Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places

Book Description

Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places shows readers how to find and prepare more than five hundred different plants for nutrition and better health, including such common plants as mullein (a tea made from the leaves and flowers suppresses a cough), stinging nettle (steam the leaves and you have a tasty dish rich in iron), cattail (cooked stalks taste similar to corn and are rich in protein), and wild apricots (an infusion made with the leaves is good for stomach aches and disgestive disorders).

More than 260 detailed line drawings help readers identify a wide range of plants -- many of which are suited for cooking by following the more than thirty recipes included in this book. There are literally hundreds of plants readily available underfoot waiting to be harvested and used either as food or as a potential therapeutic. This book is both a field guide to nature's bounty and a source of intriguing information about the plants that surround us.

Customer Reviews:

If you want to know more about plants and applications.......2007-06-01

I bought this book for my mom and for all the unknown plants around my house. And I find it a pretty good book for research and fast lookups of odd plants and what they do.

Fantastic book.......2007-05-12

This is one fantastic book. It is loaded with information that has helped me find plants on my land that I would have never noticed. A must book to have.

Don't waste your money.......2007-01-13

While the author seems like a nice guy, I found this book to be an expensive rip. Aside from the fact that it is printed cheaply on thick newsprint, the author should have named it, "Plants I like in Central Park". It is clear that he has spent little time west of the rockies, let alone west of Central Park where most of his endearing anecdotes originate.

The author continually makes unsupported statements about "Indians or native americans'" use of plants "for female reproductive problems". Give me a break. What is a reader supposed to do with that so called knowlege?

The book is too big to be a field guide, and so disorganized that it is very hard to extract useful information. The biggest fault, however, is that it really only pays lip service to the western half of the USA, and it should have stated so in the title.

I'm going to try to sell mine asap.

dan

Not an easy read.......2006-11-08

First, I don't know anything about plants, other than your common weeds that I try to kill every year that exist in my lawn. As it turns out, the dandelion is an amazing plant however, being a total novice and buying this book I am left with alot more questions than answers. I have read this book over and over and I still can't figure out most of the plants by looking at the drawings. I have a garden that I setup this year and I let every weed grow in it, some are now 3 feet tall, and more, and there are probably 50 varieties of plants in this patch, and I can maybe figure out what 5 of them are. If your looking for a reference based on your existing knowledge of plants, then this book might be good, as a "newbie" this book doesn't help you identify unknown plants but expects you to learn plants from the book and then know them when you see them.

I purchased this book to learn about wilderness survival and edible plants, I did learn some things, and some very easy to identify plants I found out are very usefull, but I am guessing I could have found all that on the web instead of buying the book. The illustrations, at least to me, are terrible. I still think a picture is worth a thousand words, but not a drawing.

The argument the book makes about photographs versus hand drawings is that it is easier to portray a plant in all of its stages in a drawing and easier to put in detail.

Well drawn book.......2005-08-14

I was impressed by the wonderful drawings and informative structure of the book.

Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Tom Brown's Field Guide)

Average customer rating:

Not a field guide but a personality guide
Not a field guide but great stories
Great for the info it has, but not an identification and classification book
A warning for readers
Entertaining Book And Educational

Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (Tom Brown's Field Guide)
Tom Brown
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival (Survival School Handbooks / Tom Brown, Jr)
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking (Tom Brown's Field Guides)
Tom Brown's Guide to City and Suburban Survival (Tom Brown's Field Guides)
Tom Brown's Science and Art of Tracking
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Living with the Earth (Tom Brown's Field Guides)

ASIN: 0425100634

Customer Reviews:

Not a field guide but a personality guide.......2007-04-20

In this book Tom isn't really trying to make a field guide to identify edible/medicinal plants. He is trying to get you to enjoy those plants, not just use them. Each plant that he talks about has a story that goes along with it. Whether it is the first time he took a sip of catnip tea or an adventure down the river on a raft made from sassafras trees that had been cut down. I have found this book extremely helpful in enjoying and getting to know the types of plants described. Which i find in turn helps me a lot with identifying them from look a likes and really appreciating what i do find to eat.

Not a field guide but great stories.......2007-01-25

I love Tom Brown, and his stories about plants are an important part of how I practice herbal medicine. But this book would have been much much better if it had illustrations or at least drawings. As a result, I leave the book at home and read it for enjoyment, cross-referencing it with a field guide if need be.

Great for the info it has, but not an identification and classification book.......2006-02-18

This book is written from the standpoint of someone who needs to use plants either for survival or bush medicine. It is not the best or most accurate filed guide for identifying or classifying plants. I found it best to use this book in conjunction with an Audubon field guide. The Audubon filed guide will give you a picture and a better description of the plant that you are looking for, Tom Brown's book tells you what to do with the plant when you find it.

