I need a wild edible plants book.

Let me help you out here: General Knife Discussion is not the only forum on Bladeforums! :D
 
North America has ALOT of wild edibles.
See if you can find anything locally. I never expected to find anything specific to my home town but found a couple of instructors and people publishing a book specific to wild edibles in Manitoba. I have found that much more helpful than the general selection of books.
Check out the library and see if you can find one best for you.
I know Peterson Field Guide books are pretty popular but I am not familiar with the wild edibles edition.
I'm sure it's worth checking out.
+ it's kind of addicting to learn about the food right under your nose...a lot of the weeds people pull out of their gardens are healthier than the plants they are trying to grow.
I'd love some updates on what you have found to be helpful resources in your research.
Good Luck!
 
Check out Natures Garden by Samuel Thayer.
Not really pocketable but it will fit in a day pack no problem.
Paper back,512 pgs. 9x6" & a little over an inch thick.
Excellent book with multiple color pics of each plant & it's look-alikes, not just drawings.
If a plant has a poisonous look-alike he shows multi pics & describes the differences in depth.
Well worth the pack weight IMO.

Here's another thread on edibles books.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1183945-Good-book-for-plant-lore-and-foraging
 
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Edible Wild Plants-A North American Field Guide-An Outdoor Life Book-T.S. Elias & P.A. Dykeman-Sterling Publishing Co.----The best I've found so far.--KV
 
Do you have a more specific region? I have found that books written to cover the entirety of North America are either lacking in details or they are 900 pages thick. There are some regional books out there that will do a more in depth and accurate job for your particular area. The state university forestry and Ag departments in my state put out info that is state specific. You may want to check there as well.
 
You can also get apps for your smart phone that can help since most of us always have our smart phones with us.
 
I think the place to start with the field guides is the Peterson guide and perhaps the book "Edible Wild Plants" by Elias & Dykeman. Be wary of the mushrooms unless you are absolutely sure of your identification and degree of edibleness. Over time, you may accumulate a fair library.

A guide stored on a tablet computer would be useful as you are not limited to locations where cell phone signals are available. Of course, you do have to deal with batteries and weather exposure issues. One of the nice features is being able to zoom in to look at leaves or the flower on a computer.
 
(( removed link to non-paid dealer ))

The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants Paperback – May 15, 2006
by Samuel Thayer
 
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There are multiple options: Buy books on the indigenous plants of your region. Hit your local library. Join a university or community group interested in something similar. Or chat up local natives if any are in your area. There always seems to be a local mushroom picking group somewhere.
 
Fletcher Knives said:
Nothing beats having an expert show you though.
Click to expand...

Harry Truman was telling some reporters about how he used to gather mushrooms when he was a kid. One of them asked if he read which were edible in a book. He said, no, your grandmother would show you.
 
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