Wild Edibles for the Bug Out Location
Kevin Felts 04.27.18
For those of you who are interested in cultivating wild edibles at the bug out location, April, May and June is the time to plan and take action.
In this article we will look at two different wild edibles – berries and the American plum, aka wild plum. Why these two? They are native to North America, drought tolerant, and do not need the TLC of domesticated plants.
Dewberries and Blackberries
Dewberries and blackberries would be ideal to plant around a rural bug out location. This is because they do not need any type of care, and are usually drought tolerant.
In the early spring it is not uncommon to see thousands of small white blooms along rural roads. Those blooms are usually dewberries and blackberries. The berries can be used to make jelly, or eat the berries straight off the plant.
How many of us ate blackberry jelly our granny made? The old timers never passed up an opportunity to preserve food. Those wild berries growing along the side of the road is an excellent example of that.
Drive along a rural county road until you see a patch of berries. Stop and pick to your hearts content. Then take the berries and spread them where you want a patch to grow. This is the natural process of the berries. Rather than falling to the ground naturally, you would move them to a new location.
American Plum
The American plum is also known as the wild plum. It is native to the United States and produces a small semi-sweet plum. Left to grow wild, the wild plum will typically be a fraction the size of a domesticated plum. However, the wild plum does well is sandy soil and is usually drought tolerant.
The American plum does best in full sunlight. When shaded it may not do well and may die.
Granny use to make jelly with wild plums. My dad use to pick buckets of these plums and bring them to family friends.
When the plum turns a dark red, pick, save the seeds, then plant where you want the plum trees to grow. After the trees mature and start producing fruit chances are the trees will spread like wildfire. When given the chance they will take over a field.
Final Thoughts
Between the dewberry, blackberry and wild plum, it is possible to have various wild edibles which can be eaten raw or made into jelly.
Both the berries and the wild plums should be ready to pick sometime in May. So if someone wants to cultivate either of these two wild edibles, Late April and into May is the time to take action.
