09
After having solved the problems of finding water, shelter,
and animal food, you will have to consider the use of
plants you can eat. In a survival situation you should al-
ways be on the lookout for familiar wild foods and live off
the land whenever possible.
You must not count on being able to go for days without
food as some sources would suggest. Even in the most
static survival situation, maintaining health through a
complete and nutritious diet is essential to maintaining
strength and peace of mind.
Nature can provide you with food that will let you survive
any ordeal, if you don`t eat the wrong plant. You must
therefore learn as much as possible beforehand about the
flora of the region where you will be operating. Plants can
provide you with medicines in a survival situation. Plants
can supply you with weapons and raw materials to construct
shelters and build fires. Plants can even provide you
with chemicals for poisoning fish, preserving animal hides,
and for camouflafing yourself and your equipment.
Note: You will find illustrations of the plants described in
this chapter in Appendixes B and C.
Plants are valuable sources of food because they are widely available,
easily procured, and, in the proper combinations, can meet all your
nutritional needs.
Absolutely identify plants before using them as food. Poison hemlock
has killed people who mistook it for its relatives, wild carrots and
wild parsnips.
At times you may find yourself in a situation for which you could not
plan. In this instance you may not have had the chance to learn the
plant life of the region in which you must survive. In this case you can
use the Universal Edibility Test to determine which plants you can eat
and those to avoid.
It is important to be able to recognize both cultivated and wild edible
plants in a survival situation. Most of the information in this chapter is
directed towards identifying wild plants because information relating to
cultivated plants is more readily available.
Remember the following when collecting wild plants for food:
Plants growing near homes and occupied buildings or along roadsides
may have been sprayed with pesticides. Wash them thoroughly. In
more highly developed countries with many automobiles, avoid
roadside plants, if possible, due to contamination from exhaust
emissions.
Plants growing in contaminated water or in water containing Giardia
lamblia and other parasites are contaminated themselves. Boil or
disinfect them.
Some plants develop extremely dangerous fungal toxins. To lessen
the chance of accidental poisoning, do not eat any fruit that is start-
ing to spoil or showing signs of mildew or fungus.
Plants of the same species may differ in their toxic or subtoxic com-
pounds content because of genetic or environmental factors. One exam-
ple of this is the foliage of the common chokecherry. Some chokecherry
plants have high concentrations of deadly cyanide compounds while
others have low concentrations or none. Horses have died from eating
wilted wild cherry leaves. Avoid any weed, leaves, or seeds with an
almondlike scent, a characteristic of the cyanide compounds.
Some people are more susceptible to gastric distress (from plants) than
others. If you are sensitive in this way, avoid unknown wild plants. If you
are extremely sensitive to poison ivy, avoid products from this family,
including any parts from sumacs, mangoes, and cashews.
Some edible wild plants, such as acorns and water lily rhizomes,
are bitter. These bitter substances, usually tannin compounds, make
them unpalatable. Boiling them in several changes of water will
usually remove these bitter properties.
Many valuable wild plants have high concentrations of oxalate com-
pounds, also known as oxalic acid. Oxalates produce a sharp burning
sensation in your mouth and throat and damage the kidneys. Baking,
roasting, or drying usually destroys these oxalate crystals. The
corm (bulb) of the jack-in-the-pulpit is known as the “Indian turnip,”
but you can eat it only after removing these crystals by slow baking
or by drying.
Plant Identification
You identify plants, other than by memorizing particular varieties
through familiarity, by using such factors as leaf shape and margin, leaf
arrangements, and root structure.
The basic leaf margins (Figure 9-1) are toothed, lobed, and toothless
or smooth.
These leaves may be lance-shaped, elliptical, egg-shaped, oblong,
wedge-shaped, triangular, long-pointed, or top-shaped (Figure 9-2).
The basic types of leaf arrangements (Figure 9-3) are opposite, alter-
nate, compound, simple, and basal rosette.
