Tree Tapping-- Part One

It's still cold and snowy where I live in Minneapolis, but tree tapping season is right around the corner! (And currently taking place in some parts of the country.) Here is part one of a video series about tapping maple trees at home for the sap. This one is about putting the tap in the tree; part two will explain what to do with the sap; and part three will cover end-of-season clean-up. I will not be explaining how to boil down sap for maple syrup. Though it's a great practice that I encourage everyone to try at least once, this video series is designed for people who don't have the time or equipment to make syrup. Plus, maple sap is a great product in its own right!

Edible PlantMaria W.February 20, 2019video, plant, edibleComment

Juniper: An Aromatic Evergreen

As a child growing up in urban Milwaukee, family walks on Sunday afternoons were routine. I remember going by rows of neatly trimmed juniper bushes, and my father stopping us all as he picked a few leaves, crushed them between his fingers, put them to his nose, and inhaled. We were made to follow suit. The smell was strong but pleasant— resinous, slightly citrusy, and stimulating. To this day, I can’t resist picking small amounts of juniper and inhaling the invigorating scent.

Obviously I didn’t know this as a child, but those distinctive smells are essential oils, and they often signal important medicinal qualities, such as fighting infections in wounds and treating coughs, colds, or fevers. In fact, I didn’t even know that the plant was called juniper, much less realize that it was edible and medicinal. But that uplifting smell always stuck with me; and once you smell it, I’m sure it will for you, too!

Edible PlantMaria W.February 18, 2019plant, edible, medicinal, winterComment

Chokeberry Video

Just realized that my chokeberry video never made it to this blog for some reason! Well, here it is. Even though chokeberries ripen in autumn, they can often be found hanging on the shrub throughout winter. Though in my experience, they are much tastier when fresh!

Edible PlantMaria W.February 12, 2019video, fruitComment

Is Foraging Sustainable?

Sustainability is a huge buzzword these days. Sustainable products and services are in high demand, and businesses are cashing in on the trend. But what does it actually mean to be sustainable? Does it mean buying reusable straws, installing energy-efficient lightbulbs, and recycling? To me— no. For something to be truly sustainable, it must be viable forever— or at least as long as the Earth is around. It must encourage balance rather than produce a deficit. Otherwise, that deficit increases as long as the product is made, throwing systems off balance and wreaking havoc on the environment and the beings that live in it.

What if there were a different way? What if humans could tend to the Earth and each other while providing for their needs? What if we didn’t need to ravage the Earth to live on it?

General InfoMaria W.January 31, 2019opinion Comments

Identifying Plants in Winter

Wintertime in the north is often seen as barren: birds fly south, animals go into hibernation, plants die or drop their leaves and go dormant. The landscape often looks grey, empty, and bleak. However, for the adventurous naturalist, winter can be as great a time of learning and discovery as other seasons. It is possible to practice plant identification in the winter; in fact, I encourage it! Learning to recognize plants year-round is a valuable skill that helps improve your foraging practice. To that end, I have created a short guide on getting started with winter plant identification! Unfortunately I can’t provide a comprehensive manual to identifying every single plant you’ll find in winter, but I can provide general guidelines and recommend resources to learn more.

General InfoMaria W.January 3, 2019plant, winter, identificationComment

Food Freedom Radio Interview

I’m honored to have appeared on Food Freedom Radio today with renowned forager and author Sam Thayer and host Laura Hedlund. Watch the interview above, or if you live in the Twin Cities area, tune into AM 950 this Saturday at 8am!

General InfoMaria W.January 2, 2019video, radio, interviewComment

Winter Foraging Pt. 2

Part two of winter foraging! Like the first part, this video is less focused on detailed plant identification and more stream-of-consciousness general information. It's meant to show the diversity of wild edibles you can forage in the winter, and get you excited about trying it yourself!

General InfoMaria W.December 18, 2018video, winterComment

Winter Foraging

I frequently get questions about winter foraging, so here is a short video going over some of the things you can find during the cold months. This video is less focused on identification and more meant to be a source of inspiration for you to get out there and start exploring!

General InfoMaria W.December 17, 2018winter, videoComment

Avoiding Contamination in Urban Environments

One of the joys of living in a city, for me, is spotting and observing wildlife that calls this environment home. This includes animals like squirrels, hawks, wild turkeys, deer, and foxes, but also plants, insects, fungi— any living thing that dwells here of its own accord. Even things planted by humans— such as trees in a park, veggies in a garden, or wildflowers in a restoration site— bring me feelings of happiness.

This, of course, extends to foraging as well. I love finding plants toughing it out in sidewalk cracks or vacant lots, little bits of wilderness in a human-dominated landscape. However, just because I enjoy seeing them doesn’t necessarily mean that I harvest and eat them! Some plants are better left alone, as the soil they grow in may be contaminated, posing a health threat to anyone who would consume them.

Thankfully, there are a few guidelines to avoiding contamination and enjoying the harvest of an urban environment!

General InfoMaria W.December 9, 2018contamination, urban foraging Comments

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