Page 183 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Common Prickly-Ash, Zanthoxylum

americanum (RUTACEAE)

COMMON PRICKLY-ASH is an aromatic, many-branched
deciduous tree in the citrus family. Growing 4-25 ft. (1-
8m) tall, its stems are armed with paired nodal spines to
0.5 inches (1.3cm) long.
FLOWER AND FRUIT: Male and female flowers, which
occur on separate plants, are greenish-yellow and incon-
spicuous. They are borne in axillary cymes, appearing
before the leaves. The glossy dark fruits are produced in
clusters of reddish capsules, 0.16-0.2 inches (0.4-0.5cm)
wide. The capsules open to expose the ripened fruits be-
tween August and October.
ash berries (toasted, crushed), 3 tbsp. oil, 6 dried
LEAF: Lemon-scented leaves are pinnately compound
hot chilis, 4 garlic cloves (minced), 1 tbsp. ginger
with 5-11 ovate leaflets. The central stalk is about 1 ft.
(minced), 3 scallions (thinly sliced), 1 lb. (500g) as-
(0.3m) long and the leaflets are 1.6-3.1 inches (4-8cm).
paragus, 2 tsp. sugar, salt. Fry berries and chilies for
Leaf undersides are slightly hairy. 2 min. Add garlic, ginger, scallions. Cook for another
EDIBLE PARTS: fruit minute. Roast asparagus in tin foil over coals for 10

KEY MEDICINAL USES: It is an analgesic and antirheu- min. Toss prickly-ash sauce, sugar, salt.
matic. Bark is chewed for toothaches. WARNING: Do not use if you are taking blood-thin-
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Cooked or dried berries ning medication, or if you have heart disease, hyper-
can be used as a peppercorn substitute. Raw berries tension, or a digestive disorder.
have an unpleasant numbing effect on the mouth. LOOK-ALIKES: Hercules Club, Zanthoxylum clava-
PRICKLY-ASH ASPARAGUS: Ingredients: 1 tsp. prickly- herculis

Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga
menziesii (PINACEAE)

DOUGLAS FIR is a large coniferous evergreen tree that
typically grows 80-200 ft. (24-60m) tall. Young trees
have pyramidal crowns and drooping lower branches
that grow near to the ground. In time, this crown be-
comes cylindrical, looming above 65-130 ft. (20-40m) of
grey branchless trunk.
CONES: Male and female cones often occur on the same
twig. Male cones are numerous and rust-colored. Large
female cones begin become light brown and woody
with maturity. They are 4-5 inches (10-13cm) long with
unique 3-pronged bracts over the scales.
citrusy tea or use them to flavor meals. The inner
LEAF: Green needles are flat, up to 1.5 inches (4cm) bark can be dried, ground into flour, and mixed with
long, and radially arranged with 2 white bands trav- other grains to make bread.
eling along the length of their undersides. Needles are
DOUGLAS FIR CHAI: 1 cup fir needles dried or fresh,
fragrant when crushed.
1 tbsp. dried orange peel, 1 tbsp. cinnamon chips, 1
EDIBLE PARTS: young shoot tips, inner bark tbsp. green cardamom pods (lightly crushed), 1 tbsp.
KEY MEDICINAL USES: It is antiseptic and antirheu- star anise pods (lightly crushed), 1 tbsp. dried ginger,
matic. ½ tsp. black peppercorns (lightly crushed), honey.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: In spring, light green Steep 1 tbsp. tea mixture in boiling water for 5-7 min.
new-growth leaves can be plucked from the tips of the POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: American Yew, Taxus

branches and eaten raw. You can also brew them into a canadensis; Longleaf Pine, Pinus palustris
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