Violet jelly is a homemade, translucent spread made from wild violet flower infusions, boiling water, lemon juice, sugar, and pectin. When mixed with acid, the bluish violet tea chemically transforms into a bright pink or purple color, yielding a mild, sweet, floral flavor.

Dryad’s Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus), also called the Pheasant Back mushroom, is a common, beginner friendly bracket fungus found growing on living, or dead hardwood trees. It fruits primarily in the spring (often overlapping with morel season), and occasionally in the fall.

Foraging birch trees offers a wealth of resources, including sweet spring sap, edible inner bark, vitamin rich young leaves, and medicinal mushrooms like chaga. Trees are easily identified by their peeling, papery bark marked with horizontal lenticels.

Forage for rose hips in late fall and winter after the first frost. Look for plump, bright red or orange, slightly soft pods. Wear sturdy gloves to protect against thorns. Do not eat the hairy seeds inside; instead, squeeze or scrape out the nutrient-rich flesh to use in teas, jams, or syrups.

The black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) is a thorny, perennial bramble native to eastern North America, known for its sweet, dark purple-black fruit that separates from the core when picked, unlike blackberries. It grows on arching canes that root at the tips, forming thickets, and thrives in sunny, well drained soil, providing food and cover for wildlife. Key to its cultivation is pruning first year canes (primocanes) to encourage fruiting on second year canes (floricanes) and support for the arching stems. 

Hemlock refers to highly poisonous plants, most notably Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) and Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata), both of which are toxic to humans and animals and can be fatal if ingested. Poison hemlock has smooth, hollow stems with purple spots, fern like leaves, and small white flowers in umbrella shaped clusters, while water hemlock has similar features but is often considered the most deadly plant in North America. All parts are toxic, and contact with the sap can cause skin irritation, so protective gear is essential when handling them. 

Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana, or Fragaria vesca) is a low growing, herbaceous perennial native to North America, known for its small, intensely flavorful berries and its role as a groundcover. It spreads via runners, features trifoliate leaves, and produces white flowers, making it a valuable plant for wildlife, pollinators, and as an edible addition to gardens, often found in woodlands and meadows.