Field Guide to Oklahoma Wild Edibles?

[Danny Tanner]

A co-worker/buddy of mine are looking for a field guide to Oklahoma wild plants.

We see the Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants for Eastern and Central North America, which covers the eastern 1/3 of our state. There's another field guide which states it covers southwest, west, and northwest US, but doesn't give specifics of where they consider these regions to begin.

We'd love to have something specific for Oklahoma, even if it's in digital/PDF format, with pictures and uses. If there's nothing specifically for Oklahoma, we'd at least like a guide that covers the entire state. The last thing we want to do is trip balls in the middle of the forest, or worse yet, have our lifeless corpses become food for the black panthers and squatches.

 

[BadgeBunny]

Google "Jackie Dill" and see what you can find. Her website is a WEALTH of information about wild edibles all over the state. Last time I looked for it it was still down for maintenance. (She's been ill.) She has walks that end in a potluck with wild edibles served and is also talking about doing a class at Lake Texoma (I think that's the right lake, but not sure so don't quote me) this year.

If you can't find her website I know she is on Facebook ... that's where the friend that sent me the info on her February walk found her ...

 

[brennan]

http://www.oklahomawildcrafting.com/

 

[BadgeBunny]

Jackie is having a walk this Saturday. GC and I are gonna go. I'll let you know how it is ... Hopefully I can come home with some wild onion and garlic and a lot of ideas on planting my square of wild edibles in the back.

 

[BadgeBunny]

I would recommend this walk to anyone wanting to know more about wild edibles in Oklahoma. I came home with several specimens of wild food to hopefully get established in my backyard.

We had a wonderful meal of harvested plants -- there was a soup made of dock and wild onion and garlic, a salad of chickweed, henbit, wild lettuce and something else, I forget what it was. Also, some wild "asparagus" which is actually young wild bamboo shoots and something that was made with wild rice, but I didn't care for it -- which is strange because I like wild rice.

There were several plants we discussed that were not "out" yet, including morels. Be sure and take a notepad, a video recorder would really be handy, a pen and a shovel (a hand trowel will not work unless we've gotten some rain) and several large ziplock bags to put you specimens in.

Also, when I was at the lake today, where there used to be weeds, I now saw meals ... Lots and lots of meals ...

Finally, I had done extensive reading to prepare for this but was still not confident in my ability to discern edible from non-edible plants. I was right -- being able to identify a plant visually is one thing, but using your senses of touch and smell are equallt important. Taste is the LAST sense you want to use. And even then if aren't sure, don't eat it.

 

[Lurker66]

I can identify the best to eat plants. Onions, garlic, poke, cat tail roots, dandylions, prickly pears, sheep shires(sp), and morels.

Its amazing you can find a good meal in your yard.

 

[BadgeBunny]

I can identify the best to eat plants. Onions, garlic, poke, cat tail roots, dandylions, prickly pears, sheep shires(sp), and morels.

Its amazing you can find a good meal in your yard.

The only one you posted that I'm not familiar with is the sheep shires(sp) (I dunno how to spell it either ). On a somewhat related note the neighbor to the north tells me he's gonna cut down the mulberry tree that shades my chicken coop (and provides my chicks with some fresh fruit)

I tell ya, I can't win for losing sometimes ...

 

[Danny Tanner]

Thanks for the tips, btw.

I was aware of the Wild Crafting book, but didn't even think to check out the site.

 

[Lurker66]

My google foo is weak this morning.

Sheep shires,( its not close to spelled right and i might not be saying it correct either) is a edible sour, semi sweet, clover looking plant. Tastes similar to lime.

My gramma would pick a mess and add it to egg salad, or her famous fish patties.

 

[Lurker66]

My google foo is weak this morning.

Sheep shires,( its not close to spelled right and i might not be saying it correct either) is a edible sour, semi sweet, clover looking plant. Tastes similar to lime.

My gramma would pick a mess and add it to egg salad, or her famous fish patties.


Well cool, its spelled correct. Sorry but cant link , said its similar to dill and resembles clover, has a small yellow flower.