Four Plants You Can Eat in the Wild
Susannah Elliott, teacher-naturalist at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, shares a few of the forest’s edible delights.
Illustration by Ellaphant in the Room
Sweet Birch
Like nature’s breath freshener, a matchstick-size twig of this tree, when chewed, offers a fresh, minty burst.
Illustration by Ellaphant in the Room
White Pine Needles
Nibbling the needles or brewing them in tea will give you a shot of vitamin C, along with a resinlike, sappy sensation.
Illustration by Ellaphant in the Room
Wintergreen Leaves
Elliott says that wintergreen’s shiny green leaves pack a “powerhouse flavor.” Find them low to the ground, nibble, then spit them out.
Illustration by Ellaphant in the Room
Juneberry
Also known as shadbush, this plant typically blooms when the shad run in early summer; the berries it yields have a slightly tart flavor, Elliott says.
