Page 38 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Bear Grass, Xerophyllum
tenax (MELANTHIACEAE)

BEAR GRASS or Basket Grass is one of the first plants
to sprout after an area has been burned. It only blooms
once every 3-10 years and a colony of plants will tend to
all bloom at the same time. This evergreen perennial is
traditionally used for basketry and weaving. It grows
in subalpine meadows in western North America, from
British Columbia to California, east to Wyoming.
FLOWER: The bloom is fairly fantastic as a grand club-
like structure 5 ft. tall (1.5 m), above the 1-ft. (0.3 m) tall
grassy plant, with tightly packed, fragrant, white blooms.

LEAF: The tough, wiry, curved, grass-looking leaves
best to always leave at least twice as much as you take.
grow in a clumping, arching form to 3 ft. (1 m) tall.
ROASTED BEAR GRASS ROOT: Ingredients: ½ lb.
EDIBLE PARTS: roots, seed pods
(250g) each of sliced grass roots, sliced carrots, po-
KEY MEDICINAL USES: A poultice from the roots may tatoes cut into chunks, and turnips cut into chunks;
aid wound healing and stop bleeding. 1 onion (chopped into chunks), 2 cloves sliced gar-
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Roasted roots and lic, sunflower oil or butter, salt and pepper, ground
cooked seedpods are edible. As this can be a rare plant, thyme and rosemary. Toss vegetables in a roasting
reserve this for emergency survival use. Roots tend to pan with oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 350°F (176°F)
be strong and stringy, so are best sliced thinly. Seedpods for 30 min. Remove from oven and toss vegetables
can be gathered once they are dry in the fall. Roots are again to recoat them with oil and salt and pepper.
best dug after the plant has finished making seeds. It is Cook for an additional 30 min. Serve hot.

Bedstraw, Galium spp. (RUBIACEAE)

BEDSTRAW, Cleavers or Goosegrass is an herbaceous
perennial that grows along the ground with leaves
protruding from the angular squarish stem, entire-
ly covered in sticky barbed hairs. The stickiness gives
its name of “Velcro plant”. They have a nice odor when
dried and were often mixed with straw in bedding,
hence the name, bedstraw.
FLOWER: Tiny four-petaled, star-shaped flowers are
found at the end of stems, born on 2 to 5 stalks arising
from the leaf axil. They are white with a greenish center
less than 1/16 of an inch (1.5 mm) in size. Seeds are tiny
two-lobed capsules also covered in barbed hairs, about
tute. I like to juice cleavers or add to smoothies as a
¼ of an inch (6 mm) in size.
lymph cleanse.
LEAF: Hairy sticky leaves are narrow, ¾ to 3 inches (2-8
GREEN RICE: You’ll need: 2 cups rice or another
cm) long, broadest towards the tips, and usually grow in
grain and 1 cup clean, trimmed, and chopped young
whorls of 6 to 8 around the stem gallium leaves and stems. Cook the rice. At the last

EDIBLE PARTS: leaves, shoots, seed stages of cooking, once the rice is fully cooked but
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Can be used as a spring tonic, still steaming, throw the cup of gallium leaves on
cleaning the lymphatic system. top and replace lid. Let it steam for an extra 10 min.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Young leaves and shoots, Fold steamed leaves into rice or grain. Serve warm.
picked in early spring, can be used as a leafy green vege- WARNING: Some people have reactions to this herb,
table, raw or cooked (preferably). Some say you can dry so start with small amounts and do a skin test prior
and ground the seed for a caffeine-free coffee substi- to serving it.
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