Local "what's in season" calendar?

Posted by grrlscout on August 25, 2009 at 10:48am

Anyone know of a calendar that lists what available crops are ripe when in the Valley? I mean items that one would possibly find growing in a public place, or perhaps from an overhanging branch.

Something like this (I just estimated the dates - feel free to correct me and add stuff!)

[ List removed - see attached PDF ]

PHX_forage.pdf

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foraging, urban

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Replies

Karen Dawson June 22, 2010 at 6:08pm

Great job and great idea! Phoenix Public Library has several books on edible native plants of the SW - only found one with adequate pictures, but I'm sure you could always look online for the picture once you identify the plant.
Rachel June 15, 2010 at 8:11am

Mulberries are late April/Early May.
- Rachel > Rachel June 15, 2010 at 2:12pm
  
  Also, my apricots were ripe and done with in May and I still have peaches going (and probably will until July). So maybe those two categories could be expanded. I have plums ripe in June as well, my almonds aren't ripe yet, I'm guessing July on those (anyone?), same with pears. There is pretty good blackberry foraging here in June as well. Our native passionfruit are ripe from May-November. If you wanted to add any of those.
- grrlscout > Rachel June 15, 2010 at 2:58pm
  
  Excellent, thanks. I updated the file to include the new additions.
  
  I also divided the list, to distinguish between cultivated and wild plants.
- grrlscout > Rachel June 15, 2010 at 10:13am
  
  Awesome - I'll add that!
Hoski Schaafsma June 14, 2010 at 10:23pm

Chain-fruit cholla flower buds - Early summer
- grrlscout > Hoski Schaafsma June 15, 2010 at 10:13am
  
  Thanks for the tip! Is this a chain fruit cholla?
  
  I extended the span for cholla from late Spring, to include the early Summer. That way all chollas are included.
- Hoski Schaafsma > grrlscout June 15, 2010 at 9:26pm
  
  That is the cholla, but those are all fruits, no flower buds. While one can eat the fruits as in they won't hurt you, I did not find them appetizing--the buds on the other hand taste like asparagus. So far as I know, it is the buds of chain-fruit that are commonly eaten.
grrlscout June 14, 2010 at 2:16pm

Haha! I think someone else suggested that.

I was leery myself, but Googled it, and found that young plants can be eaten raw, and tender shoots can be cooked and eaten as greens or used as an ingredient.

We're talking about the green, still growing ones, btw, not the brown, blowy ones.

How they taste, I cannot say.
- grrlscout > grrlscout June 14, 2010 at 3:38pm
  
  Aaaand it's already outdated. I just added yucca flowers and yucca fruit. Need to verify the harvesting seasons though.