Saxon Woods Park
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Saxon Woods Park's forested areas and swamps are excellent places for late spring foraging, and we'll be very busy with a variety of native and exotic plant species as we explore these habitats. The sunny borders between woodlands and open areas provide prime habitat for wild herbs and greens. We'll look for sheep sorrel and wood sorrel, with their wonderful lemony flavors. Poor man's pepper, a common, delicious wild mustard, also appears in great abundance in disturbed habitats. And its even more abundant relative, garlic mustard, is taking over the forest. The edge of the woods is also full of burdock, a delicious and healthful taproot, and its relative, common thistle. This forbiddingly thorny plant has a delicious, celery-like flower stalk. Simply handle with work gloves until you've peeled off the forbidding-looking thorns. |
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In the woods, we'll hunt for more edible and medicinal herbs and beverages such as piquant-flavored greenbrier leaves and shoots, ramps, the world's best onion species; and flavorful pokeweed shoots. We'll also be looking for root beer flavored sassafras, wintergreen-flavored black birch twigs, and jewelweed, a preventative for poison ivy.
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The 90-minute walking tour begins at 10 AM, Monday, Memorial Day, May 25, at the Saxon Woods parking lot north of the Hutchinson River Parkway, near the swimming pool, not the southern entrance.
Call (914) 835-2153 at least 24 hours in advance to reserve a place. |
