With over forty years since its original printing, and over 30,000 copies sold, this bestselling guide still remains a trusted and much-consulted reference for those interested in identifying, foraging and growing wild plants for food and medicine. Now Some Useful Wild Plants is back in print for a new generation of foragers and herbalists.

Some Useful Wild Plants contains sections on useful herbs, trees, berries and seaweeds, as well as commentary on avoiding poisonous species. Pick the young tender leaves of orach, salsify and miner's lettuce for a delicious and vitamin-rich spring salad or stir-fry. Concoct a cherry bark and licorice fern syrup to soothe a sore throat. Repel insects naturally using sage oil or vanilla leaf. From alder to yarrow, each featured plant has useful descriptors for identification and details on how to harvest, as well as how the plant is traditionally used for medicine by First Nations, pioneers and contemporary herbalists. Clear line drawings are provided to assist foragers in accurate identification. Directions are included for the preparation of ointments, salves, poultices, compresses and tinctures.

Dan Jason also addresses sustainability when foraging to ensure that harvesting supports the continuous growth of the plant and the natural environment.

Dan Jason has been gardening since childhood, but most avidly for the last twenty years since he moved to Saltspring Island, BC and began to study and develop bean varieties. After his first discovery, the Black Jet soybean, he never looked back. He opened a successful seed business, Salt Spring Seeds, in 1988, which still specializes in seeds for high-protein plants. Jason is also a director of Canada's Heritage Seed Program, a national network of organic growers dedicated to preserving our heirloom seeds.

Dan Jason's profile page

Publishers Weekly

Midwest Book Review