Ericaceae

Heather Family

Madrones

FAMILY: Heather family (Ericaceae) – Arbutus genus.

SPECIES: #1 Arizona madrone (Arbutus arizonica (A. Gray) Sarg.). #2 Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii Pursh). #3 Texas madrone (Arbutus xalapensis Kunth = Arbutus texana Buckley).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Warning! Madrone fruits (berries) are edible fresh, but they may cause nausea or vomiting when eaten in large quantities. All species listed above have edible fruits. The following assessment is based on Arizona madrone (A. arizonica), but the berries of other species probably have similar characteristics. Differences between these species occur primarily in the leaves.

Arizona madrone (A. arizonica) berries have bumpy red skins and moist white interiors. Unripe berries are green and taste awful. Always wait until the berries are fully ripe before gathering. Ripe berries taste sweet, but the aftertaste is bland. No acrid, bitter, or acidic accents are apparent. They definitely qualify as good food. About half the volume is filled with seeds. The other half is flesh. Seeds are delicately crunchy and pose no problems. Removing them is unnecessary. Madrone berries lack the “five-parted crowns” commonly seen on fruits in the heather family, but the bumpy red skins are distinctive. No other shrubs or trees in the Southwest produce similar berries. Arizona madrone berries usually fall soon after maturing, but a good percentage may last until winter. Berries persisting into winter become hard and tasteless. Strong winds can cause a rain of madrone berries that turns the dull ground vibrant red. Gathering berries off the ground is often more efficient than trying to reach the branches. Climbing the trees is not recommended because the branches are brittle, but shaking the branches from a secured position releases a wealth of berries that can be gathered with a strategically placed tarp. The desert climate is perfect for drying and storing the berries. Arizona madrone berries are delicious and rank high among wild foods for ease of gathering and ease of processing, but insects, molds, and reliability can be issues.

NOTES: The madrone fruits described above were gathered in the Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Any foragers interested in the Southwest should visit these mountains. They were a focal point in the development of this book. Most of the surrounding mountains or “sky islands” are equally impressive. Hundreds of miles eastward, I had an opportunity to try Texas madrone (A. xalapensis) berries in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. Unfortunately, the berries were long overdue and the few desperately clinging to the tree were compromised by fungus, so I passed that opportunity. Timing is crucial to succeed at foraging. That’s why I convey as much information as possible about the ideal gathering time and factors that influence it. In terms of taste, texture, and ease of processing, madrone fruits are superior to manzanita fruits described in the following pages. In terms of availability and resistance to diseases, manzanita fruits are superior. Fruits of both species are easy to gather. Foragers must consider all these factors and other factors when evaluating wild foods. The amount of Arizona madrone berries I ate (about ½ cup on several occasions) did not cause nausea or any other adverse effects. Madrone berries are often described as bland. Based on the berries I sampled in the Huachuca Mountains, they were pleasantly sweet. Unlike manzanita fruits, madrone berries have soft seeds. Although this may seem insignificant, it greatly simplifies the processing required. Madrone berries can simply be dried and ground into flour. Cider, wine, jelly and other things can be made with madrone berries. The last species listed above, Pacific madrone (A. menziesii), is found in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Virtually all Native Americans with access to madrone trees utilized the berries as food.

IDENTIFICATION: Only 3 species of the Arbutus genus are currently found in the United States, all of which look similar. Differences are seen in size, distribution, and leaf shape. Fruits of all 3 species are edible.

Description of Arizona madrone (Arbutus arizonica): FORM evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 meters tall; BARK red or brown; smooth, flaky, or furrowed; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades leathery, lance-elliptic, 1-2 cm wide by 5-10 cm long; bases v-shaped; margins smooth or finely toothed; surfaces hairless, the lower whitish, and the upper dark green; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in panicles; calyces 5-lobed; corollas 5-lobed, urn-shaped, white to pink, and free only at the tips; styles and stigmas 1; stamens 10, all fertile, and free from the corollas; anthers 2-awned; filaments hairy; FRUITS berries reddish-orange to bright red; surfaces with bumpy skins; seeds 1-5, not fused into stones; HABITAT mountains of southern Arizona and southern New Mexico; blooming April to June; fruiting July to October. NOTES: Texas madrone (A. xalapensis) differs primarily by having more rounded leaves with u-shaped bases, and Pacific madrone (A. menziesii) differs by having larger leaves.

REFERENCES: #1 Arizona madrone (Arbutus arizonica): fruits Couplan (p. 181) and Ebeling (p. 847). #2 Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii): fruits Campbell (p. 153), Chestnut (pp. 374-375), Couplan (p. 181), Ebeling (p. 847), and Moerman (p. 50). #3 Texas madrone (Arbutus xalapensis): fruits Couplan (p. 181) and Ebeling (p. 847).

