How to Identify Wild Plant

Introduction

You can collect your own wild plants and herbs to either eat or use for medicine. But this is an art that needs to be learned carefully. Mistakes can get you really sick. Understanding how to identify the plants correctly is the first step to using these plants.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Several field guides for the area
• An expert you can consult if you need help
• A notebook and a camera to take sketches and document the plants you find.

Steps

1

Step One

The first thing you need is a good field guide--purchase several. Make sure that they have sketches or photographs as well as good descriptions.

2

Step Two

If you are unfamiliar with some of the words in the field guide, look them up. Some of the plant descriptions may contain some technical words. Understanding them will help you learn about the plant.

3

Step Three

Take photographs and make sketches of the plants you see. Compare them to the information in the field guide.

4

Step Four

For extra information, ask an expert to point out different plants for you. You can also take classes. Check with your local health food stores and herbal shops and even wilderness centers or nature centers.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you confidently identified the plant before you decide to consume it.
• Observe the plant through several seasons to make sure that you've really identified it. Sometimes plants look differently throughout the year.
• It is very important to make sure you identify them correctly.