Gabrielle Acree

10 Edible Plants in Maine

If you’re on social media at all, you’ll hear of people hopping on the trend of homesteading. Of making things from scratch, growing and harvesting from a backyard garden, and finding more natural ways to solve America’s growing number of health problems. There’s so much of this trend that I love. Especially the independence of being able to make, grow, and build things yourself. I can appreciate something that inspires people to gain new, productive skills.

However, as most people following this trend realize, one can only go so far. There are precious few of us that can “live off the land” completely. Most of us don’t see the monetary value of making everything ourselves. I have made my own soap, I make bread once a month, and I have a couple of boxed vegetable gardens in my backyard. But as much as I might be able to grow in my garden in the summers, I make several trips to Walmart a month for produce alone. As much as I love fresh eggs, I hate taking care of chickens. And sometimes, baking bread when it’s 87 degrees outside just doesn’t make sense. While not everything on this trend is helpful for people in my situation, i.e. someone who has a smaller budget, who might be renting, and who doesn’t have a ton of extra time to cultivate a complete homesteader lifestyle, there’s one small aspect of it that I’ve been fascinated with for a while now. Foraging.

While hopefully very few of us will find ourselves “lost on a mountain in Maine” and are forced to forage to survive, it is a great way to snack during hikes, and add variety and delicious flavors to our summer meals. I’ve found that due to the diverse forests covering my home state, there are plenty of easily found, edible plant-life, even in my own backyard. So I’ve compiled a list of 10 edible plants that are in season right now, and are found all over the state of Maine!

Blackberries

Blackberries are found all over the world, in every country excepting Antarctica (White, 2021), and Maine is no exception! Generally found near the ground, the most common Maine Blackberry grow large in size and can be found in most open areas with good soil and room for sunshine. One of my favorite aspects of the foraging for blackberries is that they are unmistakable since they have no lookalikes! They are full of nutrients and vitamins, and their seeds hold healthy fats, making them a delicious choice for a healthy lifestyle. They also last longer than most other Maine berries, so they make for some of the best snacks to pick along a hiking trail!

Blueberries

One of the best things about living in Maine is the fields of blueberries. In Central Maine, I live near quite a few of these fields, green in the spring and summer, red in the fall and winter. Maine still produces 99% of the country’s blueberries (Maine DOE, 2023), and most Mainers can appreciate this delicious fruit in any number of amazing desserts! They are also full of healthy vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, making them an ideal snack (Maine DOE, 2023). The kind of blueberries grown in Maine is almost exclusively low-bush, often called “wild blueberries”, and turn from green to blue when ripening.

Cattails

This one suprised me the most, so I had to try it out. Throughout it’s various phases, cattails can be eaten in different ways. As a young shoot, the stems can be boiled or eaten raw. Cattail leaves are sometimes thrown in a salad. The roots can be cooked or boiled. The flowers can be thrown in a pan with butter. Most people, however, eat the pollen of a cattail. This pollen is then used as either a type of flour, or as a flour additive. Some even cook these up in a stir fry. Cattails, as most people are aware, grow around marshy areas, or on the edges of ponds. The foraging process is usually more time-consuming, if colllecting just the pollen, but due to the variance of uses and accessibility, the cattail might be a favorite choice for Maine foragers!

Common Milkweed

https://www.mofga.org/resources/milkweed/magnificent-milkweed/

Milkweed has always been a favorite find of mine, mainly because Monarch butterflies tended to gather around these plants. Grown primarily around open areas, these plants can grow 2 feet tall (McCargo, 2023). I usually found them on the edges of forested fields, though I have caught sight of them on the side of the road before as well. The leaves from a milkweed plant is what is edible. While having a rougher texture than most plant leaves, and not having quite as much flavor, they are found in plentiful amounts around Maine.

Dandelion Leaves

Perhaps the most common weed in every person’s backyard, this plant’s leaves and flowers are surprisingly edible. Though its leaves’ bitter taste is a turnoff for some, it is paired well in a salad topped with lemon juice and a simple vinaigrette. The leaves are filled with antioxidants, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and so are included in the healthy “leafy green” department (MHT, 2019). For optimal benefits, picking the leaves before the dandelion plant flowers is best. The flowers are less nutritious, but can also be eaten.