Arctostaphylos

Bearberries, Manzanitas, and Kinnikinnick

FAMILY: Heather family (Ericaceae) – Arctostaphylos genus.

SPECIES: All species in the Arctostaphylos genus are edible. #1 greenleaf or roundleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula Greene). #2 Pringle’s, pinkbract, or stickleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos pringlei Parry). #3 Mexican, pointleaf, or grayleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens Kunth). #4 kinnikinnick or creeping bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Fruits (drupes) of all species in the Arctostaphylos genus are edible (Clarke pp. 55-56, Janick p. 349, and Vizgirdas pp. 98-99). Other parts, except for the flowers and seeds of some species, are inedible. Species #2 and #3 have edible seeds. Manzanita fruits can be gathered when unripe or fully ripe, which is unusual because fruits generally need to be gathered when fully ripe. Manzanita shrubs dominate the southwestern landscape and produce extraordinary amounts of fruits that were very important to Native Americans, but the fruits have some issues. The following assessment is based on the species listed above and isn’t meant to imply otherwise.

Manzanita fruits (of the species sampled) vary in flavor and texture depending on the species gathered and the time when gathered. Unripe fruits have the texture of apples filled with soft seeds. In some species, the flavor is tart, and in others it’s bland, bitter, or sweet. As the fruits mature, the seeds become hard. Mature fruits may look like berries or little apples, but inside they’re mostly stones. A thin, moist, powdery, sweet, tart, sticky, fleshy layer surrounds each stone. Mature fruits are usually reddish-brown, but they can also be various intensities of pink, red, orange, or yellow. Stone fragments are hard enough to chip teeth, so they need to be thoroughly ground or removed—preferably removed. Manzanita fruits can be terribly astringent and unsuitable for consumption. Quality varies substantially. Always taste a few fruits before gathering a supply. Overly astringent fruits are best avoided. Past prime fruits may acquire a fermented cider-like flavor, or they may remain healthy and naturally preserved. As the seasons progress, rains wash away the sweetness. Fallen fruits may remain palatable for a while, but gathering them soon after maturity (or prior to maturity) is recommended. Manzanita flour can be made by grinding the stones and then sifting the results through a fine screen. A number of stone fragments persist, but most of them are caught in the screen and those that pass are too small to cause problems. It’s not a perfect technique and some grit can be expected. Boiling has no effect upon the stones. Manzanita fruits mature at various times of the year ranging from June to October. Fruit production is reliable even when rainfall is inadequate for other species. Overall, manzanita fruits are an important resource.

Manzanita flowers (of the species sampled) are pinkish-white, urn-shaped, pleasantly fragrant, and conveniently arranged in clusters at the ends of branches. Individual flowers readily detach from the clusters, which simplifies the task of gathering. Flower stalks usually remain attached, but they’re soft and pose no problems. Fresh flowers have a bitter-sweet taste, with the emphasis on bitter. Finding manzanita flowers without bugs can be a challenge, so the “protein content” may average a little higher than other flowers. Cooking is recommended. Steeping the flowers into tea is another option. Manzanita flowers make a dry, pink, moderately bitter tea with a perfume-like fragrance and very little sweetness. Adding a spoonful of honey improves the flavor. Manzanita flowers tend to bloom early, often in winter, although some species bloom later.

Kinnikinnick (A. uva-ursi) produces red, moist, moderately sweet fruits. Under the red skins is white pulp with the consistency of wet sawdust. Except for being too astringent, the fruits taste fairly good. The rock hard fruit segments (drupelets) are usually free rather than united into solitary stones. Cooking won’t soften the stones. Kinnikinnick grows in the Rocky Mountains and across the northern United States. The name derives from a Native American word for a smoking mixture. The leathery leaves make an ideal base for cigarettes. Upon burning, they produce a thick, heavy, satisfying smoke without too much bite. Alone, the aroma has an herbal character with a neutral definition. It’s very inviting. Willow bark, dogwood bark, mint, mugwort, pipsissewa, and wild tobacco can be added to impart flavor. Dried kinnikinnick leaves are coarse, brittle, and unsatisfactory for rolling unless finely chopped. Large flakes tend to tear the rolling papers or cornhusks. Beware that smoking kinnikinnick leaves, or any other plant materials, is unhealthful and definitely not recommended.

