Sweet Cicely, Wood Nettles, & Wild Bouquet

I love when my days include walks in the woods.

It’s a pleasure to be able to nibble on the gifts I find everywhere along the trails. Today, that was sweet mountain cicely (Osmorhiza berteroi), which smells so good and is currently offering its green summer seeds for chewing on. The entire plant is edible, but the seeds in particular are like forest candy, tasting delightfully like a mild, sweet liquorice.

Wood nettles are also in and ready for harvesting. I didn’t have my gloves and scissors with me, but will come back directly (as we say in the South) and get a good batch for greens.

Finally, I picked wildflowers along the way and came home with this bouquet of (from the lower left) buttercups, Virginia waterleaf blossoms, blue-eyed grass, wild geranium, and daisy fleabane; plenty to put in a mug for the kitchen table.