Foraging in Prospect Park - Mar. 3, 2024
A "Wildman" Steve Brill foraging tour of Prospect Park, Brooklyn. There are 15 plants included, 13 of which were on the tour. Pictures taken with a Panasonic G9, with ISO set to 3200 to increase depth of field. Lens used was 24-70 equivalent.
1: Star of Bethlehem. Will make you sick. Does not smell of garlic. Has flat leaves with white stripe in the middle.
2: Field Garlic. Smells of garlic. All parts are edible. It can be strong.
3: Lesser celandine. Shiny leaves. A very invasive European plant. This is immature. When mature there will be a stripe. Buttercup family. Has pretty yellow flower. Must be boiled for two minutes before eating. That will take away the bitterness.
4: Lesser celandine. The tuber.
5: Lesser celandine. More mature, has the stripe.
6: Gout weed. Very invasive. It's all over the park. The small leaves are the edible ones. In the summer they will be under the big leaves.
7: Kentucky coffee tree. The bark. The group only found a couple of the beans.
8: Kentucky coffee tree. The bark.
9: Poison ivy. Still poisonous in the winter form.
10: Bitter dock.
11: Baby Mugwort, Not edible. A tea of it is good for PMS.
12: Last year's Mugwort
13: Snow drops. Not on tour.
14: Crocus. Not on Tour
15: Indian or wood strawberries. Edible, but have no flavor. Not worth it.
16: Spice bush. Twigs can be boiled. Berries later.
17: Garlic mustard. Very invasive.
18: Day lily shoots. Leaves spread outwards. Tuber is underground.
19: Chickweed. Tastes like corn silk. Good for salads. To the left is dandelion, which was not on the tour.
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