Edible Wonders of Nature ;) - Discussions, questions

spung » rohini moon Nice, got a favourite wild plant?

rohini moon I´ve had this book: Wild Edible Plants of Western North America
by Donald R. Kirk, for over a decade now. It´s very useful.
they list various methods of preparing wild foods and he gives warnings on the poisonous plants.

Wolfmoon » Leo Moon Yeah, they´re not really well documented. Most people here don´t know what they are.

I was inspired by this thread to go for a look yesterday. No go on the Weraroa but where I currently live. Gold tops. Gold tops everywhere.

I spent a good part of last night watching the leaf patterns on the net curtains dancing amongst each other. It was beautiful

spung » Leo Moon Male ones are there just to release pollen, then they die out. Pollen fertilizes female flowers, which later become pinecones, which produce seeds known as pine nuts (though not in the case of Pinus sylvestris, they got small seeds).

I don´t know the exact botanical English vocab for that, but that´s the simplified version, one I can follow ;), did try to understand the cycle at some point.

Here´s a picture of a female flower, already fertilized, little pinecone growing.

spung » Wolfmoon There goes my theory...

Leo Moon » spung So is the pine flower where pine nuts come from?

I don’t think I’ve seen pine flowers that big around here.

Leo Moon » spung I never tried a puff ball mushroom.

When I was younger I remember finding good specimens but I didn’t know anything about mushrooms and which were edible.

I have had chicken of the woods. The outer edge of the young ones are good.

Here in eastern Pennsylvania there are Honey Mushrooms, Morels, Enoki, Oyster among other edible mushrooms.


I have a fascination with mushrooms.

It’s cool finding and identifying them when I’m out hiking.

I’ve grown a few kinds.

Leo Moon » Wolfmoon Psilocybe Weraroa is one I’ve never heard of.

All the books I’ve read on the subject and it’s never been mentioned.


It’s a cool looking mushroom.

Wolfmoon » spung "Oh, this kawakawa looks like a Leo plant! Heart shaped, yellow and good for heart, interesting..."

Doesn´t like the sun though. Found out the hard way...

spung » spung Or dipped in dark chocolate ;)

spung And a male pine tree flower, full of pollen. Best straight from the tree!

spung » Wolfmoon "I´m a big fan of foraging in the bush. So many treasures that´re mislabeled or not even heard of. Most things beneficial are branded as a weed or "toxic"."

So true, in here EU is banning more and more herbs...
I might have lived in my herbalist bubble for many years because first with the virus I realized how much people here are scared of nature. It´s a very different story in my home country fortunately.

"Something in you just decide it looked delicious so you took a bite?"

Not exactly, way more careful with unknown mushrooms ;) I guess the chicken was trending among foreign foragers at some point, that´s how I heard of it probably, not a traditional food shroom in PL. In childhood we picked maybe 10 different kinds of mushrooms, only when I got more into foraging I started learning there are many more ;)

Oh, this kawakawa looks like a Leo plant! Heart shaped, yellow and good for heart, interesting...

Wolfmoon » spung "Have you ever eaten them?"

I have. They´re surprisingly a lot like almonds. Very easy to snack on the walk.

"How was the trip?"

Clean. They´re a very sort after mushroom because of their trip. They´re semi-famous amongst mushroom fanatics and bring plenty of foreigners through our bush.

Depending on the dose, you can see an aura type light amongst everything. Everything in general becomes more so. The colours are brighter, sounds louder and everything is somewhat euphoric.

"I never thought it was edible when I was a kid, found out in the adulthood."

Something in you just decide it looked delicious so you took a bite?

I´m a big fan of foraging in the bush. So many treasures that´re mislabeled or not even heard of. Most things beneficial are branded as a weed or "toxic".

Another epic food to forage for here is the Kawakawa Berry. It´s got a peppery sweet taste. You have to get them when they´re proper yellow though. Any green makes them bitter. The actual tree itself is known as the Maori Medicinal Tree. Excellent for the blood and heart.

spung » Wolfmoon They are cute, look like blue pebles! Have you ever eaten them? How was the trip?

Since we´re in the mushroom kingdom,here is chicken of the woods. I never thought it was edible when I was a kid, found out in the adulthood.

Wolfmoon I´m a mushroom hunter when the season is right.

My favourite is the Psilocybe Weraroa or "Blue Meanies". They´re native to NZ. Tis the season at the moment come to think of it

They look like little blue golf balls

spung » Leo Moon Oh yes, I know those! I´ve eaten them a couple of times, but I think mostly mixed with other shrooms! I had a picture of it somewhere, in that phase of ´dripping ink´ but can´t find it right now.

Btw, do you know giant puffball? I found it myself just once, but cooked it on a few occasions and as you say - sautéed in butter they are excellent.

numeroloji wonderful

Leo Moon Foraging is fun. Though I haven’t done it for awhile.

I’ve never heard of horsetail shoots Spung.
They are funky looking.

Black Berries are plentiful here in season.

Shaggy Mane mushrooms after Spring rain. These mushrooms are easy to identify.

Sautéed in butter they are excellent. Got to pick them before the cap opens and use them quickly or they turn to black mush.

Here’s a photo.