Fireweed
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I'm assuming you are referring to Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) - if so, I'm not aware of the rhizome being eaten, but the young shoots and the stem pith are.
Because we have members from all over the world it's best to quote the Latin names when discussing food and medicine uses of plants to make sure there's no ambiguity.
Yes the rosebay willow herb the roots are edible but I’m curious as to how much starch they contain thanks.
There's a site called Plants for a Future. It can be very good on the nutritional stuff of individual plants. Many of the so called Famine Foods that our industrialised nation mostly forgot, for instance.
Fireweed (I know it as that too) though Broch's point is well made, isn't something I'm very fond of. It's young shoots can be eaten like asparagus, and the leaves can be treated like tea....gently crushed and laid out to dry....and make a fairly decentish tea.
I don't know about the roots, I did try them raw and fresh but my mouth reacted badly and nipped and started to swell up. So, I reckoned that they weren't something I could eat.
I am the canary in the coalmine though and react badly to foods that are very safe for others. I can't eat fish, bananas, kiwi fruits because of that.
I'd say give it a, careful, go.
I do know that the roots of the Bullrush (properly known as cattails) are very good though, rich in starch/calories, and fairly easily, if muddily, obtained. Be careful where you gather though because they will accrete heavy metals if the waters they are in are contaminated.
M
Epilobium angustifolium Willow Herb PFAF Plant Database
Epilobium angustifolium is a PERENNIAL growing to 2 m (6ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both...
pfaf.org
Fireweed (I know it as that too) though Broch's point is well made, isn't something I'm very fond of. It's young shoots can be eaten like asparagus, and the leaves can be treated like tea....gently crushed and laid out to dry....and make a fairly decentish tea.
I don't know about the roots, I did try them raw and fresh but my mouth reacted badly and nipped and started to swell up. So, I reckoned that they weren't something I could eat.
I am the canary in the coalmine though and react badly to foods that are very safe for others. I can't eat fish, bananas, kiwi fruits because of that.
I'd say give it a, careful, go.
I do know that the roots of the Bullrush (properly known as cattails) are very good though, rich in starch/calories, and fairly easily, if muddily, obtained. Be careful where you gather though because they will accrete heavy metals if the waters they are in are contaminated.
M
Thankyou Iv eaten many roots but only recently learned off fireweed it’s v interesting it’s quite abundant
It is, isn't it ? and it's a common and hardy weed. Knowing that I couldn't eat it safely though, I admit that I've mostly eradicated it from my garden. I did make the tea, and it was very good, but you can use any of the willowherbs for that. But tea, good stuff though it may be, isn't really 'food', and I think that's your interest ?
The other site that's excellent for stuff like this is Fergus the Forager. He even made a yew aril tart
I am very fond of yew berries, even knowing being careless with them could kill me, I like them. It was fun finding out that someone else liked them enough to actually bake with them.
fergustheforager.co.uk
fergustheforager.co.uk
The other site that's excellent for stuff like this is Fergus the Forager. He even made a yew aril tart
I am very fond of yew berries, even knowing being careless with them could kill me, I like them. It was fun finding out that someone else liked them enough to actually bake with them.
Fergus the forager & Friends | Courses/Recipes/Reference
Fergus Drennan is a wild food experimentalist and educator, runs regular full day total immersion foraging courses for the general public and privately. He has written regularly on wild food and…
fergustheforager.co.uk
Yew Berry Tart | Fergus The Forager
If you know anything about the toxicology of yew, you might consider this recipe as being the plant-based wild food foragers version of the notorious Japanese Fugu or blow fish dish. Hence…
fergustheforager.co.uk
Epilobium angustifolium. Massive mountain slopes covered with it for it's name = Fire weed, in the autumn. Should have taken pictures but we kinda got lost on logging roads. The map was no help. Weekly artisan's market here in the village. I found some jars of "Fireweed Jelly."
Blindfolded, it had the most surprising intense grape flavor from the flowers.
Blindfolded, it had the most surprising intense grape flavor from the flowers.
OK, but to be clear, Epilobium ciliatum is known as American Willowherb in the UK; Rosebay Willowherb, which we call fireweed colloquially, is Charmerion angustifolium.
I rest my case
I rest my case
I've eaten rosebay willowherb rhizomes but raw and cooked with out any apparent ill effects but I only had a small amount. The main issue was it tasting absolutely disgusting, not bitter or sour just a really disgusting flavour.