The basic types of root structures (Figure 9-4) are the bulb, clove, tap-
root, tuber, rhizome, corm, and crown. Bulbs are familiar to us as onions
and, when sliced in half, will show concentric rings. Cloves are those
bulblike structures that remind us of garlic and will separate into small
pieces when broken apart. This characteristic separates wild onions from
wild garlic. Taproots resemble carrots and may be single-rooted or
branched, but usually only one plant stalk arises from each root. Tubers
are like potatoes and daylilies and you will find these structures either
on strings or in clusters underneath the parent plants. Rhizomes are
large creeping rootstock or underground stems and many plants arise
from the “eyes” of these roots. Corms are similar to bulbs but are solid
when cut rather than possessing rings. A crown is the type of root
structure found on plants such as asparagus and looks much like a
mophead under the soil’s surface.
Learn as much as possible about plants you intend to use for food and
their unique characteristics. Some plants have both edible and poisonous
parts. Many are edible only at certain times of the year. Others may
have poisonous relatives that look very similar to the ones you can eat
or use for medicine.
Universal Edibility Test
There are many plants throughout the world.Tasting or swallowing even
a small portion of some can cause severe discomfort, extreme internal
disorders, and even death. Therefore, if you have the slightest doubt
about a plant’s edibility, apply the Universal Edibility Test (Figure 9-5)
before eating any portion of it.
Before testing a plant for edibility, make sure there are enough plants
to make the testing worth your time and effort. Each part of a plant
(roots, leaves, flowers, and so on) requires more than 24 hours to test.
Do not waste time testing a plant that is not relatively abundant in
the area.
Remember, eating large portions of plant food on an empty stomach
may cause diarrhea, nausea, or cramps. Two good examples of this are
such familiar foods as green apples and wild onions. Even after testing
plant food and finding it safe, eat it in moderation.
You can see from the steps and time involved in testing for edibility just
how important it is to be able to identify edible plants.
To avoid potentially poisonous plants, stay away from any wild or
unknown plants that have–
-Milky or discolored sap.
-Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods.
-Bitter or soapy taste.
-Spines, fine hairs, or thorns.
-Dill, carrot, parsnip, or parsleylike foliage.
-”Almond” scent in woody parts and leaves.
-Grain heads with pink, purplish, or black spurs.
-Three-leaved growth pattern.
Using the above criteria as eliminators when choosing plants for the
Universal Edibility Test will cause you to avoid some edible plants. More
important, these criteria will often help you avoid plants that are poten-
tially toxic to eat or touch.
An entire encyclopedia of edible wild plants could be written, but space
limits the number of plants presented here. Learn as much as possible
about the plant life of the areas where you train regularly and where
you expect to be traveling or working. Listed below and on the following
pages are some of the most common edible and medicinal plants. De-
tailed descriptions and photographs of these and other common plants
are at Appendix B.
TEMPERATE ZONE FOOD PLANTS
-Amaranth (Amaranthus retrof/exusand other species)
-Arrowroot (Sagittaria species)
-Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
-Beechnut (Fagus species)
-Blackberries (Rubus species)
-Blueberries (Vaccinium species)
-Burdock (Arctium lappa)
-Cattail (Typha species)
-Chestnut (Castanea species)
-Chicory (Cichoriurn intybus)
-Chufa (Cyperus esculentus)
-Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
-Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)
-Nettle (Utica species)
-Oaks (Quercus species)
-Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
-Plantain (Plantago species)
-Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
-Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia species)
-Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
-Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
-Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
-Strawberries (Fragaria species)
-Thistle (Cirsium species)
-Water lily and lotus (Nuphar, Nelumbo, and other species)
-Wild onion and garlic (Allium species)
-Wild rose (Rosa species)
-Wood sorrel (Oxalis species)
TROPICAL ZONE FOOD PLANTS
-Bamboo (Bambusa and other species)
-Bananas (Musa species)
-Breadfruit (Artocarpus incisa)
-Cashew nut (Anacardium occidental)
-Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
-Mango (Mangifera indica)
-Palms (various species)
-Papaya (Carica species)
-Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)
-Taro (Colocasia species)
DESERT ZONE FOOD PLANTS
-Acacia (Acacia farnesiana)
-Agave (Agave species)
-Cactus (various species)
-Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera)
-Desert amaranth (Amaranths palmeri)
Seaweeds
One plant you should never overlook is seaweed. It is a form of marine
algae found on or near ocean shores. There are also some edible fresh-
water varieties. Seaweed is a valuable source of iodine, other minerals,
and vitamin C. Large quantities of seaweed in an unaccustomed stomach
can produce a severe laxative effect.
