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Here's a complete list of wild edibles and herbs found on Long Island, NY,

Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Here's a complete list of wild edibles and herbs found on Long Island, NY,



1. Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album). - Best Time to Harvest: Spring to early summer.

-For more information, click on picture..

Lambs Quarters
Lambs Quarters

2. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

- Best Time to Harvest: Early spring.

-For more information, click on picture..

Garlic Mustard
Garlic Mustard

3. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

- Best Time to Harvest: Spring and fall.

-For more information, click on picture..

Dandelion
Dandelion


4. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

- Best Time to Harvest: Spring before flowering.

-For more information, click on picture..

sticky willie
sticky willie

5. Wild Leeks (Ramps) (Allium tricoccum)

- Best Time to Harvest: Early spring.

-For more information, click on picture..


6. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer when leaves are young.

-For more information, click on picture..


7. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

- Best Time to Harvest: Spring and fall.

-For more information, click on picture..


8. Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

- Best Time to Harvest: Spring to early summer.

-For more information, click on picture..

Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)
Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

9. Plantain (Plantago major)

- Best Time to Harvest: Spring through fall.

-For more information, click on picture..

Plantain (Plantago major)
Plantain (Plantago major)

10. Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)

- Best Time to Harvest: Late spring to early summer.

-For more information, click on picture..

Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)
Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca)

11. Wild Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

-For more information, click on picture..

Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus)
Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus)

12. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer, when berries are fully colored.

-For more information, click on picture..


13. Cattails (Typha spp.)

- Best Time to Harvest: Early summer (for shoots and roots).

-For more information, click on picture..

Cattails (Typha spp.)
Cattails (Typha spp.)

14. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

-For more information, click on picture..

Mugwart
Mugwart

15. Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

-For more information, click on picture..

16. Hemp Nettle (Galeopsis tetrahit)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer after flowering.

-For more information, click on picture..


17. Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

- Best Time to Harvest: Spring (young shoots).

-For more information, click on picture..


18. Elderberry (Sambucus spp.)

- Best Time to Harvest: Late summer for berries.

For more information, click on picture..

Elderberry
Elderberry

19. Wild Grape (Vitis spp.) the leaf and grapes are edible

- Best Time to Harvest: Late summer to fall.

For more information, click on picture..


20. Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)

- Best Time to Harvest: Fall.

For more information click on picture..






21. Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)

- Best Time to Harvest: Spring to early summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Milk weed
Milk weed


22. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

Looks like wild carrot, wild carrot is more abundant on Long Island then Yarrow

For more information, click on picture..

Yarrow
Yarrow


23. Rose Hips (Rosa canina)

- Best Time to Harvest: Fall after the first frost.

For more information, click on picture..

Rose Buds
Rose Buds


24. Sorrels (Rumex spp.)

- Best Time to Harvest: Spring through early summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Sorrels
Sorrels

25. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Nasturtium
Nasturtium


26. Wild Carrot (Queen Anne's Lace) (Daucus carota)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Wild Carrot
Wild Carrot


27. Fiddleheads (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

-- Best Time to Harvest: Early spring.

For more information, click on picture..

Fiddle Heads
Fiddle Heads


Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads

28. Sea Purslane (Salicornia Europaea)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Sea Purslane
Sea Purslane


29. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

- Best Time to Harvest: Late summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)



30. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

- Best Time to Harvest: Late spring to summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)


31. Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

For more information, click on picture..

atnip (Nepeta cataria)
atnip (Nepeta cataria)


32. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

33.Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer.

For more information, click on picture..

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)


34 Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

- Best Time to Harvest: Summer, when flowers bloom

For more information, click on picture..

 Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
 Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
Hibiscus tea
Hibiscus tea
  1. Weeping willow tree bark is where they make aspirin from, boiler for ten minutes to make a aspirin tea, use in moderation for headaches

    -Best Time to Harvest: Anytime.

    For more information, click on picture..

    Weeping Willow
    Weeping Willow


  2. Mullein, great for chest congestion. Despite what your reseach tells you about this plant, DONOT USE IT IN REPLACE OF LEAVES OR TOILET PAPER.

    For more information, click on picture..


    Mullein
    Mullein

  3. Oak tree bark, makes a tasty tea that is great as an anti inflammatory.

    Best time to harvest, acorns in fall, bark anytime

    For more information, click on picture..

Oak Tree
Oak Tree
  1. Maple tree, Leaf's, and syrup.

    Best time to Harvest, spring for the baby leaf's and seeds

    Click on picture for more info..

    Maple Tree
    Maple Tree
  2. Birch tree water/sap

    Best time to harvest early spring for water/sap.

    Click on picture for more info..


    Extract Birch water/sap

    Birch tree
    Birch tree
  3. Wild lettuce Pain relief, what we do id harvest the leaves and put them in a big pot of water on our rocket stove, what you want to do is evaporate the water to 1/8 the total volume.

    Harvest late summer early fall.

    Wild lettuce
    Wild lettuce

    wild lettuce for pain relief

  4. Sun Flowers

    Harvest seeds in the fall. click picture for more info:


sun flowers
sun flowers
  1. Burdock: The root can be eaten raw or cooked, used in stews and soups, cleansing for the liver, good for skin problems and the immune system; click picture for more info:

Burdock Root.
Burdock Root.
  1. Onion Grass: Both the bulb and the grass leaves are edible; Onion grass is a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, and selenium.It's related to garlic, which is known for lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), improving blood pressure, and acting as an antibiotic. Click picture for more info:

    Onion Grass and Bulb
    Onion Grass and Bulb
  2. Witch Hazel tree: the bark is used for skin issues.

    Harvest the bark in the spring, and the fall. Click Picture to see benefits:

    Witch Hazel tree
    Witch Hazel tree

How to make witch hazel

  1. Wild Grass. Wait Green Grass? Yes. For an awesome short video click below.


Wild Grass Yum Yum Eatum Up
  1. Five top wild edibles on Long Island


Resources for Foraging

- Books:

- "Wild Edibles of North America" by John Kallas

- "Foraging New York" by Nicole Johnsey Burke

- Websites:

- Wild Food Adventures (https://wildfoodadventures.com

- Foraging for Wild Edibles (https://foragingwildedibles.com





Feel free to use this information as a guide for your foraging adventures on Long Island while ensuring the correct identification of plants and respecting local regulations regarding foraging!

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