Video & Photo

Video Gallery

The Video Gallery page contains videos I have uploaded to my YouTube channel. In these videos we'll discuss; how to identify some wild edibles, wild medicinals and their toxic look a likes. We'll talk a bit about how to harvest them ethically, how to use them for food and medicine, and things to avoid while preparing them for food and medicine.

All photos and videos belong to Trillium: Wild Edibles; sources are given where otherwise. No use without permission; citation required.

Toxic Look a Like Series: Cattail

How to Conserve Wild Edibles: Solomon's Seal

In the first video of the Toxic Look A Like Series, we discuss the differences between the Purple Iris and the Common Cattail. These two plants grow in the same environment and look very similar. It's only by looking closely at small details, or the flower we can determine if it's the right plant to eat.

In the first video of the How to Conserve Wild Edibles series we discuss how to harvest Solomon's Seal root without causing damage to the plant population. As well as how to follow the 7th Generation Rule of Foraging while digging roots, and more.

How to Harvest Solomon's Seal Root

How to Identify Lamb's Quarter's

In the first video focusing on how to harvest Wild Edibles, we talk about Solomon's Seal Root. However there is a catch, No trowel is used while digging this root. There are a couple reasons for this which you'll find out in the video below. Solomon's Seal Root has medicinal and edible properties and dates back to antiquity. It is common in the Eastern United States and often overlooked by hikers. It is easy to identify, however it does have a couple look a likes, which I will do a video on in the future so stay tuned!

A special July 4th video release on how to identify Lamb's Quarters, or Wild Spinach. It is an extremely common wild edible in a highly varied family called Chenopodium. It's highly nutritious and easy to identify, but beware it does have a toxic look a like, the Nightshade. Luckily there are a few factors which help separate Lamb's Quarters from Nightshade if we just look closely. Some of these identification factors are not talked about or shown so I thought I would share them with you.

Strange Things in the Woods

Peterson Field Guide to Edible Plants - The Good

When foraging I often come upon really interesting things, usually just neat little things like geographical features, strange growth habits, etc. However sometimes I come upon really strange things. This video is about the strangest thing I ever saw in the woods. It's part of a science experiment being done at Morgan Monroe State Forestry and is from some footage I filmed in late 2011. You never know what you will find while in the woods!

For those who are interested in learning about edible wild plants, the Peterson Field Guide has plenty of good and bad things going for it. This video covers the good things about this field guide. This was the first book I bought on the subject in late 2008. I have used it extensively in the field since then, but will it help you?? Watch the whole review to find out!

Peterson Field Guide to Edible Plants - The Bad

How to Identify Bee Balm

The second part of the review of the Peterson Field Guide to Edible Plants covers the bad things about the field guide. At the end of the video I explain why I still carry and recommend this field guide for those who are interested in learning about wild edibles. With all the things against it, this book is still one of the most popular on the subject and there is a reason. However the real question is; should you add it to your collection? Watch the full review to find out!

Bee Balm is an extremely common wildflower in the mint family. It brings beneficial pollenating insects and it has medicinal and edible properties as well. In this video we go through the identification factors of Bee Balm as well as show you some places it commonly grows. There are many varieties of Bee Balm in our state and colors can range from white, to pink, to red. Bee on the lookout for this awesome plant!

Wild Mushrooms - What You Don't Want

Lobelia Inflata Identification

Foraging for wild mushrooms is becoming more popular as more people find out about their awesome health benefits. However there are some major things to avoid when foraging for mushrooms; things like toxic mushrooms or mushrooms that are too far gone. Eating a mushroom that is too far gone can sometimes result in discomfort, diarrhea, nausea, etc. Sometimes it's evident when they are too far gone, and sometimes it's not so obvious. Hopefully this video should help you with types of mushrooms you don't want to eat.

In this video we'll see the identification factors of Lobelia Inflata, an inconspicuous medicinal plant. Lobelia has many uses medicinally and is more common than some would believe.
It's very small and I actually walked right by it for a couple years before I realized just how small this plant is.
By the end of this video you should be able to go out and find Lobelia Inflata in your yard or park without much difficulty. I hope this video helps some who may be struggling with finding this plant like I did a few years ago.

How to Harvest Lobelia

Virginia Mountain Mint Identification

In this video we harvest some Lobelia, get it inside to clean it up and then put it into the dry box to get it ready to make medicine from. Lobelia is a very potent medicinal plant and it's recommended that you check with a doctor before using Lobelia to prevent interactions with any medications you may be taking.

A WORD OF CAUTION: Lobelia is very potent and possesses arterial sedative properties. If not careful this plant can put you into a coma or worse, so make sure you 100% know what you're doing before harvesting this plant and using it.

