The Tastiest Wild Vegetable You Haven't Eaten

[@LeeBond-k8c]

Here in SW Ohio, I have to admit to overlooking this beautiful edible plant. Thanks Adam for this useful information! May God continue to bless your channel as you educate others. 😃

[@morgotha42]

my daughter use to pick this for me for flowers. I could just imagine the look on her face if I said thanks and then just started eating them on the spot lol! I do plan on trying it this summer.

[@AB-kg6rk]

i love this guy! Seems Carl Sagan smart and a natural educator. Hope you live long and prosper.

[@cantnv1]

Dude, I'm loving ALL of your videos! You have a voice and style that's so easy to listen to, and you are so thoroughly informative! I'm stoked that I found your channel 👏😊😊

[@LearnYourLand]

Thanks Jessica!

[@MegaHotboy87]

Me too, I'm stuck for 2+ hrs now, I want the book!!!

[@maytons]

I love your body of work and your sparkling personality. I do question the use of butter though.

[@deanframe9095]

You help me to be smarter and I Like it! Thanks!

[@MarkNowotarski]

There’s also a wonderful aroma to this flower, especially in the evening.

[@DaveKraft1]

Agreed. I like it better than the smell of phlox. I found is susceptible to powdery mildew, however, if not in a free airflow location. I have a roadside field of it as my computer screenshot.

[@mikewuerth4218]

I've been growing this in my yard for years, to enjoy the scent of the flowers. It never occurred to me to eat it!

[@rmcguire421]

After watching the video I already recognized it. It was growing about 70yards from where I was. It will definitely be on my wild spring edibles list. Great video as always. Thanks.

[@LearnYourLand]

Awesome, let me know what you think!

[@fw1240]

Having been eating these flower buds since they came in this year, i can confirm this is one of the easiest & most delicious veggies to grow. I've had the buds boiled in salt water with butter added after straining & also in soups. Haven't pan fried em yet. They're also a beautiful flower (my favorite) that smells awesome when the sun starts to go down.

[@ratslayer110]

This dude is gonna live forever!!!!

[@RamblinJer]

They also make a great addition to your flower garden and are easily transplanted

[@jamesblair8436]

Being a railfan and model railroader I've noticed these along the ROW. Now I'll have something to look forward to next spring when they start blooming again!

[@adreabrooks11]

Just a heads-up from a fellow railroad fan and forager: I would avoid foraging right along railways. The creosote used to treat wooden sleepers (railroad ties) contains multiple toxic compounds (to prevent the wood decaying) as well as known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). You're probably aware of this, James; but for others reading: the EPA states that a person should wear respirators and chemically-impervious gloves when handling railroad ties, not letting them near water supplies and so on. Serious business. These compounds are persistent in soil and linger more-or-less forever, but slowly get diffused/leeched away by water, carried off by worm activity and so on. This says nothing of the diesel, oil and (on old railways) coal dust that's been drizzled all over the environment during the rail system's use. Of course, eating a helping of food from a railroad side probably won't hurt you (in the way that swallowing a teaspoon of gasoline probably won't hurt you), but it's best to be safe. "Safe" is going to be relative, and the only way to be sure of contaminants is to have the soil tested. It will depend on how long the railway is/was used, how long it has been idle, how much traffic it's seen during that use, and whether/how much remediation has taken place. Naturally, a siding track out in the country that only saw occasional use in the 1960s is going to be safer than a heavy-traffic, in-use main line in a metropolitan area, due to the other pollutants I mentioned. However, it will still carry the creosote load. Those chemicals will have spread farther from an old track than a new one, but will also be less concentrated. TL;DR: Use common sense. In general, take into account the lay of the land. It's best to forage well uphill of a railroad or, if there's a dip in the land nearby, on the opposite side of the "V." Basically, away from the direction of drainage. Consider the amount of rain an area gets, local water-flow, etc. On old railways, where coal was used for fuel, also take into account the prevailing wind direction. Finally, when considering what to forage: fruits and flowers tend to carry rather less creosote load than root products and fungi. Dame's rocket flowers, raspberries and so on are safer (again "safe" being relative) than burdock root or mushrooms. Indeed, mushrooms are known to accumulate heavy metals and radioactive compounds (like the carbon 14 in coal), so I'd keep them right off the menu near railways. Anyway, this "quick heads up" is turning into a wordy field guide, so I'l wrap it up. In short, railroads can be lovely places to walk, and often provide valuable in-roads to other foraging sites, but I'd recommend foraging on them directly.

