Spotted Wintergreen (Wild Harvest Tour Special)

 Wild Harvest Tour Special Edition

 

Just to let you all know, the next few blog posts will be covering things that were exclusively seen on the Wild Harvest Tour, these are plants found in the woods of North Carolina. Some of these plants are good, some are bad but they are things you need to know about. I hope you enjoy the focused content folks.

 

https://www.facebook.com/people/Sandhills-Wild-Harvest/61557940700225/?sk=photos

 

 

Spotted Wintergreen looks like a Euonymus that has escaped cultivation, but it is a very potent herb.

 

 

 

Common Name: Spotted Wintergreen

 

Other Common Names: Pipsissewa, Striped Wintergreen, Striped Prince’s Pine, Spotted Pipsissewa, Ratsbane, Rheumatism Root.

 

Botanical Family: Ericaceae (The Heath/Heather Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Chimahila maculata

Synonym Chimaphila maculate var. dasystenna)

 

Description & Habitat:  Spotted Wintergreen is a native evergreen wildflower that spreads by seeds and its rhizome. Some references say it is in the ‘Shinleaf’ family. Its key identification features are the white stripes on the midrib of the leaf and the white to pinkish flowers that are fragrant and emerge in summer in small clusters. It can typically be found in sandy habitats, and in well-drained upland forests, wooded sloped land and oak-pine woods, old growth forests and similar mesic habitats. It is theorized this plant may rely on Mycorrhizal or ericoid mycorrhizal connections to survive. The foliage of this plant is toxic to sheep and is avoided by deer. It may be considered endangered in some states and is considered endangered in Canada. This plant’s genus name is from the Greek words, cheima (“winter”) and philein (“Love”).

 

When & What to Harvest: The name ‘Pipsisikweu’ is from the Creek Indian language and means ‘breaks into small pieces’. This is a reference to its supposed ability to break down gallstones and kidney stones. A tea made from its leaves was used to treat Rhumatism and stomach problems. The leaves of this plant are edible and have a refreshing quality to them. Beyond this the entirety of the plant has medicinal use. I seriously recommend consulting a qualified herbalist before you use this plant internally in any form.

 

 

Poisonous Lookalikes: None known.

 

Related Edible Species: Common Name (Latin name).

 

Recipe: Most references suggest making a tea from the leaves and they all seem to have about the same process:

 

Pack a jar with wintergreen leaves and cover with distilled water. Place a lid on the jar and cover with a tea towel. Leave the jar on your counter for about three days or until you see bubbles forming. Strain out the leaves and other debris and warm the liquid to a drinking temperature.

 

It is possible this recipe that is repeated so often only refers to the other wintergreen (Gaultheria), but there is no reason to assume the process needs to be any different.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

 

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chimaphila-maculata/

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Summer Vegetable Plants (NEW!)

Tomato – Sungold

Tomato – Midnight Snack

Tomato – Sweet 100

Tomato – Chocolate Cherry

Tomato – Lemon Boy

Tomato – Black Krim

Tomato – Paul Robeson

Tomato – Cherokee Purple

Tomato – Brandywine, Suddeth’s Strain

 

Pepper – Ghost

Pepper – Carolina Reaper

Dahlias

 

 

Herbs (New!)

Bee Balm

Garlic

Hairy Balls Milkweed

Lemon Balm

Oregano

Sweet Genovese Basil

 

Garden Plants

Daylilies

Walking Iris

 

Coming Soon:

American Aloe

Yucca

Lamb’s Ear

Spineless Prickly Pear

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

Our group’s online presence has migrated to Nextdoor.com. All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (2): English Violet, Pink Celery Bolting Part 1, Pink Celery Bolting Part 2.

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is May 10^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

 

Poison Oak (Wild Harvest Tour Special)

 Wild Harvest Tour Special Edition

 

Just to let you all know, the next few blog posts will be covering things that were exclusively seen on the Wild Harvest Tour, these are plants found in the woods of North Carolina. Some of these plants are good, some are bad but they are things you need to know about. I hope you enjoy the focused content folks.

 

https://www.facebook.com/people/Sandhills-Wild-Harvest/61557940700225/?sk=photos

 

This is Poison Oak, not to be confused with Poison Ivy. Note the free-standing upright form this plant takes.

