I Did It
I ate something wild every single day of 2025
Except one. I missed one day. I was in transit to somewhere, can’t even remember where, and got so caught up in the manmade world that I totally forgot. But the other 364 days found me searching, harvesting, plucking or picking something(s) fresh to eat, chew, nibble or feast upon, wherever in the world I found myself that day.
What about you? How many days this year did you eat something wild? Do you know? Did you make this a challenge for yourself, too? I loved hearing from some of you throughout the year, of your finds in yard and wood for a bite of a feral plant. I hope this challenge inspired many of you to commune with nature on the regular, and that it will continue to!
I’m sitting here with my laptop, legs stretched out on my little blue loveseat, writing to you while chewing on wild onion grass and looking out the window at the cardinals, chickadees, titmice, mourning doves, nuthatches and purple finches taking turns at the feeder, and I am feeling incredibly blessed and nourished and in complete awe of the natural world and our animal place in it. This planet is gorgeous and giving and sincerely needs our protection and loving care now more than ever.
We owe it to the next seven generations to steward land well, and one powerful way to do this is by eating weeds. I’m serious. Eating wild food fills you up more quickly and is more satisfying on multiple levels which mean less ‘other things’ you need to consume, consume, consume. Lessening our own environmental footprint is perhaps the most important work of our times, if we want biodiversity, climate health and social justice to be.
I personally need ongoing challenges - commitments that keep me returning to the things I love and hold dear. I need challenges that help me remember what’s important, and this eating wild has been a great way for me to embody the things I believe. And as a plus, and maybe it’s just coincidence, I didn’t get sick one day this whole year. Perhaps it was because the known and unknown gifts of wild plants were always coursing through my blood?
It’s never too late to start nibbling wild- pick one plant and eat it over and over if that’s all you know or have access to. Maybe a dandelion or violet or cleaver or a plantain leaf. Just eat it and when you do, pause a sec and thank your ancestors and plantcestors for the abundant gifts of this good, green earth. They made it so that this green line has been passed down for millenia. Now it’s up to us.
My question to us is: What are some other challenges we could take on that contribute to being a well ancestor? What things can we do (or not do) that will leave this world a better place (or at the very least, not a worse place?) I want to know your ideas- maybe I will take on a new challenge with you?!
Mary Morgaine Squire
December 31, 2025
Under an almost Full Moon in Cancer
A word on ♡ heart-ing posts.
If you like this post, please let me know by ‘heart-ing’ it ♡. Thank you so very much. It really makes a difference to get that feedback. When I first started social media and learned about likes, I thought it was ‘like’ first-grade stuff, which I still do btw, but I have learned how it can make or break the work you are trying to circulate into the world. So in playing this absurd algorithm game, I ask that if you ever sincerely like something I (or anyone for that matter) write, please take the time to turn the white heart red. The Substack heart is weird - you have to “heart” it twice for it to compute. Make sure it turns red. It took me while to figure this out as I thought I was liking people’s post but it wasn’t actually taking. It works fine if you are on the app, but I think most of my readers are getting posts via email. Heart-ing is caring. Word.
I am living in Zone 6 in North America in North Carolina, and understand that not all of these plants I mention are accessible everywhere. But they are fairly common in the temperate zones and if you are in tropical climes or colder zones, I would love to hear what your ‘go to’ plants are for eating wild.
*The point of the challenge was to cultivate ‘eating something wild’ until it turns into a habit, and can be started anyday, anytime.
*You can just nibble, which is what I mostly do, or you can turn the plants into a meal, depending on what you have access to in combo with your time, energy and knowledge.
*Wild? When I say wild, I mean eating a plant that grew on its own free will. This could be native edibles, naturalized edibles, repairers of the breech edibles (my name for invasives) and volunteers from plants that were/are cultivated. It can also mean eating insects, wild animals and fungi, but this challenge is just focusing on the plants.