[@louisehiker9246]

Thanks Adam. I learned a couple things today! First of all, that this plan is edible. Second of all, I have been calling it Wild Phlox and I was wrong, LOL. I really enjoy your channel. Please keep up the good work.

[@LearnYourLand]

Thanks Louise! Yes... this does look a lot like Wild Phlox, so it's easy to see how the two can be confused for one another. If you try Dame's Rocket, let me know what you think!

[@beccareul]

Louise Hiker me too! In Michigan we call this wild phlox as well!

[@linnymaemullins3319]

Ikr😜

[@AlexAnder-rv1gu]

@@beccareul Dame's Rocket has 4 petals, Phlox has 5. They're actually two completely different species that just happen to look really really similar :) Phlox is native to N. America, Dame's Rocket is native to Europe.

[@lindakooistra1889]

This was terrific!!!

[@jojow8416]

You are a man with an encyclopedia full of knowledge. That's an ancient term for loaded with information. I love learning about the wild edibles of this part of the continent (came from remote area in Western Canada) and their medicinal properties. Thank you for so generously sharing your wealth of information.

[@LavenderLori406]

I am FASCINATED! I, along with the Salish/Kootenai on the reservation in western Montana, allow this to flower with abandon! Of the mustard family! Deer don't eat it, but I can! Wow, who knew my appreciation for it could grow any deeper! Than you Adam!

[@garyfischer4357]

I love your vids where you clearly identify something that can be eaten and how to prepare it.

[@Trendlespin]

I love this plant for the lovely purple flowers so nice to know that one can eat it too, if need be.

[@kevinaalberts9251]

This plant is a bundant in my back yard,I love the flowers they are all different colors and beautiful togethet! They smell crazy awesome!!! Thanks you.

[@tammytruthout8465]

OMG! I’m gonna try to propagate this! The buds are so, so delicious sautéed in butter! Thank you Adam for introducing me to this delicious wild veggie!

[@clarsach29]

wow I had no idea you could even eat this! In UK this is often grown as an old-fashioned cottage garden flower and its flowers have a delicious perfume too, especially as evening comes on....maybe next time I see it I will think about cooking it instead....

[@haggard21077]

thank you so much Adam. I never knew of this plant so this morning after I watched your video I went out to find some.....wow is it good!

[@LearnYourLand]

Awesome Josh! Glad you found it and liked it!

[@kaylaemerick8943]

Seriously. The first flower is what i have been looking for 💜💚💜💚💜💚💜

[@justinebourke2811]

Wow thankyou! I found this on a walk last year and got it's name on a plant identifier but thought it was just a pretty flower. I love that it has more uses than being ornamental..

[@moments4337]

Wow. Just saw some and took pictures of the beautiful flowers. Great to know their medicinal properties. I also live in PA.

[@anyascelticcreations]

I used to pick Dame's Rocket every year to put in vases when I lived in Wisconsin. It smells just heavenly. I've never eaten it, though, even though I've been eating wild plants all my life. I didn't know about this one. 👍

[@BillGreenAZ]

Thanks for putting up the graphic with the text. Sometimes it's difficult to know how to spell these plants so that we may later search for more info.

[@wesh388]

I see Dame's rocket all the time, never knew it was a tasty edible. Thanks for the info, love your videos 👍

[@khm2128]

I haven't eaten this yet but I have met & fallen in love with it. Thank you for the fun education!