NOTES: Manzanita fruits were not what I expected. After reading about how they served as a staple food for Native Americans, I thought they would taste better. Only a minority of the fruits I sampled genuinely tasted good. The rest were cursed with bitter astringency. Some were as astringent as acorns. I sampled the fruits of all 4 species listed above on several occasions. Based on those samples, grayleaf manzanita (A. pungens) and kinnikinnick (A. uva-ursi) produced the best fruits, followed closely by pinkbract manzanita (A. pringlei). All the greenleaf manzanita (A. patula) samples were barely fit for consumption. These observations are not meant to imply that fruits of these species will always have this flavor relationship. Many factors can affect flavor. The Arctostaphylos genus is best represented in California, Oregon, and Washington. Several species in these states were utilized by Native Americans including: Eastwood’s manzanita (A. glandulosa), bigberry manzanita (A. glauca), whiteleaf manzanita (A. manzanita), pinemat manzanita (A. nevadensis), woollyleaf manzanita (A. tomentosa), and stickyleaf manzanita (A. viscida).

IDENTIFICATION: About 70-110 species of the Arctostaphylos genus are native to the United States, primarily California. Only 4 species are found in the Southwest. Manzanitas are easy to identify. No other shrubs in the Southwest have a combination of: alternate-simple leaves, urn-shaped flowers, smooth drupes arranged in clusters, and reddish-brown bark. Flower clusters of most species begin to develop in autumn, remain dormant through winter, and then bloom early the following spring. These “nascent inflorescences” are an important diagnostic feature of the genus. Hair features are highly variable, so individual shrubs in the field may not conform to the following descriptions.

Description of greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula): FORM evergreen shrub about 5-25 dm tall; HAIRS on the twigs, leaves, and branches of the flower clusters sticky; BARK smooth, shiny, and reddish-brown; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades lance-elliptic, thick, and leathery; bases and tips tending to be rounded; margins entire; surfaces green, shiny, often finely hairy, and not powdery; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in clusters; pedicels hairless; bracts scale-like; calyces deeply 5-lobed and hairless; corollas white to pink, urn-shaped, scarcely 5-lobed, and free only at the tips; styles and stigmas 1; stamens 10, completely within the corollas; anthers 2-awned; filaments hairy; FRUITS drupes globe-shaped and red, pink, orange, or yellow (usually reddish-brown); surfaces smooth; stones consisting of 4-8 nutlets; HABITAT mountain woodlands in oak, pine, aspen, and spruce communities; throughout the West; blooming March to July.

Description of stickleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos pringlei): FORM evergreen shrub about 1-3 meters tall; HAIRS on the twigs, leaves, branches of the flower clusters, pedicels, calyces, ovaries, and fruits sticky; BARK smooth, shiny, and reddish-brown; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades lance-elliptic, thick, and leathery; margins entire; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in clusters; pedicels covered with sticky hairs; bracts well-developed, leaf-like, and pinkish-tan; calyces deeply 5-lobed; corollas white to pink, urn-shaped, shortly 5-lobed, and free only at the tips; styles and stigmas 1; stamens 10, completely within the corollas; anthers 2-awned; filaments hairy; FRUITS drupes usually red to reddish-brown; surfaces densely covered with sticky hairs; stones consisting of 4-8 nutlets; HABITAT mid elevations; associated with oak, juniper, and pine communities; from southern California to Texas and southward into Mexico; blooming April to July.

Description of grayleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens): FORM evergreen shrub about 1-3 meters tall; HAIRS on the twigs, leaves, and branches of the flower clusters felt-like and not sticky; BARK smooth, shiny, and reddish-brown; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades lance-elliptic, thick, and leathery; bases and tips tending to be acute; margins entire; surfaces grayish-green and often finely hairy; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in clusters; pedicels hairless; bracts scale-like; calyces deeply 5-lobed and hairless; corollas white to pink, urn-shaped, shortly 5-lobed, and free only at the tips; styles and stigmas 1; stamens 10, completely within the corollas; anthers 2-awned; filaments hairy; FRUITS drupes usually red to reddish-brown and globe-shaped; surfaces smooth; stones consisting of 4-8 nutlets; HABITAT mid elevations; associated with chaparral, shrub oak, juniper, and pinyon pine communities; California to Texas and southward into Mexico; blooming February to June.

Description of kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi): FORM ground-hugging, evergreen shrub about 5-25 cm tall from extensive networks of stolons; BARK smooth, shiny, and reddish-brown; TWIGS often sticky-haired; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades oblanceolate to obovate, thick and leathery; margins entire; tips rounded; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in clusters; pedicels hairless; bracts scale-like; calyces deeply 5-lobed; corollas white to pink, urn-shaped, shortly 5-lobed, and free only at the tips; styles and stigmas 1; stamens 10, completely within the corollas; anthers 2-awned; filaments hairy; FRUITS drupes red; surfaces smooth; stones consisting of 2-10 nutlets; HABITAT meadows and open forests of higher mountains; associated with pine, aspen, spruce, and fir communities; temperate and boreal regions across the northern hemisphere; blooming May to August.

