{"forage/forage-species":[{"id":"wood-sorrel-houston","plantId":"oxalis","name":"Yellow Woodsorrel","scientific":"Oxalis stricta","wiki":"Oxalis_stricta","origin":"Native to North America","habit":"Low perennial herb","habitat":"{place} lawns, beds, and disturbed ground","ediblePart":"Leaves, flowers, seed pods","harvestMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"idTips":"Three heart-shaped leaflets (like a shamrock) that fold down at night and in rain. Small yellow 5-petal flowers. Seed pods are pointed capsules that EXPLODE on touch. NO ONION SMELL (unlike wild onion).","lookalikes":[{"name":"Clover","scientific":"Trifolium repens","danger":"None; also edible, but different taste (pea-family, mild).","tell":"Clover has 3 rounded (not heart-shaped) leaflets with a white 'V' marking and round flower heads, not yellow solitary flowers."}],"preparation":"Raw in salads (lemony tart) or steeped in cold water as a lemony drink. Eat in small amounts, since it is high in oxalic acid.","facts":["Its tang comes from oxalic acid. Same compound as rhubarb leaves.","Its seed pods explode and fling seeds when touched.","Its leaflets fold down at night. A circadian 'sleep' movement.","It is one of the easiest wild edibles to ID, with no toxic lookalikes."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -24f -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Leaves and flowers","make":"A lemony trail nibble","how":"Pick a few leaves and flowers and eat them on the spot. Sour like lemon peel.","caution":"Eat a handful, not a bowlful: it is high in oxalic acid.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Oxalis stricta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis_stricta"}},{"type":"drink","part":"Leaves","make":"Wild lemonade","how":"Steep a big handful of leaves in cold water for an hour, strain and sweeten.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Oxalis stricta","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis_stricta"}}]},{"id":"purslane","name":"Purslane","scientific":"Portulaca oleracea","wiki":"Portulaca_oleracea","origin":"Probably Eurasia, now cosmopolitan","habit":"Sprawling succulent annual","habitat":"{place} driveways, garden beds, sidewalk cracks","ediblePart":"Leaves and stems (raw or cooked)","harvestMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10],"idTips":"A red-stemmed, prostrate succulent with thick, smooth, spatula-shaped leaves clustered at stem joints. Small yellow flowers open only in morning sun. NO HAIR on the stems. The key mark of edible purslane.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Hairy-stemmed Spurge","scientific":"Euphorbia prostrata and E. nutans","danger":"TOXIC; spurges contain milky, irritating latex sap.","tell":"Spurges have THIN, non-succulent leaves and a milky white sap that oozes from any cut stem. Purslane has NO milky sap and thick juicy leaves."}],"preparation":"Raw in salads (crunchy, lemony) or cooked as a potherb. It is one of the highest omega-3 plants known.","facts":["It has more omega-3 fatty acids than almost any other leafy green.","Its thick, juicy leaves mark it as a succulent adapted to drought.","It is a top-3 {place} edible weed. Abundant in summer driveway cracks.","It has NO milky sap; the critical test against toxic spurge lookalikes."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Leaves and stems","make":"A crunchy, lemony snack","how":"Pinch off the juicy tips and eat them raw.","caution":"Spurge looks similar but bleeds milky sap when broken. Purslane never does.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Portulaca oleracea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Leaves and stems","make":"Purslane salsa or eggs","how":"Chop into salsa, or stir into scrambled eggs at the end.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Portulaca oleracea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea"}}]},{"id":"elderberry-houston-forage","plantId":"elderberry","name":"American Elderberry","scientific":"Sambucus canadensis","wiki":"Sambucus_canadensis","origin":"Native to eastern North America","habit":"Large loose shrub","habitat":"{place} {bayou} edges, ditch banks, moist woods","ediblePart":"Flowers and COOKED ripe berries only","harvestMonths":[5,6,7,8],"idTips":"Compound leaves with 5–11 toothed oval leaflets arranged in pairs. Flat-topped white flower clusters (like lace doilies) in June. Ripe berries hang in HEAVY PURPLE-BLACK drooping clusters. Stems have a white pith (spongy core): the definitive elderberry mark.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Water Hemlock","scientific":"Cicuta maculata","danger":"EXTREMELY LETHAL; considered North America's most toxic native plant. Any amount can kill.","tell":"Elderberry is a WOODY SHRUB (up to 20 ft) with opposite leaves and a solid white pith. Water hemlock is a NON-WOODY herb (to 6 ft) with a HOLLOW stem that dies back each year, and its white flowers form a compound umbel like a carrot's. Both have toothed, pointed leaflets and both grow in wet ditches, so leaf shape is NOT a safe test. Only harvest from a woody elderberry shrub you have positively identified."}],"preparation":"Berries must be COOKED into syrup, jam or wine. Raw berries cause nausea. Flowers are fried as fritters or infused as cordial.","facts":["Raw berries cause vomiting; always cook elderberries.","Its stems have a soft, white, spongy pith. A key ID mark.","Its huge, flat-topped flower clusters make traditional elderflower cordial.","Its wetland lookalike, water hemlock, is considered North America's most toxic native plant."