Page 32 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

American Hog-Peanut,
Amphicarpaea bracteata (FABACEAE)

AMERICAN HOG PEANUT is a summer annual, 2 to
8 ft. (0.5-2.5 m) long, that twines up other vegetation.
Found in Eastern North America in moist, forested ar-
CC BY-SA 3.0
eas, it can be easily recognized by the slender stems,
which are light green to red.
FLOWER: This plant has two flower types, producing
two seed types. On the upper plant are pea-like flowers,
up to 2 inches (5 cm) long with light pink, or light laven-
der petals. They grow into seedpods of 1 to 1 ½ inches
(3 cm) long, with 1-4 seeds. On the lower plant, a second R. A. Nonenmacher, CC-BY-SA-4.0 Glen mittelhauser
flower forms and grows into a single fruit, which grows
eaten raw or cooked, and is harvested in fall/winter.
right on the surface or into the ground.
The pretty speckled ground seed is inside the pods.
LEAF: Leaves are oval with pointed tips. And have ter- Top seeds are harvested in fall once the pods are
minal leaflets of 2 ½ to 4 inches (6-10 cm) long. Lateral plump. These should be shucked and cooked. Some
leaflets that are shorter. sources say they are inedible, so take caution by try-
EDIBLE PARTS: seeds (from the upper plant), the sec- ing a small cooked amount first.
ond fruit (found on the low parts of the plant) HOG PEANUT QUICK SAUTÉ: Ingredients: a small
KEY MEDICINAL USES: An infusion of the roots is said amount of the ground fruit and fresh seeds (If seeds
to aid diarrhea. A poultice made of the roots may help are dried, soak up to 24 hrs.), butter, salt and pepper.
rattlesnake bite. Melt butter, sauté washed ground fruit and seeds un-
til fully cooked. Add salt and pepper.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: The ground fruit may be

American Spikenard,
Aralia racemosa (ARALIACEAE)

AMERICAN SPIKENARD is a woodland perennial herb,
native to Mideastern Canada and USA, that grows 3 to 5
ft. (1-1.5 m) tall in moist rich soil. It has dark soft stems
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and grows from large rhizomatous, aromatic roots, into
shrub-like thickets.
FLOWER: White flowers bloom form June through Au-
gust. They are small, numerous umbels on tall terminal
spikes up to 18 inches (45 cm) tall.

LEAF: Large 2 ½ ft. (o.75 m) compound leaves are made
up of 3 sections, which are divided into 9 to 21 leaflets Ryan Hodnett, CC-BY-SA-4.0 Ryan Hodnett CC-BY-SA-4.0
arranged sparsely and alternately along the stems. The and wine. Roots, dug in the fall after the fruit has fin-
leaflets are egg-shaped, stalked and sharply toothed. ished, have a spicy, licorice flavor and are a nice addi-
Leaflets are 2 to 6 inches (5-12 cm) long. tion to sweet potato dishes or soups.
EDIBLE PARTS: roots, young shoots, berries SPIKENARD TEA: Harvest thick roots, clean, and
KEY MEDICINAL USES: A poultice made from the roots peel them. Chop into fine pieces, dry, and store in an
may help inflammation and infections. airtight container in a dark, dry place for future use.
Add 1 tsp. dried spikenard root and 1/4 tsp. cinna-
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Young shoots, picked
mon to 1 cup boiled water. Steep for at least 10 min.
soon after they emerge and when they’re less than 4
Sieve tea to remove roots.
inches (10 cm) tall, can be cooked as a spring green. The
aromatic leaves can be used as a potherb to flavor soups, WARNING: Some say the berries are almost inedi-
or salad dressings. Fruits can be picked in late summer ble, and there are reports of people becoming ill af-
when they are purple/brown and used to make jelly ter eating berries from Aralia spp.
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