The proper time to harvest Lobelia is from the end of July till the middle of October. Before harvesting any plant you should learn how to positively identify it.

Summer wildflowers are in full swing and with mints it's no exception. In this video we go over the identification factors of Virginia Mountain Mint. There are many Mountain Mints in the Eastern United States, and narrowing them down by species can sometimes be difficult, unless you know what to look for.

This plant has an awesome smell, strongly aromatic and the bees love it! It tends to grow very well in large fields and clearings amongst other wildflowers like Echinacea, Black Eyed Susan, and Bee Balm.

Medicinal Plant Book - Indian Herbalogy of North America

Medicinal Plant Book - Indian Herbalogy of North America Pt. 2

Today we go over Indian Herbalogy of North America, one of my favorite books on the subject of medicinal wild plants. The first part of this video will cover the good things about this book, and the second part will cover the bad things and why I recommend this book to those who are interested in learning about medicinal wild plants.

This book has a lot of good things going for it and very few things that are bad; well not quite up to par. Overall this is one of the most comprehensive books on the subject at an affordable price and it's available in most book stores.

This book covers plants that are mostly native to the North America, but covers others like dandelion, solely because of their importance as medicine. Over 100 plants are covered in great detail along with dosages for various medical conditions. This book is a must have for anyone wanting to learn more about medicinal plants.

The second part of the review covers the few bad things about Indian Herbalogy of North America, From it's line drawings, loads of information, to the fact that there are few pictures or drawings, there are a few bad things about this book. Then in the end we talk about reasons why you might want to buy this book.

There are a lot of reasons one would want this book, from the detail it provides on usage, an understanding of medicinal plants, or just simply to learn about something new.
Indian Herbalogy of North America is certainly a book to add to your collection.

This book covers plants that are mostly native to the North America, but covers others like dandelion, solely because of their importance as medicine. Over 100 plants are covered in great detail along with dosages for various medical conditions. This book is a must have for anyone wanting to learn more about medicinal plants.

How to Identify Spicebush

How to Identify Boneset

In this video we discuss Spicebush and it's identification features, as well as compare it to a couple of other shrubs that sometimes get mistaken for Spicebush. In the Eastern United States Spicebush is extremely common and can be found in moist areas, either from runoff, or low lying areas.

It's unique aromatic smell fills the air when the leaves are rubbed, plucked, or twigs are broken. It smells to me like a mix of allspice and Sassafras and thusly makes for great teas. Another good thing about Spicebush is that it's leaves, twigs, bark, and berries can be used throughout the growing season.

Spicebush can be used in many ways besides tea. Things like syrups, cakes, pies, breads, ice creams, etc. can all be made with it's parts. It also contains several medical properties and is good for blood purification, anemia, and many other ailments.

In this video we take a look at a medicinal plant called Boneset and it's identification features. Then we discuss the types of environments that Boneset likes to grow in. A common plant to moist usually low lying areas, Boneset is your medicine for colds, flus, bone pains and aches, arthritis and more.

From it's white showy flowers to it's unique leaf growth pattern Boneset is an easy plant to identify and can be found in a wide variety of locales. It will usually occur next to other edible and medicinal plants so be on the lookout when you find Boneset you may find something more.

Plants next to this one included: Blue Lobelia, Queen Anne's Lace, Wood Sorrel, Broad Leaf Dock, Bull Thistle, Stinging Nettle, Red Clover and more.

The 10 Most Common Wild Edibles

There are a lot of plants that are edible and some are more common than others. You might be surprised to find out which ones are more so than others. Surprisingly it's not the Dandelion!

Did You know that Goldenrod can be used as a flour extender in harsh times? How about Canola Oil coming from the species of a Mustard? Edible plants wild and domestic have a range of uses and finding out which ones are most common near you is a great way to narrow down which ones to use.

This video covers 11 of the most common wild edible plants from Dock or Rumex, to Dandelions and Clovers, to Oaks and Brambles find out which one is the most common!

Plants are arranged mainly by number of species and size of range, a more limited range will land a plant further down on the on the list. Conversely a higher number of species will land a plant higher on the list.

Scouting For Morel Habitat

In this video we do a little scouting for Morel mushroom habitat. The best time for scouting spots is in the fall and winter believe it or not! The reason is the leftover flower pods on the Tulip Poplar can be seen much easier and from a distance.

Another reason for scouting this time of year is the Morel season is really short, about 2-4 weeks in any given region. So if you do your scouting during season you probably won't enough have time. You can use things like Google Earth to get an idea of possible locations to hunt as well.

The Tulip Poplar is one of the several trees that Morels like to form a relationship with. Others include Elm, Ash, Sycamore, and Cherry. However, in my area I find a lot of Morels next to Poplars. Also they seem to share a habitat with other common springtime wild edibles like, Redbud, Maple, Trilliums, Solomon's Seal, Spicebush and more.

