Falcon Guide

[Newanderthal]

Received two new books for Christmas. Both Falcon Guides. I got the guides to edible plants and medicinal plants. I knew a few of the plants mentioned in each book (and how to distinguish them from similar-looking poisonous plants) but there are dozens more that I'm seeing in here that I never knew were edible/useful. Can't wait to get some practice in with my new books.

Any of you ever used these books? I'm aware that these thin field guides are probably far from the definitive guide to wild edibles in North America, but they're pocket sized and have full color photos of every plant mentioned, two useful things when it comes to finding the actual specimens in the middle of nowhere. Also, there are recipes in the back.

 

[Grandpa]

Received two new books for Christmas. Both Falcon Guides. I got the guides to edible plants and medicinal plants. I knew a few of the plants mentioned in each book (and how to distinguish them from similar-looking poisonous plants) but there are dozens more that I'm seeing in here that I never knew were edible/useful. Can't wait to get some practice in with my new books.

Any of you ever used these books? I'm aware that these thin field guides are probably far from the definitive guide to wild edibles in North America, but they're pocket sized and have full color photos of every plant mentioned, two useful things when it comes to finding the actual specimens in the middle of nowhere. Also, there are recipes in the back.

I have Darcy Williamson's Healing Plants of the Rocky Mountains
I also was amazed at the value of some of those weeds we have been trying to erradicate out of the fields.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t. Darcy does a very good job of explaining just when and how to harvest as well as preparing various concoctions. In fact, grandma and I have discussed attending some of her workshops.

Results for Forays, Presentations & Workshops:Foray

 

[Judy Ann]

They publish some hiking books too. I own the Hiking North Carolina book along with numerous others.

 

[Grandpa]

If you need a guide book, Falcon is the way to go. There are other good ones out there and I'm sure some individual books are better than Falcon but end for end, Falcon Guides are the best.

 

[GA_gal]

I'll be putting both of those Falcon guides on my wishlist! I hate to admit it, but I really don't know much about wild plants at all. I can recognize poison ivy, but that's really about all I know. It would be so useful to know good plants from bad when you're out hiking!

 

[Marshmallow]

Oh, I would love to read one or both of these Falcon guides. I've often wondered when we were out exploring which plants I could add to the salad and which ones we should avoid.

 

[ppine]

New,
I have worked with native plants a lot over the years and find them to be very rewarding. Just be careful when you eat a new plant and eat a small amount at first. Rub it on your skin to test for an allergic reaction. I am still reading the Journal of Patrick Gass and he talks about the difficulty in digesting native foods used by the Indians. Oxalyic acid is a good example of a compound that shows up in varying amounts in wild plants. You need to get used to the idea that you are going to puke once in awhile. Les Stroud does it all the time.

 

[charley]

Good looking guides. I have "Indian uses of native plants" and a cpl guides to wild edibles. The conclusion I have come to is there isn't much out there for survival food. Cattail and water lily have starchy edible roots but only at certain times of the year. It is fun to experiment and supplement your food.

 

[Newanderthal]

currently, my plans are to identify and snag a few edibles during day hikes and sample them then. If they don't agree with me, I'm not stuck in the middle of nowhere getting myself in trouble. I'll be a short hike from the truck. I've always believed that it's best to try survival tricks when you're close to safety, just in case it all goes horribly wrong.