Providence

Western North Carolina is home to over 500 wild edibles, at least 150 of which are quite common. These are listed below, with the thirty most common appearing in boldface; see images of those here. See also the 100 most common by month and the 75 most common by type.

Remember that “most common” does not mean the easiest to identify. Our area is also home to at least one common deadly mushroom and one common deadly plant. Always learn from an expert, preferably your parents.

acorn, acorn grub
amaranth leaf, seed
amethyst mushroom (Laccaria)
angelica leaf and stem
ants, carpenter
apple, feral
autumn olive
bamboo shoot
basswood (linden) leaf
beautyberry
bee balm (Monarda) leaf, flower
bittercress
birch, black (sweet) twigs
black locust blossoms
black walnut
blackberry
blueberry
blewit mushroom
blusher mushroom
bolete mushrooms (most)
brick top mushroom
brittlegill (some Russula)
burdock stem, root
carrot, wild (queen anne’s lace)
cattail pollen
ceasars mushroom
chaga fungus
chanterelle mushroom
cherry, feral
cherry, wild black
chestnut, chestnut grub
chicken of the woods
chickory
chickweed
cleavers
coral mushrooms
cotton roll (Lactarius deceptivus)
cracked cap polypore
daisy (ox-eye), leaf, flower
dandelion leaf, flower, root
dayflower, Asiatic
day lily shoot, bud, flower, root
dead nettle (Lammium) leaf
dogwood (Kousa) berry
dryad saddle mushroom
elder flower, berry
evening primrose
fairy potato (cinnamon vine)
field mallow
foxtail millet
garlic mustard
goldenrod tops
grape (fox, muscadine)
grasshopper
greenbriar (sarsaparilla) tips
gypsy mushroom
hawkweed (cat’s ear)
hawthorne berry
heal all (self heal)
hedgehog mushroom
hemlock (tree) tips
hen of the woods (maitake)
hickory nut
honey locust pods
honeysuckle flower
honey mushroom
hunters hearts (E. abortivum)
Indian cucumber
Japanese knotweed shoot
Jerusalem artichoke
jewelweed
juniper berry
kudzu leaf, flower
lambsquarter leaf, seed
leatherback milk cap
(L. corrugis/volemus)
lilac tooth polypore
lobster mushroom
may apple ripe fruit
meadow mushroom
milkweed shoot, bud, flower, pod
money plant leaf, flower, pod
morel mushroom
mugwort
mulberry fruit
mullein
nettle, stinging and wood
old man’s beard (Usnea) lichen
onion grass (garlic grass)
Oregon grape
oyster mushroom
parasol mushrooms (some)
parchment mushroom (Stereum)
partridgeberry
passionfruit
paw paw
pear, feral
pennycress
persimmon fruit, seed
pine (white) needles, pollen
plantain leaf, seed
poke sprouts
prickly pear leaf, fruit
puffball (Lycoperdon, Calvatia)
purslane
quickweed (Galinsoga) leaf
ramp (wild leek)
raspberry
redbud flower, pod
red clover tops
reishi mushroom
rose of Sharon
rose hips
sassafras leaf, root
serviceberry (juneberry)
sheep sorrel
sochane leaf
solomon’s seal shoot
sourwood leaf
smartweed leaf, seed
spicebush (Lindera) leaf, twig, berry
spiderwort shoot, leaf
spring beauty leaf and flower
spruce tips
stone crop (sedum)
strawberry
sumac berry
sweet cicely leaf
thistle
toothwort leaf, flower, root
turkey tail mushroom
violet flower, leaf
waterleaf
watercress
wild lettuce
wild mustard
wineberry
wintercress (creasy greens)
wintergreen berry
wisteria flower
wood ear
wood sorrel (sour clover)
yarrow
yellow dock
yucca flower
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