edible trees- outdoor challenge day 4
Today was a cold, wet, dreary Dickens kind of day. But we did not let the weather keep us inside-
It’s a perfect day to find slugs on magnolia petals
and worms needing rescuing from the driveway puddles!
A day for playing in puddles
and a day for a little bit of drama because one of us was “freezing to death!” It was in the 40′s today after a string of days in the 80′s, so it did feel very cold today. Crazy spring weather!
A great day to stop and taste a magnolia blossom as well! I have to warn you though, they taste like cheap perfume (not that I know what the taste of cheap perfume tastes like)!
Yep, some of those tree blossoms are indeed edible. I would only just have a little taste of some of them, but some taste quite good.
Here’s a list of trees that are “category 4″ or plants generally considered non-toxic to humans (according to the University of Arkansas)-
-Redbud blossoms- Our favorite, highly recommend trying! They taste just like sweet peas if you nibble them while they are very young. Ours aren’t quite to that stage yet though.
-Mimosa
-Pecan
-Russian-Olive
-Tulip-Poplar
-Pine- Fauna was just complaining last week that she had a pine needle stuck in her throat after eating some, she nibbles needles all of the time. Pine is also a great source of Vitamin C and makes a good tea too!
-Plum
-Weeping Willow
-Forsythia
-Gardenia
-Hibiscus
-Nandina
-Lilac
-Yucca
To learn more about the toxicity of trees, visit the longer list here. Please use caution when eating wild edibles and make sure the id is CORRECT before tasting! There’s the warning, don’t come back to me if you should get sick. 
I get a little nervous sharing wild edibles on the site because of this, but wild edibles are such a pleasure to my girls and make “knowing nature” fun!
I thought I would share an Outdoor Challenge Participant of the Day from now until the end of April. Today’s picture is from Sherry of Living and Learning; it’s a shame not to show her boy’s cute little face, but this pic is PRICELESS! Love a kid in the mud and a mama not afraid of a dirty kid!
I will try and share more participant pics daily. If you come back here and leave a link on the days you participate, I will know I have permission to share.
Visit the other Great Outdoor Challenge players- 105 players so far! It’s never too late to join!
lisa, sanders, angelina, phyllis, sarah, christie, jennifer, debbie, dong dong, denise, luisa, joy, stephanie, cori, alex, dawn, kristen, catherine, tricia, becky, christy, ruth, kari, courtney, branflakes, jessica, renee, haiku, brynn, amy, clemencia, sherry, leslie, lise, renee, anet, jenn, marina, amy, ella, marcia, karen, beth, julie, kyndale, kelly, lizzie, eileen, ag, mari-ann, cindy, robin, nicole, debbie, julia, renee, anita, lisa, jenn, montessori, marita, jeannie, hallie, mandy, kangaroo, andrea, joey, carmen, teena, stephinie, gidget, elizabeth, emma, rosina, saminda, melissa, katie, becca, atouria, barbara, ariella, missy, elizabeth, sarah, eileen, lisa, stacy, jennifer, tulsileaf, lisa C, morticia, angela, rana, jamie, lisa c, luz, charley, heather, valerie, kirsten, rachel, annie, kendra, beth s, lindsey
“That’s all.”
we’re participating and loving it!!!
http://paintcutpaste.com/twig-vase/
We’re in! Thank you for organizing this
I look forward to reading your posts, along with some of the other participants! You have a lovely blog!
I posted about our adventure yesterday – http://urbancottagehomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-outdoor-challenge.html
and, I’m just about to post about our outdoor time today.
Warmly ~ Michelle in MN
dude.
you’ve got the best followers here.
ive just spent some time visiting peoples blogs and i am so elated!~
i feel ive just made some new cool friends =)
i love new cool friends
angelina
http://www.nestajackson.blogspot.com
My number 4 post is finally up.
http://scottchriscoricassicali.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-outdoor-challenge-4-snakes-in.html
It was damp and rainy here as well, but it didn’t keep us in thanks to your challenge. Here’s what we were up to: http://heartfelthomemaking.blogspot.com/2010/04/april-showers.html
We’re in. Thanks for the inspiration!
Here’s our day one. http://mamaandmore.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/get-outdoors-challenge
I have made it a goal to identify all of the many trees in our yard. We have TONS of them. I know we have some type of pine tree but not sure what kind. I would love to discover that my type is edible. I think the idea of a pine tea sounds fantastic.
I participated today. You are welcome to share my photos any time
http://www.bonafidemama.com/2010/04/nature-challenge-continued.html
Love your pics. I lke the non-toxic list too.
and that muddy picture is sooo adorable!
~marcia
Great muddy pic! And I loved your playing in puddles pic!
I’m really enjoying the chance to see all these outdoor kids photos – thanks.
I posted today:
http://myyearinhaiku.blogspot.com/2010/04/stream-intices-toes-sun-sparkles-on.html
Our pictures look very similar, cold and wet. But we did have lots of fun. Minus the magnolia eating of course! That reminds me to go looking for the two magnolia trees I know about in the neighborhood.
On the subject of cold, dreary days…as an early childhood teacher, I often find that people are completely surprised that I go out every day, rain or shine, so I’m doing a series of posts on rainy day strategies. My latest is here: http://inthepurplehouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/more-strategies-for-rainy-days.html
Even though we are surrounded at the arb with “get kids outdoors” messages it took my darling, soon to be old, sister to really inspire us around here. We are coming up with outdoor challenge ideas everyday now. Our latest: “Zipp Caught Me Playing Outside” backpack tags. Thanks for the spark, sparky. Hugs
Thank you for this wonderful information!!!!