This picture was taken at the end of April, notice the flower clusters, berries will soon follow.

Poison Ivy spreads by rhizomes that move near the soil's surface but below the leaf litter, this isn't one singular plant but a colony of them.

 

 

 

Common Name: Poison Oak

 

Other Common Names: Atlantic Poison Oak, Eastern Poison Oak

 

Botanical Family: Anacardiaceae (The Sumac Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Toxicodendron pubescens

 

Description & Habitat:  Poison oak is a native species that is deciduous and has an upright form that means it is considered a low-growing shrub. This is in direct comparison to its cousin Poison Ivy (T. radicans) which is a vining plant. This plant can grow upwards of 10 feet tall but it usually averages at about 2-4 feet. The specimens photographed for this entry were all about two feet tall. This plant is common in the coastal plains of North Carolina but can be found in wooded areas in the eastern states of the United States. Typically this plant is not found in urban areas, it is instead found in dry sandy areas in forests, natural undisturbed areas or in thickets. Although it does have a role in the wilderness of our state’s forests it is not something you want in your garden. Poison Oak spreads via rhizomes and can form large colonies as we found out on the tour. The specimens photographed were ten or more feet apart and were probably part of a large colony that spread out across a hundred feet or so. You can identify Poison Oak by its upright habit and the slightly fuzzy green, alternate leaf arrangement. Unlike with Poison Ivy Poison Oak leafs tend to be around the ends of their stems leaving bare stalks closer to the ground. In spring the flowers are a yellowish green (seen in pictures) and they are followed by tannish-white fruit which are called drupes.

 

Remember one critical thing when identifying this plant or its similar-looking cousin having three leaflets is not always accurate as many other plants that are not poisonous have three leaflets. Some examples of plants that have three leaflets or similarly shaped leaves are Virginia Creeper (most often mistaken for poison ivy), Strawberries, Barren Strawberries, Ash, Boxelder, Aromatic Sumac and even Boston Ivy. So relying on the number of leaves and their shape is not the best decision. The old rhyme from the boy scouts says: “Leaves of three let it be” and that’s where folks tend to stop. However the full rhyme has two more lines, “Berries white, flee the site, hairy rope don’t be a dope” and so ideally you want to look for two or three identification features to verify that the plant you are dealing with is dangerous. In the case of Poison oak you will find the three leaflets and the berries are close to the noted color but no ‘hairy rope’. Two is good enough to keep you safe but three is ideal, but use your best discretion in the woods.

 

All parts of Poison Oak contain a biologically active compound called Urushiol which is the same hazardous compound found in Poison Ivy (T. radicans) and Poison Sumac (T. vernix). This lovely compound is poisonous and will cause severe skin redness, itching, blistering, and swelling. Symptoms can come from direct contact, or cross contamination from clothing or tools that have been in contact with the plant. Even when in a state of dormancy there is a risk of contact causing health problems. Additionally contact with the smoke from burning this plant or its two aforementioned cousins may cause severe skin and or respiratory conditions and may require a trip to the emergency room. If you even think you have come into contact with this plant I urge that you thoroughly watch your hands clothing and tools with soap and water. At a minimum I suggest using Dawn dish detergent, but at best there are products like Tecnu which can be used as a laundry detergent and a body wash to get the Urushiol oils off your skin and out of your clothes safely.

 

As a final note on what the Latin name of this plant means, Toxicodendron is a combination of ‘toxicos’ meaning poison, and ‘dendron’ meaning tree. The specific epithet ‘pubescens’ means covered with fine hairs. The name alone tells you to look but do not touch, also you should keep your pets away as they can bring it in on their fur.

 

 

When & What to Harvest:

Just to be clear, there is nothing to harvest in the case of this plant. It is dangerous and should be noticed, avoided and left alone.

 

Poisonous Lookalikes:  Poison Ivy (T. radicans) is often called Poison Oak, but their growth habits and leaf morphology are very different. They are not the same plant and Poison Ivy is the one that typically is found in urban settings.

 

Related Edible Species: None.

 

Recipe: None, you really don’t want this in or on your body.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

 

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/toxicodendron-pubescens/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_pubescens

 

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Summer Vegetable Plants (NEW!)

