Edible Plants: A Photographic Survey of the Wild Edible Botanicals of North America
248
Edible Plants: A Photographic Survey of the Wild Edible Botanicals of North America
248Hardcover
Overview
While the images initially appear to be scientific illustrations or photograms from the dawn of photography when plants were placed directly on sensitized paper and exposed under the sun, a closer look reveals, according to Liesl Bradner of the Los Angeles Times, "haunting [and] eerily beautiful" photographs. Beyond instilling wonder, Fike's contemporary, place-based approach to landscape photography emphasizes our relationship to the natural world, reveals food sources, and encourages environmental stewardship. His clever and beautiful method makes it easy to identify both the specimen and its edible parts and includes detailed descriptions about the plant's wider purposes as food and medicine.
Sumptuously illustrated and delightfully informative, Edible Plants is the perfect gift for anyone curious about unlocking the secrets of native North American plants.
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781684351718 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Red Lightning Books |
| Publication date: | 03/01/2022 |
| Pages: | 248 |
| Sales rank: | 702,256 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.90(w) x 11.60(h) x 1.10(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Manzanita, Arctostaphylos spp.An evergreen shrub or small tree growing to twenty feet, found in dry sunny places like chaparral shrub lands, coastal scrublands and open forests in the western and southwestern United States. The shrub is identifiable by its red, smooth twisted branches and fruits that look like little apples turning from green to red as the season progresses. The greyish green leaves are leathery, oval and lighter in color on the underside. Its flowers are bell shaped, white to pink and hang in clusters of up to twenty. There are over one hundred species of manzanitas with most producing edible fruits and flowers. The ripe berries are sour but can be eaten raw, added to dishes and desserts or dried and ground for later use. The berries can be crushed and soaked in water to create a cider-like drink. The young flowers are sweet and can be used raw as an addition to salads or as a garnish. Traditionally, manzanita has been used to treat a number of medical conditions; colds, urinary tract infections, stomach aches, bronchitis, and poison ivy.
Sego Lily, Mariposa Lily, Calochortus nuttalliiA slender perennial herb growing to eighteen inches in height; found in woodlands, grasslands, sagebrush scrub, and on dry foothills along the Rocky Mountain corridor and into Utah and Nevada. Other similar species of mariposa lilies can be found throughout the western United States and are identical in edibility. Sego lily bulbs grow relatively deeply and are onion-like in appearance. Its leaves are few and grass like, mostly basal and clasping the thin stalk. The flowers are white to pale yellow with three petals and three sepals with hints of light purple or magenta with a yellow base, cup like in shape, but open, up to three inches across with one to four flowers per plant. Mariposa lilies were an important food source for many Native American tribes in the west. The flower petals can be eaten raw as a sweet trail nibble. The nutritious bulbs can be eaten raw, but are more commonly roasted, steamed or dried and ground for flour that can be added to breads or as a thickening agent in soups. Medicinally, it has been used to treat acne and aid in childbirth. These lilies are rare enough that harvesting should be done very conservatively to maintain healthy populations of this beautiful flower.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgmentsForewordPrefaceAgoserisAmaranthAmerican LotusAmerican SpeedwellAngelicaArrowleaf BalsamrootAsparagusAutumn OliveBallhead WaterleafBedstrawBracken FernBroadleaf PlantainBugleweedBurdockCalifornia PoppyCanadian VioletCattailChestnut OakChiaChickweedChiming BellsChokeberryCloverCow ParsnipCurly DockDandelionDesert HollygrapeDesert ParsleyDesert TrumpetEastern HemlockEastern White PineEchinaceaElderberryFalse Solomon's SealField MintField PennycressFilareeGill-of-the-GroundGingkoGinsengGlacier LilyGooseberryGreenbrierGround CherryHeal AllHedge MustardHenbitHibiscusHoary Mountain MintHooker's Evening PrimroseHorehoundIndian CucumberIthuriel's SpearJojobaJuniperKentucky Coffee TreeLemonade BerryLemon BalmLicoriceLondon RocketMan of the EarthManzanitaMarsh MallowMarsh MarigoldMayappleMesquiteMiner's LettuceMock StrawberryMonkey FlowerNettleleaf GoosefootOxeye DaisyPale Touch-Me-NotPalo VerdePawpawPickerelweedPineapple WeedPrickly LettucePurslaneRaspberrySalmon BerrySassafrasSea BeansSego LilySheep SorrelShishoShooting StarSilverweedSkunk CabbageSoap PlantSolomon's SealSpicebushSpringbeautyStone CropSumacSunflowerSwamp HedgenettleWalnutWapatoWatercressWater LilyWild GingerWild OatsWild OreganoWild RadishWild RhubarbWild RoseWintergreenWolfberryWood NettleYampaYellowbellsYellow Wood SorrelYerba SantaWhat People are Saying About This
What is most striking about Jimmy Fike's work is his ability bring to life the spirit of a plant. He extrapolates the natural beauty of each individual part of the plant and weaves those parts together to bring to light the plant's true elegance. His works create a powerful, poetic connection between us and the plants that sustain us.
Jimmy W. Fike's book, Edible Plants: A Photographic Survey of the Wild Edible Botanicals of North America, is 218 pages of botanical pageantry. For those of us fascinated by and focused on wild edibles, and even those who are not, this book will become the gold standard for edible plants in North America. The history, details, and photography are breathtaking!