[@biddibee3526]

I found this this morning. I’m so happy to find this video. I also found cleavers and horsetail.

[@ocean3638]

I'm a new subscriber. Love how you explain everything in a no nonsense way. Learned alot from you already. Many thanks to you.🙂🙏

[@scottkersey7893]

Hi Adam, thank you again for your time and patience. Also thank you for your reply. I will be trying these buds shortly. Have a great day.

[@tammytruthout8465]

I have this all over my yarden! Gonna try this! Thank you Adam! I love your videos!

[@scottkersey7893]

Thanks for sharing this video. I found these just today on my walk outdoors. I have tasted the flower petals which were good but did not taste the buds .I will be giving the buds a try. Thanks again for your videos Adam. Keep on keeping on.

[@LearnYourLand]

Awesome, Scott! Let me know what you think about the buds... especially when stir-fried.

[@christineflaherty5388]

I'm not going to lie, I adore your videos

[@THECRANKYONE]

Your channel is one of my new favorites. If you're ever in Nebraska, please come visit. We have a small wooded area on our property and I'd love to learn more about our potential food plants. We have a gòd variety! Thanks for what you do!!

[@victoriam3055]

Love your enthusiasm!

[@BillGreenAZ]

It's one of the things that makes his videos so enjoyable to watch.

[@richardesposito6622]

Thank You for this!! All of it is so relevant these days!!

[@yvonnemairose6100]

Thanks Adam as always such an inspiration, know your land and eat the "weeds"!

[@LearnYourLand]

You're welcome, Yvonne!

[@mellowyellowmom7631]

We always called these phlox. Very happy for the information!

[@didasinan9669]

Thank you . We all should learn what is around us with so much benefits that we are not aware off. I've seen this in park

[@dreamchaisr1]

I love your channel. It's the best one I found for complete information on the plants you showcase. I wish we had a "you" down south. I'd like to know more about the mushrooms in my area and the plants too. Although some of the plants you show grow here too. Herbalism and plant knowledge is something I'm fascinated with. I've got at least 6 or 7 different really nice wild plants that grow in my back yard. Dead nettle is one and turkey tail mushrooms too. I love you tell how to do the tinctures etc to use them medicinally. Great job and thanks again.

[@ubamilitary]

Hey. I just recently subscribed as I'm currently in a fungus phase. You live south of me, so these videos are a good heads-up before the seasonal edibles tend to appear. I knew about Dames Rocket when I first started getting into the outdoors and foraging. I knew it had medicinal properties but I didn't know it was actually good tasting. After watching this video I'll be harvesting a bunch of these which grow rigorously around here. These videos are really well done and informative, so thanks for taking the time to make them.

[@LearnYourLand]

Hey thanks for sharing your thoughts! Glad you're enjoying these videos!

[@ubamilitary]

I just got back from harvesting some. Ate it raw and at various stages of cooking. Once it got nice and crispy it tasted amazing. I tasted almost a broccoli and mushroom thing going on. Do you have any suggestions for how to prepare the rest of the plant?

[@scottkersey7893]

Hi Adam, I just wanted to say thank you for introducing this wonderful edible plant/vegetable to me. This will be at the top of my list as well. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Greatly appreciated.

[@LearnYourLand]

You're welcome, Scott! As always, thanks for watching and commenting.

[@zarnoffa]

Wow, I know where there’s a ton of these that were flowering last week. I’ll have to give it a try.

[@hillbillynick2000]

Thanks again Bud! You are 100% right, I was unaware of this one. I'm highly interested in the medicinal properties that you mentioned. I've been on pain meds for years and I'm trying to clean myself out and replace it with natural means and healthy living. Can you please point me to a link? Great work as always, you are fast becoming my favorite guy for wild edibles!!!

[@AngelaKaringLMTHerbalist]

Hops and teasel, Yah bless you

[@lisaclark494]

Glad I found your channel!

[@veggedout1030]

You are correct; I have never eaten it. Thanks for another excellent video.

