Wild Edibles

Gaultheria procumbens, also known as the winterberry, boxberry, and checkerberry more or less officially goes by the appellation of the Eastern teaberry, but most folks drop the first half of its name.

What was one this region's most predominant tree has now become merely an afterthought.

The sourwood is only found in Eastern North America and is most abundant in the Blue Ridge – making it a quintessential Southern Appalachians tree.

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.

Appearing July through October, Strobilomyces floccopus features a two-to-five inch wide grayish black cap that is quite distinct in appearance, but hard to spot among the forest duff.