Plant Identification – a Primer

Plant identification, for beginners at least, can be exceptionally difficult.  This is true mainly because plant appearances will vary somewhat from location to location, but also because initially at least all plants look alike.  When I set out to learn some basic wild edibles all I saw in the forest was a sea of green.  You have to train your eye to find the individual plants, but that’s a lot easier than it sounds.

Third, both beginning and experienced foragers tend to try to make an unknown plant fit the one they’re searching for.  Once you see a plant and have identified it correctly, tasted it, smelled it, and touched it…you probably won’t get it wrong in the future.  Until then, you’re likely to “positively identify” the wrong plant several times, and doing so in some cases can mean death.

So – the question has to be asked – if foraging is THAT dangerous and THAT difficult, why bother?  First of all, generally speaking, if you follow the rules it isn’t THAT dangerous.  Just like using firearms – follow the correct safety procedures and you’ll probably be fine.  As for difficulty – even in my short time foraging, I’ve noticed that while the learning curve is initially very steep, the skills you learn right off the bat will extend to virtually every plant you are trying to identify.  Third, if you’re paying attention to the environment you are foraging in and around, this food is quite probably safer and most definitely more nutritious than anything you’ll find at the local mega mart (and hasn’t been genetically modified).  Finally, it’s actually pretty fun and very rewarding.

Now the primer:

Beginners tend to look at the general appearance of a plant and compare it to the general appearance of the picture in their book or on the website they’re looking at.  Stop that.  General appearance can be very dangerous.  For example, I noticed that pokeweed in Florida looked significantly different from the pokeweed around my house.  There were certain characteristics that were unmistakeable, but if I’d been going solely based on the young greens, I would have missed it completely.  It was that different and I’m that inexperienced.  With lots of plants, a mistake based on general appearance can be deadly.

What you need are specific characteristics to check out and a system to guide you through that process.  Green Deane from Eattheweeds.com uses a system called Itemizing.  You just follow the acronym ITEM.

I – Identification

Here are some things to key in on:

Leaf/leaflet structure.  Not just a single leaf, but the appearance of the entire set of leaves.  We do this already with poison ivy — every 6 year old knows — leaves of 3 let it be.  So take a look at the leaves and look for repeating patterns.  Are there leaves of 3? 5? 11?   Are the leaves opposite (appearing one directly across from the other on the left and right sides of the stem), alternate (appearing first on one side and then on the other as you move up or down the stem)?  Are the leaves shaped like ovals, lances, reeds, hearts, goldfish crackers, et cetera?  Are they lobed (like a dandelion leaf)? What do the veins on the leaf look like? Are the edges of the leaves toothed?  How do the leaves grasp the stem?  Do they wrap all the way around? Do they touch only in one place?  Are the leaves thin, papery, hairy, waxy, stiff, translucent?  Color will change depending on age, soil content, recent weather, and individual plant.  In my experience, this is especially true when you start seeing shades of red creep into an otherwise green plant.  But generally — is the leaf bright green? red? purple?  Different on the front and back?

Stem/stalk – look at color, woodiness, thorns, hair, and shape (some plants have square stalks/stems).

Flower – if you have a flower, your odds of correct identification just multiplied a thousand fold, but don’t get cocky yet.  Count the petals, note the color, count the sepals, look for a flower pattern.

Smell – crush and tear a leaf — how does it smell?

Sap – break the stem – is there sap? what color?

Taste – Certain plants have very distinct flavors (wood sorrel and chickweed for example) and that flavor is part of their identification.  When you must check the taste, be VERY careful.  Take a tiny bit of leaf, put it in your mouth, chew, analyze the taste and then spit the leaf bit and any juice out.

Overall plant characteristics – is it 11 feet tall when it should only be 2 feet?  Does it look healthy (if not, move on)?

T – Time of Year

Does the plant you’re looking at have the correct characteristics for the plant you think it is at the current time of year?  Is the current time of year a time when this plant is edible/desirable?

E – Environment

Is this plant growing where it’s supposed to grow? For example, if you think you’re looking at a cattail shoot but there is no water within a mile, you’re probably wrong.  Also, does the environment look like somewhere it would be safe to forage?  Is it likely to be polluted? Is it likely sprayed with insecticides?

M – Method

Method of preparation (you need to know it…pokeweed, for example, is poisonous if prepared incorrectly) AND method of harvest (this has an impact on environment, sustainability, safety, and taste).

Finally, it’s worth repeating:  If you aren’t BOTH 100% sure AND right, don’t eat it.