by wide eyed lib
People frequently ask me if I'm concerned that I might someday eat the wrong plant. I'm always nice about answering that no, I'm not at all worried. I know the plants I harvest, and if I can't ID a plant with certainty, I won't eat it. Some people, though, almost can't believe that someone can easily distinguish between individual species. That's sad enough, but then they want to project that inability on to me as well. (Right: Golden Alexander Flower (Zizea aurea) by wide eyed lib. Tea made from the root of this carrot and parsnip relative has been used to reduce fever.) There's also a misconception among some people that you have to know every plant out there before you can forage. That's like saying I would need to know every word before I could read, or like saying that I'd need to see every face out there in order to recognize my dad. Sounds kind of absurd when I put it like that, doesn't it? Covered: poison hemlock
continued at Daily Kos....