Tom browns book is the more important part of this equation, what good is knowing what a plant looks like without knowing what it is used for? So, I recommend using a different field guide for finding a certain plant, and then using Tom Brown's guide and practice making the medicinal applications and teas that he has. This book was not designed to take the place of a standard photographic field guide. It is designed to be used first in conjunction with a standard field guide until you know the plant and can identify it, then the illustrations and such are only to jog your memory in the field if you are looking for a certain remedy plant but its been a while since you messed with it.

A warning for readers.......2005-11-23

This book contains a description and uses of the plant comfrey.
[...]
Before you go out ingesting plants you should look them up at reputable medical sites to see if they can cause problems in people or interact with prescription drugs.

Entertaining Book And Educational.......2005-02-20

Tom Brown Jr's stories about his experiences with Stalking Wolf and other ancients will keep you entertained while you learn about the divers benefits of plants. If Tom ever decides write part two, I will be in line for a second helping.

Foraging New England: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods and Medicinal Plants from Maine to Connecticut

Average customer rating:

Nature's Bounty

Foraging New England: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods and Medicinal Plants from Maine to Connecticut
Tom Seymour
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guides(R))
The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
Native and Naturalized Trees of New England and Adjacent Canada: A Field Guide
The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them (Complete)
A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides (R))

ASIN: 0762709545

Book Description

From beach peas to serviceberries, hen of the woods to Indian cucumber, ostrich ferns to sea rocket, this guide uncovers the edible wild foods and healthful herbs of the Northeast. Helpfully organized by environmental zone, the book is an authoritative guide for nature lovers, outdoorsmen, and gastronomes.

Customer Reviews:

Nature's Bounty.......2002-05-17

Tom Seymour, acclaimed as a naturalist from the State of Maine, has written a fascinating survey of nature's bounty. This book is highly recommended to readers with an interest in ecology and the world of nature. The author supplies much hard to find information concerning nature's many hidden treasures: edible plants, medicinal plants, and the like. The book features superb color plates, cross-referencing, and a writing style that says "keep reading...."

Average customer rating:

A must for backpackers
Clear, concise and good information
The best I've seen yet
Medicinal Plants of the West
Very good, yet lacking some food sources.

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West
Gregory L. Tilford
Manufacturer: Mountain Press Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Herbal Remedies | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs
The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West

Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0878423591
Release Date: 1997-06-01

Product Description

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West invites anyone interested in plants, personal well-being, and a healthy environment to discover the healing powers of the herbal world. Full-color photographs face detailed descriptions of 250 plant species in the western United States and Canada, covering field identification, habitat and range, edibility, medicinal uses, and more.

Customer Reviews:

A must for backpackers.......2007-06-18

I live in the sierras and use this book all of the time it always goes with me when I hike.

Clear, concise and good information.......2006-08-21

Thought this book was well done, with good information and pictures.

The best I've seen yet.......2002-03-19

Full color photographs of every plant in the book, along with very complete, if brief, descriptions of characteristics and properties. The book itself is compact and easy to carry with you into the field, which is the ONLY place to truly study the subject matter. Enjoy this gem!

Medicinal Plants of the West.......2002-01-01

OK, but it would help if the pictures of the plants were real photos.

Very good, yet lacking some food sources........2000-06-24

This book is a good beginning book on edible and medicinal plants of the west. The pictures are excellent and really help in identify species. The only complaint I have with this book is that it is missing some important edible plant sources, and it is also could be more detailed in methods of cooking and eating the plants.

Average customer rating:

Wild Medicinal Plants
Anny Schneider
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Herbal Remedies | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places
The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them (Complete)
The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants
The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America

Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0811729877

Book Description

A fully illustrated, full color guide to using some 80 wild medicinal plants found in North America. Includes descriptions and photographs of each plant species as well as information on where to find and how to use them. Matches a variety of illnesses with the plants that treat them, discusses how medicinal plants work and how and what parts of the plants should be gathered, and describes and illustrates toxic wild plants to avoid. Includes information for: Hawthorn, Adam's Flannel, Yarrow, Cinquefoil, Shepherd's Purse, Pussywillow, St. John's Wort, Huckleberry, Black Cherry, Bladderwrack, Watercress, Tansy, Barberry, Horseradish, Great Burdock, Curled Dock, Mallow, Stinging Nettle, Black Elder, Elecampane and 60 others. Includes scientific and common names for each plant.

Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants of Minnesota & Wisconsin

Average customer rating:

This book is phenomenal
Editor, Medical Herbalism journal
The Answer Book
A truly impressive compendium of information

Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants of Minnesota & Wisconsin
Matthew Alfs
Manufacturer: OTBH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Herbal Remedies | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places
Trees of Wisconsin Field Guide (Our Nature Field Guides)
The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants

Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0961296437

Book Description

In this groundbreaking study, 100 different wild plants(including many common weeds)from the Minnesota-Wisconsin area are carefully monographed as to their edibility and/or healing potential. Forty-eight pages of plates containing 171 full-color photos are included to complement the detailed physical descriptions that are provided in the text, often showing the plant in several stages of growth or zooming in on particular features. In addition, several thousand references are made from over 800 bibliographic items (largely consisting of scientific and ethnobotanical studies) in order to buttress the extensive textual information on the edible and medicinal facets of the plants. Rounded out with a glossary, several appendices (including a guide to making herbal extracts at home and a detailed classification of the plants by physiological functions), and a 21-page comprehensive index, this first-of-its-kind study for the upper Midwestern states is sure to become a classic!

Customer Reviews:

This book is phenomenal.......2005-09-12

Concise and interesting. A wonderful link between the anecdotes of folklore and the juggernaut of scientific research. The photos make this book possible possible for use in the field, albeit a bit bulky for travel.

Editor, Medical Herbalism journal.......2003-03-09

Excellent, not limited to Minn and Wis. An excellent overview of 100 plants from the Prairies and forests of the upper midwest. In-depth review of historical uses balanced with the author's own clinical experience and practical how-to informaiton. Good safety data and recommendations. Most of these plants grow around me in Colorado, and everywhere in the 1500 miles to the authors home, so the book's title is too limited.

The Answer Book.......2002-07-19

I wouldn't say this is the one and only book you'll ever need. But it certainly is a GREAT addition to anyone's herbal library. It's relatively easy to use, because the plants are listed in alphabetical order by their common names. The food qualities and health benefits of the plants are thorough and informative, as well as their habitat and visual description. Points of interest are easy to find and there is a listing of plants that are good for certain illnesses. Plus short descriptions of how to use and prepare them.

This book is very scientific and seems to cover it all in an up-to-date fashion. But if you're not familiar with terms in botany and biology you'll find this book a little difficult to understand. It has a good glossary but a dictionary is still handy at times.
None the less the book has true to life color photos, which are the best I've seen for wild plant identification. Considerably this just may be the answer book for this topic. It's defiantly worth the price, if you desire to take wild herb collecting seriously.

A truly impressive compendium of information.......2001-12-13

A disclaimer at the beginning of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants Of Minnesota & Wisconsin warns that some wild plants are toxic or even deadly; though the author Matthew Alfs has made every effort to completely describe safe ways to recognize, harvest, and prepare edible wild plants, they cannot be held liable for any adverse effects. With that sober caution in mind, Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants Of Minnesota & Wisconsin is a truly impressive compendium of information and lore about the art of foraging. A beautiful section of color photographs aptly illustrates the many species of edible plants discussed and described herein. User-friendly introductions to using wild plants for food and health benefits are written in clear, concise text easily accessible to the lay reader. A glossary, exhaustive list of references and comprehensive index round out this superbly presented and very highly recommended guide.

Average customer rating:

Best of the best...
Disappointing
One of Euell Gibbons best, back in print
Review By Texas Gulf coast Herbalist, (hobby)

Stalking The Healthful Herbs
Euell Gibbons
Manufacturer: "Hood, Alan C. & Company, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Herbs, Spices & Condiments | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Herbal Remedies | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Stalking The Wild Asparagus
Stalking The Blue-Eyed Scallop
Feasting Free on Wild Edibles
The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places

Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0911469060
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Book Description

Here Euell Gibbons shows the reader how to enjoy the culinary and medicinal virtues of herbs and wild plants. Drawn from the author's wide knowledge of plants as well as from the lore of native Americans and early settlers, the information is supplemented by nutritionists at Pennsylvania State University who worked with Gibbons on analysis of the entries.

Customer Reviews:

Best of the best..........2005-09-02

A hundred years from now, I believe, the Gibbons books will still be regarded as first-rate texts. The science is, if not impeccable, supportive of Gibbons' readable and magnetic approach to edibles. He's a charmer, but not self-consciously so. His charm is in his love for the subject, and his expertise. Too bad Johnny Carson made a bit of a clown out of him, because he was anything but a clown. "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" is the centerpiece of his output; indispensable for anyone with any level of interest in the subject.

