 thick, reddish stem and succulent, green, spoon-like leaves. It blooms from mid-summer though the early fall, and has orange, yellow, red, pink, white, or bicolor flowers that occur singly or in small terminal clusters. When fully open, each flower is about ¼” across, consisting of five petals, two green sepals, numerous yellow stamens, and several pistils that appear together in the center of the flower.
Purslane is highly nutritional. The leaves are a very rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, and B-complex. Young new growth can be eaten as a cooked vegetable and is great to use in salads, soups, stews or any dish you wish to sprinkle it over.
Tips: Purslane often grows in sidewalk cracks and street edges, but—and this should be obvious—it’s best to look for purlane in a wilder setting where you know it’s safe from a) pesticides and herbicides, b) pet urine, and c) other nasty street substances like gasoline.
Rubus spectabilis | Spring to Summer | Native
Salmonberry is located throughout the Pacific Northwest, yet found mostly west of the Cascades in low to middle elevations. It is common in wet areas like riparian forests, river terraces, and swamps. It is shade tolerant and also found in clearings. Salmonberry is an erect, largely unarmed, branching deciduous shrub, often forming dense thickets. The twigs are zigzag, hairless, and golden-brown with scattered prickles. The sharply toothed leaves are alternate with 3 distinct leaflets consisting of 2 smaller lateral leaflets and one larger terminal leaflet. The circular pink 5 petaled flowers bloom early spring, followed by reddish-orange raspberry-like fruits.
Salmonberry fruits and shoots are edible and highly nutritious. They are a good sources of pro-vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Salmonberry shoots are edible in the early spring, and only available for a few weeks when they are tender and juicy and can easily be pinched off either from where they emerge on previous year’s stems or from the ground. They are loaded with minerals and vitamin C, and have a bright tart and astringent taste. The juicy berries are ripe April through June.
Taraxacum officinale | Spring to Fall | Non-native
Dandelions are common throughout the Northern hemisphere. Dandelions are a hardy, herbaceous perennial with a rosette base producing several flowering stems and multiple leaves. The leaves generally have toothed edges. The leaves and hollow flower stems grow directly from the rootstock with only one bright yellow flower per stem. The flower heads mature into spherical seed heads containing many single-seeded fruits. Its roots, leaves, and stems all exude a milky white sap.
Dandelion leaves, roots, and flowers are medicinal and edible. The leaves are high in vitamins and minerals, and the roots contain inulin, mucilage, latex resin, and teraxacin. Dandelion leaves can be added to a salad or cooked. They can also be dried and stored or blanched and frozen. Flowers can be made into juice, or added into many recipes. The root can be made into a coffee substitute. Harvest the tender leaves in early spring, buds anytime, flowers when fully open, and roots during the fall.
Stellaria media | Spring to Fall | Non-native
Chickweed is a cool-season annual that grows across North America in a wide variety of habitats and soil textures. It thrives in shady moist corners.
The whole plant will sprawl on flat ground or climb on other plants, and can grow up to 15 inches tall. It has weak slender stems, with hairs in a weave-like pattern only along one side of the stem. The leaves are oval and opposite pairs, and change position at each node. Flowers are small, white, and star-shaped. Seedpods are covered in tiny hairs and droop down.
Young chickweed has a pleasant, mild flavor. It can be blended raw into smoothies, pesto, and sauces. Harvest during the cool spring weather when it is growing rapidly, and during its second flush in the autumn.
Sambucus caerulea | Spring to Fall | Native
Blue Elderberry