Having just had a quick trawl through the net of British foraging sites, even there the two scientific names are given and confused.
Couldn't find info on the nutritional value of the roots though.
So there are three scientific names we've to suss out ?
Charmerion angustifolium
Epilobium ciliatum
Epilobium angustifoliaum
With the first one being the British 'Fireweed'.
yes ? no ?
M
Couldn't find info on the nutritional value of the roots though.
OK, but to be clear, Epilobium ciliatum is known as American Willowherb in the UK; Rosebay Willowherb, which we call fireweed colloquially, is Charmerion angustifolium.
I rest my case
So there are three scientific names we've to suss out ?
Charmerion angustifolium
Epilobium ciliatum
Epilobium angustifoliaum
With the first one being the British 'Fireweed'.
yes ? no ?
M
I love yew berries just don’t eat to much they are a extreme laxative in large quantities and you will have no option but to dump in the woods it hits u from nowere from nowere aha ,my favourite tea is from Scott’s pine needles chopped finely.It is, isn't it ? and it's a common and hardy weed. Knowing that I couldn't eat it safely though, I admit that I've mostly eradicated it from my garden. I did make the tea, and it was very good, but you can use any of the willowherbs for that. But tea, good stuff though it may be, isn't really 'food', and I think that's your interest ?
The other site that's excellent for stuff like this is Fergus the Forager. He even made a yew aril tart
I am very fond of yew berries, even knowing being careless with them could kill me, I like them. It was fun finding out that someone else liked them enough to actually bake with them.
Fergus the forager & Friends | Courses/Recipes/Reference
Fergus Drennan is a wild food experimentalist and educator, runs regular full day total immersion foraging courses for the general public and privately. He has written regularly on wild food and…
Yew Berry Tart | Fergus The Forager
If you know anything about the toxicology of yew, you might consider this recipe as being the plant-based wild food foragers version of the notorious Japanese Fugu or blow fish dish. Hence…
There natures fruit pastels or energy gelsIt is, isn't it ? and it's a common and hardy weed. Knowing that I couldn't eat it safely though, I admit that I've mostly eradicated it from my garden. I did make the tea, and it was very good, but you can use any of the willowherbs for that. But tea, good stuff though it may be, isn't really 'food', and I think that's your interest ?
The other site that's excellent for stuff like this is Fergus the Forager. He even made a yew aril tart
I am very fond of yew berries, even knowing being careless with them could kill me, I like them. It was fun finding out that someone else liked them enough to actually bake with them.
Fergus the forager & Friends | Courses/Recipes/Reference
Fergus Drennan is a wild food experimentalist and educator, runs regular full day total immersion foraging courses for the general public and privately. He has written regularly on wild food and…
Yew Berry Tart | Fergus The Forager
If you know anything about the toxicology of yew, you might consider this recipe as being the plant-based wild food foragers version of the notorious Japanese Fugu or blow fish dish. Hence…
Yes, Ca is Rosebay Willowherb, sometimes called fireweed, in the UK (but, confusingly also called fireweed in the US)
Ec is American Willowherb, called fireweed in the US
Ea is an accepted Latin name for Rosebay Willowherb, but Ca is current.
Almost as confusing as using colloquial names!
Unfortunately, as genetic analysis is being used more and more, many plants and fungi are being moved around the family/genus groupings. Any reference more than a few years old is likely to be out of date!
It's a pain in the situpon, but I know that, just like on this thread, it's the only way to make sure that we're sure about which plant we're talking about.
Fireweed, so Charmerium angustifolium here in the UK....for the present
I have never found that to be an issue. Seriously, I eat like grapes and just enjoy the seasonal bounty.
We're all different.
If I eat fish, I'm throwing up and covered in hives, but my brother would live on the stuff.
Fireweed, so Charmerium angustifolium here in the UK....for the present
I have never found that to be an issue. Seriously, I eat like grapes and just enjoy the seasonal bounty.
We're all different.
If I eat fish, I'm throwing up and covered in hives, but my brother would live on the stuff.
Definitely good energy in yew berries reminds me offf glucose energy gel hiking /marathon packsIt's a pain in the situpon, but I know that, just like on this thread, it's the only way to make sure that we're sure about which plant we're talking about.
Fireweed, so Charmerium angustifolium here in the UK....for the present
I have never found that to be an issue. Seriously, I eat like grapes and just enjoy the seasonal bounty.
We're all different.
If I eat fish, I'm throwing up and covered in hives, but my brother would live on the stuff.
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