My Wild Garden
Mar 13th, 2011 | By Hank Shaw | Category: Foraging, The Garden | Comments | 32 Comments |
Photo by J. Schmidt, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Consider this statistic: Of all the untold thousands of edible plants on this earth, the world’s population largely subsists on about 20 of those species. And of those, wheat, rice, soybeans and corn dominate the rest.
Now consider this: Of those 20 species, only corn, and to some extent beans, are native to North America; both are from Mexico. None of these über plants are native to the United States, despite our nation’s myriad candidates for inclusion in that august group. The reasons why are various, but for most plants they boil down to a lack of effort. Why improve the prairie potato when we have the “regular” potato?
Last September I wrote in this space that I would eschew those garden plants that could not pull their own weight. My beloved brassica family, with its arugula and broccoli and cabbages and cauliflower, will have to go. There are just too many predators in my yard to grow these without heavy tending.
Over the winter, I immersed myself in all the wonderful edibles that live across this nation. I devoured books on desert plants, plants of the South and Texas, plants of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains and the boreal forests of Maine and Minnesota. Most of the edible plants in these regions are curiosities at best. But not all.
A few of our native plants can legitimately be called world-class foods already. Cranberries, anyone? Many more show the potential to become so, with a little love.
So, as winter ebbed into spring, I determined that I would try to grow some of the finest of these edibles in my little garden here in Northern California. Goodbye tomatoes, farewell potatoes. Hello yampa, and howdy there, prairie turnip.
Yampa? Prairie turnip? What the hell are they, you say? Tubers. Or, more accurately in the case of yampa, bulbs. Many know that North America is among the most richly endowed continents when it comes to wild berries, and a few foragers know that we are similarly lucky in the nut department, too — walnuts, pecans, hickory, hazelnuts, butternuts, beech and pine nuts all grow here in abundance. But very few people know that we are equally blessed with starchy tubers, the “potatoes” to our meat-and-potatoes diet.
Real potatoes are from South America, but north of the Rio Grande we have jerusalem artichokes, hopniss (or groundnut), the prairie turnip, the yampa, the camas, the hog peanut. Our swamps are a practical paradise for starch, with the rhizomes of cattails and bulrushes, wapato (or arrowhead) tubers and lotus roots every bit as delicious as those from China.
Photo by Hank Shaw
I began my wild garden years ago, with jerusalem artichokes. These tubers are native from the Great Plains eastward from the South to Canada. They have been a semi-familiar garden plant in the Western World for several centuries. I love the flavor, but jerusalem artichokes contain lots of inulin, a starch most people cannot process well. The result? Fartichokes. Delicious, but definitely not something to base a diet on.
Last year, I also started growing tepary beans, native to the great Sonoran Desert. Again, these beans are wonderful and are completely care-free: They actually don’t like to be watered more than a few times a season. The drawback? They are small beans (about the size of an adzuki bean) and the individual plants don’t yield that well.
Photo by Hank Shaw
But overall, both have been successes. Now I am hoping to repeat that success with some of America’s wildlings that appear to have the most promise: yampa (the flowers of which are pictured at the top of this post), the prairie turnip, the blue camas, and the American groundnut. Why these?
Everyone who has ever eaten yampa (Perideridia gairdneri) and written about it, including the great forager Euell Gibbons, waxes rhapsodic about the sweet flavor of this bulb, which is most abundant in the Rocky Mountain states; although it does grow here in California. Whole tribes of native Americans used yampa as a staple food, and the plant was once so popular the state of Colorado was almost named Yampa.
Photo by William and Wilma Follette, courtesy of the USDA
Blue camas, Camassia quamash, is also native to California as well as the rest of the West, and there is a wild hyacinth in the east that is similar. Like yampa, camas comes highly recommended by Native Americans. Camas is particularly apt for cultivation not only for its beautiful flowers, but also because in the garden you will never mistake it for the white-flowered death camas. That would be no bueno.
Psoralea esculenta, the prairie turnip, also known as the prairie potato, is loved by those who know it; I’ve not yet eaten it. It develops large tubers the size of a medium potato, and they apparently taste like a combination of potatoes and turnips — thus the dual name, I suppose. The plant looks a lot like a lupine, and it is indeed a legume. Those who have attempted to grow it commercially say the prairie turnip’s main drawback is time: It takes more than a year for the tubers to grow to potato size. We’ll see.
