Wild Edibles
-
Bruce Ingram
November’s Wild Edible: Staghorn Sumac Tea
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is a fairly common small tree in the Blue Ridge Mountains, often thriving along forest edges or in abandoned fields.
Nov 1, 2021
-
Bruce Ingram
August’s Wild Edible: Honey
Paul Hinlicky, who along with his wife Ellen operates Saint Gall Farm in Catawba, Virginia, is an enthusiastic booster of wild honey’s benefits.
Jul 30, 2024
-
Bruce Ingram
October’s Wild Edible: Mockernut Hickory Nuts
This nut adds both flavor, vitamins, minerals and Omega 3 and 6-fatty acids to bread, muffin or cookie recipes.
Oct 2, 2023
-
Bruce Ingram
October’s Wild Edible: Black Trumpets
In the Blue Ridge Mountains, chanterelle family members such as the smooth and cinnabar light up the forest floor with their yellow and red hues, respectively. But their close relative the black trumpet is anything but flashy.
Oct 4, 2022
-
Bruce Ingram
August’s Wild Edible: Beefsteak Polypore
Red and fan-shaped, Fistulina hepatica can grow up to 10 inches wide, although most specimens are about half that size.
Jul 31, 2023
-
Bruce Ingram
June’s Wild Edible: Garlic Mustard
In the Blue Ridge states, depending on elevation and how far south or north you are, garlic mustard appears sometime in April and disappears sometime in June.
Jun 3, 2024
-
Bruce Ingram
April’s Wild Edible: Black Morels
They go great as toppings on meat entrees, and they are sublime in any kind of egg dish.
Apr 1, 2024
-
Bruce Ingram
February’s Wild Edible: Maple Syrup
In the Blue Ridge Mountain region, certainly two of the counties that are most known for producing maple syrup are Highland County, Virginia and Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
Feb 1, 2024
Bruce Ingram
October’s Wild Edible: Mullein
Earlier, this year, a lone mullein plant appeared along the fence that encloses my garden, which made me curious about this plant.
Oct 2, 2025
Bruce Ingram
September's Wild Edible: Indigo Milk Caps
When young, indigo milk caps are one of the most stunningly beautiful mushrooms in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Sep 17, 2025
Bruce Ingram
August's Wild Edible: Black-Staining Polypore
The black-staining polypore is certainly one of the more fascinating wild edible mushrooms.
Jul 31, 2025
Bruce Ingram
July’s Wild Edible: Northern Dewberry
For several reasons, the northern dewberry is often overlooked as a summer berry in the Blue Ridge.
Jun 27, 2025
Bruce Ingram
June’s Wild Edible: Curtis’s Puffball
On our land in Botetourt County, Virginia, this round, white mushroom typically begins appearing in late June and continues to do so through the rest of the summer.
May 30, 2025
Want to learn more? Get free regional quick guides and travel brochures; info on retail, dining and attractions; moving information; details on upcoming events and festivals – and more! Click Here