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Cicuta maculata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicuta_maculata"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Sambucus canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_canadensis"}],"factRefs":{"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Cicuta maculata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicuta_maculata"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -31c -24f -23a","uses":[{"type":"kitchen","part":"Ripe berries","make":"Elderberry syrup","how":"Simmer de-stemmed black berries with water for 30–45 minutes, strain, and sweeten with honey.","caution":"Never raw: raw berries cause nausea. Leaves and stems are toxic.","months":[6,7,8],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Sambucus canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_canadensis"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Flower clusters","make":"Elderflower fritters","how":"Dip whole flower heads in thin batter, fry until golden, and dust with sugar. Snip off the thick stems.","months":[4,5,6],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Sambucus canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_canadensis"}},{"type":"drink","part":"Flower clusters","make":"Elderflower cordial","how":"Soak flower heads overnight in sugar water with lemon slices, then strain.","months":[4,5,6],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Sambucus canadensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_canadensis"}}]},{"id":"muscadine","name":"Muscadine Grape","scientific":"Vitis rotundifolia","wiki":"Vitis_rotundifolia","origin":"Native to the southeastern U.S.","habit":"High-climbing woody vine","habitat":"{place} forest edges, fences, {bayou} thickets","ediblePart":"Ripe fruit","harvestMonths":[8,9,10],"idTips":"A vigorous grape vine with unlobed or slightly lobed, shiny, round leaves (unlike lobed fox grape). Its bronze-to-purple-black grapes ripen ONE AT A TIME (not in tight bunches) and have a thick, tough skin and a unique musky-sweet flavor.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Common Moonseed","scientific":"Menispermum canadense","wiki":"Menispermum_canadense","danger":"POISONOUS; its fruit can be fatal. It ripens in September and October, the same time as wild grapes.","tell":"Moonseed's purple-black berries look like grapes, but each holds ONE crescent-moon-shaped seed (grapes have several round seeds), the vine has NO TENDRILS (grapes have forked tendrils), and the fruit tastes rank. Check the seeds of every wild 'grape' before eating."},{"name":"Pepper Vine","scientific":"Nekemias arborea","danger":"Berries are inedible and can cause gastric upset.","tell":"Pepper vine has COMPOUND leaves (5–9 leaflets per leaf), not simple single leaves, and its blue-black berries grow in drooping pyramid-shaped clusters."},{"name":"Carolina Moonseed","scientific":"Cocculus carolinianus","wiki":"Nephroia carolina","danger":"Berries are toxic (may cause serious illness).","tell":"Carolina moonseed's berries are bright RED (not purple or bronze), each with a single crescent-shaped seed, and the vine twines without tendrils."}],"preparation":"Eaten fresh (spit the thick skin or eat it), made into jam, wine or jelly. The thick skin is where most antioxidants are.","facts":["Its grapes ripen individually (not in tight bunches): a key field mark.","Its thick skin holds much of its antioxidant content.","It thrives in the humid Southeast where European grapes get diseases.","It has been wild-harvested for wine in the Gulf South for centuries."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Menispermum canadense","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menispermum_canadense"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -31c -27h -25i -24f -24b -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Ripe grapes","make":"Grapes off the vine","how":"Squeeze the sweet pulp into your mouth, spit the seeds, and chew or toss the thick skin.","caution":"Moonseed berries have one flat, crescent-shaped seed. Grapes have several round seeds.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Vitis rotundifolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_rotundifolia"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Ripe grapes","make":"Muscadine jelly","how":"Cook down with sugar and strain the seeds and skins.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Vitis rotundifolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_rotundifolia"}}]},{"id":"mustang-grape-forage","plantId":"mustang-grape","name":"Mustang Grape","scientific":"Vitis mustangensis","wiki":"Vitis_mustangensis","origin":"Native to Texas","habit":"High-climbing woody vine","habitat":"{place} fences, tree tops, woodland edges","ediblePart":"Ripe fruit (juice irritates skin. Wear gloves)","harvestMonths":[6,7,8],"idTips":"A massive grape vine with leaves that are DARK GREEN AND SHINY ON TOP, WHITE-FELTED AND SILVERY UNDERNEATH (flashes silver in wind). Tight bunches of small, thick-skinned PURPLE grapes. The underside color is the definitive ID.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Common Moonseed","scientific":"Menispermum canadense","wiki":"Menispermum_canadense","danger":"POISONOUS; its fruit can be fatal. It ripens in September and October, the same time as wild grapes.","tell":"Moonseed's purple-black berries look like grapes, but each holds ONE crescent-moon-shaped seed (grapes have several round seeds), the vine has NO TENDRILS (grapes have forked tendrils), and the fruit tastes rank. Check the seeds of every wild 'grape' before eating."},{"name":"Pepper Vine","scientific":"Nekemias arborea","danger":"Inedible; causes stomach upset.","tell":"Pepper vine has compound leaves (multiple leaflets), not the two-sided silver-felt single leaves of mustang grape."}],"preparation":"The acidic juice can BURN skin. Wear gloves. It is usually made into jelly or wine, sweetened heavily.","facts":["Its leaf undersides are white and felted. Flashing silver in the breeze.","Its raw juice can chemically burn bare hands and lips.","It is the classic Texas homestead jelly and wine grape.","Its vines climb to the tops of the tallest {place} oaks."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Menispermum canadense","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menispermum_canadense"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -25i -24f -24b -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"kitchen","part":"Ripe grapes","make":"Mustang grape jelly","how":"Wear gloves. Cook the grapes, strain the juice and make jelly with plenty of sugar.","caution":"Not a trail snack: the juice burns your mouth and skin.