REFERENCES: Clarke (pp. 55-56), Janick (p. 349), and Vizgirdas (pp. 98-99) state that the fruits of all Arctostaphylos species are edible. Couplan (pp. 182-183) implies that the flowers of all shrubby species are edible. #1 greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula): fruits Couplan (pp. 182-183). #2 stickleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos pringlei): fruits and seeds Moerman (p. 52). #3 grayleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens): fruits and seeds Couplan (pp. 182-183) and Moerman (p. 52). #4 kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi): fruits Couplan (pp. 182-183).

Pipsissewa

FAMILY: Heather family (Ericaceae) – Chimaphila genus.

SPECIES: #1 pipsissewa or prince’s pine (Chimaphila umbellata (L.) W. P. C. Barton ssp. acuta (Rydb.) Hultén). #2 pipsissewa or prince’s pine (Chimaphila umbellata (L.) W. P. C. Barton ssp. occidentalis (Rydb.) Hultén).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Pipsissewa is essentially inedible, except for the leaves which can be eaten in small amounts. However, the rhizomes, stems, and leaves can be prepared as a beverage or used to impart flavor. Genuine root beers contain at least some of the following ingredients: sassafras, sarsaparilla, cherry bark, birch bark, burdock, yellowdock, spikenard, and pipsissewa. The oversimplified procedure is to: boil the various parts, add molasses, allow the mixture to cool, add yeast, and then ferment for about 3 days. Equipment must be sterilized and proper temperatures must be maintained. Pipsissewa rhizomes produce pinkish-brown tea when simmered for about 5 minutes. This tea is bitter and certainly no substitute for sassafras in root beer recipes. Sugar provides assistance in “bringing out the flavor” and thorough washing minimizes the earthy character. The intriguing flavor suggests a secret ingredient in root beer that is bound to impress a few tea or root beer lovers. Pipsissewa adds distinction to root beers, but sassafras will always be the key ingredient.

NOTES: The pipsissewa notes were based on colonies from the Mogollon Mountains of western New Mexico and Uinta Mountains of northern Utah. My experiences with pipsissewa are limited to the rhizomes. At the time, I was unaware of uses for the leaves. Other authors describe the leaves as bitter, astringent, leathery, and with a hint of wintergreen. Pipsissewa leaf extract is used commercially as a food additive to impart flavor and is generally recognized as safe (Burdock p. 2234 and Winter p. 429). Pipsissewa leaves can also be smoked (Hart p. 73). Leaves of spotted prince’s pine (C. maculata) of the eastern United States and little prince’s pine (C. menziesii) of the western United States can also be eaten in small amounts (Mars 2009 or Moerman p. 81).

IDENTIFICATION: North America currently has 3 representatives of the Chimaphila genus. Only pipsissewa (C. umbellata) is established in the Southwest. The Moneses, Pyrola, and Orthilia genera are closely related. All these genera, as well as Chimaphila, were once classified in the all-inclusive Pyrola genus. Differences are seen in leaf and flower arrangements, and a few other details. Only Chimaphila has leaves well distributed along the stems. Leaves of the other genera are primarily clustered basally, and the flowers are either solitary (Moneses) or arranged in racemes (Pyrola and Orthilia). Nothing else looks similar.

Description of pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata): FORM plant about 7-30 cm tall; spreading by rhizomes; LEAVES simple; alternate, opposite, or whorled; tending to be whorled and more concentrated on the lower stems; evergreen; and not maculate (spotted, blotched, or stained); blades oblanceolate, thick and leathery; tips acute (subspecies acuta) or rounded (subspecies occidentalis); margins serrated; surfaces shiny and generally not white-mottled along the veins; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in nodding clusters (umbellate cymes); stalks often sticky-haired; bracts linear, deciduous, or absent; sepals 5, united only at the bases; petals 5, free, white to reddish-pinkish-purple; styles 1, very short, and thick; stigmas 1, cap-like; stamens 10; filaments greatly enlarged at the bases and hairy along the margins; anthers dark red or purple; FRUITS capsules, 5-chambered, oriented upright, and persistent; HABITAT mountain woodlands; associated with pine, aspen, spruce, and fir communities; northern Arizona and New Mexico northward to Canada; temperate and boreal regions in the northern hemisphere; blooming June to September. NOTES: Three subspecies are currently recognized. Features differentiating the subspecies are poorly defined, inconsistent in the wild, and not recognized by some authorities. Only the two subspecies noted above occur in the Southwest.

REFERENCES: #1 pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata ssp. acuta): plant (parts not specified) used to flavor root beer Kearney (1960 p. 631). #2 pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata ssp. occidentalis): roots, stems, and leaves prepared as a beverage Moerman (p. 81). #3 pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata subspecies not specified): roots and leaves prepared as a beverage Kirk (p. 69), Stewart (p. 91) and Vizgirdas (p. 100); leaves edible Mars (2009), Tilford (p. 110), and Vizgirdas (p. 100).

