As a new student to the University of Washington I have been taking a lot of walks to get to know the campus and give my mind a break between classes. Imagine my joy at finding the place a forager’s paradise. I tried to pass up the fat succulent acorns scattered across the sidewalks by the hospital but finally just couldn’t resist anymore and began stuffing my backpack pockets like a deranged giant squirrel. I even found Highbush Cranberries laden with fruit, several Sumac trees and a Strawberry Tree for perhaps liqueur production?
As with any foraging be careful about pesticide use, (little to none is used at UW) and be sure to leave food for local wildlife. If you haven’t eaten a plant before start out with a small amount to make sure that you don’t have a bad reaction to it.
Sumac
Strawberry tree or Arbutus unedo. Fruit ripens in the fall and it’s quite tasty.
Eucalyptus. The leaves of this tree are used for many different medical purposes. Don’t take more than one or two though – the tree needs them!
Here is an oak variety with giant acorns that are almost sweet; it’s right next to the UW IMA. It’s easy to get the nut meat out too.
Yum
Anyone know the name of this particular oak tree?
Rules to follow to be a good guest.
Blackberries
Oregon Grape
Kinikinik
Bronze fennel
Nettles
Rose hips
Fennel
There are lots of different kinds of apple trees.
Tiny sweet apples.
Highbush Cranberry – fruit tastes like cranberry but it’s a member of the honeysuckle family.
So many acorns! Pointed leaf trees have sweeter acorns than rounded leaf trees.
Enjoy your site, including the recipes and posts from Scotland.
Very interested in the forage-able foods you are able to find at the UW, especially all the apples. Any idea what varieties the apples are?
Glad you’re enjoying the site! I don’t know what the varieties are but am hoping to learn. If I do I will post them.
Hi Admin.
If you ever have any mystery plants be sure to stop in to see us at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture (UW Botanic Gardens). We have a library and herbarium and we love to help everyone with plant identification. We serve UW students and the public.
~Tracy, Librarian and fellow food gardener.
Thanks Tracy! I would love help identifying several of the oak and apple tree varieties. I am going to post pictures of a new oak by the IMA I ran across today with HUGE acorns. If you have time take a look and I would love to know what it is. The acorn meat is almost sweet with a very low tannin content.
I look longingly at the arbutus near the parking garage entrance on 15th at 41st every year but haven’t been able to bring myself to forage some yet. I have, however, been idly looking for rose hips that are big enough to be worth harvesting and are also not moldy — the ones you found are gorgeous! Mind sharing the location? You can email me if you don’t want to post publicly 🙂
Also, I work at UW, but off campus, and I don’t get down to campus as much as I’d like anymore. Email me if you want a walking/foraging/observation companion!