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Vitis mustangensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_mustangensis"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Young leaves","make":"Stuffed grape leaves","how":"Blanch tender spring leaves, then roll them around seasoned rice.","months":[3,4,5],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Vitis mustangensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitis_mustangensis"},"photo":{"url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Stuffed_grape_leaves.jpg/500px-Stuffed_grape_leaves.jpg","credit":"Jon Sullivan (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons","link":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stuffed_grape_leaves.jpg"}}]},{"id":"dewberry-forage","plantId":"dewberry","name":"Dewberry","scientific":"Rubus trivialis","wiki":"Rubus","origin":"Native to the Southeast","habit":"Trailing thorny bramble","habitat":"{place} fence rows, {bayou} edges, field edges","ediblePart":"Ripe berries","harvestMonths":[3,4,5],"idTips":"A trailing vine (creeping along the ground), NOT upright like a blackberry cane. Its white rose-like flowers in March–April become juicy red-to-purple-black aggregate berries. Its thorns are thin and curved.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Blackberry (upright)","scientific":"Rubus fruticosus","danger":"None; also edible and delicious.","tell":"Upright blackberry grows on tall arching canes; dewberry creeps flat on the ground. Both are edible, but dewberry ripens earlier."}],"preparation":"Eaten fresh, in cobblers, jams and jellies. The classic Texas wild berry.","facts":["It trails on the ground, unlike the upright blackberry cane.","Its berries ripen in spring, a few weeks before blackberries.","Its thorny mats are prime songbird nesting habitat.","It is the classic Texas 'dewberry cobbler' berry."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -25i -24f -24b -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Ripe berries","make":"Berries off the vine","how":"Eat them when black and soft. Red ones are not ripe yet.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Rubus trivialis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Ripe berries","make":"Dewberry cobbler","how":"Bake a few cups of berries under a sweet biscuit topping.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Rubus trivialis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus"}}]},{"id":"persimmon","name":"Common Persimmon","scientific":"Diospyros virginiana","wiki":"Diospyros_virginiana","origin":"Native to the eastern U.S., including East Texas","habit":"Small to medium tree","habitat":"{place} woodland edges, old fields, {bayou} bottoms","ediblePart":"RIPE fruit only","harvestMonths":[9,10,11],"idTips":"A tree with simple, glossy, oval, alternate leaves. Its famous orange fruits are round with a distinctive 4-parted calyx 'crown' on top. UNRIPE fruit is MOUTH-PUCKERING ASTRINGENT (like alum). Ripe fruit is soft, wrinkled and custard-sweet.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Oriental Persimmon","scientific":"Diospyros kaki","danger":"None; also edible (larger, less astringent fruit).","tell":"Oriental persimmon fruit is larger and boxier; our native fruit is smaller and only sweet when fully soft-ripe."}],"preparation":"Eat when soft and wrinkled. Its genus name means 'wheat of Zeus'. Food of the gods when ripe.","facts":["Unripe persimmon is powerfully astringent. It dries out your whole mouth.","Its ripe fruit tastes like rich apricot-honey custard.","Its fruit is food for raccoons, opossums, deer, foxes and box turtles.","It is in the ebony family; its heartwood is famously dark and hard."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -34b -31c -25i -24f -24b -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Fully ripe fruit","make":"A sweet, soft fruit snack","how":"Eat only when soft, wrinkled and falling off the tree, often after the first frost. Spit the seeds.","caution":"Unripe persimmons make your whole mouth pucker.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Diospyros virginiana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diospyros_virginiana"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Ripe pulp","make":"Persimmon pudding or bread","how":"Push ripe fruit through a strainer and bake the pulp like pumpkin.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Diospyros virginiana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diospyros_virginiana"},"photo":{"url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Baked_Persimmon_Pudding.jpg/500px-Baked_Persimmon_Pudding.jpg","credit":"Wikimedia Commons (CC0)","link":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baked_Persimmon_Pudding.jpg"}}]},{"id":"prickly-pear-forage","plantId":"prickly-pear","name":"Prickly Pear Cactus","scientific":"Opuntia spp.","wiki":"Opuntia","origin":"Native to the Americas","habit":"Cactus","habitat":"{place} dry lots, dunes, coastal prairie","ediblePart":"Pads (nopales) and fruit (tunas)","harvestMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"idTips":"Flat green pads with spines and tiny barbed glochids (hair-like prickles in dots). Yellow cup-flowers in spring are followed by red-purple barrel fruits. The glochids are the danger. Invisible until in your skin.","lookalikes":[{"name":"None in Texas","scientific":"N/A","danger":"None: Texas Opuntia species are all edible after de-spining.","tell":"All Texas prickly pears are edible; the danger is spines and glochids, not mis-identification."