My highest hopes lie with a plant that has already been targeted for cultivation, the American groundnut, Apios americana. This is North America’s answer to the peanut, which is native to South America. Botanists have been working on this plant sporadically for some time, dating back to the great Asa Gray in the 1800s. Groundnuts produce tubers that are as long as your little finger in a year, and, above ground, are beautiful vining plants; you also can eat the “peas” that come after their burgundy flowers fade. Groundnut’s main problem in terms of large-scale agriculture is that it needs something to climb on, a problem easily solved in a garden with bamboo stakes.
Photo by Holly A. Heyser
I am not restricting myself to tubers and bulbs, either. I’ve also planted miner’s lettuce, orache and ramps. Ramps are not native to the West, but they will grow from seed. Hopefully.
Finding all these seeds wasn’t easy, and I am not sure if they will even germinate, let alone flourish, here in Northern California. But I’ve given it a go.
Why all this bother? It’s because I feel drawn to these plants the same way I feel drawn to the marsh in duck season and to the ocean in summer. These plants are part of what makes our country special, and they live all around us — largely unnoticed. You always hear about scientists hoping to find the cure for cancer in some obscure plant living in the Amazon rainforest. What I want to do is find — or, rather, rediscover — are the unique tastes and flavors offered by our own obscure plants.
I know I am not the only person growing some of these unusual plants. Does anyone out there grow them, too? What advice do you have? I know there are whole forums dedicated to growing tomatoes, or peppers. Maybe we can do the same thing for our own native edibles?
PLEASE let me know how the ramps turn out!! We’ve got some circa-1800s walking onions here (transplanted from that land up in Cloverdale), and you’ve already heard my roommate’s vehement argument over the three-cornered leek, but I’d love to grow ramps!
Our garden is getting more and more volunteer-oriented. Not only are they less work (NO planning!), but they thrive under our local conditions where other plants fail. I just found some “wild” lemon balm and turnips that I didn’t plant – a nice surprise!
First, fartichokes! Bwahahahahaha!
Second, semi-serious business. We have hazelnuts and walnuts because they were there when we moved in. Other than that, my parents go the traditional route with the garden. (We have some chicory sprouting near the driveway that I saved from Round-Up though! And I’m working on saving the dandelions.) That said, in a fairly short walk I can find camas, arrowleaf balsamroot, rosehips, cattails, acorns, salsify, nettles, wild celery, miner’s lettuce, and blackberries. That wapato looks really familiar, I’ll have to keep an eye out for it.
I didn’t know one could purchase seeds for miner’s lettuce, so thanks for that tidbit!
I love this post and the concept getting back in touch with all the wonderful, wild stuff that’s right there for us to plant and harvest. Really, really nice. Thanks
Inspirational as always Hank. And as usual, I will take some vicarious pleasure, and hopefully knowledge, from your shared experience. As for me….give up my tomatoes, basil, and the like? Not gonna happen.
But I do live on a few acres of forest in the northern Sierra (near Quincy). I have already begun to “import” mushroom spawn to my “yard”. And there are Jerusalem artichokes in the garden.
What I will take this article is the opportunity to find other native edibles that might transplant well to my property. Speaking of which (been meaning to ask you this since I saw your article on foraging for wild greens in Organic Gardening) can you recommend a field guide for wild edibles that is well suited for northern California?
Thanks for sharing
Paw paw is on my list to do next year. Never had it but I’m interested in the fact it is native to N.A.
Your post has really struck me! I would love to try some more native plants in my New Jersey, zone 6B garden to supplement my novice foraging and a CSA veggie box. Jerusalum artichokes are already growing in a part shade raised bed, and I would love to try some other natives.
Do you think any of these plants would do well in an East coast garden?
As we come into spring — the season where my husband and I renew our efforts to impose our tomato-loving will on our piss-poor soil — I see the appeal of growing plants that have developed hardiness simply by surviving. My experience of what grows wild in my neck of the woods, though, is that it doesn’t taste very good. This is probably because my neck of the woods — Cape Cod — is made almost exclusively of sand, and doesn’t play host to too many delicious plants. We have chickweed, purslane, and wintergreen — all of which have their uses, but none of which is a kitchen staple.
So our efforts to amend and tend the likes of tomatoes, greens, and squash will continue, while we cheer your wild garden from the sidelines.
But you reminded me about cattails. Euell Gibbons introduced me to them, but I have yet to try them. There should be shoots soon, shouldn’t there?
