Kevin F. Duffy
Harvesting Nature’s Bounty is a treasure trove of nature wisdom and lore. It not only covers wild edible and medicinal plants and survival skills, it also covers subjects as varied as fish stunners, weather predictors, cricket temperature, pine pitch glue, natural bug repellents, and a wide variety of exciting new culinary sources.
This book will show you how to commune with nature and reconnect at a level known only to our distant ancestors. This book will empower the reader with the knowledge and resources needed to begin their re-connection back to the Earthmother. The reader will learn where the treasures of nature are located and how they can be used. The reader will also learn how to assist nature in her recovery as they learn. As readers begin to see nature at deeper level, they will begin to recognize all of her inhabitants both large and small and see the significant role each play in the big scheme. When this happens, the reader will never look at a field, forest, or blade of grass the same ever again.
Over 200 species are discussed along with their various uses. Several articles have been published in various magazines and newsletters based on this research. This book is heavily annotated with references. In addition to the research, most of the accounts are from first hand experience and approximately 100 supporting photographs are included. This book offers a unique collection of Nature Lore available nowhere else.
There are other books covering various aspects referenced in Harvesting Nature’s Bounty, such as wild edible plant identification books. There is no other single book that covers the breadth of nature lore including edible, medicinal, and utilitarian plant uses. Also included in this book is a wide range of other unique nature lore including little known useful tricks used primarily by Native Americans. Several aspects of wilderness survival including shelters, fire starting, water collecting, and alternative hunting methods without weapons are also covered. This book is a cornucopia of nature lore that will have a wide appeal to anyone interested in any aspect of nature. If you ever wanted to know the answers to any of the following questions then this book is for you:
Do you want to know how to eat a pine tree?
Do you think you don’t have any wild edible or medicinal plants near you? Think again! The author of this book found over thirty in his very unexceptional small suburban lot.
Do you know where and how to safely collect wild edible and medicinal plants without hurting nature’s delicate balance? This book will not only show you how but will tell you how to enhance nature’s garden.
Would you like to learn how to find and eat some of the most important food staples of the Native Americans like acorns, groundnuts, cattails, and others?
Wouldn’t you like to know how to build a survival shelter with no tools that can protect you and keep you dry in sub-freezing weather?
Do you want to know how to catch large bullfrogs during the day without any tools or weapons?
Would you like to know about a plant that will prevent poison ivy from developing after you have been exposed?
Would you like to know how to find wild edible plants in the dead of winter?
Did you know that North America’s largest native fruit can’t be purchased in any grocery store? It can only be found in nature.
Have you ever tried North America’s largest berry? It, too, can’t be found any grocery store. It is also as sweet as any candy you have ever eaten.
Would you like to know about natural treatments that can be found in nature for over dozens of the most common complaints? According to the latest scientific studies cited in this book, some of these remedies may be more effective and safer than anything man-made.
Did you know that many of the European settlers died from scurvy while living in the midst of many plant species that have a greater abundance of easily obtainable vitamin C than orange juice?
Do you have a headache and want some quick relief from nature?
Would you like to know how to make epoxy glue from natural sources?
Did you know there is a plant growing in your lawn that is more nutritious than any vegetable you can find in the grocery store and that this plant is available in nature year-round?
Would you like to know how to stun fish with natural plant substances and have them float to the surface for easy collection?
Would you like to know about natural plant sources that can be used for bug repellents? They also smell good as well, and a lot of them can also be eaten.
Would you like to impress your friends by showing them how you can tell the temperature by listening to the crickets?
Would you like to know about an aquatic plant that prevents the growth of mosquito larvae in its presence?
Would you like to know how to get safe water from nature?
Would you like to know how to collect large edible crayfish with just a flashlight and a bucket at night?
Would you like to find natural wild substitutes for the majority of the spices in your spice rack?
Would you like to be introduced to an abundant wild relative of spinach that tastes a whole lot better and is significantly more nutritious?
Did you know that many flowers growing in your yard might be...?
Kevin is a retired Naval Officer. He has a BS degree in Biology Education and a Masters Degree in Computer Science. During his career in the Navy, he attended eight wilderness survival courses. While stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland, Kevin served as a volunteer naturalist at the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge where he conducted monthly wild edible plant walks. Upon his retirement from the Navy, he returned to his native Indiana where he continued to conduct local wild edible plant walks as well. He has also given talks to Rotary clubs and scout groups. Kevin has published several magazine articles while doing research for his book. Currently, Kevin works during the week as a computer consultant, and on the weekends, he returns home to his 23-acre farm in Greenville, Indiana, where he continues to enjoy and learn about nature.
The Big Fourth: Cattails
I can think of no other North American plant that is more useful than the cattail. This wonderful plant is a virtual gold mine of survival utility. It is a four-season food, medicinal and utility plant. What other plant can boast eight food products, three medicinals, and at least twelve other functional uses?
The Common Cattail (Typha latifolia) and its brethren Narrowleaf Cattail (Typha angustifolia), Southern Cattail (Typha domingensis), and Blue Cattail (Typha glauca) have representatives found in North America and most of the world. While living in Northern Japan, I spent many chilling mornings in snowstorms among miles of cattails while duck hunting. Just about any place you can find year round standing water or wet soil you can usually find cattails.