}],"preparation":"Singe or peel off glochids (a torch or peeler works). Pads are sliced and cooked (nopales); fruits are peeled and eaten raw or made into syrup.","facts":["Its tiny glochids are worse than its big spines. They break off in skin.","Its fruit (tunas) makes a brilliant magenta syrup from betalain pigment.","It is the state plant of Texas.","Its young pads, sliced and sautéed, are the Mexican vegetable 'nopales.'"],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Ripe fruit (tunas)","make":"Prickly pear fruit","how":"Burn or scrape off the tiny spines, peel, and eat the sweet pink flesh.","caution":"The tiny hair-like spines (glochids) are worse than the big ones. Never pick bare-handed.","months":[7,8,9],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Opuntia spp.","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia"}},{"type":"drink","part":"Ripe fruit (tunas)","make":"Prickly pear agua fresca","how":"Blend peeled fruit with water and lime, strain out the seeds, and chill.","months":[7,8,9],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Opuntia spp.","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Young pads","make":"Nopalitos","how":"Scrape off the spines, dice the pads, and cook them with eggs or onions.","months":[3,4,5,6],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Opuntia spp.","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia"},"photo":{"url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Nopalitos_%28cactus_salad%29.jpg/500px-Nopalitos_%28cactus_salad%29.jpg","credit":"Madman2001 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons","link":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nopalitos_(cactus_salad).jpg"}}]},{"id":"wild-onion-forage","plantId":"wild-onion","name":"Wild Onion (Crow Garlic)","scientific":"Allium vineale","wiki":"Allium_vineale","origin":"A. vineale naturalized from Eurasia; A. canadense native","habit":"Low herb from bulbs","habitat":"{place} lawns, fields, and roadsides","ediblePart":"Leaves, bulbs, flowers","harvestMonths":[1,2,3,4],"idTips":"Thin, hollow, cylindrical leaves. CRITICAL TEST: crush a leaf. It MUST smell strongly of ONION or GARLIC. Round umbels of white-to-pink flowers, sometimes replaced by tiny aerial bulblets. Underground bulbs with papery coats.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Crow Poison (false garlic)","scientific":"Nothoscordum bivalve","danger":"TOXIC; can cause illness. The classic onion lookalike.","tell":"Crow Poison looks like a white wild onion but has NO ONION/GARLIC SCENT when crushed. This single test, smell, is the difference between edible and sickening."},{"name":"Death Camas","scientific":"Toxicoscordion spp.","danger":"DEADLY; can kill.","tell":"Death camas has grass-like non-hollow (solid) leaves, white flowers in a spike (not a round umbel), and NO onion smell. Never eat any white bulb without a clear onion scent."}],"preparation":"Use leaves as chives, bulbs as small onions, flowers as garlicky garnish. Any Allium that smells like onion is edible.","facts":["The SMELL TEST (onion/garlic scent) is the key to safe wild alliums. Crush a fresh leaf each time, because onion smell lingers on your hands.","Crow poison, its lookalike, has no scent. And is toxic.","It is the classic edible spring lawn weed of the South.","It often spreads by tiny bulblets instead of seeds."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -27h -24f -24b -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Leaves","make":"Wild chives","how":"Snip the leaves and nibble them, or toss them on anything.","caution":"Smell first: no onion smell means it may be Crow Poison. Do not eat it.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Allium vineale","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_vineale"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Bulbs","make":"Little wild onions","how":"Dig the bulbs and cook them like tiny onions or garlic.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Allium vineale","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_vineale"}}]},{"id":"chickweed-forage","plantId":"chickweed","name":"Common Chickweed","scientific":"Stellaria media","wiki":"Stellaria_media","origin":"Eurasia, naturalized worldwide","habit":"Low mat-forming winter annual","habitat":"{place} lawns, beds, and moist shade","ediblePart":"Leaves and stems","harvestMonths":[12,1,2,3,4],"idTips":"A low, pale-green mat with ONE LINE OF FINE HAIRS running down one side of the stem (then switching sides at each node). Small paired oval leaves. Tiny white flowers, each petal so deeply cleft that it looks like 10 separate petals (only 5 actual).","lookalikes":[{"name":"Scarlet Pimpernel","scientific":"Lysimachia arvensis (Anagallis arvensis)","danger":"TOXIC; can cause digestive upset.","tell":"Scarlet pimpernel has SQUARE stems (chickweed's are round with a line of hairs) and stalkless leaves dotted with black underneath, and its flowers are orange-red or blue, not white."}],"preparation":"Eaten raw in salads; a mild, tender, spinach-like green that grows all winter.","facts":["Its 5 white petals are each so deeply cleft that they look like 10.","A single line of hairs runs down one side of its stem. A unique ID mark.","It thrives all winter and disappears in {place}'s summer heat.","It is one of the mildest, tenderest wild greens anywhere."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Lysimachia arvensis","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysimachia_arvensis"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -31c -24f -24b -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Tender tops","make":"A mild winter salad green","how":"Pinch off the top few inches and eat raw. Tastes like corn silk or spinach.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Stellaria media","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellaria_media"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Tender tops","make":"Chickweed pesto","how":"Blend with nuts, garlic, oil and cheese like basil pesto.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Stellaria media","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellaria_media"}}]},{"id":"henbit-forage","plantId":"henbit","name":"Henbit","scientific":"Lamium amplexicaule","wiki":"Lamium_amplexicaule","origin":"Eurasia, naturalized worldwide","habit":"Low sprawling winter annual","habitat":"{place} lawns and field edges","ediblePart":"Leaves, stems, flowers","harvestMonths":[1,2,3,4],"idTips":"Square stems (mint family). Upper leaves CLASP the stem directly with no stalk ('amplexicaule' = 'clasping the stem'). Small pink-purple trumpet flowers in whorls around the upper leaves. NO strong scent (unlike most mints).","lookalikes":[{"name":"Purple Deadnettle","scientific":"Lamium purpureum","danger":"None; also edible.","tell":"Deadnettle's upper leaves are purple-tinged and crowd into a hood at the top, and they have short leaf stalks (not clasping). Both are edible mints."