Central Park
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Central Park Lake
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Central Park, always a great park for foraging, is spectacular in early summer. There are herbs, greens, and berries in season at the same time. If the humans haven't found and eaten them first, we'll find ripe blueberries along the lake or hidden in a thicket. We may also find highly flavorful black raspberries around the Shakespeare Garden. And the first wineberries, wonderfully juicy, tart Asian raspberries, will be ripening. Wild vegetables also thrive throughout the park. We'll be looking for poor man's pepper, sheep sorrel, wood sorrel, lamb's-quarters, lady's thumb, purslane, and Asiatic dayflower. We may also find the pungent seeds and bulbs of field garlic. |
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Field Garlic Seed Head
These purple seeds are as strong as commercial garlic, with an similar but distinct flavor. |
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Edible trees grace central park, and we'll be visiting 2 species that are in season all year. We'll find sassafras, the original souce of root beer. This "weed" tree is so prolific, we've been collecting saplings in the same place hundreds of times since 1982 without any impact on the environment whatsoever. We'll also gather seeds from the Kentucky coffee-tree, which produce the world's best caffeine-free coffee substitute. If it has rained beforehand, we may also find gigantic chicken mushrooms, brittle russulas, and prized king bolete mushrooms. |
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The 4-hour walking tour begins at 11:45 AM, Saturday, June 28, at Central Park West and 103rd St.
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Call (914) 835-2153 at least 24 hours ahead to reserve a place.
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Central Park T-shirt
Paintings and design by "Wildman" |