Wild Edibles #5 Queen Anne's Lace or Wild Carrot

Disclaimer: Some wild plants are not only edible but delicious. Other wild plants will kill you if you eat them. Be absolutely certain what a plant is before you eat it. Plant varieties differ from region to region. When in doubt, consult a local expert.

There are at least two species of Queen Anne's Lace in the United States. One is native and one was imported from Europe. Both varieties are also known as Wild Carrot. Wild carrot is a biannual plant. This means that it produces flowers and seed in the second year. The first year wild carrot is characterized by small growth. In Queen Anne's Lace early stages of growth it is very difficult to tell apart from a garden carrot. The fern like leaves when crushed smell just like carrots. In the second year Wild Carrot can grow to about 4 foot in height and has a very characteristic umbrella shaped flower head.

Caution: There is a poisonous plant that looks very similar to Queen Anne's Lace. It is called Poison Hemlock. A small amount can kill a full grown man. Here are this things to consider when trying to tell them apart. One. Wild Carrot has fine little hairs all up and down the stem. If the plant you are looking at does not have these hairs leave it alone. Two. Every part of the Wild Carrot smells like a carrot. You can roll the leaves in your hand, if it smells really bad it is poison DO NOT LICK YOUR HAND!!!!!!! Wash your hands well as soon as you can.

As Food

Nearly every part of this plant is edible. The only part of this plant that is not edible is the stem. The root of the wild carrot is most tender in the first year. During the second year it develops a woody core, which must be cut out for best eating. The second year even after the woody parts are cut out the root is still very tough, cooking can make the root more palatable. The root can be used is stews, soups, or even just boiled. If you have really tough teeth you can eat the root raw.

The leaves can also be eaten raw or cooked, and can be used in all the ways garden carrots greens can. Oh in case you didn't know you can eat the greens of garden carrots as well. The tops of the wild carrot can be eaten in a couple of ways. The tops when fresh can be deep fried or sauteed. As the flower matures it closes up and resembles a bird's nest. The bird's nest is this plants way of protecting the seeds. The dried seeds can be used to add a carrot like flavor to many dishes.

As Medicine

Again every part of this plant can be used for medicinal purposes. The leaves and root of Queen Anne's Lace can be dried and used as a tea that has been used to treat kidney problems including kidney stones, bladder problems, water retention, and to reduce uric acid a primary cause of gout.

Oil from the seeds has been used to treat severe diarrhea, indigestion, and intestinal gas. Seed oil has also been historically used by women to help start menstruation.  

There have been records of this plant being used to treat heart disease, cancer, internal parasites, to calm the nerves, and heck a tea made from the dried leaves has even been used as an aphrodisiac. 

NOTICE According to the Carrot Museum the seeds of Queen Anne's Lace should not be used by pregnant women.

Below is the YouTube video on Queen Anne's Lace 

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Other Posts in this Series: #1 Wood Sorrel, #2 Wild Strawberry and Woodberry, Wild Edibles #3 Dove's Foot Geranium, #4 Broadleaf Plantain

Wild Edibles #4 Broadleaf Plantain

Disclaimer: Some wild plants are not only edible but delicious. Other wild plants will kill you if you eat them. Be absolutely certain what a plant is before you eat it. Plant varieties differ from region to region. When in doubt, consult a local expert.

If I could know about only one wild edible and medicinal plant this one would probably be the one you would choose to know. It has many uses and is great for so many things.

I have known about Broadleaf Plantain for a very long time. My dad introduced me to the plant when I was a young child, but not for eating purposes. I had been stung by a wasp, my dad pulled a leaf, crushed it and placed it on the sting. The pain went away and there was no swelling. Later I got a cut that was bothering me. I tried this plant and guess what? It worked on the cut as well. 

It wasn't til much later that I realized you could eat this plant as well, and let me tell you Broadleaf Plantain is a powerhouse of a food and a medicine. This plant is native to Europe and most of North and Central Asia. It has been widely dispersed throughout the entire world. 

