Avena sativa Of all the plants we know, oats are among the most nutritive for both body and mind. The green tops and grains come from a cereal grass that originated in Europe, but is now cultivated on every continent. Oats grow best in cool, temperate climates, and have been used for thousands of years both as food and medicine.   Herbalists have long prized oats for their profound and restorative effect on the nervous system [1][2]. They ease anxiety, improve focus, and supp

Silybum marianum Thistles are found on meadows, pastures, and open fields in North America and much of the world. They are easily identified by their spiny, often white, leaves and large, bright purple flower heads that bloom over the summer. They are typically treated as weeds, but ecologically they are important plants that produce some of the richest nectar sources for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. ​ The genus contains a number of species with their own traditio

Trifolium pratense Red clover is a widespread and common species in meadows, pastures, and open fields throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. A low and spreading perennial plant, red clover is characterized by round pink-purple flower heads, and three-part leaves with distinctive faint white crescents across each leaflet. It is a nitrogen-fixing plant, which means it improves soil fertility for itself and its neighbors [1]. Red clover blossoms are edible, and mildly swee

Plantago lanceolata Plantains are found almost anywhere there’s soil to be had: beside trails, in meadows, and even between sidewalk cracks. The two most common species are broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) with wide, oval leaves and narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata) with long, lance-shaped leaves. Both are perennial herbs with smooth green leaves with parallel veins and upright flowering spikes brimming with tiny seeds. ​ The seed husks of Plantago major contain la

Rumex acetosella Sheep sorrel is found in meadows, pastures, and open spaces throughout North America and Europe. The low, slender perennial has arrow-shaped leaves, with tall reddish-green flower stalks in summer. Sheep sorrel is tangy, with oxalic acid responsible for its tart, lemony flavor. ​ The young leaves are edible, and can be used sparingly in salads, soups, or sauces for a sharp, lemony tang. It is a foraging favorite as a bright wild green to liven up any simple m

Matricaria discoidea Pineapple weed can be found growing in North America and Eurasia. It grows in compacted soils, on gravel paths, and along trails. It is an easy-to-find hardy annual plant that grows where few other plants will. The small greenish-yellow, dome-shaped flower heads lack petals. They give off a sweet pineapple scent when crushed. The finely divided leaves and low-growing habit of the plant make it easy to identify once you smell it. ​ Pineapple weed is a trad

Eschscholzia californica California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a perennial plant found in dry meadows, rocky slopes, and roadsides across the western United States. The plant has feathery blue-green leaves and sunny, golden-orange flowers that open during the day and close in the evening. It has been the state flower of California since 1903 and is both ornamental and medicinal. In herbal medicine, all of the aerial parts of the plant — stems, leaves, and flowers — a

Claytonia perfoliata Miner’s lettuce is native to western North America, where it can be found in shaded, rocky, and moist habitats. It is a cool-season annual that flourishes in the spring, forming a thick groundcover of round, bright green leaves. The stem pierces each circular leaf, and small white flowers bloom from the center – a simple trait that makes it easily identifiable. The leaves are crisp, juicy, and mild in flavor, with a taste similar to spinach. Miner’s lettu

Erythranthe cardinalis Scarlet monkeyflower lines streams, seeps, and moist forests throughout the western United States [1]. A perennial herb with brilliant red, tubular flowers that bloom through the summer, Scarlet monkeyflower favors reliably wet places and is often found growing along the sides of willows, alders, and ferns, at the intersection of groundwater and light [2]. The flowers are designed to be pollinated by hummingbirds, with narrow tubes, flared edges, and ne

Equisetum species The horsetail plant is one of the oldest lineages of plants on earth still living today. Fossil remains show that its ancestors once dominated prehistoric landscapes over 300 million years ago. Today, the living horsetail grows in thick clumps of hollow, jointed stems, with slim branches that give it a brush-like, pine-tree appearance. It’s a very common sight growing in damp soils all over North America, Europe, and Asia. You’ll see it lining riverbanks, di

