Wild Edibles of Spring

Wild Rose, an amazing native superfood

The flowers are fragrant and a beautiful pink here in the Pacific NW. I love using a few to top a delicious dessert, or a fresh salad. The flower petals can also be used to make a nice mild rose water for drinking. Just place a few into your fresh spring or filtered water, let it sit for a bit and drink. In the late summer or fall you will find rose hips, which are full of vitamin C and minerals to help transition into the cold months of the year. The rose hips form in fall after the flower petals fall away and insects have pollinated the flowers. The seeds can be removed from the shell, and the shell used for teas, making jam, or creating your own medicinal tinctures. Dried and powdered rose hips can even be mixed into honey for a nutrifying treat.


Wild Rose Essence Water

5 wild rose flowers
32 oz spring water
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 tsp wild honey


Place all ingredients into a glass jar and let sit for 4 hours or more in shade or 1 hour in the sun. Chill if desired and drink.









Salmonberries in the Pacific NW

This is the time for the first fresh wild berries of the season. There are many shades of salmonberries, including orange to deep red. Know your berries! They also have bright pink flowers before the berries form. They are slightly bitter and mildly sweet, but I love them straight from the forest. They taste great in a fresh bowl of plain yogurt or you can make a tasty raw vegan dessert.

Salmon Berry Parfait
1 cup salmonberries
1 cup cashews
2 tsp wild honey
a pinch of vanilla powder
1 tsp maca powder
1 T orange juice
1/2 cup spring water


Blend 1/2 cup salmonberries and remaining ingredients in a high power blender until smooth, then pour into two serving dishes layering with berries, then top with fresh salmonberries and wild rose petals.


Wild Miners Lettuce

This miners lettuce is beginning to flower, and is done for the season, but you may be able to scavenge a few more yummy leaves for a fresh spring salad this year. I love the delicate flavor, and it goes great with sorrel, which tastes like lemons.