[@LearnYourLand]

You're welcome... I hope you get a chance to try it!

[@yahawahschildtammyt]

Thank you Adam. I always enjoy these videos. I have just only started with these incredible wild plants. We have a pharmacy just outside our home... absolutely amazing.

[@randyhunt3086]

I know you are in Pennsylvania, what a wealth of information you give to people in the NE. Sure wish I had known about you and your channel when I lived in Massachusetts. I am now in the high deserts of Central Oregon and am wondering about the remedies that might be available in this area. Just wondering if you or someone watching your channel might know someone in my area that would have some knowledge of ancient plant type medicine/ edibles in the area around La Pine, Oregon. Thanks for sharing

[@JC-gp3qp]

Do you have a book???? I would love to have a book you have written!

[@pappapinskie5883]

I like dames rocket rosettes in the cold months. They survive the winter here in Wisconsin and they have a slightly spicy quality to them.

[@practicalsurvivor693]

Thank you for the details, I have this plant all over my property. I have been pulling it thinking it a weed but now I know better.

[@LearnYourLand]

Awesome, try it out and let me know what you think!

[@grunair]

It is a weed. www.appliedeco.com/dames-rocket/

[@aliverseidge]

I really enjoy the way you deliver information. Well done. Thank you for sharing.

[@LearnYourLand]

You're welcome, and thanks for watching!

[@kleineroteHex]

that's what that is!! thanks!!!

[@LearnYourLand]

You're welcome!

[@deanndubois3738]

I really like your videos. I learn a lot. 🤗thank you

[@randallcrawford4141]

I love to eat dames rocket but so do my chickens lol. They ate it down to the ground on one plant I had planted in my garden! I planted more seed and hope to have more next year

[@jzak5723]

Can't wait to try some of those buds this spring, I have a huge patch of it that normally comes up in the woods about a 5 minute walk away. I heard you can eat the young basal leaves in early spring also.

[@gpvaneron1584]

cool, have to give this one a shot

[@LearnYourLand]

Nice, let me know what you think!

[@prettypothos4me290]

This plant is my favorite wildflower. We have acres of them. I never knew what they were. The smell coming down the hill behind my house is my favorite part of late spring. It’s like vanilla. Next year I will try some for food. Thank you! Now if my husband runs over any with his mower he is really in trouble with me!

[@virginiarocks]

Wow. Ok. I know Dames Rocket but didn’t know it was edible. Foraging today!

[@robertrembert4818]

Adam! Awesome! i love this flower, and planted it in many places, knowing it is edible, but not too happy about the bitterness of the leaves... but now, i can not wait until May, to fry up some of the flower buds! Thanks!

[@SearchingNewAdventures]

Thank you so much for your video, please keep them coming

[@joshuadavid2259]

These things are everywhere here by the droves im gonna pick some n give it a try this year

[@reginaldbarnes632]

Love your videos. Good work. It does look a lot like what I was told was Phlox.

[@carpediem.9]

Love how I learn new things with your vids. Have to try this :)

[@ildiko1vt]

isn't this plant a type of Phlox? it sure looks similar. will have to look for it here in VT. thanks Adam. Aha....they are similar, but different: In North America, Hesperis matronalis is often confused with native Phlox species that also have similar large showy flower clusters. They can be distinguished from each other by foliage and flower differences: dame's rocket has alternately arranged leaves and four petals per flower, while phloxes have opposite leaves and five petals.

[@LearnYourLand]

Thanks for writing that! I should've mentioned the differences in the video because I did receive a lot of questions about the two plants. You summarized it nicely!

[@ildiko1vt]

Thanks, but cannot take the credit for the summary. (copied it online)

[@LittleRapGuy]

cool video

[@SNAFUPheonix]

Is sulforaphane a glucosinolate? It is a ward against cancer, cruciferous in origin. Love your work.

[@BonnieBlue2A]

Is this the same plant as woodland phlox? The flower looks similar.....

