Thanks to its varied habitats and combination of native and introduced species, this world-famous park overflows with wild food. In disturbed areas, for example, we’ll encounter the deep taproots of burdock. This European nuisance plant is really highly nutritious and tasty. Health food stores sell it in tiny quantities at high prices as a detoxifier, and to help improve liver function and skin problems, but you can use it as a tasty root vegetable. Try making Basic Burdock Rice with it.

Another detoxifier that grows throughout the park is sassafras, the original source of root beer. Other beverages we'll find include the common spicebush, for tea, and ground ivy an excellent tea and a diuretic.

This is also the time to gather wild nuts. Rich-tasting black walnuts and savory gingko nuts will be on the menu.

Fruits and berries such as hackberries, red juneberries, hawthorn berries, and wild raisins are also in season now.

There will also be plenty of herbs and greens. We’ll be looking for sheep sorrel, chickweed, lamb’s-quarters, wood sorrel, epazote, and poor-man’s-pepper.

If rainy weather prevails beforehand, there may also be lots of choice gourmet mushrooms in the woods. On past tours in this section of the park at this time of year, we found large quantities of delicious hen-of-the-woods, a.k.a. maitake mushrooms, and savory honey mushrooms. We’ll also hunt for flavorful wine-cap stropharia mushrooms, delicious pear-shaped puffballs and gigantic chicken mushrooms.