Fiddleheads

https://backyardforager.com/matteuccia-species-delicious-fiddlehead-ferns/

Fiddleheads are one of the most delicious greens readily available throughout Maine. They are most commonly found by running water in the woods. Picked before fully grown from the ostrich fern, these young ferns are delicious sauteed, steamed, or boiled. Many choose to eat them with seafood, making them an even more desirable Maine dish. Fair warning, these edible plants must be cooked for at least 10 minutes to avoid getting sick. Researchers have associated raw or undercooked fiddleheads with foodborne illness (Bolton et al., 2023). Fiddleheads are most commonly found in the spring in New England, but they can be found in the summer in smaller quantities. To differentiate between the edible ostrich fiddlehead and inedible fiddleheads, look for a scaly brown layer and a smooth stem, and you’ve got an edible fiddlehead!

Pin Cherry

Pin Cherries, also known as Fire Cherries, are very tart, sour stone berries that come in a group of two. They are similar in Pie Cherries, also a sour, yet more popular, cherry, but pin cherries grow smaller in size, about ¼” in diameter (Maine Tree Club, 2001). They were so named Fire cherries since they are often planted in woods after forest fires to help promote healthy forest regrowth (Maine Tree Club, 2001). Pin Cherry Trees can grow relatively tall, up to 30 feet. Though the cherries are harder to pick than other stone berry counterparts, they are still a ready source of edible plants available throughout New England.

Purslane

Purslane is an invasive plant that grows close to the ground. Purslane stems are red and green, with green leaves that are succulent and rubbery. This plant can spread up to 2 feet in diameter (Maine.gov, 2023). It produces yellow flowers that have five petals each. Every part of a Purslane plant is edible, though most people just eat the leaves the way they would spinach plants. These plants are often boiled or sauteed, and some recommend seasoning purslane with butter and salt, and spreading it on top of a piece of toast like avacado.

Raspberries

/https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4267e/

In my own personal opinion, this one is the best find. It makes a rough hike that much sweeter if you can pick some of these on the side of a wooded trail. Maine is home to both Black and Red Raspberries, and though they spoil fast, they ripen anywhere from late June to Late July. There are many varieties of raspberries under those color-coded names. Boyne is one of the most commonly found raspberries in Maine, due to its hardy nature in winter (Handley, 2023). These berries grow best in full sunlight, so open areas like fields are perfect for finding a good haul of raspberries.

Serviceberry/Shadbush

https://backyardforager.com/amelanchier-serviceberry-juneberry/

These berries are almost identical to blueberries in appearance and taste, with the identifying factor of being produced by trees. They are also distinguishable due to the fact that they have seeds that taste similar to almonds and turn from red to purple in midsummer. During the spring, the bushy trees produce white flowers, and can grow up to 50 feet in height. These are delicious, and while they grow throughout New England, seem to thrive in the state of Maine!

I chose these ten due to the fact that they are all easily identifiable. I’ve also picked and eaten each one in Maine, though these ten edible plants are found in other New England states as well. A word or two of warning: It’s highly important that responsible foraging is made. Public Land is a great for foraging activities, and Maine has over 600,000 acres of it (NRCM, 2023). From this list alone, I have 7 of these edible plants in my own backyard. If you wish to forage on any person’s property, be sure to ask permission, and maybe share some of what you’ve found as a thank you! Most people don’t take advantage of what’s already within their grasp, and some are not even aware of what a treasure trove their yard is! As far as the dandelion leaves go, you might even be doing someone a favor by digging up some unwanted weeds! Be forewarned, state parks are not categorized as public lands, and collecting or foraging is prohibited. One final word of warning from more experienced foragers- don’t eat any plants whatsoever unless you are completely confident of its identification and edibility. With that in mind, happy foraging!

References:

Bolton, J., Bushway, A., Fuller, D., Calder, B., Savoie, K., & McCarty, K. (2023). Bulletin #4198, facts on fiddleheads – cooperative extension publications – university of maine cooperative extension. Cooperative Extension Publications. https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4198e/.

DACF. (2023). Forest Trees of Maine. Forest Trees of Maine: Handbooks & Guides: Publications: Division of Forestry: Maine ACF. https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/handbooks_guides/forest_trees/index.html

Fecteau, J. (2014, July 30). FORAGING WILD FRUIT: NORTHERN BLACKBERRY. Josh Fecteau. https://joshfecteau.com/foraging-wild-fruit-northern-blackberry/.

Fecteau, J. (2023). NEW ENGLAND WILD EDIBLES MONTHLY GUIDE. Josh Fecteau. https://joshfecteau.com/resources/wild-edibles-monthly-guide/#toc-4.

Handley, D. T. (2023). Bulletin #2066, growing raspberries and blackberries – cooperative extension publications – University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Cooperative Extension Publications. https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2066e/.