}],"preparation":"Raw in salads or cooked as a potherb. A mild, slightly minty green.","facts":["Its upper leaves wrap the stem directly with no stalk. The 'clasping' mark.","It starts blooming in late winter, before most other wildflowers.","It is a mild mint-family green with no strong scent.","It dies off completely by late spring, so harvest it only in winter."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -24f -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Leaves and flowers","make":"A mild, minty nibble","how":"Eat the tender tops raw, flowers and all.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Lamium amplexicaule","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamium_amplexicaule"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Leaves and stems","make":"Cooked spring greens","how":"Sauté with garlic like spinach.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Lamium amplexicaule","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamium_amplexicaule"}}]},{"id":"dandelion-forage","plantId":"dandelion","name":"Dandelion","scientific":"Taraxacum officinale","wiki":"Taraxacum","origin":"Eurasia, naturalized worldwide","habit":"Rosette perennial","habitat":"{place} lawns everywhere","ediblePart":"Leaves, flowers, roots","harvestMonths":[1,2,3,11,12],"idTips":"A basal rosette of JAGGED, toothed leaves ('dent-de-lion'). Hollow flower stems with milky sap. Yellow flower heads mature into a perfect ROUND WHITE PUFFBALL. NO spines, no branching stem.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Cat's Ear Dandelion","scientific":"Hypochaeris radicata","danger":"None; also edible, if more bitter and fibrous.","tell":"Cat's ear has branched, hairy flower stems and hairy, coarse leaves. True dandelion is hairless and unbranched. Both are edible."}],"preparation":"Young leaves raw in salads (bitter greens), flowers battered into fritters or fermented into wine, roots roasted as a coffee substitute.","facts":["It is one of the few wild edibles with NO poisonous lookalikes in Texas.","Its flower heads open in sun and close at night and in rain.","It is one of the first bee foods in {place}'s late winter.","Every part, leaf, flower, and root, has a traditional food use."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Young leaves","make":"Bitter salad greens","how":"Pick young leaves before the plant flowers; they get more bitter as they age.","caution":"Pick away from sprayed lawns and roadsides.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Taraxacum officinale","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Flowers","make":"Dandelion fritters","how":"Dip the flower heads in batter and fry.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Taraxacum officinale","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum"},"photo":{"url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Dandelion_Fritters_-_Flickr_-_Stewart_Black.jpg/500px-Dandelion_Fritters_-_Flickr_-_Stewart_Black.jpg","credit":"Stewart Black (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons","link":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dandelion_Fritters_-_Flickr_-_Stewart_Black.jpg"}},{"type":"drink","part":"Roots","make":"Dandelion \"coffee\"","how":"Scrub, chop and roast the roots until dark brown, then grind and brew.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Taraxacum officinale (uses)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum_officinale"}}]},{"id":"sowthistle-forage","plantId":"sowthistle","name":"Annual Sowthistle","scientific":"Sonchus oleraceus","wiki":"Sonchus_oleraceus","origin":"Eurasia, naturalized worldwide","habit":"Upright succulent annual","habitat":"{place} beds, ditches, and field edges","ediblePart":"Leaves and stems","harvestMonths":[1,2,3,4,5],"idTips":"Blue-green, hollow stems with milky sap. Leaves are deeply lobed with pointed clasping 'ears' where the leaf meets the stem. Small yellow dandelion-like flowers. NO SPINES anywhere (unlike thistles).","lookalikes":[{"name":"Prickly Lettuce","scientific":"Lactuca serriola","danger":"Edible but very bitter and mildly sedative.","tell":"Prickly lettuce has spines down the midrib on the UNDERSIDE of its leaves. Sowthistle has no spines. Both have milky sap and are edible when young."}],"preparation":"Young leaves eaten raw or cooked; bitterness drops with boiling in changes of water.","facts":["It is NOT a thistle; it is completely spineless.","Its stems are hollow, and all parts bleed milky white latex.","It is a classic winter and spring potherb across the South.","It is related to lettuce and has a similar (but bitterer) flavor."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Young leaves","make":"Salad greens","how":"Eat young leaves raw; older leaves are too bitter.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Sonchus oleraceus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonchus_oleraceus"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Older leaves","make":"Boiled greens","how":"Boil older leaves, changing the water once, to tame the bitterness.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Sonchus oleraceus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonchus_oleraceus"}}]},{"id":"curly-dock-forage","plantId":"dock","name":"Curly Dock","scientific":"Rumex crispus","wiki":"Rumex_crispus","origin":"Eurasia, naturalized worldwide","habit":"Large taprooted perennial","habitat":"{place} ditches, field edges, disturbed soil","ediblePart":"Young leaves (cooked), seeds","harvestMonths":[2,3,4],"idTips":"Long, WAVY-EDGED ('crispus' = curly) leaves with a prominent midvein. In spring, tall spikes of small green flowers that turn RUSTY-BROWN and persist as dry stalks all winter. A large, yellow, branching taproot underground.