Kudos for your efforts. Wish I had more helpful info to contribute, but what’s wild and easy here in central Ohio largely differs from where you are.
I do however look forward to seeing how you prepare those plants you find success with.
Hank
I heard that some one has been planting arrows in your wild garden
Seriously: the rhizomes of cattails, have you had any joy with cooking them? Here the inner bit of the stem is called Cossacks Asparagus and is easy to gather and delicious, but I’ve never done well with the rhizomes, if fact the farthest I’ve got is charred and stringy.
SBW
This will be our first year growing Jerusalem Artichokes, inspired by a post from The Blackberry Farm.
Oddly enough, I have grown tepary beans here in Appalachia 2 years and they have done alright.
Am near WV, where ramps are king…but not something our community embraces. I am looking to forage some this spring.
As for online communities, I enjoy Bakers Creek idigmygarden forum. Baker Creek is a good source for heirloom seeds, and here in Zone 6b I am a fan of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange products.
PS I thought of you this weekend….took an Extension class on growing shiitake mushrooms. Giggles
Best wishes from Kentucky!
Jessa: I too follow the “volunteer principle.” If a plant decides to grow in a spot where it’s not causing too much trouble with the rest of the garden, who needs orderly rows? Will keep you posted on the ramps.
Marya: Have you ever tried the camas? I want to know more about that plant…
Michael: There is an Audubon guide to California, if you can find it. Wild Edible Plants of Western North America
is a good one, too.
Marcus: I’ve eaten paw paws in Virginia. Love them! They grow under larger trees in river bottoms. Look for them in autumn.
Betsy: Miner’s lettuce will do fine, and ramps are native there. As for the others, I’d go with the hopniss – American groundnut. I am positive it will grow in New Jersey.
Tamar: There is a lot more that is good to eat where you live than you may think. Remind me to visit you in June or September… Cattail shoots are already up. Time to get some!
Matt: You would be surprised. Lots of plants range over the whole continent.
Sten: Actually, cossack asparagus is not the rhizome of cattail, it is the young shoot. And it is delicious, a little cucumber-like.
Hank – GREAT post. My So. Cal. garden has also become more and more volunteer oriented, though largely with standard edibles. I am very interested in some of the varieties here, but did not see any links for sources. I realize they may not be available, but I am definitely interested in the ground nut and ramp sources. possibly the blue camas as well. I have some hyacinths in my yard, that I have been trying to eradicate for years b/c they just dominate once they take hold, so there would be a great irony in planting some in a corner of the yard and have it be a useful plant at some point.
Hank – have you ever heard of the ‘Ground Cherry’? My folks used to grow them, and they appeared as being wild first, then cultivated. They look like a miniature tomatillo complete with dry husk but are sort of sweet. My mom used to make a ground cherry preserve but she is gone and so are the ground cherries. Any ideas?
I haven’t yet tried the camas, but it is on my to do list. I’m in the Columbia River Gorge east of the Cascades, it’s a bit cold yet. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the patch is still under snow ( I’ve been away, so I don’t know). I’ll let you know if I get around to it before you do.
Great post Hank, it would be helpful if you posted sources of seed or bulbs for the various plants (did I miss that?). Also for your readers in Oregon, or in case you are here around April/early May, you might want to visit the Camassia Preserve just outside SW Portland. You can’t harvest, but observe the natural plant communities and preferred environment for growing this important native food plant.
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/oregon/placesweprotect/Camassia-Natural-Area.xml
Great post! Has me wondering what indigenous options I can plant here in Singapore. I love the concept of planting and eating locally but its challenging, particularly in a tiny country that imports almost everything.
Looking forward to a late spring or summer post when you let us know how it works out.
OK everyone, here are my seed sources:
I went with Prairie Moon Nursery for ramps, and for my prairie turnips.
I bought my tepary beans from Native Seeds Search, and my yampa and blue camas seeds from a woman in Idaho whose site is Darcy From the Forest.
Tom: Yes, I grew ground cherries last year. I like them. They are a South African plant, I think. If you Google “ground cherry preserves” I am sure you will come up with something.
Michael: Singapore? Isn’t that island entirely paved over?
We have purslane (though certainly not on purpose), burdock (can’t get rid of the dang things, might as well eat it), and ground cherries. Around the corner from us are hop plants! Though how they got there are anyone’s guess, they aren’t necessarily wild but they make us happy every time we see them.