When gathering seaweeds for food, find living plants attached to rocks
or floating free. Seaweed washed onshore any length of time may be
spoiled or decayed. You can dry freshly harvested seaweeds for later use.
Its preparation for eating depends on the type of seaweed. You can dry
thin and tender varieties in the sun or over a fire until crisp. Crush and
add these to soups or broths. Boil thick, leathery seaweeds for a short
time to soften them. Eat them as a vegetable or with other foods. You
can eat some varieties raw after testing for edibility.
SEAWEEDS
-Dulse (Rhodymenia palmata)
-Green seaweed (Ulva lactuca)
-Irish moss (Chondrus crispus)
-Kelp (Alaria esculenta)
-Laver (Porphyra species)
-Mojaban (Sargassum fulvellum)
-Sugar wrack (Laminaria saccharin)
Preparation of Plant Food
Although some plants or plant parts are edible raw, you must cook oth-
ers to be edible or palatable. Edible means that a plant or food will pro-
vide you with necessary nutrients, while palatable means that it actually
is pleasing to eat. Many wild plants are edible but barely palatable. It is
a good idea to learn to identify, prepare, and eat wild foods.
Methods used to improve the taste of plant food include soaking, boil-
ing, cooking, or leaching. Leaching is done by crushing the food (for
example, acorns), placing it in a strainer, and pouring boiling water
through it or immersing it in running water.
Boil leaves, stems, and buds until tender, changing the water, if neces-
sary, to remove any bitterness.
Boil, bake, or roast tubers and roots. Drying helps to remove caustic
oxalates from some roots like those in the Arum family.
Leach acorns in water, if necessary, to remove the bitterness. Some
nuts, such as chestnuts, are good raw, but taste better roasted.
You can eat many grains and seeds raw until they mature. When hard
or dry, you may have to boil or grind them into meal or flour.
The sap from many trees, such as maples, birches, walnuts, and syca-
mores, contains sugar. You may boil these saps down to a syrup for
sweetening. It takes about 35 liters of maple sap to make one liter
of maple syrup!
In a survival situation you will have to use what is available. In using
plants and other natural remedies, positive identification of the plants
involved is as critical as in using them for food. Proper use of these
plants is equally important.
Terms and Definitions
The following terms, and their definitions, are associated with medicinal
plant use:
Poultice. The name given to crushed leaves or other plant parts,
possibly heated, that you apply to a wound or sore either directly
or wrapped in cloth or paper.
Infusion or tisane or tea. The preparation of medicinal herbs for inter-
nal or external application. You place a small quantity of a herb
in a container, pour hot water over it, and let it steep (covered or
uncovered) before use.
Decoction. The extract of a boiled down or simmered herb leaf or
root. You add herb leaf or root to water. You bring them to a sus-
tained boil or simmer to draw their chemicals into the water. The
average ratio is about 28 to 56 grams (1 to 2 ounces) of herb to
0.5 liter of water.
Expressed juice. Liquids or saps squeezed from plant material and ei-
ther applied to the wound or made into another medicine.
Many natural remedies work slower than the medicines you know.