Disappointing.......2005-07-13

This would have been much better with more illustrations. Only about half of the plants that he reviews are illustrated, leading the novice to wonder if the 'weeds' growing in her garden are actually the marvelous chickweed, or something else.

One of Euell Gibbons best, back in print.......2001-02-21

The original "Stalking the wild..." editions went out of print some years ago and that was a shame. Nobody but a character like Euell Gibbons could write such a downhome book that passed on folk wisdom and botany in a delightful way.

I actually prefer this book to "Asparagus" because it is a bit more useful. For example, if you live nearly anywhere in middle America, violet leaves pop up in your lawn and garden. They're readily available and easy to find. And he gives uses for cucumber-scented borage, which you can actually plant from seeds. This herb now is a top seller for its healthful oil-rich seeds that contain linoleic acid. If borage doesn't grow in your fields, you can put it in your herb garden. He gives great ideas for violets, borage, mint and other herbs either readily found or available to grow.

Careful however; some of the wild herbs look alike; most dangerously hemlock and parsley, angelica and other members of the carrot family look alike with their feathery fronds. Best to take a course in plant identification at the local community college if you are collecting these.

Review By Texas Gulf coast Herbalist, (hobby).......1998-01-15

I own the original. And am thrilled to see it reprinted. Gibbons was the virtuoso of the herbal heyday, and his stories of nature, and his naturalist outlook, will enthrall you as much as the herbs you'll learn about. He is, and will allways remain, part of this foragers life, even though I never knew him personaly.

Average customer rating:

Title misleading
This book ROCKS-That is if your looking for natural remedies
color reference

Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants
Bradford Angier
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants
Wild Medicinal Plants
The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants
The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them (Complete)
Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places

ASIN: 0811720764

Customer Reviews:

Title misleading.......2001-08-05

If you think that you're going to hike into the wilderness and learn to identify medicinal plants with this book, you may be in for a surprise. There is no index except for the list of common names in the front. An index with the Latin names as well as the pathological conditions the plants are useful for would have been helpful. There also seems to be no logic (except maybe to the author)to the order of the plants presented. It would be quite difficult for you to identify a plant with this book unless you already had some guess as to what you were looking at, and then look THAT up. A more descriptive title would have been just plain "Medicinal Wild Plants of North America."(i.e. nix the "Field Guide" part because, that it certainly ain't!) Having said that, I think the book is worth reading just for the information you get from it. I certainly learned a lot about how the plants were used from a historical perspective (lots of anecdotes about the native Americans and their herbal medicines).

This book ROCKS-That is if your looking for natural remedies.......1999-01-06

This book is really great. Let's say that you fell on a rock and your kne cracked open and it's bloody, well this book will tell you plnts that you kneed to put on it. If you have to mix some plants or liquify them to a certain point it tells you exactly how to prepare it so that it will have effect. I highly recomend this book for anybody who goes into the woods and has a chance of getting hurt.

color reference.......1998-12-23

A full page is dedicated to each plant, showing in color, a detailed drawing of the leaves and flower, fruit or other identifying characteristic. The text is at least a page and covers: Family, Common Names, Characteristics, Area and Uses. The text is easy to read and offers interesting notes about the plant's uses, primarily from American Indians and pioneers. This is not a field identification book, but it provides additional information to a known plant. The guide is alphabetical by common name.

Average customer rating:

You might try another book

Wild Roots
Doug Elliott
Manufacturer: Healing Arts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Herbal Remedies | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guides(R))

Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0892815388
Release Date: 1995-12-01

Book Description

For more than two decades Doug Elliot has wandered the fields, forests, and marshlands of North America gathering roots and herbs, and plant lore. A labor of love, Wild Roots is filled with practical information, extraordinary drawings and lively commentary, and offers a wealth of information about the roots, rhizomes, and tubers of North America.

Customer Reviews:

You might try another book.......2001-05-17

This book is well and fine if you happen to live in the Appalacian mountains. Outside that region, however, it is useless. Mr. Elliots botanical knowledge seems to be geographicaly quite limited. The illustrations of the roots themselves are very good. But the pictures of the plants themselves are small and nondiscript. This leads the question of "How do I find the root if I can't find it's top?". I highly would recommend one of the Peterson guides before this book.

Goldenseal/Etc.: A Pharmacognosy of Wild Herbs

Average customer rating:

Goldenseal/Etc.: A Pharmacognosy of Wild Herbs
Louise Veninga , and Benjamin R. Zaricor
Manufacturer: Ruka Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B0006WOPYO

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