Nibbling on Native Plants in your Backyard and Beyond

There’s an increasing interest among homeowners, property managers and others to utilize more native species in their landscaping. The fact that many of our native species are edible to humans as well as other animals may provide an additional incentive for people to plant native plants in their yards and landscapes. Juneberries (Amelanchier spp.), for example, are equally edible by animals (songbirds, e.g.) and people alike. The taste of the ripe fruit is like a cross between cherries and almonds (they’re all related species in the Rose family). 

In this webinar, join Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, for a presentation featuring at least two dozen species of native edible wild plants suitable for adding to your own landscape, or nibbling on as you encounter them in other locales. Keys to the identification of each species will be provided, along with edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation method(s), as well as guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. Russ will also include a few details regarding some native edible plants he has grown successfully from seed, and the partnerships he has made with conservation groups and others to add edible native plants to their landscapes.

Speaker bio: Until his retirement in June of 2015, Russ Cohen’s “day job” was serving as the Rivers Advocate for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, where one of his areas of expertise was in riparian vegetation. Now Russ has more time to pursue his passionate avocation, which is connecting to nature via his taste buds, and assisting others in doing the same. He has set up a small nursery in Weston, MA where he grows/keeps over 1,000 plants that he propagates from seed (most of which he collected himself), as well as obtains from other sources, such as the Native Plant Trust. Russ has worked with over three dozen local institutions and communities to plant plants from his nursery in appropriate places on their properties. 

Questions? Email events@mofga.org

This webinar is co-hosted by MOFGA and Wild Seed Project.