Alpine Wintergreen

FAMILY: Heather family (Ericaceae) – Gaultheria genus.

SPECIES: Alpine, western, or spicy wintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa (Graham) Rydb.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The berry-like fruits are edible fresh or cooked. Technically, the fruits are collections of capsules enclosed by fleshy calyces rather than berries, but they certainly look like berries. They taste fantastic, combining a predominantly wintergreen flavor with a terrific sweetness and hint of watermelon. It’s an intensely fruity flavor rather than a spicy flavor. The matching aroma is equally intense, filling the air with an icy intrigue underlying an avalanche of fruity essence. Fleshy portions are white or pink. Only the skins are red. All parts are tender. Numerous seeds filling the interiors impart a barely perceivable crunch. Wintergreen fruits are better fresh than cooked. They’re also good dried. Boiling dilutes sweetness, reduces the aromatic intensity, and produces a pinkish broth. Oils normally rise to the surface. Drying the fruits concentrates sweetness. Dried fruits taste as sweet as candy. The flavor, color, texture, and aroma of dried fruits are similar to those of fresh fruits. Only the texture varies by becoming firmer. Alpine wintergreen is a ground-hugging perennial of high elevations that remains green through winter, hence the name. Fruits mature from August to October, and may persist through winter. They tend to hide under the leaves rather than appear in plain sight. The fragrant young leaves can be used to flavor tea, desserts, and salads. Simply chewing the leaves is also pleasant. Alpine wintergreen is an excellent wild food, but it barely enters the Southwest on the northern boundary.

NOTES: To find alpine wintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa), I traveled to a wonderful place called Teapot Lake in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah. Although this lake is rightfully outside the boundaries of the Southwest, alpine wintergreen was a plant that I really wanted to find and many other plants of interest were in that area. Fruits of alpine wintergreen were much better than I expected, which is always a pleasant surprise because wild foods are almost always worse than I expect. I always hope for the best, but plan for the worst. All North American species of the Gaultheria genus have edible fruits including: creeping snowberry (G. hispidula), Miquel’s spicy wintergreen (G. miqueliana), western teaberry (G. ovatifolia), eastern teaberry (G. procumbens), and salal (G. shallon).

IDENTIFICATION: The Gaultheria genus is currently represented by 6 species in the United States, none of which occur in the Southwest. Alpine wintergreen (G. humifusa) can be found in northern Utah and Colorado. It has no additional subspecies or varieties. Blueberries differ by having ovary inferior flowers.

Description of alpine wintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa): FORM ground-hugging, perennial plant under 10 cm tall, spreading by rhizomes, and forming mats; STEMS hairy or hairless; LEAVES simple; alternate; evergreen; stalks very short; blades broadly lance-ovate; margins smooth or minutely toothed; surfaces usually hairless; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, bell-shaped, and arranged individually on stalks emerging from the leaf axils; bracts few and tiny; sepals 5, fused, and hairless; petals 5, fused, pinkish-white, and barely longer than the sepals; stamens 10; filaments hairless and expanded at the bases; anthers awnless; FRUITS berry-like capsules thin-walled, many-seeded, and surrounded by fleshy calyces; the calyces red, globe-shaped, 5-7 mm in diameter, and aromatic; HABITAT higher mountains to the timberline; associated with aspen, spruce, and fir communities; northern Utah, Colorado, and California, also throughout the Rocky Mountains; blooming June to August.

REFERENCES: Alpine wintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa): leaves Couplan (pp. 184-185) and Vizgirdas (p. 97); fruits Couplan (pp. 184-185) and Harrington (pp. 239-241).

Pinesaps and Indianpipes

FAMILY: Heather family (Ericaceae) – Monotropa genus.

SPECIES: #1 American pinesap (Monotropa hypopithys L. = Hypopitys monotropa Crantz = Monotropa lanuginosa Michx. = Monotropa latisquama (Rydb.) Hultén). #2 Indianpipe, fairy smoke, or ghost flower (Monotropa uniflora L.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Warning! American pinesap and Indianpipe contain harmful compounds. These odd-looking plants are reported to be edible fresh or cooked. Cooking is advised. Neither species were located during the fieldwork conducted for this reference.

IDENTIFICATION: Only 2 species of the Monotropa genus are now found in the United States. American pinesap (M. hypopithys) is widespread, but Indianpipe (M. uniflora) prefers the eastern and northern part of the country. Pinesaps are saprophytic plants appearing as white, yellow, pink, or red flower stalks arising from the forest floor. They normally feed on decaying pine trees, hence the name pinesap.

