Last Updated on July 8, 2024 by Veronica Sparks
Foraging is not only a delightful way to connect with nature but also a practical prepping skill that ensures you can find food and medicinal plants throughout the year. This Midwest foraging calendar guides you through each season, highlighting the abundance of wild edibles and medicinal plants available at different times of the year. Let’s make the most of the natural bounty in your region!
Foraging Calendar: Spring
Spring brings new life and a plethora of wild edible and medicinal plants. Here are some you can find while spring foraging:
Asparagus: Find wild asparagus in open fields and along roadsides. It’s a delicious, nutritious vegetable that you can steam, grill, or add to various dishes.
Chickweed: This tender green is excellent in salads and sandwiches. Chickweed also has anti-inflammatory properties and is great in herbal remedies.
Chicory: You can roast the roots of chicory and grind them to make a coffee substitute, while you can add the leaves to salads for a bitter, healthful kick.
Dandelion: Every part of the dandelion is edible. The leaves are great in salads, and you can also make wine with the flowers or a coffee substitute with the dried roots.
Garlic Mustard: This invasive plant is highly nutritious. Its leaves are great in salads or pesto, and it has a mild garlic flavor.
Rhubarb: Though the leaves are toxic, rhubarb stalks are wonderful in pies, sauces, and jams.
Stinging Nettle: When cooked, stinging nettles lose their sting and become a nutritious green, rich in vitamins and minerals. They’re excellent in soups and teas.
Weeping Willow: The bark and leaves contain salicin, which you can use similarly to aspirin for pain relief.
Katniss: Also known as arrowhead, the tubers of katniss are starchy and you can cook them like potatoes.
Purslane: This succulent plant is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and is excellent in salads and stir-fries.
White Goosefoot: Also known as lamb’s quarters, this plant is highly nutritious and tastes similar to spinach.
Yarrow: Yarrow is a medicinal herb that you can use to treat wounds and reduce fever. Its leaves and flowers are also great as a medicinal tea.
Wild Violets: These pretty flowers and leaves are edible and you can use them in salads, as garnishes, or make them into syrups.
Foraging Calendar: Summer
When the weather is hot, it’s a vibrant time for summer foraging, with many fruits and medicinal plants coming into season:
Elderberries: These small, dark berries are excellent for making syrups, jams, and wines. They also have immune-boosting properties.
Persimmons: Wild persimmons are sweet and you can eat them fresh or used in baking and preserves once fully ripened.
Wild Raspberries: These delicious berries are great fresh, made into jams, or used in desserts.
Peppermint: This aromatic herb is wonderful for making refreshing teas, desserts, and sauces.
Wild Blueberries: These berries are smaller and more flavorful than cultivated blueberries, perfect for eating fresh or using in recipes.
Wild Grapes: Use wild grapes to make wine and jelly, or eat them fresh if you enjoy their tartness.
Crabapples: While too tart to eat fresh for some, crabapples make excellent jellies and sauces.
Goldenrod: The flowers make a great make tea, known for its diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Chanterelles: These golden mushrooms are a gourmet delicacy, great in sauces, soups, and sautés.
Porcini: Known for their rich flavor, porcini mushrooms are excellent in risottos, soups, and stews.
Chicken of the Woods: These mushrooms have a texture similar to chicken and you can use them as a meat substitute in various dishes.
Foraging Calendar: Fall
Fall is a time of harvest, with many fruits, nuts, and medicinal plants ready for picking. Here are some possible fall foraging finds:
Witch Hazel: With the bark and leaves, you can make witch hazel extract, a popular astringent.
Apples: Eat wild apples fresh or use them in cooking, or making cider.
Juniper Berries: You can use juniper berries to flavor meats, sauces, and gin. They also have medicinal properties.
Hawthorn Berries: Known for their heart-healthy benefits, these berries make great syrups, jams, and teas.
Mushrooms: Fall is a great time for mushrooms like hen of the woods, which are excellent in various culinary applications.
Pine Needles: Rich in vitamin C, pine needles are great as a refreshing and healthful tea.
Rose Hips: These are rich in vitamin C and you can use them to make jams, jellies, and teas.
Sumac: The red berries make a tangy lemonade or spice.
Cattails: You can eat cattails’ roots like potatoes, and the young shoots and flowes are edible as well.
Beech Nuts: These nuts are edible and you can roast them for a tasty snack.
Pine Nuts: Harvested from pine cones, these nuts are excellent in pesto, salads, and baking.
Chestnuts: Roasted chestnuts are a delightful treat, especially during the fall season.
Acorns: After leaching to remove tannins, you can grind acorns into flour or eat them roasted.
Black Walnuts: These have a rich flavor and you can use them in baking and cooking.
Foraging Calendar: Winter
Winter may seem barren, but you can still find edible and medicinal plants while winter foraging:
Juniper Berries: You can harvest juniper berries in winter and use them for their medicinal properties or as a spice.
Hawthorn Berries: You can still find these berries in winter and use them for their heart-healthy benefits.
Pine Needles: Available year-round, pine needles are excellent for making vitamin C-rich tea.
Beech Nuts: If wildlife haven’t consumed them all, you can find and harvest beech nuts in winter.
Pine Nuts: Harvest these from pine cones that have fallen.
Chestnuts: Look for chestnuts that have fallen late in the season.
Acorns: Even in winter, you can collect, leach, and use acorns as a food source.
Black Walnuts: Find and harvest these from the ground even in winter.
Safe Foraging Tips for All-Year Foraging
- Proper Identification: Always ensure you correctly identify any plant or mushroom before consuming it. Use reliable field guides and consult with local experts.
- Sustainable Harvesting: Only take what you need and never over-harvest. Leave enough for wildlife and to ensure the plant population remains healthy.
- Legal Considerations: Be aware of local foraging laws and regulations. Some areas may require permits or have restrictions on foraging.
- Avoid Contaminated Areas: Do not forage near roadsides, industrial areas, or places with pesticide exposure to avoid contaminated plants.
- Respect Nature: Leave no trace. Respect the environment and other foragers.
Related Article: Poisonous Plants that Look like Edible Plants
Your Yearly Foraging Calendar Awaits
Suburban and urban foraging is a rewarding activity that provides a deep connection to nature and a bounty of edible and medicinal plants throughout the year. Our Midwest foraging calendar offers a guide to what you can find in each season, ensuring that you can enjoy the benefits of foraging all year round.
By following safe foraging practices and being mindful of sustainable harvesting, you can make the most of the natural resources available to you, enriching your diet and enhancing your health.