In Euell Gibbons’ Stalking the Wild Asparagus, his chapter on cattails is titled "Supermarket of the Swamp." As you will see this title aptly applies to cattail. However, due to its medicinal and utilitarian uses we may want to mentally modify the title to "Super Wal-Mart of the Swamp."
The characteristic brown seed head readily identifies cattails. However there are some poisonous look-alikes that may be mistaken for cattail. None of these look alikes possess the brown seed head. Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) and Yellow Flag (Iris pseudoacorus) and other members of the iris family all posses the cattail like leaves but none possesses the brown seed head. All members of the Iris family are poisonous. Another look alike which is not poisonous, but whose leaves look more like cattail than Iris, is the Sweetflag (Acorus calamus). Sweetflag has a very pleasant spicy sweet aroma when the leaves are bruised. It also does not possess the brown seed head. Sweetflag and Iris are more flat at their bases and are splayed out like a hand of playing cards. Day-lilies also grow in this splayed playing card fashion. Sedges have a central raised ridge in the center of their leaves. Neither the Irises nor Cattail have the sweet spicy aroma possessed by the Sweetflag. I have seen large stands of Cattails and Sweetflag and Irises growing side by side. As with all wild edibles, positive identification is essential. If you are not sure do not eat it.
In just about any survival situation whether self imposed or not, one of the first plants I will look for is the cattail. As a food plant, cattails are outstanding and offer a variety of food products according to the season. In winter and early spring dig up the roots to locate the small pointed shoots called corms. These can be removed, peeled and eaten fresh, added with other spring greens for a salad, or cooked in stews or alone as a potherb. Be advised that eating any raw aquatic plant present the risk of contracting Giardia. As the plant growth progresses where the shoots reach a height of two to three feet above the water, peel and eat like the corms or sauté. This food product is also known as "Cossack Asparagus" due to the Russians fondness for it (Gibbons, 1962).
In late spring to early summer, some of my favorite food products come into fruition on the cattail. Soon after these shoots become available, the green female bloom spikes and the male pollen spikes begin to emerge. These spikes can be found in the center of the plant and form a cylindrical projection that can only be detected while close to the plant. Peel back the leaves in the same way you would shuck corn and both the male portion above and the female below can be seen. The female portion will later develop into the familiar brown "cattail" seed head from which the plant’s name is derived. The male portion will atrophy into a small dried twig that may easily break off the top of the seed head. Both the male and female pollen spikes can be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob and are both delicious. The male portion provides a bigger meal at this stage. They have a flavor that is corn-like, but distinct from corn. I cannot imagine anyone finding the flavor objectionable. Both may also be eaten raw. The risk of contracting Giardia from these portions of the plant is minimal due to their physical separation from the water.
Later the male pollen head will begin to develop an abundance of yellow pollen with a talcum powder consistency that can easily be shaken off into any container. Several pounds of this can be collected in less than an hour. The traditional use of this pollen is to substitute for some of the flour in pancakes to make cattail pancakes. This also works well with cornbread. Other uses of the pollen include thickeners or flour extenders for breads, cakes, etc.
In late summer to early fall the inner tender portions of the leafstalk may still be collected, but the availability of this Cossack Asparagus begins to dwindle due to the toughening up of the plant. During this period and all the way to spring, the most abundant food product, the root starch, may be harvested. It is so abundant, a study was conducted at the Cattail Research Center of Syracuse University’s department of plant sciences. The chief Investigator of the project was Leland Marsh. The results as they reported were as follows:
"Yields are fantastic. Marsh discovered he could harvest 140 tons of rhizomes per acre near Wolcott, NY. That represents something more than 10 times the average yield per acre of potatoes. In terms of dry weight of cattail flour, the 140 tons of roots would yield approximately 32 tons." (Harris, 1971)
To extract the flour or starch from the cattail root, simply collect the roots, wash and peel them. Next break up the roots under water and the flour will begin to separate from the fibers. Continue this process until fibers are separated and the sweet flour is removed. Remove the fiber and pour off the excess water and allow the remaining flour slurry to dry by placing near a fire or in the sun. Cattail root flour also contains gluten. Gluten is the constituent in wheat flour required allowing flour to rise in yeast breads. Additionally, the Iroquois Indians macerated and boiled the roots to produce a fine syrup, which they used in a corn meal pudding and to sweeten other dishes (Murphey, 1990). Some Indians burned the mature brown seed heads to extract the small seeds from the fluff, which was used to make gruel and added to soup.
The medicinal uses of cattails include poultices made from the split and bruised roots that can be applied to cuts, wounds, burns, stings, and bruises. The ash of the burned cattail leaves can be used as an antiseptic or styptic for wounds. A small drop of a honey-like excretion can often be found near the base of the plant that can be used as an antiseptic for small wounds and toothaches.
The utility of cattail is only limited to your imagination. The dried stalks can be used for hand drills and arrow shafts. The seed heads and dried leaves can be used as tinder. The seed head fluff can be used for pillow and bedding stuffing or as a down in clothing. The leaves can be used for construction of shelters, woven seats and backs of chairs, which has been a traditional use for hundreds of years. They can be woven into baskets, hats, mats, and beds. The dried seed heads attached to their stalks can be dipped into melted animal fat or oil and used as torches. The next time you see The Super Wal-Mart of the Swamp why not do some shopping?