Handley, D. T. (2023b). Bulletin #2172, raspberry and blackberry varieties for Maine – Cooperative Extension Publications – University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Cooperative Extension Publications. https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2172e/.

Maine Tree Club. (n.d.). Maine Tree Species Fact Sheet. 2001; Maine Tree Club.

McCargo, H. (2023, June 1). Monarchs and milkweed: Creating a landscape in Maine to support monarch butterflies and other pollinating insects. Wild Seed Project. https://wildseedproject.net/2016/03/monarchs-and-milkweed/#:~:text=Swamp%20(or%20Rose)%20Milkweed%20Asclepias,in%20July%20and%20early%20August.

MHT. (2019, November 19). Wild edibles- what to eat and where to forage in the woods of Maine. Maine Huts & Trails. https://mainehuts.org/discover/blog/wild-edibles-what-eat-and-where-forage-woods-maine#:~:text=berries%2C%20acorns%2C%20seaweed%2C%20and,patch%20of%20any%20given%20plant.

NRCM. (2023). Public lands archives. Natural Resources Council of Maine. https://www.nrcm.org/forest-wildlife/public-lands/#:~:text=Maine%20has%20approximately%20600%2C000%20acres,%2C%20fishing%2C%20and%20hunting%20opportunities.

Peronto, M., & Manley, R. C. (2008). Bulletin #2563, native trees and shrubs for Maine landscapes: Shadblow serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) – cooperative extension publications – university of maine cooperative extension. Cooperative Extension Publications. https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2563e/.

White, J. (2021, March 15). Blackberries the sweet and the thorny. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners. https://www.mofga.org/resources/fruit/blackberries-the-sweet-and-the-thorny/.

Lighthouse Runs

What kind of Maine-based blog would this be if I didn’t include any lighthouses? Many times growing up, my energetic grandmother would pack my three sisters and I into her Ford Taurus, and we’d drive along the coast, stopping by as many lighthouses as we could before suppertime. We called them Lighthouse Runs, since most of the stops weren’t more than fifteen minutes. We’d run out of the car, take a couple pictures, find a crab, dip our toes in the ocean, and race back to the Taurus for front seat privileges. Living in central Maine, a half-hour from the coast, we often hit five or six lighthouses before we were called back home by my grandfather for supper on the grill. My husband and I traveled around Maine for our honeymoon, and one Sunday we took up the Lighthouse Run tradition, visiting quite a few lighthouses I’d never been to before.

Thousands of people visit Maine to explore, photograph, paint, and learn more about these historic structures. Prominent among these is the Portland Headlight, claiming the title of the most popular lighthouse in all of New England. Some people, however, might recollect the iconic red and white striped lighthouse up in West Quoddy Head. New England boasts of almost 200 lighthouses, 65 of which are in Maine (MTA, 2023). These recognizable landmarks stretch from Whitlock’s Mill Light Station near Calais to Nubble Lighthouse in York. Many lighthouses rest on islands along the coast. The only landlocked lighthouse in the state is Ladies Delight, which sits on the shore of Lake Cobbosseecontee, near Augusta, Maine.

While many lighthouses in Maine have a museum, highlighting the historical and current significance of each specific lighthouse, only five have accommodations beyond a day trip. Four of these lighthouses even have accommodations for visitors to stay in, including Whitehead Light in St. George, Burnt Coat Harbor Light on Swan’s Island, Little River Light in Cutler Harbor, and Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol.

https://lighthousefoundation.org/lighthouses/boon-island-light/

The tallest lighthouse in New England can be found in Maine, Boon Island Light, which sits 6.5 miles from York. Standing 133 ft tall, this lighthouse is surrounded by bare rocks, with the conditions too extreme for much vegetation. The lighthouse itself had to be rebuilt three times due to harsh storms, and has gone through massive repairs between each new structure. Celia Thaxter, a poet from the 1900s^,called this place “the forlornest place that can be imagined” (Ellison et al., 2022). Even with the lighthouse’s strong beam of light, at least three recorded wrecks happened on the dangerous rocks that make up the entire 300’ by 700’ island (MTA, 2023). While automated and privately owned today, this tower of granite can clearly be seen from York beach, and still serves its original purpose of warning others from getting too close.

The oldest lighthouse in Maine is the Portland Headlight in Cape Elizabeth. Commissioned in 1787 by George Washington (USNews, 2023), and dedicated by Marquis de Lafayette (MOT, 2023), it was finished in 1791. This and many other lighthouses in Maine are typically closed to the public during the year. However, on Maine’s Open Lighthouse Day, this year set on September 9, 2023 (ALF, 2023), many lighthouses along the coast will allow visitors inside.

