reading from a basal cluster. The leaves are short, scaly at the base, much shorter than the blades; blades are lance-shaped, tapering at both ends. Fiddleheads are the tightly coiled tips of new shoots emerging in early spring.
Fiddleheads should be harvested in early spring when they are still tightly curled. The outside papery chaff should be removed before cooking. Their flavorful taste is described as a cross between asparagus and artichoke. Make sure to cook them thoroughly, as raw fiddleheads contain thiaminase, a vitamin B-depleting enzyme. Heat destroys this enzyme and makes fiddleheads safe to eat.
Fallopia japonica | Spring | Non-native
Japanese knotweed tolerates a wide variety of challenging conditions, including deep shade, high salinity, high heat, and drought, but is commonly found near riparian areas, forest edges, meadows, and fields.
One of the most invasive weeds in the world, Japanese knotweed is native to Asia, where it is regarded as having medicinal and edible value. The roots are high in resveratrol, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and manganese, and are used to help with numerous ailments. The young shoots are edible during the early spring and have a sour, almost rhubarb-like taste. They should be harvested before turning woody, and should be cooked or pickled to remove their oxalic acid.
This plant should be harvested in the Spring, while the canes are still under a foot tall.
Tips: Japanese knotweed roots very easily, even from small cuttings, and extensive cutting of the aboveground shoots can stimulate the belowground rhizomes to grow. Cut sparingly when harvesting, and consult your local Conservation District office for advice on Knotweed removal.
Portulaca oleracea | Spring to Summer | Non-native
Purslane is a trailing herbaceous annual that is often found thriving in disturbed areas like fields and roadsides. It grows in poor to average, dry to moist soils in full sun. Be sure not to confuse it with the poisonous Hairy-Stemmed Spurge.
It is distinctive for its 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 