Description of American pinesap (Monotropa hypopithys): FORM nongreen, perennial, saprophytic plant about 5-30 cm tall; STEMS absent; STALKS yellow, orange, pink, red, or brown (normally red); thick; unbranched; hairy or hairless; nodding when emerging; nodding or upright when blooming; LEAVES absent; replaced by simple, alternately-arranged, scale-like bracts; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, bell-shaped, and arranged in racemes; pedicels nodding; bracts 0-2; sepals 3-6, free; petals 3-6, free, white, pink, or red, and often hairy on the inner surfaces; stamens 6-14 (usually 10) and completely within the flowers; filaments nearly uniform in width and often hairy; anthers kidney-shaped and awnless; FRUITS capsules; HABITAT pine forests in rich humus; Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, and elsewhere; blooming June to September.

REFERENCES: #1 American pinesap (Monotropa hypopithys): plant (edible parts unspecified) Couplan (p. 192) and Kirk (p. 69). #2 Indianpipe (Monotropa uniflora): whole plant Couplan (p. 192); plant (edible parts unspecified) Chmielewski (p. 284) and Kirk (p. 192).

Woodland Pinedrops

FAMILY: Heather family (Ericaceae) – Pterospora genus.

SPECIES: Woodland pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea Nutt.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The flower stalks can be eaten raw or cooked. When eaten raw, they taste bland, bitter, and faintly potato-like. The flavor is free of acrid, soapy, salty, resinous, medicinal, or perfume-like aspects. Young stalks have the texture of asparagus. Old stalks are tougher, eventually becoming woody. At flowering time, the majority of stalks should still be harvestable. Woodland pinedrops produce masses of rhizomes clustered in humus. Flower stalks arise directly from the rhizomes, so the bases of the flower stalks are normally underground. Aerial portions range in color from pink to red, and eventually turn brown after flowering. Underground portions usually appear lighter. The leaf-like bracts and sticky-haired skins are essentially worthless as food. They’re best peeled and discarded. Peeled stalks can be added to soups or stews. Boiling highlights the potato-like flavor, reduces astringency, and yields a golden-brown broth of good flavor. Since fibers are mostly unaffected by boiling, gathering tender stalks is imperative. Woodland pinedrops are a decent wild food appearing in pine forests soon after the summer rainy season commences.

NOTES: The hunt for woodland pinedrops finally ended at Griffin Point in southern Utah. Sometimes finding things takes longer than I expect. I usually trek through the deserts and forests until I find my targets. Wherever I go, I usually find something, but I never know what I’m going to find. Griffin Point is a bad place to be without a four-wheel drive vehicle, especially in the rainy season. Naturally, it was the rainy season and my car did not have four-wheel drive. Rainstorms occasionally strand me on mountains, but the weather cooperated and the access road along North Creek was manageable. The area features juniper woodlands transitioning into pine and spruce forests situated on a south-facing slope of the Aquarius Plateau. Colonies of woodland pinedrops thrived along the tributaries feeding into North Creek. After shooting a few with my camera and gathering a supply for documentation, I continued the hunt for other plants atop the plateau.

IDENTIFICATION: Only 1 species of the Pterospora genus is found in the United States. Pinedrops are saprophytic plants that derive nourishment from decaying matter in the humus layer of pine forests.

Description of woodland pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea): FORM nongreen, perennial, saprophytic plant about 20-90 cm tall; STEMS absent (the plants are flower stalks emerging from the ground); STALKS pink, red, or brown; solitary or clustered; upright when emerging and flowering; persistent after fruiting; surfaces sticky-haired; LEAVES absent; replaced by simple, alternately-arranged, scale-like bracts; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, urn-shaped, and arranged in spike-like racemes; pedicels nodding and sticky-haired; bracts lance-linear; sepals 5, free, and hairy; petals 5, white, pink, or yellow, and free only at the tips; styles 1, column-like; stigmas 1, head-like; stamens 10; filaments nearly uniform in width and hairless; anthers 2-awned; FRUITS capsules; seeds winged; HABITAT pine woodlands, especially in humus; blooming June to September.

REFERENCES: Woodland pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea): stem-like stalks Moerman (pp. 204-205).

Blueberries

FAMILY: Heather family (Ericaceae) – Vaccinium genus.