The oldest lighthouse in New England, however, was built 75 years before the Portland Headlight: the Boston Light. Even after its destruction by the hands of the British in 1776 during the Revolutionary War, the rebuilt lighthouse predates the Portland Headlight by 8 years (NPS, 2023). The Boston Light is on a small, rocky 3-acre island just southeast of the entrance to Boston Harbor in Massachusetts. It has the distinction of not only being the first lighthouse in North America, but also the last manned lighthouse in the United States (NPS, 2023). From open water into the harbor, the lighthouse highlights a change in times as the modern city of Boston hangs back in the distance.

While lighthouses have always been a part of home to me, there’s none that seemed to have the best of everything for my sisters and I than the Rockland Breakwater. Standing at the end of an almost mile-long breakwater made up of locally quarried granite, the square brick lighthouse looks out over the well-sheltered harbor to Penobscot Bay and the City of Rockland. Driving up past the Samoset Resort, we could park just outside of the resort’s golf course, sit down to lunch near the shore, and take the trek to the lighthouse across the giant granite stones.

The breakwater itself took almost two decades to complete, and it took 732,277 tons of granite to make up the 4,300’ long stretch (MTA, 2023). While a beacon had been moving at the end of the breakwater as it was constructed out into the harbor, it was permanently fixed with a station in the fall of 1902. While historically maintained by lighthouse keeper, the lighthouse was automated in 1965. Soon after automation, however, the Coast Guard decided the lighthouse was going to be destroyed. Many people rose up to help keep the lighthouse intact, with the nearby Samoset Resort helping to maintain the building until 1989 (D’Entremont, n.d.). The City of Rockland took ownership of the lighthouse in 1998, and the many groups have helped to restore the building, including the American Lighthouse Foundation, countless volunteers, and many local businesses (D’Entremont, n.d.). While restoration continues, the lighthouse is open to tours through scheduled volunteer tours. All the best Lighthouse Runs with my grandmother ended with this lighthouse, and it continues to be one my favorites to share with family and friends today.

To find an interactive map of Maine’s lighthouse locations, click here!

Resources

ALF. (2023). Boon Island Lighthouse. American Lighthouse Foundation. https://lighthousefoundation.org/lighthouses/boon-island-light/.

D’Entremont, Jeremy. (n.d.). Rockland Breakwater Light History. NEW ENGLAND LIGHTHOUSES: A VIRTUAL GUIDE. http://www.newenglandlighthouses.net/rockland-breakwater-light-history.html.

Ellison, J., Kevin, B., Grunewald, W., M. Wright, V., Van Allen, J., Stebbins, S., Shephard, C., Morgan, G., & Killea, F. (2022, September 8). Every Maine Lighthouse, ranked. Down East Magazine. https://downeast.com/travel-outdoors/lighthouses/.

MOT. (2023). Historical Maine lighthouses. tour living legacies that create a coastal namesake. – visit Maine – Visit Maine. Maine Office of Tourism. https://visitmaine.com/things-to-do/lighthouses-sightseeing/lighthouses.

MOT. (2023). Maine’s unique lodging – visit Maine. Visit Maine. https://visitmaine.com/where-to-stay/inns-bed-breakfasts/maines-unique-lodging.

MOT. (2023b). Portland head light: Explore the historic lighthouse, museum, Natural Grounds & Gift Shop in Cape Elizabeth – Visit Maine. Visit Maine. https://visitmaine.com/things-to-do/lighthouses-sightseeing/portland-head.

MTA. (2023). Lighthouses in Maine: Historical sites & coastal icons. Maine Tourism Association. https://www.mainetourism.com/things-to-do/attractions/lighthouses/?bounds=false&view=list&sort=qualityScore.

NPS. (2023). Boston Light, featured in Maritime History of Massachusetts–a national register of historic places travel itinerary. National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/bos.htm#:~:text=Boston%20Light%20marks%20a%20main,lighthouse%20built%20in%20North%20America.

USNews. (2023). Portland head light reviews | U.S. News Travel. Travel USNews. https://travel.usnews.com/Portland_ME/Things_To_Do/Portland_Head_Light_66346/.

Maine’s State Tree

After college, I moved back to Maine. Friends I’d met at school started to come for visits. When I married Steve after he moved up from Utah, family from out-of-state began to arrive up north as well. Ever willing to play tour guide, I would make up a mental list on all the places we would visit, and off we’d go on a whirlwind of lighthouses, rocky coasts, hikes in the woods, and lobster pounds. I quickly realized, as I showed off the diverse beauty of Maine, that I knew about as much as a travel pamphlet on my home state.

