Watercress. Photo by Green Deane
With deceptive 90-degree temperatures, Watercress would seem to be a seasonal afterthought. However, February is historically the coldest month locally, the last frost is usually often mid-month. So finding watercress in Melbourne during our foraging class, last week was not seasonally unusual, but it was a pleasant, tasty surprise. More than a century ago Florida was the watercress capital of the world, supplying fresh greens during the winter by trains to northern cities. It was a common plant to find in most bodies of water mid-state. Tender and slightly peppery, it is an esteemed green either raw or cooked. You can read about it here. Video here.
Stinging Nettle. Photo by Green Deane
In New Port Richey we also saw a common cool-weather plant — stinging nettles — that is often past season by this time of year. As it got a late seasonal late perhaps it is just doing what comes naturally. While I can eat stinging nettles they wound me horribly. The painful sting turns into a bloody welt that lasts for weeks. So eating stinging nettle is great revenge. Our local species is Urtica chamaedryoides,I have a video here, and an article here.
Tea can be made from the blossom or leaves. Photo by Green Deane
We’ve also been seeing the beginning of blossoms on the Bottle Brush tree, genus Callistemon. You can use the blossoms of the Bottle Brush Tree for tea or the leaves. The blossom tea tastes better and is slightly pink. Or, you can combine blossom and leaves for tea. By the way Latin was used for scientific names because it is a dead language that doesn’t change because no native population speaks it. To read about the Bottle Brush Tree go here.
Candyroots vary in height. Photo by Green Deane
Rosettes of Candyroot, are also starting their seasonal run. They are often found along wood roads or paths that can be damp.We saw and tasted the roots of some in Melbourne this past week. In its too tiny root it there is some methyl salicylate, smells like mint, birch, or checkerberries depending on your nose. It has been used as a mild pain reliever. You can read about Candyroot here.
As a aside for three weeks I am trying my hand at inexpensively incubating eggs using equipment around the house… a heating pad, outdoor thermometer, cardboard box et cetera. Got five chicken eggs and two duck eggs warming. I have a brooder built for once they hatch. After hatching I’ll have to build a coop for them. I have two used large dog shelters to repurpose. Four nesting boxes on the bottom floor. Roosts on the second. Hardware cloth to keep raccoons out of weak spots.
Foraging classes are held rain, shine, hot or cold. Photo by Nermina Krenata
Foraging classes: As spring arrives foraging classes this week range from Sarasota to near Orlando.
Saturday March 4th, Red Bug Slough, 5200 S. Beneva Road, Sarasota, 9 a.m.
Sunday march 5th, Mead Garden: 1500 S. Denning Dr., Winter Park, FL 32789. Meet at the bathrooms, 9 a.m.
Saturday March 11th, Blanchard Park, 2451 Dean Rd, Union Park, FL 32817, 9 a.m. meet by the tennis courts.
Sunday March 12th,Boulware Springs Park, 3420 SE 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32641. Meet at the pavilion by the pump house. 9 a.m.
For more information, to pre-pay or sign up, go here.
You get the USB, not the key.
My nine-DVD set of 135 videos has been phased out and replaced by 171-videos on a 128-GB USB, see right. The USB videos are the same videos I have on You Tube. Some people like to have their own copy especially if social order falters. The USB videos have to be copied to your computer to play. If you want to order the USB go to the DVD/USB order button on the top right of this page or click here. That will take you to an order form. Or you can make a $99 donation, which tells me it is for the USB (include a snail-mail address.) I’d like to thank all of you who ordered the DVD set over the years which required me to burn over 5,000 DVDs individually. I had to stop making them as few programs now will read the ISO files to copy them. Burning a set also took about three hours.
Green Deane Forum
Want to identify a plant? Perhaps you’re looking for a foraging reference? You might have a UFO, an Unidentified Flowering Object, you want identified. On the Green Deane Forum we — including Green Deane and others from around the world — chat about foraging all year. And it’s not just about warm-weather plants or just North American flora. Many nations share common weeds so there’s a lot to talk about. There’s also more than weeds. The reference section has information for foraging around the world. There are also articles on food preservation, and forgotten skills from making bows to fermenting food. Recent topics include: Stale Bread and Cod Liver Oil, Killing Bugs with Tobacco Plugs, Eating weeds: Is it safe? Have they mutated? Not the Eastern Red Bug but the Pink Tabebuia, African Tulip Tree, Asparagus densiflorus, Green Deane’s Book… You can join the forum by clicking on the button on the upper right hand side of this page.
This is my weekly newsletter #547. If you want to subscribe to this free newsletter you can find the sign-up form in the menu at the top of the page. My website, EatTheWeeds.com, which is data secure, has over 1500 plants on it in some 428 articles. I wrote every one myself, no cut and paste.
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