Calendar of Harvesting and Gathering of Plants
in Central California

by Ken Peek

Disclaimer: A website is insufficient to convey the knowledge a person needs to safely and responsibly use wild plants for consumption. Before eating or using any plant, seek hands-on field training with a qualified professional in the proper indentification and use of wild plants. Gather only what you need or use. You should leave more than enough for the plant to easily reproduce and grow. Also know that gathering in State and National Parks and wildlife preserves may be detrimental and/or illegal. Be sure to get permission from the landowner of private property before gathering wild plants.

JANUARY	FEBRUARY	MARCH	APRIL	MAY	JUNE	JULY	AUGUST	SEPTEMBER	OCTOBER	NOVEMBER	DECEMBER
Cut sandbar willow for baskets			Collect grass seeds:  Collecting grass seeds varies a lot depending on elevation. April and May are pretty early, especially as you go uphill.					Devils claw seed pods	Acorns
	Cut bush dogwood						Gather oak galls	Tules: Tules can be gathered as early as June in select spots Woodwardia ferns
Gather willow bark for cordage and baskets							Gray pine nuts and Sugar pine nuts		Bay laurel nuts	Durango root fiber
Elderberry and spice bush for drills and clapper sticks				Fremontia - strip bark for fiber		Cut nettles			Contact butchers to check for deer hides and bones from hunters.	Milkweed fiber
Cut redbud for baskets				Cedar inner bark			Collect feathers from molting birds			Dogbane November is a bit early and it's still good all winter, Dec - Feb
Dogbane				Cut shoots of maple, redbud (white), hazel						Stinging netttle fiber: gather before the first rain of the winter season, late Nov - early Dec

E-mail your comments to "Ken Peek" at kpeek@co.alameda.ca.us

© PrimitiveWays 1998 - 2002