SPECIES: #1 dwarf bilberry (Vaccinium cespitosum Michx.). #2 thinleaf huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum Douglas ex Torr.). #3 myrtle or Rocky Mountain blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L. = Vaccinium oreophilum Rydb.). #4 grouseberry (Vaccinium scoparium Leiberg ex Coville). #5 western bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Berries of all species listed above are edible, but not all of them are blue. Most of these species are found in the northwestern United States or the Rocky Mountains, where they served as an important source of food for Native Americans. Blueberries hardly need a description. Wild species, at least those sampled for this reference, taste every bit as good as commercially grown species. All those listed above, except for grouseberry (V. scoparium), taste similar. Wild blueberries are pitifully small compared to those of commerce. Gathering a supply can be difficult because the berries are sparse, and finding a supply to gather can be even more difficult. Blueberries prefer temperate wetlands. The dry southwestern climate does not favor these plants. Even well-established colonies often fail to produce fruits, and small animals eagerly compete for the bounty. At most, wild blueberries can provide a trailside snack for southwestern foragers.

Dwarf bilberry (V. cespitosum) is a low-growing species that produces excellent berries from July to September. As with many species, the taste, texture, and aroma are roughly equivalent to commercially grown blueberries. Although the plants are small, the berries are relatively large compared to those of other wild species. The berries should be gathered soon after maturing because they won’t persist very long. They can be utilized like any other blueberries. Dwarf bilberry grows in moist mountain habitats in northern New Mexico, northern Utah, Colorado, California, and northward.

Thinleaf huckleberry (V. membranaceum) is the tallest of the species listed above. Ripe berries are blue, sweet, fairly large, available from July to October, and equivalent to the best commercially grown blueberries. In fact, berries of this species are harvested from the wild and sold in marketplaces. Thinleaf huckleberry was utilized extensively by Native Americans. The berries were even an article of trade (Flora of North America Editorial Committee, volume 8). Scattered colonies of thinleaf huckleberry can be found in northern Utah and northern Nevada, but it’s otherwise absent from the Southwest.

Rocky Mountain blueberry (V. myrtillus) produces tiny, sweet, blue berries from July to September. Only a few berries occur on each plant, but the plants grow in colonies on the shady forest floor. The taste, texture, and aroma of Rocky Mountain blueberries are equivalent to the best commercially grown blueberries. Substantial rainfall is required for good berry production. Even when berry production is good, the small size and sparse clusters make it difficult to gather a supply. Rocky Mountain blueberry is the species most likely to be found in the Southwest, but it’s an unreliable wild food in the Southwest. As its name indicates, it’s more common in the Rocky Mountains.

Grouseberry (V. scoparium) produces tiny, sweet, highly aromatic, red berries with a strawberry-melon overtone. It’s the only red-berried species entering the Southwest and seems terribly out of place in the blueberry genus. Gathering grouseberries is labor intensive. A meal-size portion could take all day to gather, or maybe longer. The stalks tend to remain attached. They can be removed, but doing so is unnecessary and tends to tear the fleshly portions. Berry production is reliable from July to September, but the bounty quickly disappears. Dried grouseberries are deep reddish-purple and taste as sweet as candy. They make a fine treat, perfect for any trail mix. Grouseberries can be found from central New Mexico to the northwestern United States and Canada.

Western bog blueberry (V. uliginosum) is an excellent species growing in moist habitats, especially around mountain lakes. It consistently produces an abundant supply of high-quality berries from August to October. Hundreds of berries can occur on a single shrub, but the berries are rather small. The taste, texture, and aroma are equivalent to the best commercially grown blueberries. Harvesting and processing a supply is reasonably easy. Dried berries taste particularly good. Autumn leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow and other colors. Berries often persist among the colorful leaves. Western bog blueberry grows in northern Utah, northern Nevada, and throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, and northward to Alaska.

NOTES: Due to my fondness for blueberries, I sought every species that might enter the Southwest, even if they barely enter the Southwest. As a result, a few species described above don’t really apply to southwestern foragers and should rightfully be excluded. Since most of them prefer the Northwest or the Rocky Mountains, I traveled to the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah to represent this genus. All species listed above can be found there. Competition for blueberries is fierce. In addition to smaller competitors, blueberries are a favorite food of bears. Foragers may want to keep that in mind.

A 100 gram serving of fresh blueberries (species not specified) contains: 57 kilocalories, 84.21 grams of water, 0.74 g protein, 0.33 g fat, 14.49 g carbohydrates, 0.24 g ash, 6 mg calcium, 12 mg phosphorus, 6 mg magnesium, 0.28 mg iron, 0.16 mg zinc, 1 mg sodium, 77 mg potassium, 0.057 mg copper, 0.336 mg manganese, 0.1 µg selenium, 54 IU vitamin A, 9.7 mg vitamin C, 19.3 µg vitamin K, and many other nutrients. Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

IDENTIFICATION: About 35-40 species of the Vaccinium genus are found in the United States. Blueberries prefer wetlands, so none of the species do very well in the Southwest. Rocky Mountain blueberry (V. myrtillus) and grouseberry (V. scoparium) are the only species likely to be encountered in the Southwest. Rocky Mountain blueberry can be identified by its blue berries, white urn-shaped flowers, and green angled twigs. Grouseberry has similar twigs, but its leaves are smaller and berries are red. Plants with brown twigs that are round in cross section are probably dwarf bilberry (V. cespitosum). No other plants look similar to blueberries. Alpine wintergreen (Gaultheria) and bearberries (Arctostaphylos) differ by having ovary superior flowers.