Therefore, start with smaller doses and allow more time for them to
take effect. Naturally, some will act more rapidly than others.
Specific Remedies
The following remedies are for use only in a survival situation, not for
routine use:
Diarrhea. Drink tea made from the roots of blackberries and their
relatives to stop diarrhea. White oak bark and other barks containing
tannin are also effective. However, use them with caution when
nothing else is available because of possible negative effects on
the kidneys. You can also stop diarrhea by eating white clay or camp-
fire ashes. Tea made from cowberry or cranberry or hazel leaves
works too.
Antihemorrhagics. Make medications to stop bleeding from a poultice
of the puffball mushroom, from plantain leaves, or most effectively
from the leaves of the common yarrow or woundwort (Achilles
millefolium).
Antiseptics. Use to cleanse wounds, sores, or rashes. You can make
them from the expressed juice from wild onion or garlic, or expressed
juice from chickweed leaves or the crushed leaves of dock. You can
also make antiseptics from a decoction of burdock root, mallow
leaves or roots, or white oak bark. All these medications are for
external use only.
Fevers. Treat a fever with a tea made from willow bark, an infusion of
elder flowers or fruit, linden flower tea, or elm bark decoction.
Colds and sore throats. Treat these illnesses with a decoction made
from either plantain leaves or willow bark. You can also use a tea
made from burdock roots, mallow or mullein flowers or roots, or
mint leaves.
Aches, pains, and sprains. Treat with externally applied poultices of
dock, plantain, chickweed, willow bark, garlic, or sorrel. You can also
use salves made by mixing the expressed juices of these plants in
animal fat or vegetable oils.
Itching. Relieve the itch from insect bites, sunburn, or plant poisoning
rashes by applying a poultice of jewelweed (Impatiens biflora) or witch
hazel leaves (Hamamelis virginiana).The jewelweed juice will help
when applied to poison ivy rashes or insect stings. It works on sun-
burn as well as aloe vera.
Sedatives. Get help in falling asleep by brewing a tea made from mint
leaves or passionflower leaves.
Hemorrhoids. Treat them with external washes from elm bark or
oak bark tea, from the expressed juice of plantain leaves, or from
a Solomon’s seal root decoction.
Constipation. Relieve constipation by drinking decoctions from dande-
lion leaves, rose hips, or walnut bark. Eating raw daylily flowers will
also help.
Worms or intestinal parasites. Using moderation, treat with tea made
from tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) or from wild carrot leaves.
Gas and cramps. Use a tea made from carrot seeds as an antiflatu-
lent; use tea made from mint leaves to settle the stomach.
Antifungal washes. Make a decoction of walnut leaves or oak bark or
acorns to treat ringworm and athlete’s foot. Apply frequently to the
site, alternating with exposure to direct sunlight.
MISCELLANEOUS USE OF PLANTS
Make dyes from various plants to color clothing or to camouflage your
skin. Usually, you will have to boil the plants to get the best
results. Onion skins produce yellow, walnut hulls produce brown, and
pokeberries provide a purple dye.
Make fibers and cordage from plant fibers. Most commonly used are the
stems from nettles and milkweeds, yucca plants, and the inner bark
of trees like the linden.
Make fish poison by immersing walnut hulls in a small area of quiet water.
This poison makes it impossible for the fish to breathe but doesn’t
adversely affect their edibility.
Make tinder for starting fires from cattail fluff, cedar bark, lighter
knot wood from pine trees, or hardened sap from resinous wood trees.
Make insulation by fluffing up female cattail heads or milkweed down.
Make insect repellents by applying the expressed juice of wild garlic or
onion to the skin, by placing sassafras leaves in your shelter, or
by burning or smudging cattail seed hair fibers.
Plants can be your ally as long as you use them cautiously. The key
to the safe use of plants is positive identification whether
you use them as food or medicine or in constructing shelters or
equipment.
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