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Broadleaf Dock","scientific":"Rumex obtusifolius","danger":"None; also edible.","tell":"Broadleaf dock has wider, flat-edge leaves; curly dock has strongly wavy edges. Both are edible when young and both are high in oxalates."}],"preparation":"Young leaves are cooked like spinach (they are acidic. Small servings only). Seeds are winnowed and ground into flour.","facts":["Its leaf edges are strongly wavy. The meaning of 'crispus.'","Its rusty seed stalks stand in fields all winter like burnt matchsticks.","It is high in oxalic acid; eat in moderation.","Its deep yellow taproot was used in folk medicine as a liver tonic."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -24b -23a","uses":[{"type":"kitchen","part":"Young leaves","make":"Lemony cooked greens","how":"Cook young leaves like spinach.","caution":"Small servings: high in oxalic acid.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Rumex crispus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumex_crispus"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Seeds","make":"Dock seed flour","how":"Rub the dry brown seed heads to free the seeds, then grind into flour for crackers.","months":[6,7,8],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Rumex crispus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumex_crispus"}}]},{"id":"greenbrier-forage","plantId":"greenbrier","name":"Saw Greenbrier","scientific":"Smilax bona-nox","wiki":"Smilax_bona-nox","origin":"Native to the Southeast","habit":"High-climbing thorny vine","habitat":"{place} thickets, {bayou} edges, fence lines","ediblePart":"Tender spring shoots and tips","harvestMonths":[3,4,5],"idTips":"A tough vine with variable leaves (heart-shaped to lobed) and sharp prickles on the stems. The EDIBLE part is the TENDER SPRING SHOOT. The first 6–12 inches of new growth, still soft enough to snap with a fingernail.","lookalikes":[{"name":"None dangerous","scientific":"N/A","danger":"None; all Texas Smilax species have edible shoots.","tell":"All greenbriers (Smilax) in Texas have edible spring shoots. The danger is thorns, not mis-identification."}],"preparation":"Steam or sauté like asparagus. One of the best wild potherbs of the South. Its roots also make a sarsaparilla-like drink.","facts":["Its spring shoots are considered one of the best wild greens in the South.","Its thorny tangles are prime songbird nesting habitat.","Its roots were a traditional source of sarsaparilla flavoring.","Only the tender new tips are eaten. Older growth is too tough and thorny."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -24f -24b -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Shoot tips","make":"A wild green-bean snack","how":"Snap off the tips where they break easily. Tastes like green beans or asparagus.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Smilax bona-nox","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilax_bona-nox"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Shoot tips","make":"Sautéed greenbrier tips","how":"Sauté in butter like asparagus.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Smilax bona-nox","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilax_bona-nox"}}]},{"id":"beautyberry-forage","plantId":"american-beautyberry","name":"American Beautyberry","scientific":"Callicarpa americana","wiki":"Callicarpa_americana","origin":"Native to the Southeast","habit":"Arching shrub","habitat":"{place} woodland edges and understory","ediblePart":"Ripe berries (raw or jelly)","harvestMonths":[7,8,9,10],"idTips":"Large, opposite, toothed leaves in pairs. Its distinctive berries grow in TIGHT RINGS that wrap completely around the stem at each leaf node. A unique 'beads-on-a-string' look. Berries are a brilliant metallic magenta-purple.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Japanese Beautyberry","scientific":"Callicarpa dichotoma","danger":"None; also edible but blander.","tell":"Japanese beautyberry has smaller berries on STALKS (not tight rings around the stem) and a more weeping habit. Both are edible."}],"preparation":"Berries are edible raw (mealy) but shine as a magenta jelly with a mild, unique spice-fruit flavor.","facts":["Its berries form tight rings completely encircling the stem. A unique ID.","Its berries make a brilliant pink jelly.","Crushed leaves were a traditional mosquito repellent, and USDA research confirmed it.","It is a native shrub that feeds mockingbirds and cardinals in fall."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -31c -25i -24f -24b -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"kitchen","part":"Ripe berries","make":"Beautyberry jelly","how":"Simmer the berries in water, strain, and make jelly from the juice. It comes out magenta.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Callicarpa americana","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callicarpa_americana"},"photo":{"url":"/forage/beautyberry-jelly.webp","credit":"Illustration (AI-generated for RangerStar)","link":"/forage/beautyberry-jelly.webp"}},{"type":"herbal","part":"Leaves","make":"Mosquito repellent","how":"Folk use: crush fresh leaves and rub them on your skin. USDA scientists found its compounds repel mosquitoes in lab tests.","months":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"source":{"label":"USDA ARS (2006): A granddad's advice may help thwart mosquitoes","url":"https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2006/a-granddads-advice-may-help-thwart-mosquitoes"}}]},{"id":"maypop","plantId":"passionflower","name":"Purple Passionflower","scientific":"Passiflora incarnata","wiki":"Passiflora_incarnata","origin":"Native to the Southeast","habit":"Climbing vine","habitat":"{place} fields, fences, and roadside edges","ediblePart":"Ripe fruit pulp","harvestMonths":[7,8,9],"idTips":"A climbing vine with 3-lobed leaves, coiling tendrils, and the famous intricate lavender-and-white flower. Its fruit is a GREEN, EGG-SHAPED BERRY that turns yellow-white and wrinkled when ripe, and POPS LOUDLY when stepped on.