Page 43 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Bulrush, Schoenoplectus spp.

(CYPERACEAE)

BULRUSH grows up to 8 ft. (2.5 m) tall with slender,
spongy, pale green, aquatic stalks that often lean to one
side. They are native to freshwater marches.
Stefan.lefnaer, CC-BY-SA-4.0
FLOWER: Plant stalks terminate in a dense 6 by 6-inch
(15 cm) cluster of brown spikelets. Each spikelet is 0.25-
0.35-inch (6-8 mm) long and oval; consisting of florets of
brown 0.13-inch (3 mm) scales.
LEAF: At the base, leaf sheaths are 0.35 inch (8 mm)
across and wrap around the stalk.
Matt Lavin, CC-BY-SA-2.0
EDIBLE PARTS: shoots, lower stalks, rhizomes, pollen,
seeds edible raw or cooked. Sap can be used as a sweetener.
KEY MEDICINAL USES: May help stop bleeding from WILD GREENS SAUTÉ WITH BABY BULRUSH
wounds. SHOOTS AND ASPARAGUS: Gather 2 cups each of
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Young stems and shoots, baby bulrush shoots, young asparagus, and wild
harvested in early spring, can be eaten raw or cooked. greens. Finely dice and sauté 1 small onion, 1 clove
Rhizomes, dug in the fall, can be eaten raw or boiled, garlic, and 1 tbsp. ginger in butter or oil. If desired,
and used as flour. A sweet syrup can be made from toss in a mixture of 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp.
boiling the rhizome. Pollen, shaken from the flower- honey, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and Tabasco sauce. Toss in
heads in spring, can be mixed with flour for baked bulrush, asparagus, and greens. Stir with onion and
goods. Seeds, shaken from the seed heads in fall, are garlic. Put a lid on the pan and remove from heat.

Bunchberry, Cornus canadensis

(CORNACEAE, DOGWOOD FAMILY)

BUNCHBERRY or Bunchberry Dogwood, is a small rhi-
zomatous, herbaceous perennial forming colonies or
mats on moist, cool, coniferous forest floors. It is bright
green and grows only 2 to 8 inches (5-20 cm) in height.
FLOWER: The 4 white, pointed, oval, 1 inch (2.5 cm)
petal-like bracts surround the tiny flowers. Bunchberry
flowers have one of the fastest “plant actions”, using a
sling-shot mechanism to release their pollen; they be-
come ¼ inch (0.6 cm) dark red drupes in late summer
to autumn.

LEAF: The evergreen oval, pointed leaves grow 1-2 inch- and difficult to collect in large quantity.
es (2.5-5 cm) in size, in whorls of 4-6, 2 large underneath
WILD BERRY JELLY: Sauté 1 cup each of young bu-
and 4 smaller above, creating the perfect frame for the
gleweed leaves, kale, and mushrooms with 1 on-
bracts, flowers, and fruit. Leaves are opposite with par-
ion, 1 clove garlic, until soft. Beat 6 eggs, ½ cup
allel leaf veins. milk, ½ cup flour, seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika,

EDIBLE PARTS: berries and their central seed Worcestershire sauce), and grated cheddar cheese.
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Bunchberry potentially has an- In a baking dish, place sautéed vegetables and cov-
ticancer agents and anti-inflammatory, fever-reducing, er with egg mixture. Bake in a Dutch oven at 350°F
and painkilling properties. (176°C) for 50 min., until egg bake is firm and does
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Berries can be harvest- not jiggle. Serve hot with a salad or potato dish.
ed in late summer and eaten raw as a snack, or made WARNING: In large quantities, raw bunchberry can
into jelly, syrup, or jam. Seeds are tiny and delicate, cause stomach ache and has a laxative effect.

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