[@charlescannon6775]

BonnieBlue2A I believe "Cee Be" is correct. phlox does have 5 pedals.I am not familiar with dame's rocket though other cruciferous plants generally have 4 forming a cross hence the name cruciferous.

[@marylandsmann1175]

Do the flowers have a lovely sent? We have this. It perfumes our yard.

[@V13-m2z]

You got 4 aces! 🌻👍👏👏👏👏

[@practicalsurvivor693]

I like the shorter videos too, straight to the point ;)

[@LearnYourLand]

They're easier to make, too. ;)

[@Nerding4Nature]

Aw man, it doesn't grow around here. Will remember that next time I head east.

[@1973moondragon]

You can buy seeds and grow these even in containers

[@rosalindchioh1215]

its not related to this particular video but I came across some pine cones that exude a sticky sap that has a very fresh nice smell...wonder if these cones could b used as fresheners in cars...etc..also are there others uses i.e. medicinal or otherwise?...

[@jcjensenllc]

Please write a book on medicinal plants.

[@bethroundell8424]

Is this the same plant that is commonly called fire weed? It grows in great masses in fields.

[@foleydave26]

Once again good info. I think I will clone some wild mushrooms today. Time to fire up the flow hood.

[@NoggleBaum]

It would be beneficial to know the doses of these plants needed to be helpful/ noticeable effects

[@antoniochiappetta4833]

Hi Adam, would you mind sharing your educational background? You're very interesting to listen and learn!

[@krazyhippy420]

Hi adam i was wondering if you have done a video on mullein?

[@LearnYourLand]

Hello, I have not filmed a video on mullein. Perhaps I'll film one this year... thanks for the suggestion!

[@krazyhippy420]

Learn Your Land thanks for the reply, i learned alot from your channel keep yp the great work dude

[@joeyhinds6216]

Hi Adam. Is it possible to mistake Dontostemon dentatus for this plant?

[@sealyoness]

Is this like purple garden rocket?

[@raybobuzz]

Hey Adam could You do a video on blue sailors chicory?

[@FrogRogers]

ordered some seeds today. hope to have some growing next year....

[@BillGreenAZ]

Great idea mike rogers!

[@zkindinger]

Love the videos. Can you recommend any edible plant field guides? I'm in western NY so probably have similar forests.

[@LearnYourLand]

Hey Zach, check out all book by Samuel Thayer. You won't be disappointed.

[@gorsecht]

I am a forager in central PA and I love your videos! I tried to join your website community but kept getting an "insecure log-in" warnings. Thanks.

[@LearnYourLand]

Hey Geoffrey, apologies for that! The developers and I are currently tweaking the site to fix that. If you want to receive updates on videos and events, here's the newsletter sign up: confirmsubscription.com/h/i/8F756D78F98F8632

[@gorsecht]

Thanks

[@thisthatandtheotherchan5548]

Is the stem square?

[@michaelhanford8139]

Dig your work & wishing we are neighbors😄👍

[@georgefreedomwashingtontru9600]

I have not seen any in Richland s NC , bummer

[@linklesstennessee2078]

Interesting I've never seen this plant before

[@wisconsinfarmer4742]

Dames comes on just as yellow rocket, which I call wild broccoli, is headed for seed.

[@scottkersey7893]

May God bless!

[@scottkersey7893]

Thanks for your reply. I have 1 question. What do you recommend the cleaning process if any before cooking the buds?Thank you again.

[@LearnYourLand]

Scott - I typically don't clean these. Because the stalks are very tall (several feet high in most instances), they're relatively clean and free from debris. As long as you store them well until you get home, they should remain clean.

[@ildiko1vt]

Can you pick it and refrigerate it in water for a day or so? What is their flavor like Adam?

[@jakobw135]

Can I find this in Quebec?

[@DuyNguyen-lo2mm]

does it taste like spinach? If you can grow three herbs what would grow?

[@brt5273]

Seriously? My grandmother had a drift of dames rocket and I had no idea!!

[@janisb8064]

What is the difference between this and wild phlox ?