Foraging for food in the wild is a great way to connect with nature, as long as you do it safely (always be 100 percent sure of your identification of the plant), legally (most local parks do not allow the removal of any plant material), and sustainably (never take more than a small portion of any plant or plant population in one area). You don't have to go far: most yards and roadsides are harboring great salad greens and other edible plants!
If you're interested in learning more, check out our walks looking for wild edibles in the Washington, DC region.
Greens
Bittercress
Fruits
Grapes
Mulberries
Passionflower (maypops)
Pawpaws
Persimmons
Serviceberries (juneberries)
Wineberries
Nuts
Acorns
Black Walnuts
Fungi
Chantarelles
Chicken of the Woods
Morels
Oyster Mushrooms
Rock tripe
Edible Flowers
Jewelweed
Milkweed
Tuliptree nectar
Spices, Teas, Etc.
Maple syrup
Ramps (wild leeks)
Spicebush: flowers, berries
Sumac
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