Wild Edibles

Some effort is required to eat shagbark hickory nuts, but it’s a worthwhile enterprise as the nutmeat inside features a delightfully sweet aroma.

My wife Elaine and I regard our region’s native wild persimmon as, hands down, our favorite fall fruit and also as the source for our favorite kinds of homemade bread and cookies any time of the year.

Every autumn from late September to mid-October my wife Elaine and I prowl the backroads of Botetourt County, Virginia searching for this fruit.