Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Friday - September 30, 2005
From: Rubicon, WI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Edible Plants
Title: Edible wild plants in Montana
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Where can I find information about wild edible plants in Montana?ANSWER:
There is an excellent source on the Montana Plant Life webpage. The edible plants are divided into the following categories: Berries, Seeds, Leaves, Stems, Flowers, Roots, and Spices. There is a description of the plant with photographs and the plant's distribution. There is a description of the edible portions (with cautionary notes) and how the plants have been used tradtionally.Here are some print sources for information about edible plants in general and edible plants in the West:
1. Gregory L. Tilford. 1997. Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West. Mountain Press Publishing.
2. Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman. 1990. Edible Wild Plants. Sterling Publishing.
3. Betty Derig and Margaret Fuller. 2001. Wild Berries of the West. Mountain Press Publishing.
You can read reviews of these and several more titles on the Wild Food Adventures web page.
Here is another list for the wetter areas of the Pacific Northwest.
1. Terry Domico. 1982. Wild Harvest: Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Hancock House Publishing.
2. Carol R. Biggs. Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants: Alaska, Canada & Pacific Northwest Rainforest. Alaska Nature Connection.
You can also find more books in the Native Plant Bibliography on the Wildflower Center web page.
More Edible Plants Questions
Are gourds poisonous, edible?
August 27, 2008 - Are all the Gourds edible? How can I know which one is which? If it is not edible, is it poisonous? If not, what is stopping us from eating them?
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
August 04, 2012 - We found a bush on our ranch in southern Gonzales County. It has oval shaped leaves about an inch long. There are no thorns on the branches. Fruit is round and smooth, the size of a small cherry to...
view the full question and answer
Dead or Dormant Chile Pequins in Corpus Christi
November 12, 2010 - We have 4 chile pequin and 5 chiltepin plants growing our yard. All were thriving beautifully until we took a 12-day vacation in late July. There was little rain during that time but overall this y...
view the full question and answer
Landscaping with water garden from Pendleton SC
August 15, 2012 - Searching for native plants in SC. Your results miss some plants listed on your site. I noticed this reading the Mr. Smarty Plants response to "Edible Plants for North GA" We aren't far apart.
...
view the full question and answer
Are berries of American Beautyberry poisonous?
September 21, 2008 - I have an American Beautyberry Plant and I need to know if the purple berries are toxic - we have dogs and I wouldn't want them to eat them. Thanks for any information you may have on this plant.
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
