1. Wild Edibles
of the lowcountry

2. A little background...

3. A little background...
Please realize that I’m not

4. A little background...
Please realize that I’m not

5. A little background...
Please realize that I’m not
And...don’t ever eat anything you’re
not 100% sure about.

6. A little background...
Please realize that I’m not
And...don’t ever eat anything you’re
not 100% sure about.

7. This is me...as a sea turtle.

8. Wild Edibles in the Lowcountry
Foraging for fun and education.

9. Yaupon Holly
Ilex Vomitoria

10. Natural History
✤ Species ‘vomitoria’ misnomer
✤ Only native plant in North
America that contains caffeine.
✤ Grows along coastal areas, but
extends into the piedmont
regions
✤ part of the holly genus of trees.

11. Cultural History
✤ Native Americans used Yaupon
Holly in their purification
ceremonies (Cassina
Ceremony) aka Black Drink
Ceremony.
✤ Yaupon Holly stayed the
cravings of caffeine from
Boston Tea party activists.

12. Glasswort
salicornia europaea

13. Natural History
✤ succulent halophytes (juicy
salt-loving plants)
✤ also known as sea pickle
✤ turns a reddish orange color
around flowering time (fall)
✤ early succession in salt marshes
include glasswort because of its
high tolerance to salt
inundation

14. Cultural History
✤ Historically, glasswort was
burned down to ash to make
soda ash which is a key
ingredient in glass and soap
making.

15. American Beauty Berry
Callicarpa americana

16. Natural History
✤ callicarpinal, found in the
leaves, is an active compound
used in mosquito repellent.
✤ Often the berries are used to
make jelly, jam, or wine.
✤ The berries, leaves and roots
have also been used as
remedies for colic and dropsy.

17. Cultural History
✤ Native americans used
Beautyberries from the roots:
stomach ache and fever, from
the leaves sweat baths for
treatment of malaria

18. Dog Fennel
Eupatorium capillifolium
Date

19. Natural History
✤ Often considered a pest plant/
weed.
✤ has a slight licorice odor and
flavor
✤ mild muscle relaxant
✤ can sooth burns
✤ aid in stomach ache

20. Pennywort (dollar weed)
hydrocotyle sp.

21. Natural History
✤ Water and shade loving
✤ completely edible, just make
sure to watch where you pick it
up.
✤ nutritious via some minerals,
but otherwise good garnish or
used in salads.
✤ not to be mistaken for Gotu
Kola, which is highly medicinal
and used all over the world.

22. Gotu Kola
centella asiatica

23. Natural History
✤ Used widely around the world
as a well known tonic,
stimulant, dieuretic,
antibacterial, anti
inflammatory.
✤ It grows wild in SC.
✤ hard to differentiate from
common dollarweed/
pennywort

24. Pine
pinus taeda

25. Natural History
✤ High in vitamin A and C, pine
needles can be cooked in water
to make a refreshing, albeit,
potentially strong tea.
✤ Young pine cones contain
tender seeds that can be eaten

26. Thank you!!!