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Passionflower relatives","scientific":"Passiflora spp.","danger":"Some passionflowers contain cyanide-releasing compounds that make them somewhat poisonous.","tell":"Eat only the ripe, wrinkled fruit of a positively identified native maypop (Passiflora incarnata): egg-shaped, yellowing when ripe, on a vine with 3-lobed leaves."}],"preparation":"The ripe, wrinkled fruit's pulp is eaten fresh or strained for juice. Sweet and tart.","facts":["Its fruit 'pops' loudly when stepped on, giving the name 'maypop.'","It is the host plant of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly.","Its flower's structures were named by missionaries for the Passion of Christ.","Its ripe fruit can be eaten straight off the vine, with a mild apricot-like sweet-tart taste."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Passiflora","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora"}],"factRefs":{"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Passiflora incarnata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -31c -27h -25i -24f -24b -26c -23a","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Ripe fruit","make":"A sweet-tart maypop","how":"Wait until the fruit is yellowish and wrinkled, then crack it open and suck out the pulp around the seeds.","caution":"Only ripe fruit: green fruit is not safe to eat.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Passiflora incarnata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata"}},{"type":"drink","part":"Ripe fruit","make":"Maypop juice","how":"Press the pulp through a strainer and sweeten.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Passiflora incarnata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata"}},{"type":"herbal","part":"Leaves","make":"Calming tea","how":"Folk use: dried leaves are steeped as a tea for relaxation and sleep.","caution":"A traditional remedy, not medical advice. Avoid during pregnancy.","months":[5,6,7,8,9],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Passiflora incarnata","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata"}}]},{"id":"sumac-lemonade","plantId":"sumac-fragrant","name":"Fragrant Sumac","scientific":"Rhus aromatica","wiki":"Rhus_aromatica","origin":"Native to the eastern U.S.","habit":"Sprawling shrub","habitat":"{place} dry edges, openings, and sandy woods","ediblePart":"Ripe red berry clusters (for a tangy drink)","harvestMonths":[8,9,10],"idTips":"Two native sumacs make 'sumac-ade.' Fragrant sumac is a low shrub with 3-parted, toothed leaves; winged sumac has many leaflets on a leaf stalk with flat green wings. Both have FUZZY RED BERRY CLUSTERS that stand UPRIGHT at the branch tips in late summer and fall, and neither has thorns. Neither is poison sumac.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Poison Sumac","scientific":"Toxicodendron vernix","danger":"SEVERELY TOXIC; causes serious rash. Do not touch.","tell":"Poison sumac has WHITE, DROOPING berry clusters (not red upright ones), 7–13 leaflets per leaf, and it grows in SWAMPS. Edible sumacs have red, upright, fuzzy berries and 3 (or many) leaflets on dry ground."}],"preparation":"Soak ripe berry clusters in cold water, strain, and sweeten into 'sumac-ade'. A pink lemonade-like drink.","facts":["Its berries are FUZZY, RED, and stand upright. Never white or drooping.","The white, drooping berries of poison sumac mark its dangerous lookalike.","It is completely non-poisonous, unlike its infamous wetland cousin.","The berries contain malic acid, which makes the famous tart 'sumac-ade.'"],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Rhus copallinum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhus_copallinum"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -31c -24f","uses":[{"type":"drink","part":"Ripe red berry clusters","make":"Sumac-ade","how":"Soak whole berry clusters in cold water for 30 minutes, rub them, strain through cloth, and sweeten. It turns pink and tastes like lemonade.","caution":"Poison Sumac has white berries and grows in swamps. Fuzzy red, upright clusters are the safe ones.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Rhus aromatica","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhus_aromatica"},"photo":{"url":"/forage/sumac-ade.webp","credit":"Illustration (AI-generated for RangerStar)","link":"/forage/sumac-ade.webp"}}]},{"id":"turks-cap-forage","plantId":"turks-cap","name":"Turk's Cap","scientific":"Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii","wiki":"Malvaviscus_arboreus","origin":"Native to Texas","habit":"Shrubby perennial","habitat":"{place} shady woods edges and yards","ediblePart":"Flowers and ripe red fruits","harvestMonths":[6,7,8,9,10],"idTips":"Red flowers that never fully open: petals stay twisted around a sticking-out column, like a turban. Small red, apple-shaped fruits follow. Soft, broad, lobed leaves.","lookalikes":[],"preparation":"Fruits eaten raw; flowers raw or steeped as tea.","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Ripe red fruits","make":"\"Mini apples\"","how":"Eat the small red fruits raw. Mild and a little like watermelon or apple.","months":[8,9,10],"source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Malvaviscus arboreus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaviscus_arboreus"}},{"type":"snack","part":"Flowers","make":"Flower nibble","how":"Pull off a flower and eat it or suck the nectar from the base.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Malvaviscus arboreus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaviscus_arboreus"}},{"type":"drink","part":"Flowers","make":"Turk's cap flower tea","how":"Steep a handful of fresh flowers in hot water; it turns pink-red.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Malvaviscus arboreus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaviscus_arboreus"}}],"facts":["Its flowers never open fully, which suits hummingbirds' long bills.","Its small red fruits are edible raw."