COOL project. I’m doing some ‘forest gardening’ up here too – focused on native edibles. Look forward to reading about yours as things progress through the year!
Singapore is depressingly overdeveloped although there are some natural areas left; mostly jungle and mostly under protection with restricted gathering options. Apartment gardening and community gardening is growing leaps and bounds though thanks to the local Botanic Garden. My wife and I are looking at trying to put in our first indoor veg/herb garden once we decide what will work best. Unfortunately an outdoor garden just won’t work – the neighborhood monkeys steal all the veg!
We’re putting some ramp bulbs in the ground today, actually, up here outside of Seattle. If any of them go to seed this year (I can’t remember the cycle) I’ll plant those too. It would be awesome to have a thriving patch of ramps … eventually. The guy I got them from (rampfarm.com) said he has had a few customers from the PNW who reported success.
I’ve wondered about growing camas … keep us informed!
A lot of these are invasive or spreading. Do you plan to try to contain them? Or will you just let them go wherever they want to go?
How about bamboo shoots? Ever considered growing those for eating?
Mari: I am a big fan of purslane. I actually bought seeds and planted some German variety when I lived in Virginia years ago.
Michael: Monkeys? Weird. Not sure I like the thought of monkeys stealing my vegetables….
Kevin: I’ll keep you posted if you keep me posted. I love the stuff that grows up your way – some of the best berries on the continent are in Canada.
Lauren: They are all in a raised bed, so they won’t escape. I am not a huge fan of bamboo shoots, so I’ll skip that one.
I too am removing raised beds and planting perennial vegetables or hardy things that want to reseed in their stead. Funny, arugula grows like a weed here along with orach, magentespreen, purslane, claytonia, continuity lettuce, parsley, cress, chickweed, dandelions (fancy Italian ones, mind you.)
I spent years harvesting and reseeding before it dawned on me I should just go with what wants to reseed and be done gardening. There is perennial celery, ramps, walking onions, chives, and a perennial chard. I just need to plant carrots, beets and a few tomatoes each year and I’m done. In your climate ground cherries and runner beans should actually be perennial. There is a great book called Edible Perennials by Eric Toensmeier that lists things by region – it might be useful to you.
A truly inspiring post
Although I’m on a different continent, I am on the same journey – removing plants that can’t pull their weight and replacing them with ones that are less needy. Jerusalem artichokes have already claimed their spot, and I have some ramps new this year. They’re just one of a handful of perennial alliums I am evaluating. I look forward to seeing how your wild garden grows!
Loved this post — it`s very inspirational, as we are taking our garden in the same direction. Many of our changes revolve around time — we don`t have it to tend the garden daily.
So we put in sunchokes, innoculated some logs with shiitake, and greatly reduced our regular plantings.
Next year I`m hoping to put in fiddlehead ferns, artichokes and some others.
Go wild gardeners, go! Theresa
Thanks for this post. This is exactly what we need more of. I hope next season you expand your pant selection even more and let us know what you are doing.
We have tried to plant ramps seeds for 3 years, with no success. We did transplant some bulbs, and it worked, although it takes a few more years for the plants to establish a harvestable bed.
Good luck with the native edibles!
I’m so excited to have found your blog! I have an acre of land, half wooded and half sun in Atlanta Ga. and I’ve been searching for native edible plants to populate my yard with. Do you have any suggestions for the South East?
I grew some camas lily a few years ago – very pretty, but there wasn’t enough of it for me to want to pull the whole thing up just to try eating it. I’d hoped it would continue to grow and divide but it got overrun by the other plants in the bed. Maybe I’ll try growing it again this year.
Sustainable East: Thanks for the tip on that book – will check it out.
Emma: Funny that you are on a different continent, planting North American native plants…
Theresa: Fiddleheads take a long time to get established, I hear. Let me know how they turn out when you plant them!
Karen: Ramps need a LONG time to get established, like 18 months. It is why they are wildcrafted, not cultivated. I am in this one for the long haul.
Jennifer: The Peterson’s Guide to Eastern Plants is pretty good. So far I have not found any edible plant books that are specific to the Southeast.
Trashmaster: Camas, like a lot of these wildlings, needs time to gather strength. Once established, it will outcompete regular weeds.
Hank,
Just ran into u at owaa. Can’t wait to dive into the book! Hey if you swing through DC in the next month or so I can show u where to go find Paw Paws, ok? Paw paws are the Yummiest tropical fruit you can find growing this far north – with a darn cute name to boot!