5 Wild Edibles Found Almost Everywhere

Sometimes you just don’t know where you next meal is coming from and all you can do is wander through the world hoping to stumble across something to put in your belly. Whether you’re out in the woods, wandering through the wastelands of an apocalyptic world or slinking through a fallen city, knowledge and familiarity with wild edibles could be key to staying alive.

This short guide will teach you the basic details for 5 of the most common wild edibles found across the globe. This is by no means a replacement for a more detailed guide to identifying wild edibles and should be considered as a jumping-off-point for learning to outlive the undead… among other types of disasters where foraging wild edibles becomes the most reliable method for getting your munch on.

CATTAILS
Developing in late spring and early summer (later in more mountainous regions), this relatively easy to identify wetland grass grows up to 7-feet tall and has a two-headed flower with a velvety cigar-shared “cat-tail” blossom.

Found in a variety of species and locales across the globe, often making their home along streams and in marshes, bogs, and other wetlands with slow-moving or still water, cattails are an abundant source for survivors – offering food, fire and even medicinal applications.

With the roots, flowers, and soft inner-core from the stalks of the cattail being edible (though not always appetizing), a resilient survivor should have no problem munching down a few to stay alive. But, even if you aren’t suffering from an empty belly, cattails can be put to good use.

When applied to minor wounds, abrasions and burns, the chopped or mashed roots of the cattail can help ease pain and speed recovery time. And even the ash of burned cattails can also be used to help disinfect wounds and stop bleeding.

Apart from medicinal and munching applications, cattails are great for starting fires. The flower of a cattail, once dried and pulled apart, makes an incredibly effective accelerator and tinder for fires. And, once you’ve got your fire going, an intact cattail flower acts as a slow burning match for easy transport of the thing all survivors hold precious… fire.

DANDELION
Most often thought of as an invasive weed, dandelions are an incredibly reliable and abundant source of food for survivors… and like many other wild plants, they’ve got some medicinal uses as well.

Easy to identify – bright yellow blossoms and distinctive leaves – and found in abundance just about everywhere, dandelions develop best in temperate regions around the world (Canada, United States, Europe, Asia, South Africa, the Middle East, Australia and the southern half of South America). Growing year-round in areas with warm winters, the dandelion will lie dormant when/if needed and blossom again and again year after year.

While somewhat bitter in taste, every part of the dandelion can be eaten – flower, roots, leaves and crown. Steamed, boiled, sautéed or eaten raw, a handful of dandelions can go a long way to filling an empty belly and powering the body. As you snack upon a dandelion keep in mind that you’re giving your liver and blood a natural detox as well, but don’t eat too much as they can also be a natural laxative.

As luck would have it, there are NO poisonous look-a-likes to this important and edible plant, so have no fear, dig in and dig deep!

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