This unfortunate happenstance was highlighted when my newly acquired Midwest family came up after my daughter was born. We were driving down Route 1, and they commented on the variety of trees in the woods beside the road. Steve’s mom, who, raised in Colorado, loved forests, asked what kinds of trees Maine had. I stumblingly came up with the obvious picks- pine, maple, oak, and birch. Even though eighty-three percent of my home state is forested (USDA Forest Service, 2022), I could only remember the names of four. On multiple occasions, visiting friends would ask me all sorts of questions about the Maine woods, off-shore islands, wildlife, or even something as simple as what is the best place to eat clam chowder. I would just shrug or hurriedly Google whatever questions were put to me, because my knowledge seemed rather limited to my day-to-day interactions and experiences. I felt rather downtrodden at this revelation and was determined to remedy my informational shortcomings.

I found out that Maine has over seventy types of tree species (The Maine Forest Service, 2008). I learned about the difference between softwoods and hardwoods, how many trees are used for commercial purposes, and which trees grow best in the mid-coast area. But as I researched and read more about Maine’s forests, I was the most fascinated with a tree I already knew existed in Maine – the pine tree. What I didn’t know is that 15 different kinds of pine trees found in Maine (MNHO, 2020). I also learned that almost eighty years ago the State of Maine specified which pine tree was to be made the official state tree- the Eastern White Pine, technically named Pinus Strobus (State of Maine, 2023). This tree has been tremendously impactful in New England’s lumber industry since the early 1600s and continues to be a strong resource in Maine’s economy today.

Historically, the Eastern White Pine first gained commercialized popularity in the 1600s when it was discovered as the perfect ship’s mast. Growing to around two hundred feet, this strong, yet lightweight wood was ideal for the masts of vessels that weighed up to four hundred tons (Easterling, 2013). The British Crown was in a rush to build up their Navy at that point in time, and the Eastern White Pine was seen as instrumental in created a strong, yet fast, fleet. This pine tree came to be known as the “King’s Arrow Pine” since the British Royal Navy claimed many of these trees for the booming “masting” industry along the New England Coast by making three hatchet marks on the side of qualifying trees. One writer writes persuasively on the idea that the Eastern White Pine played a pivotal role in motivating colonists to rebel against British rule in the American Revolution (Easterling, 2013). A hefty fine was put on violators of the “King’s Arrow” policy, yet many local settlers felled the pines down anyway. Some individuals even slashed the mark off the large trees and made a duplicate “King’s Arrow” on smaller trees. British authorities often tried to intervene, yet the rebellions continued, the most notable of which was the 1772 “Pine Tree Riot” in New Hampshire.

Along with being the tallest pine in North America, the Eastern White Pine is one of the longest-living trees in New England, with one noted as four-hundred and fifty years old (Pryor, 2022). This pine tree can easily be characterized since it is the only pine tree with five needles in each grouping, or fascicle. Needles are thin and can grow between three to five inches long. The Eastern White Pine also has the longest seed cones out of all other Maine pine trees, growing up to eight inches (MNHO, 2020). As one of the most resilient trees in the state, this pine tree can be found all over Maine, and one does not have to go far in the woods to find one of these iconic natural features of the New England landscape.

Resources

Easterling, J. (2013, March 11). The King’s Broad Arrow and Eastern White Pine. NELMA. https://www.nelma.org/the-kings-broad-arrow-and-eastern-white-pine/.

Maine TREE Foundation. (2020, December 17). Forest Facts & Resources. https://mainetree.org/forests-for-maines-future/forest-facts-resources/#:~:text=What%20trees%20grow%20in%20Maine,spruces%2C%20balsam%20fir%20and%20others.

MNHO. (2020). Pinaceae of Maine. https://mainenaturalhistory.org/Biodiversity_Project/checklistsME/Tracheophyta_gymnosperms/Pinaceae.html.

State of Maine (2023). Forest Trees of Maine. Forest Trees of Maine: Handbooks & Guides: Publications: Division of Forestry: Maine ACF. https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/handbooks_guides/forest_trees/index.html.

The Maine Forest Service. (2008). In Forest Trees of Maine (pp. 2–2). introduction.

Pryor, C. (2022, April 11). Meet the eastern white pine – new england forestry foundation. New England Forestry Foundation. https://newenglandforestry.org/2018/04/23/meet-the-eastern-white-pine/.

USDA Forest Service. 2022. Forests of Maine, 2021. Resource Update FS-366. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2p. https://doi.org/10.2737/FS-RU-366.