There are so many wild things I missed eating along the way this year, like Autumn Olive, Lynden Flowers, Hackberries, Ramps, immature Redbud seeds, Japanese Knotweed, Nutsedge and plenty more. In recap of what I did eat, January thru March can be found here, April thru June here and July thru October here. And now I present to you the final list of botanical names and tidbits about the 84 plants just highlighted in the graphics of the last three months of 2025!
84 edibles from the plant nation:
(all can be eaten raw unless otherwise noted)
Chicory petals (Cichorium intybus) - Most gorgeous flower color that exists imo. Add to anything or eat straight up.
Hickory nut (Carya spp.) - Crack with hammer or stone as seen above, and use nut picker to get out meat or put cracked nut in pot of water and boil- nuts will sink, shells float!
Beech nut (Fagus grandifolia) - Crack with teeth and use fingers to extract deliciously flavored nut!
Hardy Citrus (Poncirus trifoliata) - Juice or make marmalade.
Farewell to Summer (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum) - This flower cheers up a fall salad!
Fern Rose or Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium) - I cut up leaves and add to soup.
Wild Aster leaf (not sure of genus) - Same as above.
Butternut (Juglans cinerea) - Crack with hammer and use nut pick to get out meat. Good in cookies.
Shiso seed (Perilla frutescens) - Add to any bread recipe or smoothie.
Evening Primrose seed (Oenothera biennis) - I sprinkle these in my oatmeal.
Ragweed seed (Ambrosia trifida) - Grind with a coffee grinder and add to flour recipes.
Smartweed seed (Persicaria pensylvanica) - Nibble right there in the field.
Lamb’s Quarters’ flower (Chenopodium album) - Add to salads.
Wingstem seed (Verbesina alternifolia) - Grind in coffee grinder and add to flour recipes.
Apple flower (Malus spp.) - I highlighted this flower twice, but different species. Add to soup.
Marigold petals (Tagetes patula) - Excellent cake garnish.
Native Red Sage (Salvia coccinea) - Same!
Cheese Mallow leaf (Malva sylvestris) - Salad addition or sandwich green as illustrated in photo above.
Cheese Mallow flower (Malva sylvestris) - So beautiful in salads.
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) - This volunteers itself around here- eat it whenever you see it to freshen your breath!
Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) - These fruits are delicious to eat as is, no need to combine with anything or do anything but eat the insides.
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) - I cut off the spines and added the leaf to salad.
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) - Chopped real fine, add to soups.
Pepper (Capsicum annuum) - I couldn’t believe we had a volunteer sweet pepper in our barn garden that came out of the compost I applied earlier that season. I made it the centerpiece of a meal:-)
Hawthorn berry (Crataegus spp.) - Eat the flesh and spit out the seeds.
Midnight or Black and Blue Sage flower (Salvia guaranitica) - Salad lover.
Thunbergia or Spanish Eyes leaf (Thunbergia alata) - Salad.
Thunbergia flower (Thunbergia alata) - Salad.
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) - I highlighted this mint twice, but different species. Eat it while on the trail.
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) - This just showed up in the garden bed and I nibble while passing by.
Angelico or American Lovage (Ligusticum canadense) - Add greens to soup.
Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) - Super tough leaf so I just chewed and sucked it then spit it out.
Partridge Berry leaf (Mitchella repens) - I added just a few to soup for the essence of it.
Everlasting Pea shoot (Lathyrus latifolius) - Salad friend.
Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum canadense) - Salad.
Thistle root (Cirsium spp.) - Add to soup.
Cattail rhizome (Typha spp.) - Add to soup.
Calamus or Sweet Flag root (Acorus calamus) - Super intense and I jut nibble some raw is all.
Wild Carrot root (Daucus carota) - Add to soup.
Solomon Seal root (Polygonatum biflorum) - Ok, I really debated about putting this in here because I don’t want to encourage anyone to dig this up. If you do, take a part of it and re-plant the rest of the root. Add to your stir-fry with holy thanksgivings.
