Camas grows in open meadowland, there are large fields of camas in the oak woodland prairie habitats near Fort Lewis. The bulb is small but full of starch and undigestable unless cooked for several hours. Native peoples harvested it during or just after the flowers had withered but were still identifiable.
Poisonous look a like
The Death camas, Zigadenus venenosus, is often found in the same habitat and although its flower is very different than the blue camas, the leaves are very similar and if you harvest after the flowers have withered it is very hard to distinguish between the two.
Cattails are a marsh plant often forming the dominant plant community. The roots are best collected in the fall after the flower heads have turned to seeds. The roots when peeled and boiled, or roasted can be made into a starchy flour which has gluten in it. To process the roots, after washing and peeling them, put them into water and break them apart with your hands. The fine flour will separate from the fibrous root mass. Continue this and then remove the root mass. Pour off the excess water, then pour the slurry into a shallow pan on very low heat to remove the remaining water. The resulting flour can be used for biscuits or pan breads. Note: The roots can absorb heavy metals in badly polluted waters.
Description: Tall plant up to 3 feet tall, flowers yellow with four petals in clusters at the top of the plant. Leaves long up to 8 inches sometimes lobed at base.
This is a widely distributed and cultivated plant but uncommon in our area. The roots can be boiled and eaten like potatoes.
There are two common species of thistle, both have edible roots. Clean and boil them or roast them. They can be added as a crunchy element to a soup or stew. Note that these roots have been known to cause flatuism in some people.
In the spring look for the young shoots of this plant. They can be peeled and then steamed, or stir fried and eaten much like asparagus. In early summer look closely at the plant and you will find the developing flower head hidden in the leaves. Peel back the leaves, and then boil these and eat them like corn on the cob.
Plants found in salt water and stagnant areas can develop an unpleasant taste.
The young stalk of this plant can be added to stir fry's after being peeled of the stem leaves. The leaves are edible when steamed but have a felty texture which is unpleasant. This plant adds a bit of saltiness to dishes.
There are two similar plants in the genus Rumex, R. crispus which has wavy edged leaves, and Rumex occidentalis which has broader leaves with flat edges. Both leaves grow over 10 inches long and both can be eaten in moderation after boiling. It is best to boil them twice, changing the water. This plant contains quite a bit of the sour tasting oxalis acid, which in small amounts adds a zesty flavor to greens, but can be mildly toxic when over eaten.
Description: Yellow flowers from a hollow non-branching stems. leaves deeply toothed and form a rosette with no leave stems. The leaf surfaces are not fuzzy or spiny.
This plant which has become perhaps the most well known weed, was once widely planted and raised in gardens for its high vitamin content leaves and robust growth. The leaves are well endowed with vitamin A, C, E and B complex making this a high nutrient food source. The young leaves are tender and good in salads, the older leaves become quite bitter, which can be remedied by placing the whole plant under some cardboard or wood for a week before harvesting.
The young leaves are good boiled and are high in Vitamin C. Harvest them when they are young and pointed upwards. Some plants the young leaves and stalks can be eaten raw when young, but sometimes they are very bitter, and older plants can be excessively bitter. The amount of bitterness varies from location to location, perhaps due to soil, or some other growing condition. The raw stems are rather stringy. The young plant shoots can be steamed like asparagus, it is best to break off and eat the top half. The young stems can be split and there is a sweet, gelatinous goo which is not bad. You can split the stalk with a thumbnail and then scrape the inner layer off with your teeth, sort of like how you would eat artichoke.
The leaves and stems of young plants can be cooked as greens. There is a great deal of variability in the amount of bitterness of this plant, but in general you want to harvest it prior to the flowers opening.
This is one of the few plants which you can harvest at all ages, it stays succulent and tasty even when it is well developed. Use the leaves, shoots and flowers in fresh salads. It tends to wilt shortly after it is picked so use it fresh. If you cook it, do so quickly, only for a minute or two. See also Siberian Miners lettuce.
This is one of the most nutritious of wild greens, containing high amounts of iron, vitamins A and C and minerals such as calcium and potassium. You need to harvest this plant with gloves because the stinging hairs are potent and unpleasant. Steaming, boiling or thoroughly drying the plant removes the stinging hairs. Use the plant as steamed greens or in any recipe which calls for spinach. Harvest this plant when it is less than 24 inches tall, and do not pick it during or after the flowering stage because it contains gritty particles which can cause irritations of the digestive and urinary tracts.
The leaves of this common roadside weed make a good salad green when young. The ground rosette of leaves are particularly good, having a sweet flavor when young. The unopened flower buds can be added to spice up salads, or pickled and used in recipes in place of capers.
There are two types of Plantain, both are lawn and wayside weeds, and both have edible leaves. However I have never found English plantain leaves to not be highly bitter. Harvest the new years growth and add them to salads or cook them as greens. The previous years leaves are tough and fibrous but break down reasonably well after cooking.
Like the Miners lettuce, this plant can be harvested at all stages of its life and makes an excellent salad green.
This small plant can be eaten raw in salads. Harvest it before it flowers for the best taste.
There are several kinds of stonecrops, most have thick, succulent leaves which have a mild taste and are a good addition to wild salads. The leaves can be eaten at any time of year, even winter and the flowering stems and flowers can also be eaten, although they can be stringy as they age. The juices from the leaves can be a good thirst quencher.
This is a tall thistle which grows as a common roadside weed. Peel the young stalks before the plant flowers and steam them or cut them up and add them to stir frys. Be sure to remove all the hairs. You can also split the stalk and eat the sweet insides, scrape out the edges of the hollow center with a pocket knife. The older stems become somewhat bitter and fibrous.