Broadleaf Plantain would be considered a small plant typically not reaching over 8 or 9 inches in height. It has wide leaves that grow from a central root. The leaves are a medium green. The veins of the leave run in a fan like pattern from the base. A stem rises up out of the center which holds the seeds in an almost wheat like fashion. I have never seen anything else that looks close.

Photo bomb by Mittens

As Food

When it comes to eating Broadleaf Plantain it is a nutritional powerhouse. Supplying vitamins A, C, and K not to mention several minerals, iron being one of the primary. Every part of this plant is edible. The leaves taste best when young and tender. As the leaves age they tend to get a little bitter, but not too bad. Best time to harvest is early spring or when new shoots appear after mowing. Dried leaves can be used to make an herbal tea. Even the seeds are edible.This little plant is so widely heralded by foragers that there are even a fairly wide range of recipes for broadleaf plantain. 

As Medicine

Remember at the beginning when I said that I knew this plant for years as the sting plant? Oh it is so much more! This plant has anti-microbial properties "stops nasties from growing and causing infection". Plantain stimulates tissue growth;"things will heal much faster". Also,Plantain reduces pain and discomfort; "actually has a little pain re-leaving properties". You can crush, chew, or make a poultice out of the leaves to unleash all of the above mentioned properties. Tea made from the dried leaves actually helps relieve diarrhea. Talk about a multipurpose plant! 

Here is the kicker. Broadleaf plantain is most likely in your yard right now. Nearly all of the weed and feed products try to kill this beneficial little plant. Show plantain some love and let it grow. If you do it will be there when you need it. Below is the YouTube video on the same plant. 

You can subscribe to The Rural Economist by email by simply filling out the form at the top right of the page. Your information will never be sold or given to anyone else. You can like The Rural Economist on Facebook follow on The Rural Economist on Gplus. Or you can even follow The Rural Economist on Pintrest. You can also subscribe to The Rural Economist Youtube Channel.

Other Posts in this Series: #1 Wood Sorrel, #2 Wild Strawberry and Woodberry, Wild Edibles #3 Dove's Foot Geranium

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Wild Edibles #2 Wild Strawberry and Woodberry

Disclaimer: Some wild plants are not only edible but delicious. Other wild plants will kill you if you eat them. Be absolutely certain what a plant is before you eat it. Plant varieties differ from region to region. When in doubt consult a local expert.

Before we jump in I would just like to say I do not know if it is cool that I am doing a series that requires a disclaimer or not, but we have to be safe.

I am including both wild strawberry and woodberry in the same post because there is very precious little information available about woodberry. Woodberry, as I have always known it is called by several other names as well. Wood strawberry, snake berry, and Indian strawberry being the most common. I have not found where wild strawberry is called any thing else.

Both wild strawberry and woodberry are completely edible. Woodberry has absolutely no flavor, but hey it is calories if you need them. Wild strawberry has a very subtle flavor and some even compair it to the taste of watermelon. Both have vitamin C, minerals, and quite a bit of water in them. They can not only be used as a survival food, but in a pinch they can be used to help keep you hydrated.

The leaves of both wild strawberry and woodberry look very much like tame strawberry only much smaller. The leaves of woodberry tend to be a little more pointed as well. Below you can see a photo comparing tame strawberry leaves to woodberry leaves. As you can see there is a major difference.

The blooms of the woodberry are yellow while the blooms of the wild strawberry are white. They are of the same configuration. Both blooms have 5 petals and form a sort of star shape.

Woodberry produces fruit all summer long. I have read that wild strawberry does as well. The fruit can be eaten raw or used in cooking. I have always eaten them raw, but I have heard that cooking the berries actually enhances the flavor.

In the south woodberry can only grow where it has some shade. The further north you go you could see woodberry and wild strawberry in meadows and grassy areas. Both of these plants grow almost everywhere in the northern hemisphere. The only exceptions I can find are the extreme northeastern US and the rocky mountain regions. These plants are purported to grown even fairly high up in Canada.

The plants can be propagated by runners and by seed. The seed must go through a fermentation process similar to tomatoes, if the seed is not ingested by wildlife and distributed that way.

If you see these around your place and you are sure that is what they are give them a try and tell me what you think.



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Other Posts in this Series: #1 Wood Sorrel

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