Description of dwarf bilberry (Vaccinium cespitosum): FORM low-growing perennial plant about 5-40 cm tall; rhizomatous; TWIGS of current season greenish, terete to slightly angled; LEAVES simple; alternate; stalks short; blades elliptic to oblanceolate; margins finely serrated; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary inferior, and arranged individually from leaf axils of the current season; stalks 1-4 mm long; sepals 5, fused at the bases; petals 5, fused, urn-shaped, white or pink, sometimes striped; stamens 10; filaments hairless; anthers 2-spurred; FRUITS berries blue, fleshy, juicy, and sweet; surfaces usually powdery; seeds soft and numerous; HABITAT open forests and mountain meadows; northern New Mexico, northern Utah, Colorado, California, and northward; also in the northeastern United States and Canada; blooming May to July; fruiting July to September.

Description of thinleaf huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum): FORM upright shrub about 30-250 cm tall; TWIGS of current season greenish, terete to slightly angled; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades broadly elliptic to ovate, 25-50 mm long by 12-30 mm wide (bigger than those of other species described here); margins finely serrated; lower surfaces glandular; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary inferior, and arranged individually from leaf axils of the current season; stalks 4-16 mm long; sepals 5, fused at the bases; petals 5, fused, urn-shaped, white or light yellowish-pink; stamens 10; filaments hairless; anthers 2-spurred; FRUITS berries blue, fleshy, juicy, and sweet; surfaces often powdery; seeds soft and numerous; HABITAT moist mountain meadows and evergreen forests; northwestern North America, southward to Utah, Nevada, and California; blooming May to July; fruiting July to September.

Description of Rocky Mountain blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus): FORM low-growing perennial plant about 10-50 cm tall; rhizomatous; TWIGS of current season green and sharply angled; LEAVES simple; alternate; stalks short; blades lanceolate to ovate; margins finely serrated; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary inferior, and arranged individually from leaf axils of the current season; stalks 1-5 mm long; sepals 5, fused at the bases; petals 5, fused, urn-shaped, white, greenish-white, or pink; stamens 10; filaments hairless; anthers 2-spurred; FRUITS berries blue or dark purple, fleshy, juicy, and sweet; surfaces usually not powdery; seeds soft and numerous; HABITAT mountain meadows and forests; Rocky Mountains of North America, also common in Europe and Asia; blooming May to July; fruiting July to September.

Description of grouseberry (Vaccinium scoparium): FORM low-growing perennial plant about 7-25 cm tall; rhizomatous; TWIGS of current season green and sharply angled; LEAVES simple; alternate; sessile or very short-stalked; blades lanceolate to ovate; margins finely serrated; surfaces glabrous; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary inferior, and arranged individually from leaf axils of the current season; stalks 1-5 mm long; sepals 5, fused at the bases; petals 5, fused, urn-shaped, pink; stamens 10; filaments hairless; anthers 2-spurred; FRUITS berries red or reddish-purple, fleshy, juicy, and sweet; seeds soft and numerous; HABITAT moist mountain meadows; primarily in the Rocky Mountains of North America; blooming May to July; fruiting July to September.

Description of western bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum): FORM shrubby plant about 10-60 cm tall forming mats or colonies from woody rhizomes; TWIGS of current season greenish, terete to slightly angled; LEAVES simple; alternate; stalks short; blades elliptic to ovate; margins entire; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary inferior, and arranged in clusters of 1-4 on twigs from the previous season; stalks 2-5 mm long; sepals 4-5, fused at the bases; petals 4-5, fused, urn-shaped, white or light pink; stamens 8-10; filaments hairless; anthers 2-spurred; FRUITS berries dark blue, fleshy, juicy, and sweet; surfaces powdery; seeds soft and numerous; HABITAT meadows, lake margins, bogs, and other moist areas in temperate, boreal, and arctic regions of the northern hemisphere; Rocky, Cascade, and Sierra Nevada Mountains; blooming May to July; fruiting August to October.

REFERENCES: #1 dwarf bilberry (Vaccinium cespitosum): fruits Couplan (p. 189). #2 thinleaf huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum): fruits Couplan (p. 189). #3 Rocky Mountain blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus = Vaccinium oreophilum): fruits Couplan (p. 189). #4 grouseberry (Vaccinium scoparium): fruits Couplan (p. 189). #5 western bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum): fruits Couplan (p. 189).