The First Signs of Spring!?!?

Finally Spring is on it's way!! The return of the growing season and the return of warm weather. I recently took a hike to check some of my favorite foraging spots and I saw quite a few plants on the trip. This video is a preview of a video later to come in the week as well as talking a little bit about the Jelly Ear Fungus, which is to me the first sign that spring is on it's way.

With the return of spring is the return of mushroom hunting and Morel season. Other signs of spring included Carolina Spring Beauty, a Puttyroot, some Bull Thistle, and some Broad Leaved Dock. If you're itching to get out of the house and get some baby spring greens now is a great time!

Early Spring Morel Hunt - Tips & Tricks

The first morels of the 2016 season are here! It's getting time to head out there and find them but do you know where they like to grow? In this video we talk a bit about how to find the young morels, where they like to grow, their growth rate, and how to harvest them.

Being notoriously difficult to spot this time of year hunting requires patience, knowledge, and a good eye. However there are ways to spot them easier, like walking slow and panning the ground systematically, kneeling when one is found to see others.

Morel growth is often misunderstood as many people think they pop up overnight, but that is not the case. Instead they grow over a period of a few weeks to maturity. We discuss all this and more in this video!

20 Edible & Medicinal Plants In 10 Mintues

There are so many wild edibles and medicinal plants in Indiana that I am able to briefly talk about 20 plants and some of their uses as food or medicine in just ten mintues! Nature really does provide a bounty that is unparalelled if you know what to look for. Wild edibles like the raspberry can be right above medicinal herbs like the plantain, and then behind them we can have a field of wild mint, a delicious wild edible that makes amazing extracts. On the quick walk we look at plants and herbs like Black Eyed Susans, Wild Lettuce, Wild Carrot or Queen Anne's Lace, and even the notorius Wild Quinine. You never know how many wild edibles and medicinal plants could be right in your own local park, so get out there and look!

Wild Edibles of Winter -Finding Edible Plants

There are many wild edibles of winter that can be found growing on the ground, and ironically they are ones that can be enjoyed during spring. These are just a few that are available. Plants like wild onion, garlic mustard, curly dock, chickweed and more can be foraged and harvested this time of year. We go over the uses of these edibles and talk a bit about what they look like as well how to find them. In the winter it helps to look on the ground as your foraging because that's where most of the plants are, just like in the early spring.

A lot of winter wild edibles are available in the spring as well, which makes them a great resource because they are available in multiple seasons. Where as many wild edibles have a shorter season for finding and using, some as short as a week.

Edible Plants In Early Spring

Early spring has arrived and it's time to get out there and start finding plants! From low growing early spring edibles to scouting leftover remnants of last years plants and even a few fun things in between. This time of year is one of the best to get out there and active, especially after being cooped up all winter long.

We start with a nice view from a hilltop in Southern Indiana, then we head down in the bottoms to look for young plants coming in. The delicate Carolina Spring Beauty is making it's appearance across the woods as are young rosettes of Bull Thistle and Broad Dock.

The Staghorn Sumac is abundant in the first part of the video and we talk a little bit about what finding those leftover ones mean as a forager. We also discuss one of the most crucial parts to foraging in the early spring is that everything is growing right on the ground. I also show you some Indianite, a soft rock that can be used for a natural red pigment and is found in Indiana.

Lastly we talk about some important aspects of foraging. Things like: taking it slow and looking carefully, that foraging is not just about food and medicine, how foraging can be important for developing outdoor skills.

10 Medicinal Plants & Their Uses

There are a lot of medicinal plants and herbs in Indiana, more than I can mention here for sure. However the ten in this video are so commonly seen around the state and used in herbal medicine all over the United States. Plants like Jewel Weed and Goldenrod are powerful herbs for treatment of things like poison ivy rash to colds and congestion. There are medicinal plants like Boneset that have been used for malaria in the 18th century. The uses of these plants and herbs for medicine are many and they are usually abundant where they grow. Many of these plants can be used in a tea or infusion, or as a poultice, even in balms and tinctures!

How To Identify Wild Plants: A Video Glossay To Botanical Terms

Have you ever looked at those botanical terms in your field guide then saw them on a plant and thought they looked way different? Do terms like ovate, perfoliate, margin, petiole confuse you at times? This video explains the botanical terms behind leaf identification that you will read in your field guides on wild edibles and medicinal plants. There is often nothing more frustrating than trying to identify a plant to eat but worried you made a mistake. Personal interpretation can vary, and so can the shapes of wild plants. Botanical terms are about to get simple becasue we take a look at multiple examples of each term and discuss how personal interpration can impact what you see.