Chlorogalum pomeridianum Soaproot is a California native plant that grows on dry, rocky hillsides, chaparral and oak woodlands. It comes up from a large bulb and forms a rosette of long, wavy, grass-like leaves. In late spring and summer the plant produces tall stalks with delicate white flowers which open at night and close by morning [1]. The bulb contains a high concentration of saponins, natural compounds that produce foam when shaken in water [2]. Native Californians tra

Umbellularia californica California bay laurel is native along the West Coast from southern Oregon through California’s coastal ranges and foothills. An evergreen tree with smooth gray bark and long glossy leaves, its leaves emit a sharp menthol scent when crushed. The flavor is strong, resinous, and cooling, and is a good substitute for, or complement to, the more familiar Mediterranean bay (Laurus nobilis). Because the leaves are much stronger, use just a few in recipes. Ba

Arbutus menziesii Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) is one of the most unusual native trees of the Pacific coast. Found from British Columbia all the way south to central California, this tree is identified by its smooth, thin bark which peels back in strips to reveal a cinnamon, orange, and red hue underneath. Madrone trees maintain a full set of glossy evergreen leaves year round, while in the spring clusters of small white bell-shaped flowers bloom. These give way to red-orange

Urtica dioica The stinging nettle plant is among the most mineral-dense and useful plants on the planet. It’s found across North America, Europe, and Asia, and prefers moist soils near rivers, forests, and pastures. A mature plant can be four or five feet high, though the smaller urban variety will remain low to the ground. The leaves and stems have fine hairs filled with formic acid and histamine, which stings and leaves red marks when you come into contact with it. The stin

Stellaria media Chickweed is a weak-growing, low-lying, cool-season plant that prefers shade and moist conditions. It sends out spreading stems that form thick carpets of greenery. The smooth, egg-shaped leaves are borne oppositely on slender, hairy stems with one line of tiny hairs running down the center. Chickweed’s small white flowers appear year-round in cool weather, and have five deeply cleft petals that give the appearance of ten petals – a star doubled in the center.

Rubus ursinus Wild blackberry is common throughout North America and grows easily in forest edges, meadows, and open, disturbed soil. It is a thorny, sprawling, arching bramble that roots at the point where the long cane touches the ground. The leaves are toothed, three- or five-leaflet compounds, depending on the species and age of the plant. In the West, Rubus ursinus is the only native species and has only three leaflets. It is a low trailing plant with three leaved canes

Rosa californica California wild rose (Rosa californica) is native to the West Coast. This shrub grows in open woodlands, streambanks and meadows from Oregon south to Baja California [1]. Dense thickets of arching, thorn-studded stems support compound leaves divided into sharply serrated leaflets. California wild rose blooms in spring and early summer with simple, five-petaled pink flowers. Unlike the open layers of most cultivated roses, these blooms are tightly clustered an

Stachys rigida Rigid hedgenettle is a western North American native perennial herb of dry meadows, open woodlands, and grasslands. This upright plant, often 1 to 3 feet tall, has square stems and paired opposite leaves that are toothed on the edges. As with all mints, the leaves are rough and slightly wrinkled and the stems are square in cross-section. Crush a leaf and you will detect a sharp, earthy scent. The fragrance of rigid hedgenettle isn’t as sweet as peppermint or sp

Corylus cornuta Beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) is a shrub native to most of North America, from deep shade to sunlit forest edges, streambanks, and moist slopes. It often grows as a dense thicket, and can reach a height of three to fifteen feet. The leaves of beaked hazelnut are broad, oval, and double-toothed. The underside of the leaves is fuzzy. This, along with its leaves' sharply double-serrated edges, differentiates it from other shrubs [1][2]. In early spring, male

Vaccinium ovatum California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) is an evergreen shrub native to the Pacific coast from British Columbia south to central California. It is a component of coastal forests, shady canyons, and redwood understory, often forming impenetrable thickets under the canopy of larger trees. Leaves are alternate, shiny dark green, finely serrated, and smaller than those of most other huckleberries, along narrow, wiry, woody stems. In spring, plants are covered w