Page 177 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Basswood, Tilia

americana (MALVACEAE)

BASSWOOD, American Linden, or Lime Tree is a decid-
uous tree with a rounded spreading crown, that often
has two or more trunks and can grow up to of 60-80 ft.
(18-24m), with a diameter of up to 3 ft. (1m). Its dark-
brown bark is textured with furrows and horizontal
cracks. Basswoods grow in moist deciduous forests.
FLOWER AND FRUIT: Drooping axillary cymes of cream-
y-yellow flowers are produced between June and Au-
gust. Each flower is about 0.5 inches (1.5cm) across,
with 5 petals and 5 groups of yellow anthers surround- Matt Lavin, CC-BY-SA-2.0 Virens, CC-BY-2.0
C-B
ens, C
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ing a single white style. The fruit is a hard nut-like drupe,
texture. They are excellent as a snack or in salads.
0.25 inches (0.6cm) wide.
Young leaves under 2 inches (5cm) are tender and
LEAF: Dark green leaves are simple, alternate, and
can be harvested for salad greens. You can dry flow-
broadly ovoid with a length of 5-10 inches (13-25cm).
ers and use them for tea. Sap can be boiled into syrup.
They have finely toothed edges and asymmetrically
CRANBERRY-WALNUT LINDEN SALAD: Ingredi-
heart-shaped bases.
ents: 1lb. (500g) basswood leaf-buds, 1 cup dried
EDIBLE PARTS: leaf buds, young leaves, flowers, sap
cranberries, ¾ cup walnuts, 2 tbsp. minced onions,
KEY MEDICINAL USES: This plant is a diuretic, anti- ½ cup cider vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil. Combine leaf
spasmodic, and sedative. Bark has been used to treat buds with dried cranberries, onions, walnuts. Whisk
urinary problems, dysentery, and stomach ailments. vinegar and oil and drizzle over salad.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Leaf buds emerge in early WARNING: Frequently drinking basswood tea has
spring, are sweet and crunchy with a slightly gelatinous been linked with heart damage.
Beech, Fagus grandifolia (FAGACEAE)

BEECH trees commonly grow 60-80 ft. (18-24m) high
with a diameter of 2-3 ft. (0.6-1m). Preferring moist, fer-
tile soils beeches are commonly found along river val-
leys and in upland deciduous forests.

FLOWER AND FRUIT: Minute greenish-yellow male
flowers occur in globe-shaped clusters just under an
inch (2.5cm) wide. Tiny female flowers are red-
dish-brown and grow in pairs. Nuts which ripen be-
tween September and October, are three-sided and en-
cased in thin shells. Groups of 2-3 nuts develop within a
spiny burr-like husk, 0.6-2 inches (1.5-5cm) long. Dcrjsr, CC-BY-3.0
LEAF: Lustrous dark-green leaves are simple, alternate, from the tree. Extract the nuts from their husks and
and coarsely serrated. Ranging 1-5 inches (2.5-13cm) dry them for 2-3 weeks in a warm, open space. Re-
long, they are oval to elliptic and often leathery. move the shell and papery brown inner-layer before

EDIBLE PARTS: nuts, inner bark, young leaves eating. Young leaves are edible, as is the inner bark
in limited quantities.
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Beech is a vermifuge, emollient,
and respiratory plant. BEECHNUT BUTTER: Remove the brown papery
skin from the dried beechnuts. With a blender or
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Beechnuts can be eaten
utensil, blend or grind nuts into a paste. Mix in a
raw (in small quantities), but are best roasted, ground
small dash of oil. Add honey and salt.
into flour, or boiled to produce oil. The roasted kernels
can be ground into a coffee replacement. Forage beech- WARNING: In large quantities raw beechwood nuts
nuts following the first frost, after they have dropped are toxic.
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