Tomato – Sungold

Tomato – Midnight Snack

Tomato – Sweet 100

Tomato – Chocolate Cherry

Tomato – Lemon Boy

Tomato – Black Krim

Tomato – Paul Robeson

Tomato – Cherokee Purple

Tomato – Brandywine, Suddeth’s Strain

 

Pepper – Ancho/Poblano

Pepper – Ghost

Pepper – Carolina Reaper

 

 

Herbs (New!)

Bee Balm

Garlic

Hairy Balls Milkweed

Lemon Balm

Oregano

Sweet Genovese Basil

 

Garden Plants

Daylilies

Walking Iris

 

Coming Soon:

Dahlias

American Aloe

Yucca

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

Our group’s online presence has migrated to Nextdoor.com. All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Sweet White Violet

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is May 4^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Carelessweed

 

Look at it! Being all Careless about how weedy it is. Carelessweed is nicely symmetrical and totally edible.

Common Name: Carelessweed

 

Other Common Names: Palmer Amaranth, Palmer’s Pigweed, Dioecious Amaranth.

 

Botanical Family: Amaranthaceae (The Amaranth Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Amaranthus palmeri

 

Description & Habitat:  This annual plant is native to the southern parts of North America and like other members of the Amaranth species is fully edible. It is a very fast growing plant that can tolerate drought and poor soils with relative ease. It produces a lot of viable seeds and its best described as having an erect habit with even branching which gives it a somewhat shrubby appearance. Carelessweed has a rich green coloration and its flowers are a bit non-descript. A singular plant can produce up to a half-million seeds in a growing year. As if this were not enough all sources I consulted agree that Careless weed is very fast growing, the average is 1” per day under normal conditions. With that said, Carelessweed also is fully edible, but one must take care in consuming it as it can hyper-accumulate nitrates and this can reach toxicity levels for humans. Additionally this plant is known for having Oxalic Acids in its foliage which can aggravate or cause Kidney problems especially if the foliage is eaten raw. Much like with Swiss Chard or Beets, cooking by way of blanching and then discarding the water can remove a significant portion of the present oxalic acid the same is true for any present nitrates. If you are intentionally cultivating this plant as food, do NOT fertilize it. Carelessweed can be commonly found in fields, yards, by the roadside and in sites with disturbed soil and in farm fields. In the latter location this plant has become a problem as it is very vigorous and can out-compete row crops. Additionally this plant has made a nuisance of itself in Europe, Australia and a few other countries.

 

When & What to Harvest: Ideally you would harvest the leaves and the seed.

 

Poisonous Lookalikes: None are known.

 

Related Edible Species: Calaloo (Amaranthus viridis), Love Lies Bleeding (A. caudatus), Blood Amaranth (A. cruentus), Prince of Wales Feather (A. hypochondriacus).

 

Recipe:

How to cook Carelessweed as a Potherb.

 

Pick fresh greens as needed and make sure they are washed to remove any critters, debris or dirt. After this, chop your leaves or place them whole in a pot and cover with water. Boil the Carelessweed leaves while listening to ‘Careless Whispers’ by Wham! Substitute in the word Carelessweed in the song and boil the leaves for about 10-ish minutes and change the water. Boil for another ten-ish minutes or until desired tenderness is achieved. Serve with your preferred seasonings and butter. If you want to add flavorings to the leaves add bullion in with the second change of water.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Summer Vegetable Plants (NEW!)

Tomato – Sungold

Tomato – Midnight Snack

Tomato – Sweet 100

Tomato – Chocolate Cherry

Tomato – Lemon Boy

Tomato – Black Krim

Tomato – Paul Robeson

Tomato – Cherokee Purple

Tomato – Brandywine, Suddeth’s Strain

 

Pepper – Cayenne

Pepper – Ancho/Poblano

Pepper – Sweet Banana

Pepper – Ghost

Pepper – Carolina Reaper

 

 

Herbs (New!)

Eucalyptus

Orange Balm

Lemon Balm

Sweet Genovese Basil

Oregano

Carlic

 

Garden Plants

Daylilies

Walking Iris

 

Coming Soon:

Dahlias

Bee Balm

American Aloe

Yucca

Hairy Balls Milkweed

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

Our group’s online presence has migrated to Nextdoor.com. All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Dessert Kiwi

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is April 25^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.