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Malvaviscus arboreus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaviscus_arboreus"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"CP SCP MARSH 35b 35e 35f 33b 33f 32b 32c 30c STX RGV 35a 33e 32a"},{"id":"goldenrod-forage","plantId":"goldenrod","name":"Tall Goldenrod","scientific":"Solidago altissima","wiki":"Solidago_altissima","origin":"Native to North America","habit":"Tall perennial","habitat":"{place} fields, roadsides and prairie edges","ediblePart":"Flowers and leaves (for tea)","harvestMonths":[9,10,11],"idTips":"Tall single stems with many narrow, toothed leaves and big arching plumes of tiny yellow flowers in fall.","lookalikes":[],"preparation":"Steeped as tea.","uses":[{"type":"drink","part":"Flowers and leaves","make":"Goldenrod tea","how":"Steep a small handful of fresh or dried flower tops and leaves in hot water for 10 minutes. Mild, slightly bitter, honey-like.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Solidago","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago"}},{"type":"herbal","part":"Leaves and flowers","make":"Traditional remedy tea","how":"Folk use: used by Native Americans and in European herbalism for urinary and kidney complaints.","caution":"A traditional remedy, not medical advice.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Solidago","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago"}}],"facts":["Goldenrod is blamed for fall allergies, but ragweed is the real culprit."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Solidago","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"MOIST -24f -26c"},{"id":"yaupon-forage","plantId":"yaupon-holly","name":"Yaupon Holly","scientific":"Ilex vomitoria","wiki":"Ilex_vomitoria","origin":"Native to the Southeast","habit":"Evergreen shrub or small tree","habitat":"{place} woods, fencerows and yards","ediblePart":"Leaves (for tea only)","harvestMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"idTips":"Small, leathery, evergreen leaves with rounded teeth, alternate on the twig. Female plants carry shiny red berries in winter.","lookalikes":[{"name":"Chinese Privet","scientific":"Ligustrum sinense","danger":"Not for tea; its berries are mildly toxic.","tell":"Privet leaves are smooth-edged and in opposite pairs. Yaupon's are alternate with rounded teeth."}],"preparation":"Leaves dried or toasted and brewed as tea.","uses":[{"type":"drink","part":"Leaves","make":"Yaupon tea","how":"Toast fresh leaves in a dry pan or oven until they darken, then steep like green or black tea. It has caffeine, like green tea.","caution":"Only the leaves. The red berries are not food.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Ilex vomitoria","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_vomitoria"},"photo":{"url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Yaupon_Tea_from_teabag_in_mug_-_Tea_steeping.jpg/500px-Yaupon_Tea_from_teabag_in_mug_-_Tea_steeping.jpg","credit":"Infrogmation (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons","link":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yaupon_Tea_from_teabag_in_mug_-_Tea_steeping.jpg"}}],"facts":["It is North America's only native plant with caffeine.","Native peoples brewed it into a ceremonial 'black drink'."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Ilex vomitoria","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_vomitoria"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"PINEY CP SCP MARSH POST 32b 32c 30c 29b 32a"},{"id":"arrowleaf-sida-forage","plantId":"arrowleaf-sida","name":"Arrowleaf Sida","scientific":"Sida rhombifolia","wiki":"Sida_rhombifolia","origin":"Introduced; invasive weed","habit":"Woody-based weed","habitat":"{place} lawns, pastures and disturbed ground","ediblePart":"Leaves (for tea)","harvestMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"idTips":"A tough, branching weed with diamond- to arrow-shaped toothed leaves and small pale yellow, five-petaled mallow flowers.","lookalikes":[],"preparation":"Leaves steeped as tea.","uses":[{"type":"herbal","part":"Leaves","make":"Stimulating tea","how":"Folk use: a tea of the leaves is drunk in India for a stimulating effect. Its roots contain ephedrine, a stimulant.","caution":"Ephedrine can raise heart rate and blood pressure. Skip it if you have heart trouble, are pregnant or take stimulants. Not medical advice.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Sida rhombifolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sida_rhombifolia"}}],"pickToHelp":true,"facts":["Pulling it helps: it's an invasive weed of lawns and pastures."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Sida rhombifolia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sida_rhombifolia"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL"},{"id":"beefsteak-plant","name":"Beefsteak Plant","scientific":"Perilla frutescens","wiki":"Perilla_frutescens","origin":"Introduced from Asia; invasive in woods","habit":"Annual herb (mint family)","habitat":"{place} shady woods, trails and creek banks","ediblePart":"Leaves and seeds","harvestMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10],"idTips":"Square stems and opposite, toothed, broad leaves, green or purple-tinged, with a strong basil-mint-licorice smell when crushed. Spikes of tiny white to lavender flowers in fall.","lookalikes":[],"preparation":"Leaves raw or cooked, like basil.","uses":[{"type":"snack","part":"Leaves","make":"Wild \"basil\"","how":"Pick a leaf and eat it. Tastes like basil and mint with a hint of licorice.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Perilla frutescens","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perilla_frutescens"}},{"type":"kitchen","part":"Leaves","make":"Salads, wraps and stir-fries","how":"Tear into salads, wrap around rice, or toss into stir-fries. It is the shiso of Japanese cooking.","source":{"label":"Wikipedia: Perilla frutescens","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perilla_frutescens"}}],"pickToHelp":true,"facts":["It's toxic to cattle and horses, but people eat it widely as shiso.","Pull it up while you pick: it's invasive in woodlands."],"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Perilla frutescens","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perilla_frutescens"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b EDW CROSS STX ROLL HIGH TRANS","range":"ALL -24f -24b -23a"}]}