I grew up in Arkansas, with its LOADS of magnolias, and I have to say that although I’ve never eaten one, I could definitely guess that they’d taste like cheap perfume.
We blew bubbles outside! Here we are: http://craftknife.blogspot.com/2010/04/blowing-bubbles-in-garden-with-my-girl.html
Our first official Outdoor Challenge Post – Favorite Trees
http://kidsstuffworld.com/2010/04/our-favorite-trees/
We had a blast, so happy to join you in this terrific challenge
http://nugg.typepad.com/blog/, I haven’t worked out how to add the button yet but we are loving getting outdoors everyday!!! XX
This is wonderful Lisa. I would love to join in, and I will add the button right now. Thank you for hosting.
That last photo is too great!
Left the camera at home this eve when we went for a dusk walk to the park. Just as we were leaving we looked up to see a streaky pale blue to indigo sky, 4 stars, several bats & the sillouette of a deciduous tree that had lost all of its leaves (being autumn here in Oz). Thanks for the challenge to help develop the awareness of our beautiful earth & all that is around Her.
thank you 4 this posting! my homeschooled girls will love this
Good list to start with – I hadn’t thought of tasting some of the tree blossoms. But we do try other things in the yard, ala Ewell Gibbons.
It’s hard to move back to the colder temps after we’ve been spoiled like this. And the mud is hysterical. Our littlest grandson was flinging mud last weekend – was close to that. And so pleased with himself, while his older sister and cousin were trying to avoid him.
I love that your girls are always munching on flowers. My kids are thrilled with their latest discovery–that I’ll let them eat dandelions. They eat every one they find; just because they can.
What a fabulous mud shot!! I love your idea to share participants’ photos. I’ll try to remember to link back when I’ve got some particularly good ones.
hi everyone: posted our outdoor fun for the day!
Oh brrr! I can definitely feel the cold. We had snow this morning and then more rain which didn’t help with the chilly weather. We have never tried eating blooms off of trees but always add flower petals into our salad during the summer. There are so many delicious blooms that you can eat
Its great that you are finding so much fun stuff to eat! Magnolia blossoms… I bet those are perfumey, but what an experience!
since i read your post, we’ve gone out everyday too! and thanks for sharing the edibles! i’ve only gotten to know little herbs and roots mainly!
Such awesome photos! My girls love slugs and are always rescuing them from somewhere or other:)
Yay, we aren’t the only ones to get excited over slugs! They are HUGE here and the girls love playing with them so much ( in a nice respectful way, of course!)
I got the goofiest pic outside today that I’ll post tomorrow
I forgot on Wednesday. eek!
That mud picture was AWESOME! Thanks for sharing that as well as the list of edibles. We’ve never tried anything out in the “wilds” of Berkeley, but hey the month is young
!
Posted today about seeing nature through my 4 year old’s eyes…
http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=52247&boxname=John_Hinkel_Park
Lisa, this challenge has been awesome! I’ve been brimming with ideas to do (and post about) daily… you might actually make me a better bloggeras well ;}
Poor cold baby!! Princess would have been miserable. I understand the drama.
Thanks for the link, we just may have to have a flower tasting day. Here is our day http://adventuresofaflake.blogspot.com/2010/04/outdoor-challenge-day-4-trails-and.html
Thanks for the list of edibles, I’m printing it out right now for my daughters edible/medicinal study she is doing.
We got excited about flowers today, too! The first one of the season!
http://connectedroots.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/momentum/
ohhh! They look so cold. But that flower looks yummy.
I love that mud picture. ;p We’ve been having a Dicken’s kind of day here as well.
Love the mud shot. Thanks for the info on the edible trees. I’m not that daring yet to try them but it’s nice to know that they are not toxic.
Thanks for the list of edibles… I don’t know if they grow there, but the new growth of Smilax vines, common name is cat briar, are very tastey… We called them wild asparagus when I was a kid. Also, Nasturtium leaves and flowers are also edible and taste peppery… The flowers also look very pretty in salads. You can usually get seeds or seedlings in the garden shop. Enjoy!
Love the mud shot! We are freezing our tails off here, too. Over four inches of snow today, and I just planted some of the garden on Monday. Oh well – hopefully things will survive. We’re too cold for blossoms just yet, but I’m looking forward to spring greens soon.
So cute! It was freezing here today too. Sun, then snow, then hail, then sun…..ah Spring!
Poor Araina…she looks so miserable. Thanks for the list of blossoms. We have a number of those…will have to start sampling. Isaac is always asking me if he can eat this or that. And of course knowing myself makes educating him so much easier.
Hehe! Love that pic of the mud! Araina looks like she’s not ready to head backwards in spring. 40s is quite cold after 80s! We had rain today too, but it was fairly warm still. Love the shot of Fauna tasting the magnolia. Elizabeth tastes everything outside too, except the garden veggies ::rolling eyes here::
haha that’s a great muddy picture!
I decided to secretly join the challenge a couple of days ago when I read about it, but I may as well make it official because I’m feeling pretty serious about it. I haven’t posted any pictures yet. Maybe tonight or tomorrow. I’ll let you know.
I have never been to your blog before, but it’s really nice!
Lisa
Another Lisa! There are so many of this in this challenge. Too funny. Adding you now!