Way Down in the Pawpaw Patch

I met Vickie Shufer three years ago, in September 2007, when I invited her to lead a Walk & Talk about foraging for wild foods at New Quarter Park. There are lots of Pawpaw patches at New Quarter, which I told her about. So we gathered Pawpaws during the walk and Vickie made Pawpaw smoothies afterwards.

The program was such a success that I signed her up to lead another walk the following year. Unfortunately, we had to cancel due to a hurricane. It wasn't a memorable storm, but large enough to wash out our park program. Fortunately, Earl wasn't a big deal on Friday, so she was able to lead our Pawpaw Patch Walk & Talk again today. We had a great turnout! About 45 people.

Vickie is a naturalist, author, and wild foods expert. She's very excited about plants that are both edible and medicinal. As we walked along hiking loop 8, she pointed out a variety of foods that are available for the picking ... and could keep you alive in the woods if need be.

Among the most abundant in the fall is the American Beautyberry. The purple berries are edible and Vickie is working on a method to dry the berries for use as a spice. I couldn't quite imagine what it would complement and flavor, but I'll look forward to hearing how the spice development goes. The berries were ripe and as good tasting as I've ever experienced at New Quarter. I use them raw, sprinkled on salads. They don't cook up well.

The best thing about Beautyberry, however, is that the leaves work better than DEET as a natural insect repellent. I've been crushing them and rubbing them on my skin and wearing branches of leaves behind my ears for years. I think that Beautyberry leaves work much better than insect repellent to dull the senses of those irritating May flies in spring! Although they still can be seen flying in circles, they definitely slow down and keep their distance. I've been trying to grow some at home and have several healthy plants now, although I haven't seen any flowers or berries yet.

Today we found wild fox grapes that were dark-skinned, ripe, and tasty. The small grape has a large seed, so there's not much food value there. I can't see making fox grape jelly anytime soon, but I will look for them to eat as a snack more often now that I've tasted them at their peek. We found the vines growing up and under the low branches of understory trees like the dogwood.

A historical note here: It was probably the native Virginia fox grapes that Durand de Dauphine noted in his seventeenth-century writing, A Huguenot Exile in Virginia, or Voyages of a Frenchman exiled for his Religion with a description of Virginia and Maryland. He said:

"[G]rape-vines are found in greater abundance along the seashore & rivers than in the woods. They encircle around five or six trees & bear quantities of grapes, but the grapes are small as if the vines were never pruned or cultivated... Good wine could certainly be obtained if on arriving the branches were pruned and cultivated; at least there would be enough for one's own use, & yet low grape-vines could be planted, the wine would be better, & it would bring a very good income."

The Redbud Tree is also a Virginia native. We noticed that the tree's seed pods are past their prime. But I plan to pick some next June! Vickie says that she uses the pods as she would snow peas, in a stirfry or side dish. The Redbud tree is a beloved sign of spring in Virginia. Its pinkish-purple flowers are the first tree to come alive and are beautiful along roadways like the Colonial Parkway.

Another wild food that is, unfortunately, abundant at New Quarter is Autumn Olive berries. They look like tiny grapes and when they are ripe, they taste just like a red grape, although they do leave your mouth dry afterward (just like a persimmon -- which are in the park, but we didn't happen by any of them today). Autumn Olives are on the USDA's bad plant list, although I think the wildlife is happy enough to find and eat them after such a hot and dry summer. Food has been in short supply.

Back outside now to enjoy what's left of this beautiful day!