Tabitha Shearin

Rhoda Lukens
UWRT 1101
12/01/2014
Edible Survival

I walked out of class and dropped my backpack. My phone, books, money, and resources
were all useless to me now. I kept walking; across campus, past North Tryon, and deeper and
deeper into the wooded regions of Charlotte, heading into the much more rustic, Cabarrus
County. I am setting out on this mission, not to just prove myself worthy and capable of
survival, but to solidify the information I have found in my research on the edibility of different
plants. Nearly everyone knows that if abandoned in the woods without a source of food, that the
forest offers a variety of edible options, that are not easy to identify and almost impossible to
find unless you know where to look and what to look for. Despite all that I have learned, the
examples I have seen, and the preparation I feel I have obtained; the main point I can make is
this: never attempt to live off the land without previous plant identification education.
I began my journey by preparing myself with the knowledge needed to identify
edible plants. Because there are countless species of plants, including many edible mushrooms, it
is almost impossible to memorize and study each to be able to properly identify in any situation.
It is the highest recommendation that when resorting to living off the land, to bring an
identification manual or guide along with you. The difference between a completely edible plant
and a plant that is poisonous enough to cause death can come down to a slight difference in leaf
shape or texture. Because of my years of wildness training, I have learned many patterns and
tricks to determining the edibility of plants.

According to the Twin Eagles Wildness School, a

program that teaches adults and children in Idaho the ins and outs of survival; in each particular
season there are parts of the plant that are more effective for harvesting. For example, gather
leaves in spring and summer [but] gather roots in winter and for some, late fall and winter
(Corcoran). With this knowledge, one can begin their plant identification education with plants
by season. By doing this, you can focus on plants that are relevant to the time of year of your
trip. There is no sense in researching two hundred plants that are only edible in the spring when
you plan to take your trek in the winter.
From surviving in the Redwood National Forest to walking the Adirondacks, I know it is
most important to not only prepare by season, but even more importantly, to prepare by region.
For my research on my North Carolina trek, I quickly found that there are a lot of poisonous
plants in this state. Based on a detailed study by Dr. A.B. Russell and collaborators from NC
State University, there are a total of five hundred and ninety seven poisonous plants with all
different shapes, sizes, and characteristics. The likelihood of being able to memorize or
potentially even learn every one of them is absurd. North Carolina plants, like plants all over the
world, have complementary plants that grow in similar climates and regions. Because of this,
always use your literary resource to identify the plant. A great example of a North Carolina
edible plant is the cattail. While cattails can be eaten raw or cooked, depending on the season
you are harvesting, these plants look drastically similar to Sweet Flags and Daffodils, which are
both poisonous to humans. Assurance of the presence of the cattails main characteristic, their
cigar shaped fluffy head is necessary is identifying the plant from its counterparts. Another great
North Carolina resource is Kudzu, the leafy vine that many see taking over large areas of trees
and marshlands throughout the state. The leaves of Kudzu, as well as their roots and flowers, can
be eaten both raw and cooked and are a great source of nutrient. It is even said the flowers taste

remarkably like grapes and when prepared correctly, they make a great jelly. I cant speak to
that, but lets be honest, that sounds delicious. (Wild Edible Plants)
Survival off of plants in North Carolina would seem more simplistic because we are
narrowing down our territory, and therefore narrowing down the species of plants that live in it,
but it is still important to bring a guide along as many plants can be confused for others and
could cause danger. Despite what many non wanderers may think, edible food can be good. I
think many people envision people who live off the land to simply pick up berries and leaves and
eat them as they go. Cooking in the wildness is heavily overlooked and pretty satisfying when
done properly. There are a few things to look out for when preparing your food.
First, many plants, that are edible and nutritious, have components such as their roots or stem,
that are very dangerous if not deadly. An example I have encountered of this is the Mayapple,
which is an edible fruit, but the rest of the greenery on the plant and the fruit before it is ripe, is
poisonous. Some plants are poisonous and inedible during certain stages of life, but edible in
others. The pokeweed is an example of a plant that is edible during early growth and sprouting
but becomes poisonous with maturity (Wilderness Survival). Much of this information you will
already know from your studies on seasonal edibility. To ensure safety in the wildness, be aware
and skeptical of the plants that require special preparation and what those preparations are before
you eat them. A great place to start is picking up one of the four recommended books by Tim
Corcoran and Jeannine Tidwell; these books are as followed: Newcombs Wildflower Guide by
Lawrence Newcomb, Readers Digest Guide to North American Wildlife, Petersons Field Guide
to Edible Wild Plants, and From Earth to Herbalist by Gregory Tilford (Corcoran). By engulfing
yourself in the knowledge gained from these books, as well as taking small trips to practice your
plant identification, you will be on your way to taking your own long range trek or completely

living off the land.

I feel the hardest part of this journey is not the idea of leaving cultured society to walk
into the wilderness, but to make the decision, when put into a dire situation, whether a plant is
edible or inedible, and how it should be prepared. Poisonous plant rule of thumb is simply if
you cant identify it, dont eat it. As if things arent complicated enough some plants are
fine to eat when they are young but become poisonous later on in their growth. Some plants are
poisonous during certain seasons. Others just have certain parts of the plants that are poisonous
(Dick). Easily identifiable traits are milky sap, spines, fine hair, beans, bulbs or seeds inside
the pod. Other things to look for are if it has a grainy head with pink, purple or black spurs.
There are over five hundred poisonous plants so not all of them will fit into these traits but
those are common traits that will help you get started identifying poisonous plants. Although it
is no use to someone already disconnected from technology and society, the USDA, in
collaboration with Dr. David Bogler, have compiled a website where you can identify traits of
the North Carolina plant, input them, and the database will to the best of its ability identify the
plant you are seeking. This is a resource that many could and would bring with them depending
on the amount of preparation done for the trek.
With the knowledge of plant edibility and the ways to prepare foods found in nature, one could
save a life. In many tragic and unexpected situations, people are left stranded in the wilderness
with no means of survival; what if you were prepared? What if you were capable of
differentiating poisonous plants from comestible vegetation? According to a study received by
USA Today, most Americans haven't taken steps to prepare for a natural disaster, terrorist
attack or other emergency; making food preparation and identification critical in basic survival.

Although knowledge of all plants is nearly impossible, I have gathered that the best way to
prepare for life off the grid is to do an excessive amount of research, seek education from people
and companies that offer training for wilderness survival, and always bring a guide or book for
identification in those trickier situations.

Happy Trekking

Works Cited:

Corcoran, Tim. "Discover Edible Wild Plants!" Twin Eagle. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.twineagles.org/edible-wild-plants.html>.

Dick, Jonathan. "10 Wild Edible Plants to Save Your Life." Ready Blog. Ready Store, 26 Sept.
2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www.thereadystore.com/survival-tips/5197/10-wild-edibleplants-to-save-your-life/>
.
"Fact Sheets and Plant Guides." USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. 20 Oct. 2014.
Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet>.

Russell, Dr. A.B. "Poisonous Plants - List by Scientific Name - P. 1." Poisonous Plants - List by
Scientific Name - P. 1. Herbarium Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, 1 Jan. 2013.
Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/category/poisonous-plants/>.

"Wild Edible Plants." Practical Survivor. Creative Commons Attribution. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

"Wilderness Survival: Poisonous Plants." Wilderness Survival: Poisonous Plants. N.p., 2014.
Web. 04 Nov. 2014. <http://wilderness-survival.net/chp10.php>.