Lycopus or Bugleweed (Lycopus europaeus) - Surprisingly yummy root, grated in cole slaw.
Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus) - Cooked or raw in all kinds of combos- relish, slaw, soup, stir-fry. Can make me seriously gassy so I don’t eat much.
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) - Chew on it for good health.
Hardy Begonia tuber (Begonia grandis) - Soup.
Wood Betony or Hedgenettle (Stachys officinalis) - I just love the taste of this leaf.
Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) - Add chopped fine to a salad.
Tulip Magnolia bud (Liriodendron tulipifera) - Eat it like a deer.
Cinnamon Vine or Fairy Potato tuber (Dioscorea polystachya) - Apparently this can be eaten raw but I boil it like a potato.
Greenbriar berry (Smilax spp.) - Nibble flesh and spit out seed.
Canna Lily root (Canna indica) - Bake like a potato but don’t eat the skin.
Spiderwort leaf (Tradescantia spp.) - Salads.
Nettle root (Urtica spp.) - Soups.
Groundbean (Amphicarpaea bracteata) - Cook and eat like beans!
Burdock root (Arctium lappa) - Stir-fry or ferment it.
Spicebush berry (Lindera benzoin) - Add as a spice or cake decor as demonstrated in the picture above.
Evening Primrose root (Oenothera biennis) - Soups.
Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) - Salads but chop fine as it can be tough.
Spruce needles (Picea spp.) - I chew on these like Pine then spit out.
Spruce baby cone (Picea spp.) - I use these to decorate cakes and only eat a bit as they are intense.
Balsam Fir needles (Abies balsamea) - Same as Spruce needles.
Balsam Fir baby cones (Abies balsamea) - Same as Spruce cones.
Juniper needles (Juniperus spp.) - Same as Spruce needles.
Cranberry Viburnum (Viburnum trilobum) - Decent tasting little berries to eat on the trail.
Aromatic Aster rosette (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) - Add to salads.
Heather flower (Calluna vulgaris) - Pull the flowers of the stem and add to salads.
Barberry (Berberis spp.) - Nibble or jam.
Spotted Archangel (Lamium maculatum) - Salads.
Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) - So pretty and fun to eat or decorate or garnish or add to any dish!
Wild Raisin (Viburnum nudum) - Absolutely deliciously sweet to eat just as is!
Aronia berry/Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) - Taste terrible so make a jam or something.
Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) - I eat the buds, chew the twig.
Alder catkin (Alnus incana) - You can add these to any cooked meal as a vegetable.
Witch Hazel flower (Hamamelis spp.) - Just eat straight off the tree.
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - I chew on these like Pine then spit out.
Rose of Sharon seed (Hibiscus syriacus) - I love the taste of these seeds and chew on them like gum but I swallow it too. Very nutty.
Elm bud (Ulmus spp.) - Fun city “eat wild” plant to know to eat right there on the spot.
Mahonia or Oregon Grape Root flowers (Mahonia aquifolium) - Bitter but nice imo. Sprinkle on salad.
Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) - Add to a roasted roots bake.
Wild Pansy (Viola spp.) - Beauty maker and taste like wintergreen.
Corn Speedwell sprouts (Veronica arvensis) - Salad vitamin addition.
Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis) - Eat one whenever you see it- so good for you.
Chicory root (Cichorium intybus) - Add to a roasted roots bake.
Chicory leaf (Cichorium intybus) - Basically it’s endive when covered up by leaves in the winter.
Snowbell bud (Styrax spp.) - Not so common but if you know of a Snowbell tree, you can eat the buds, leaf, flowers and bell like drupes!
Hoping for more Green times together in 2026!
Proud of you for sticking to it so beautifully! It's been inspiring and educational for me to watch you go! I made myself a bingo card of things I'd like to do this year. It's less stressful/punitive than some methods :)
thanks for modeling this powerful intimacy with our abundant plant kin, dear friend! love you!